TIMELESS TOMATOES | RIVER MARKET REDUX | GIRLS ON FILM
ARKTIMES.COM
JANUARY 2026
THE NEW ENVIRONMENTALISTS THE NEXT GENERATION AIMS TO PROTECT THE NATURAL STATE
PLUS!
CARVER MAGNET'S HALCYON DAYS A SHORT STORY BY JARED LEMUS
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JANUARY 2026
FEATURES 27 INTEGRATION VS. EQUITY
A former student remembers the Carver Magnet Elementary glory days. By Frederick McKindra
34 NEON REBELLION
A ragtag crew of janitors paint the night in this short story by a Parkview High School and UALR alum. By Jared Lemus
40 BLOOD-RED, STILL GREEN
A new generation aims to enshrine environmental protection into the Arkansas Constitution. By Phillip Powell
8 THE FRONT
From the Farm: Heirloom tomatoes, all year round. Q&A: With Andrew DeMillo, the straight man of Arkansas news. Big Pic: Dream scenarios to jazz up the River Market.
15 THE TO-DO LIST
Miss Gay America at Robinson Center, Bette Smith at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, The Sadies at White Water Tavern and more.
22 NEWS & POLITICS
Arkansas’s medicinal CBD boom flickers out.
By Jacqueline Froelich
53 CULTURE
Little Rock through the lens of photographers Rita Henry and Nancy Nolan. By Leslie Newell Peacock
58 FOOD & DRINK
Sip and snack your way through Central Arkansas’s best happy hours.
62 HISTORY
Paging through Arkansas’s troubling past. By Ernest Dumas
90 THE OBSERVER
An adopted Arkansan’s long, strange, 20-year trip. ON THE COVER: From left, college students Wyatt Rice, Sydney Stewart and Kevin Durden tag in to keep Arkansas green and pristine. Photo by Novo Studio.
SHERVIN LAINEZ
BETTE: Memphis and Mississippi whispered in the ears of Brooklyn soul singer Bette Smith. Listen to what they told her at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts on Jan. 22.
4 JANUARY 2026
ARKANSAS TIMES
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JANUARY 2026 7
THE FRONT FROM THE FARM
LEVERITT’S FOLLY HATCHING A PLAN TO HARVEST HEIRLOOM TOMATOES YEAR-ROUND. BY ALAN LEVERITT
A
bout 40 years ago, I moved out to my great-grandparent’s old homeplace on 87 acres in North Pulaski County. I had never given a second thought to growing anything, but in that setting, surrounded by pastures and bluffs, it was like my long-dormant peasant genes took over. I began raising a variety of fruits and vegetables, and after a few seasons, decided to go pro, peddling my produce, especially heirloom tomatoes, to anyone interested. I hit upon the idea of selling heirloom tomato subscriptions, a weekly delivery of organic heirloom tomatoes throughout the season in return for an upfront payment. I was doing a lot of direct mail copywriting for magazine subscriptions back then, so I wrote a four-page, triple-spaced letter extolling the superiority of my heirlooms over the fast-food industry varieties that were quickly taking over the tomato industry in South Arkansas. The Bradleys and Arkansas Travelers were too juicy and could not hold together under the electric slicing machine, according to McDonald’s. Arkansas farmers were instructed to plant North Carolina “Mountain” varieties such as Mountain Pride or Mountain Fresh, all with the mealy texture of shredded cardboard dipped in a little water. Challenged, I set out to save the reputation of the Arkansas tomato as I had known it. A friend at UAMS agreed to put my tomato letter in all the employee mail boxes there, reasoning that educated and affluent people would be a good market for my Cherokee Purples and Carbons. Keep in mind that this was long before most people had even heard of heirloom tomatoes. But then we hit a little bump. I was in Fayetteville selling ads when my friend called in a panic. Turns out our first response was from a reporter at the Arkansas Democrat investigating my letter. He had learned my friend was the perpetrator and the call had not gone well. “I’m not going down with you, Alan,” he said breathlessly. Jeez, he sounded like we 8 JANUARY 2026
ARKANSAS TIMES
HOOP THERE IT IS: Hoop houses extend growing seasons and prevent disease.
might be looking at prison time. A minute later the phone rang again; this time the reporter was on the line. “Who authorized you to enter the mailroom at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences campus with your advertisements?” he said. He sounded like Inspector Javert inquiring about a certain loaf of French bread. Maybe I was in some trouble, but for Christ’s sake, we’re talking tomatoes. “Oh. My. God,” I said slowly. “Are you calling the ’Mater Police?” There was a long pause, and then giggling on the other end of the line. The tone changed from scandal to satire. I had written his lede for him and now he was having fun. The story came out. The mailroom threw away all my letters but that first year, I could not keep a tomato. I learned that unlike ad sales, the challenge was not selling an organic heirloom tomato, it was growing one. Heirloom tomatoes tend to have thin skins with little or no disease resistance, which is why nearly all commercial tomatoes are hybrids with loads of disease protection, thicker exteriors for shipping and usually less flavor. I mentioned that I am a salesman by trade, which means I am also an optimist. Every farmer must be a great salesman because he sure as hell needs to be an optimist. Every spring, standing in that cool, sunny weather, I look out over my heavily mulched, manured and irrigated fields, certain that I have fig-
ured out what went wrong last year. By July, I realize that what went wrong was stinkbugs, blister bugs, bacterial wilt, Verticillium wilt, crazy heat, drought, downpours and a cow that got into the tomato field … damn little that I can control. One of the few tools a specialty crop farmer does have is an unheated high tunnel or hoop house, often subsidized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The hoop house lets me plant tomatoes and other tropicals six weeks before I can plant outside, which gives the plants a critical head start on insect pests. Ironically, rain is a problem because wet leaves provide the perfect landing place for airborne fungal spores. In the hoop house, the leaves stay dry and I irrigate at the roots. For all of its benefits, a hoop house can only extend the life of the plants, not save them. Come November, I find myself looking at dead, 6-foot-tall tomato plants with frozen green fruit and customers still wanting their heirlooms. Years ago, I was bicycling through the Cotswolds in England when I came across a newly built medieval castle the locals called William’s Folly. It was both grand and crazy. I am now in the midst of building Leveritt’s Folly, converting two hoop houses, one 96 feet long and the other 40 feet, into year-round, heated and cooled greenhouses. Castles, if you will. I have mounted big, thermostat-controlled propane heaters on one end of each house
ARKANSAS TIMES EVENTS The best events throughout the year!
Good vibes. Great drinks. Local flavor. Fan favorite festivals are back this year!
Our annual Spring Margarita, Craft Beer, Tacos & Tequila, Pig & Swig and The All-Arkansas Maker Festivals bring people together and encourage free speech within the community. We love featuring local bartending heroes and trendy chefs working alongside Arkansas’s own craft breweries, wineries & distilleries.
WINTER WONDER: A decent BLT any month of the year!
with a 24-foot-long swamp cooler at the other, along with circulating fans, exhaust fans to control humidity and double layers of plastic for the roof and sides. The need for heat is obvious but the swamp coolers, known as evaporative cooling, are just as important for year-round production. Beginning in June, the nighttime temperatures soar, causing pollen to get sticky and the flowers to fall off. I never noticed this because I was too busy picking beautiful tomatoes from the spring flower set. But come August, I have lovely plants and no tomatoes. The swamp coolers can be set to keep night temperatures below 75 degrees and the daytime temperatures below 80, allowing flowers to set, even during the worst heat. If this works, I will be eating heirloom BLTs in February and taking care of my chefs and customers at the Hillcrest Farmers Market year-round. Don’t even ask me what this is costing. I have the luxury of continuing to live indoors whether this pays off or not. But when an old dog like myself has the opportunity to learn new tricks, it is truly worth something. Financially it may turn out to be a folly, though not on the scale of William’s castle. But what interesting fun.
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ARKTIMES.COM
JANUARY 2026 9
THE FRONT Q&A
THE BEAT GOES ON
A Q&A WITH JOURNALIST ANDREW DEMILLO, NEW EDITOR AT THE ARKANSAS ADVOCATE. Are nonprofit newsrooms like the one you’re now heading up the future of journalism? I think they’re a key part of journalism’s future. The public really does have a thirst for knowing more about what their state and local governments are doing, and I think the public is willing to invest in quality journalism.
Arkansans have been lucky to have the likes of Andrew DeMillo at the keyboard for decades. The Georgia native came to town to work for the Arkansas DemocratGazette decades ago before moving on to the Associated Press, where he was a fixture at the state Capitol for 20 years. Trusted straight man of Arkansas news, DeMillo aims to preserve that reputation for truth and objectivity as he levels up to his new role as editor of the nonprofit Arkansas Advocate. Part of the States Newsroom network, the Arkansas Advocate was led by veteran journalist Sonny Albarado until his retirement near the end of 2025. DeMillo grabbed the baton and now leads a team of journalists whose aim is to tell the stories of how state politics, budgets and votes affect everyday Arkansans. The content Arkansas Advocate journalists produce is available for free at their website, and is also picked up by other media outlets, including the Arkansas Times. We’ve seen many of our former colleagues leave the news business entirely. Why have you stayed? The short answer is I love what I do. I’m a history buff, so getting to see it made every day and writing about it is an absolute dream. But it’s also vital to our democracy. Now more than ever, we need an independent press to tell readers not just the decisions that government officials are making, but how those decisions will affect them.
You and your wife are both from Georgia. Do you identify as Arkansans now? I definitely identify as an Arkansan, at least an adopted one. I love this state. That’s why we wanted to live here and raise a family here. But Georgia will always be in my blood. Anyone who’s listened to me root for the Dawgs during the fall knows that all too well.
FAVORITE BOOK OF THE LAST YEAR? It’s a tie between “We the People” by Jill Lepore and “Startlement,” Ada Limon’s latest collection of poems. WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING RIGHT NOW? I’m hooked on “Pluribus” and eagerly awaiting the final episodes of “Stranger Things.”
What are the big stories you and your new team will be watching in 2026? There’s no shortage of big stories for us to tackle in the new year. Obviously the election will be one of our top stories. But the ongoing fight over the Franklin County prison will be a major issue throughout the year, both as a political and policy story. We’ll also be covering the effects decisions by the Trump administration on health care, education and other policy areas will have on Arkansans.
How would you like to see the media landscape in Arkansas change? FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN LITTLE ROCK? This is I’m proud of how the Arkansas the hardest question yet. Vino’s probably ranks at Advocate and States Newsroom the top for their pizza and calzones. Boulevard Bread is investing in covering state Will this shift from reporter Company is my favorite for coffee, and their peanut government and policy at a time to editor move you behind the butter cookies. And nothing beats the Midtown that other news organizations scenes, or can we still expect to Billiards burger. are retreating. I’d like to see the see your bylines? trend of news organizations I’ll be working behind the scenes here investing in covering state and local news continue. I’m a leading an incredibly talented newsroom, but you’ll still see my firm believer that the public benefits when more reporters are byline occasionally. It’s impossible to give up reporting entirely watching what our elected officials are doing and examining the after doing this for more than 20 years. I also plan on writing a regular news analysis column, similar to the Arkansas Perspective impact of those decisions. column I used to write for the AP. —Austin Gelder 10 JANUARY 2026
ARKANSAS TIMES
ARKTIMES.COM
JANUARY 2026 11
THE FRONT BIG PIC
RIVER MARKET, REIMAGINED FINGERS CROSSED FOR A NATIVE SPECIES PETTING ZOO!
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ARKANSAS TIMES
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Big plans are in the works for downtown Little Rock that include a refresh on the River Market’s 20-year-old Ottenheimer Hall food court and a ribbon of greenspace and athletic courts rolling under the new Interstate 30 bridge. We tossed around some grander daydreams (and a few nightmares) for the River Market’s future, a future in which we would gleefully escape the office for a chance to do a few laps around a riverside roller rink.
1. Home of the inaugural 2026 Parkour Olympics, Little Rock will see competitors vying for top marks as they complete vaults across the Arkansas River and free-climb up the Simmons Tower. 2. Embrace the inevitable: full occupancy of every food stall at Ottenheimer Hall, but every tenant is a fast-casual chicken tender chain.
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3. Those young professionals occupying prospective downtown housing units are going to need a temporary escape hatch if they find themselves needing to go No. 2 when their Date No. 1 with a baddie goes into Netflix-and-chill overtime. Enter: pristinely maintained public bathrooms at Ottenheimer Hall, complete with world-class bidets in every stall.
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4. The pavilion area is already a skating rink, infrastructure-wise. Why not add a DJ and lights and roller skate rentals? 5. So long, “Sweet Caroline,” hello, “Green Hills of Tyrol.” With Willy D’s abandoning ship for North Little Rock’s Argenta neighborhood, it’s time for Little Rock to leave the dueling piano bar shtick in the rearview and claim its rightful place as the Home of the World’s Only Dueling Bagpipe Bar.
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6. This is The Natural State, dammit; it’s high time we had an Arkansas native species petting zoo. When was the last time you gently stroked a Ouachita madtom catfish, or booped noses with a nine-banded armadillo? And frankly, it’s well past time we extended an olive branch and some warm hugs to the black bear community after last year’s attacks. 7. Wild River Country 2.0. Resurrect North Little Rock’s charmingly mediocre water park, but this time, with real river water! True to the spirit of its godfather, security will be lax enough to allow pimply teenagers to sneak in a few lukewarm BuzzBallz. Filtration will be lax enough to allow the occasional alligator gar a turn on the water slide. ARKTIMES.COM
JANUARY 2026 13
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MISS GAY AMERICA 2026
TUESDAY 1/13-SATURDAY 1/17. ROBINSON CENTER. $38-$109.
BY STEPHANIE SMITTLE, DANIEL GREAR, OMAYA JONES AND GUY LANCASTER
CRAIG FREMIN
The October death of Sparkman native Norman Jones, a towering drag performer and the driving force behind beloved Little Rock gay clubs Discovery and Triniti, makes it an especially good time to consider turning out for Miss Gay America, the oldest drag pageant in the country. Just a few years after being crowned the first Miss Gay America in 1972, Jones acquired an ownership stake of the pageant, devoting the next several decades of his life to guaranteeing its longevity. While not without its controversies — Miss Gay America didn’t allow contestants pursuing hormone therapy or who have body modifications below the neck until 2025, when it introduced a Miss Gay America Femme division that welcomes trans women — the competition’s longstanding connection to Arkansas, where MGA has been hosted no fewer than a dozen times, is something to marvel at. Get tickets at missgayamerica.com. DG
QUEEN: New Orleans drag performer Ivy Dripp was crowned Miss Gay America in 2025.
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JANUARY 2026 15 JANUARY 2026 15
‘ORIGINS: A NEW WORKS CELEBRATION’
SHERVIN LAINEZ
FRIDAY 1/23-SATURDAY 1/24. BALLET ARKANSAS. 7 P.M. $50.
BETTE SMITH
THURSDAY 1/22. ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS. 7:30 P.M. $50.
GRAHAM TOLBERT
Soul singer Bette Smith is from Bed-Stuy, but she’s traced the musical lineage of the music she heard as a kid strolling through the Brooklyn neighborhood’s block parties back to some of their geographical origins — Memphis and Mississippi — and struck a vein. Her studio work bears that imprint, too, with contributions from the likes of Jimbo Mathus, North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson and Drive-By Truckers’ Matt Patton and Patterson Hood. Onstage, she’s a mover and shaker at any tempo; or, as Hood put it, “Even the ballads on this record hit hard.” For fans of Betty Davis, Tina Turner or Nikki Hill, this concert at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is a sure bet(te). Get tickets at events.arkmfa.org. SS
16 JANUARY 2026
ARKANSAS TIMES
No shade to Nutcracker — everything in its season and all that — but anyone who’s missing out on Ballet Arkansas’s enduring commitment to new, modern work by living choreographers is missing out, period. This program, held in the black box theater at Ballet Arkansas’s rehearsal and studio space at 520 Main St., showcases original work created by the company’s own dance artists and is part of the company’s “At Home” series, meaning you’re seeing the premiere performances created by your wildly talented and fiercely dedicated neighbors in an intimate space with which the dancers are intimately familiar. Much like in opera and orchestral music, programming a ballet season means doing a delicate dance between time-tested crowd-pleasers and less familiar (and therefore, more risky) pieces, and fans of dance in Arkansas can count themselves lucky we’ve got a ballet company striking that balance with virtuosity. Never been to the ballet? Even better; this will be a perfectly immersive introduction. Drinks and small plates will be available for purchase. Get tickets at balletarkansas.org. SS
LEGACIES & LUNCH: ‘FEILD NOTES ON LITTLE ROCK’ WEDNESDAY 1/7. MAIN LIBRARY, DARRAGH CENTER. NOON. FREE.
“Feild Notes on Little Rock: History and Memoir, 1622–2024” constitutes an eclectic take on this capital city and the state wherein it resides. Author and retired pediatrician Charles R. Feild, who will speak about the book at the Central Arkansas Library System’s Legacies & Lunch series in January, weaves together family lore with juicier bits of Arkansas history, quoting liberally from letters, newspapers and more to show that, yes, all of this did actually happen. Readers will learn, among other things, of Battle Row and Fighting Alley, a roughand-tumble red light district that once encompassed part of the now-respectable downtown area near the river, as well as Squatter’s Island, a makeshift encampment whose residents would tie their ramshackle homes to trees when the water rose. Feild’s personality pervades the entire text. A chapter on the Civil War’s beginning is titled “Godly Christians Secede,” driving home how much slavery was justified by scripture. His ultimate thesis comes at the end, when he surveys his field of inquiry to find progress tempered with the realization that we can only maintain what we have by fighting for it again and again: “Things are different, but this work is intended to emphasize the need to strive for ever better.” Attendees are expected to bring their own lunches, but drinks and cookies will be provided. This is a hybrid program and will be offered both in person and on Zoom. RSVP at events.cals.org. GL
‘THEY CALL HER DEATH’
SATURDAY 1/24. BIRDIE’S CABARET THEATER & LOUNGE, NORTH LITTLE ROCK. 8 P.M. $24. Kansas filmmaker Austin Snell has, to hear film blog PopHorror tell it, assembled a “down and dirty grindhouse western with a hell of a body count.” What’s more, Seattle International Film Festival tells us, Snell did it all on 16mm film using cameras from the 1960s, capturing “the essence of low-budget Euro-Westerns and Euro-Horror of the same era.” If all that — plus a plot with a sharpshooting heroine on a revenge mission — sounds like your cup of tea, catch this blood-spattered screening at Birdie’s, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker. Get tickets at birdiescabaret.com. SS
ARKANSAS TIMES FILM SERIES: ‘SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS’ TUESDAY 1/20. RIVERDALE 10 VIP CINEMA. 7 P.M. $12-$14.
The first and only winner of the Oscar for Best Unique and Artistic Picture at the inaugural Academy Awards, “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” (1927) was filmmaker F.W. Murnau’s first picture in Hollywood after emigrating from his native Germany. Eschewing proper names (the characters are simply referred to with descriptions like “The Man,” “The Wife” and “The Woman From the City”), the film follows a down-on-his-luck farmer, seduced by a city-dweller vacationing in the countryside. She wants him to abandon his family and come back with her. Her solution for getting out of his familial obligations? Kill his wife. But he can’t do it. After The Wife gets wind of the plot, she flees to the city herself. When Murnau came to Hollywood, he brought with him the German Expressionist style he was known for, depicting The City with large, exaggerated, stylized sets and forced perspective. The effect, to paraphrase filmmaker Veit Harlan (who himself remade the movie in 1939), renders “Sunrise” as much a poem as it is a film. Get tickets at riverdale10.com. OJ ARKTIMES.COM
JANUARY 2026 17
HEATHER POLLOCK
‘[TITLE OF SHOW]’ THE SADIES
SATURDAY 1/31. WHITE WATER TAVERN. 8 P.M. $20. Grief is a strange animal. Denial, anger, retreat, etc. — they’re all acceptable responses. Rarer is the instance of someone who greets mortality squarely, immersing themselves in the messiness by simply keeping on. Such is the case for Canadian psychedelic-country rockers the Sadies, who, mere months after the sudden death of longtime frontman Dallas Good, decided to release and tour their 11th album, “Colder Streams,” in 2022. “Do any bands make their best work this far along in their career?” Good half-jokingly mused in a statement promoting the album before he died unexpectedly at the age of 49. “I can think of artists who still make great music after all these years, but their best? Yet, here we are and that’s what I’m accusing us of.” It’s a devastatingly profound declaration to reckon with in light of Good’s passing, and one that turned out to be true, with Paste Magazine opining that “Colder Streams” is “far and away the best the band has ever sounded on record” and Exclaim! calling it “the record the Sadies have been working on capturing for their entire existence.” Get tickets at whitewatertavern.com. DG
18 JANUARY 2026
ARKANSAS TIMES
FRIDAY 1/16-SUNDAY 2/1. THE WEEKEND THEATER. $25. Directed by former Arkansas Times staffer and local theater buff Caleb Patton, “[title of show]” is the perfect production for a scrappy yet inventive company like The Weekend Theater in Little Rock. Boasting a very hall of mirrors-esque premise, the musical follows a group of self-described “nobodies” struggling to pen an original musical on a time crunch who, in a flurry of desperation, decide to write their show about the very act of writing a show. To make things even more delightfully frenzied, The Weekend Theater’s rendition of “[title of show]” will feature a distinct cast for each of its three performance weekends — Jonathan Fili, Tyler Mann, Cameron Fili and Natalie Williams on Jan. 16-18; Peyton Greenwood, Taijee Bunch, Mikala Hicks and Leanne Roberson on Jan. 24-26; and “an exciting mix-and-match sure to keep your interest piqued” on Jan. 30-Feb. 1. Get tickets at centralarkansastickets.com. DG
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LEGACY LEADERS 2026
For over fifty years, the Arkansas Times has been a mirror reflecting the state’s growth, challenges, and triumphs. As we celebrate this milestone, we turn our spotlight on the individuals who have shaped our community. This special section honors our Legacy Leaders — the visionaries, innovators, and community pillars who have left an enduring mark on Arkansas. They are the entrepreneurs who built businesses from the ground up, the philanthropists who have enriched countless lives, and the activists who have championed progress. Through their perseverance, dedication, and unwavering commitment, they have paved the way for future generations.
Doe’s Eat Place | McMath Woods P.A. | JP Fitness & Recovery
JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE THEIR EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS AND THE PROFOUND IMPACT THEY’VE HAD ON OUR STATE.
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JP FITNESS & RECOVERY
JP Francoeur, Owner
For nearly 40 years, Jean-Paul Francoeur has been a respected leader in fitness and recovery in Arkansas, helping clients of all ages restore movement, build strength, and achieve lasting physical performance. As the founder of JP Fitness & Recovery, Jean-Paul has dedicated his career to understanding how the body truly heals, adapts, and performs moving beyond traditional training models to create sustainable, results-driven outcomes. JP Fitness & Recovery is recognized statewide for its advanced neuro-based approach to fitness and recovery, utilizing Neufit technology to address the nervous system, the body’s primary control center. By training the nervous system alongside the muscular system, clients are able to improve mobility, accelerate recovery, reduce pain, and enhance overall physical performance more efficiently and safely. His facility serves a broad range of clients, including athletes, active professionals, and individuals recovering from injury or navigating age-related limitations. Every client begins with a comprehensive one-on-one assessment, allowing the team to create a highly individualized plan focused on optimizing health, movement quality, and long-term resilience. What truly distinguishes JP Fitness & Recovery is experience. With almost 40 years in the industry and a deeply knowledgeable team, Jean-Paul brings a level of insight that can only be developed through decades of hands-on work. His leadership continues to elevate the standard of fitness and recovery across the state, empowering clients to move more efficiently, build strength, perform better, and maintain physical independence no matter their age or starting point.
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DOE’S EAT PLACE
Katherine Eldridge, Owner 20 JANUARY 2026
ARKANSAS TIMES
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When it comes to iconic locations in Arkansas, no one surpasses Doe’s. Since 1988, owner Katherine Eldridge and her father before her have provided a dining experience worthy of a shout out by former president Bill Clinton. But if you ask her, it isn’t just about the food – which is an outstanding example of down home cooking – it’s more important that patrons leave the restaurant feeling as though they’ve been adopted into one big happy family. Now preparing her son to take over the business, Katherine insists that Doe’s owes its success to the number one value they hold dear: quality service. Over the years she has kept her customers in mind, doing her best to keep prices reasonable and curating a staff that is sure to keep you smiling from the moment you step through the doors to when you put down your fork. Speaking of staff, when asked about recent accomplishments, Katherine mentions their induction into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame from a year ago. Rather than focus on the clout they earned from this, Katherine makes a point to say that the best part of this momentous occasion was that all of her long-term staff got to be present. It’s easy to see that the reason Doe’s is a leader in the industry is due to the time and dedication that Katherine, and her father, poured into the building of the restaurant. Without a doubt, they’ve earned themselves a permanent spot as a must visit location, and as an important fixture in the community they love so much.
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McMath Woods P.A. Personal attention, proven results since 1953.
Seated left to right: Sarah C. Jewell, Will Bond and David W. Wells Standing left to right: Charles Harrison, Neil Chamberlin, Carter C. Stein, Tim Giattina, Samuel E. Ledbetter and Grayson Hinojosa
For more than seven decades, McMath Woods has fought to hold corporations, insurance companies, and hospitals accountable for injuries and wrongs caused to hard working Arkansans. In 2026, our lawyers still stand ready to help individuals in injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, environmental, employment, and probate litigation cases. McMath Woods has played an impactful role in Arkansas’s legal landscape. The trial lawyer firm has built a reputation for representing individuals and families in complex civil litigation. McMath Woods has remained focused on one core principle: advocating for those seeking accountability through the justice system. The firm is known for preparing cases with the expectation of trial, a posture that distinguishes it in an era when many disputes are resolved before they reach the courtroom. This trial-ready approach reflects a belief that thorough preparation and strategic advocacy are essential to achieving meaningful outcomes for clients. The firm traces its origins to some of Arkansas’ most influential legal figures, including former governor Sidney S. McMath and federal judge Henry Woods. From its earliest years, the firm established itself as a plaintiff-oriented practice with a strong trial presence, rooted
firmly in their home state. Over time, McMath Woods evolved while maintaining its foundational commitment to courtroom advocacy. Unlike many firms that expanded beyond their place of origin, McMath Woods has remained anchored in Arkansas, building institutional knowledge of local courts, communities, and legal precedents that continues to shape its work today. Over the years, McMath Woods has secured numerous significant verdicts and settlements in personal injury and wrongful death cases. The firm has also played a notable role in environmental litigation in Arkansas, representing communities affected by contamination and industrial activity. While the firm does not emphasize volume, its record reflects a consistent ability to handle high-stakes cases requiring extensive investigation, expert testimony, and sustained trial advocacy. Collectively, these outcomes underscore the firm’s long-standing role in holding parties accountable through the civil justice system. McMath Woods maintains offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville, allowing the firm to serve clients across the state while remaining closely connected to the communities in which it practices. Its attorneys have been recognized by peer-reviewed legal directories including Best
Lawyers, Best Law Firms, Super Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell. These distinctions reflect sustained professional recognition rather than isolated accolades, reinforcing the firm’s standing within both the Arkansas legal community and the broader trial lawyer profession. Such recognition underscores a body of work built over decades rather than a single moment of success. As it moves forward, McMath Woods continues to operate with the same trial-focused mindset that defined its earliest years. While the legal landscape has evolved significantly since the firm’s founding, its emphasis on preparation, accountability, and client advocacy remains unchanged. The firm’s continued presence in complex civil litigation reflects a belief in the importance of the courtroom as a place for truth-finding and resolution. More than seventy years after its establishment, McMath Woods stands as an enduring presence in Arkansas law, shaped by experience and sustained commitment to its work.
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NEWS & POLITICS
DR. NO: Farmers like Bill Morgan no longer supply CBD remedies.
WEEDED OUT
A STATE BAN NIPS ARKANSAS’S MEDICINAL CBD INDUSTRY IN THE BUD. BY JACQUELINE FROELICH
22 JANUARY 2026
ARKANSAS TIMES
O
zark Natural Foods in Fayetteville sells a wide selection of herbal remedies, vitamins and supplements. Patrons also purchased medicinal CBD remedies made from hemp until recently, when city police confiscated the co-op’s CBD inventory. The seizure was the consequence of a new state law banning synthetic intoxicating hemp-derived delta-8 THC products, which the co-op has never carried. But the ban also prohibits the sale of non-intoxicating hemp CBD health remedies that contain even traces of THC, the compound that, in greater amounts, gives marijuana its high.
JACQUELINE FROELICH
“We now only carry legal THCfree CBD,” said Alicia Powell, the co-op’s director of operations, pointing to a few bottles locked inside a barren display cupboard. State authorities notified the co-op’s board president last summer that local law enforcement would impound all CBD products containing even trace amounts of THC. The confiscated products would be destroyed in a high-temperature incinerator. “We didn’t consult with our attorney,” Powell said. “We just decided to be in full compliance.” Shelf clearings like this one at Ozark Natural Foods have played out multiple times across Arkansas in recent months. Regulatory enforcement agents with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, since mid-July, have confiscated more than 8,000 hemp-derived THC products from convenience stores and vape shops in Little Rock, Fort Smith, Magnolia and El Dorado, according to spokesperson Scott Hardin. Agents are impounding not only medicinal CBD remedies but intoxicating hemp cigarettes, vape cartridges and edibles containing synthetic delta-8 THC distillates. Those products had been sold legally over the counter to customers of any age in Arkansas until the new law took effect. Much of it is manufactured overseas, Hardin said. Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9 THC) are cannabinoid compounds naturally present in both hemp and marijuana cannabis plants, which are close cousins. Marijuana flower buds, cultivated as both a recreational drug and for medicinal use, contain high amounts of naturally occurring intoxicating delta-9 THC. Dried hemp flower buds, grown for food, fiber and medicinal CBD, also contain delta-9 THC but only in tiny amounts that are federally limited under U.S. agricultural law to 0.3% dry weight. But in recent years industrial hemp processors have found ways to convert an isomer of naturally occurring delta-9 THC into a euphoric synthetic product sold as delta-8
THC. Edibles, tinctures and vapes containing delta-8 yielded nearly $3 billion in U.S. sales last year. Dr. Brian Nichol, a North Little Rock anesthesiologist and pain management specialist who recommends over-the-counter medicinal CBD remedies to his patients, said the tougher new regulations may be cutting people off from the products they’ve relied on. And the benefits of those now out-of-reach products are real, he said. “Human bodies are equipped with cannabinoid receptors that facilitate certain healing effects. Patients tell me they experience relief from painful inflammation, sleep issues, anxiety and depression, and that it helps to delay symptoms associated with dementia disorders.” The products he recommends are not what people tend to think of when they think of cannabis. “Medicinal CBD is not intoxicating or euphoric,” he insists. Patients and customers who’ve grown reliant on medicinal CBD remedies agree. “I tried medical marijuana to treat my severe osteoarthritis,” Lee Ann Dark said, “but it’s too intoxicating. But after applying a CBD salve I purchased from Ozark Mountain Medicine, the pain was gone within a few minutes.” Now, her CBD supply is running low. “I don’t know where to buy more like it,” she said. The ban on synthetic recreational hemp intoxicants is causing significant collateral damage to Arkansas’s blossoming medicinal CBD industry, with retailers clearing shelves and boutique CBD shops closing doors. STRONG START, HARD STOP “My hemp is now considered a controlled substance,” Bill Morgan said ruefully, seated in his sunlit greenhouse that once contained hundreds of lush potted hemp plants. Morgan is the founder of Bio Gen LLC, doing business as Ozark Mountain Medicine. He established his state-licensed hemp farm in western Washington County in 2019, harvesting his first crop in 2021, producing high-quality CBD extracts that are full-spectrum, meaning they contain an array of beneficial natural compounds. Morgan can no longer sell his CBD tinctures and salves online or in Arkansas retail stores because they are now a declared psychoactive substance under Arkansas law. “I was notified in late June about pending enforcement requiring me to shut down my business,” Morgan said. He and other industrial hemp permit hold-
ers were warned by Arkansas authorities to cease operations or face criminal fines and possible incarceration. Morgan has since transitioned to growing organic culinary mushrooms, melons and tomatoes which he retails to local restaurants and sells to wholesale markets. “I have maintained my license,” he said, just in case the law changes. “I can grow hemp plants. I can warehouse dried hemp flower. But I cannot turn the resin into a marketable commodity.” This turn of events was not something Morgan expected six years ago, when he coordinated the state’s first agricultural hemp symposium at the Pryor Center in Fayetteville after USDA legalized hemp cultivation under the federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. More than 50 farmers attended. “A lot of them became hemp farmers that first year,” Morgan said, all choosing to grow hemp for medicinal CBD products. Hemp originated in central Asia 5,000 years ago grown for fiber and nutritious seed. North American colonists imported hemp from Europe in the 1600s to manufacture rope, cloth and canvas. Production peaked in the mid-1800s but ceased in the 1930s, when hemp cannabis, due to its resemblance to marijuana cannabis, was criminalized. Today, the U.S. is the third-largest producer of agricultural hemp, behind China and Canada, much of it initially grown for the medicinal CBD market. Licensed by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s new Hemp Program, Morgan sourced the latest hemp genetics, yielding resin-rich flower buds processed into tinctures and salves sold under the brand-name Ozark Mountain Medicine. He marketed his CBD products online, selling inventory exclusively to Ozark Natural Foods. “It was great to be part of a new industrial enterprise that had the blessing of both the federal government and state government,” Morgan said. “But early on what we didn’t have were markets and ways to legally extract the CBD oil to bottle and place on store shelves.” Morgan located a licensed extractor, securely transporting his resin-rich hemp flower buds to PurePharmaLabs in Little Rock. Owner Chris Gibson and staff produce both CBD and THC extracts, sourcing medical marijuana legally grown in state dispensaries, as well as hemp grown for CBD medicinals. “We process CBD for around 10 growers, mostly from Arkansas and Kentucky, making finished products for a few of them,” Gibson stated in an email. “We also produced a line of medicinal CBD, sold under our company label.” ARKTIMES.COM
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Gibson blames the proliferation of cheap intoxicating delta hemp products on a market glut of industrial hemp grown for CBD. There was so much hemp available for processing that it made financial sense to turn it into intoxicating, newfangled junk delta-8 products, gaudily packaged as gummies, candies, popsicles, gelcaps, vapes, cigarettes and drinks. These goods were widely sold over the counter to adults, teens and children, posing serious health risks. “Too many acres of floral hemp were grown in America,” Gibson said, after it was federally legalized, “and too many millions of tons of CBD distillate were made. When the CBD bubble burst, unscrupulous people used a highly inefficient process of chemical synthesis to turn the glut of CBD distillate into delta-8, and other [new] intoxicating substances.” The National Poison Data System estimates that American Poison Centers have managed 10,500 delta-8 THC-related exposure cases since 2021. Overdosing may lead to vomiting, hallucinations, difficulty walking, with severe toxicity resulting in depressed heart rate, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing and coma. By comparison, 400 cases of medicinal CBD overdoses were reported last year. While it’s true that delta-8 products are a problem, Gibson suggested that banning CBD products with small amounts of naturally occurring THC is an overcorrection. “This total ban on medicinal CBD products is a short-sighted reaction,” he argued. NOT YOUR GRANDKIDS’ CANNABIS Data shows that more than 60% of U.S. adults have tried medicinal CBD, with half becoming regular users, primarily older adults. 24 JANUARY 2026
ARKANSAS TIMES
But a majority of Arkansas lawmakers apparently believe that medicinal hemp products are as dangerous as synthetic delta hemp products. The state Legislature back in 2023 approved Act 629, later signed into law by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. It bans the production and sale of hemp-derived substances with even trace amounts of THC. Arkansans who possess medicinal CBD remedies or purchase it online or from retailers out of state may also be subject to criminal penalties and incarceration. Within weeks, notifications were dispatched to Arkansas hemp farm permit holders, as well as retailers selling hemp-derived products. A group of Arkansas delta-8 purveyors sued the state after Act 629 was passed, claiming it conflicts with the USDA Farm Bill that legalized hemp and its derivatives in 2018. Bio Gen LLC was the lead plaintiff representing medicinal CBD interests. After winning a preliminary district court injunction, the case ascended to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, which, this past summer, sided with the state of Arkansas. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin lauded the decision. “Today’s win is a huge victory for the safety of every Arkansan — and especially our kids,” Griffin said. “Dangerous, unregulated synthetic marijuana products like delta-8 have no place in our state.” The bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R-Paragould), stated that “these products are essentially recreational marijuana and I am glad the court confirmed the state’s ability to ban them.” Recent data show that since October, Arkansas patients have spent nearly $241 mil-
JACQUELINE FROELICH
BILL MORGAN
DISCONTINUED: Products with even trace amounts of THC can no longer be sold over the counter in Arkansas, forcing farmers to rework their business plans and retailers to clear their shelves.
lion on medical marijuana tinctures, gummies and flower, a significant increase over the same time period last year. Dispensaries remain free to sell medicinal CBD products to registered patients, with the hemp ban expected to boost sales. Only 13 hemp farms remain licensed in the state, according the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. Caleb Smith, founder of the Arkansas Hemp Trade Association which represents 60 members, cites 125 hemp startups after the crop was first federally legalized in 2018. “Arkansas’s CBD market gave people who don’t want to use medical marijuana a better option,” Smith said. “They’re not looking to get high. They just want something to help with their back pain, for example. We saw a big redirect with medical marijuana patients letting their cards expire, choosing instead to go to CBD apothecaries, which are now all shutting down.” Six states so far have prohibitions on intoxicating hemp-derived products. Last summer, a nationwide ban proposed by members of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee failed to progress. But now, a provision in a federal spending bill approved by Congress on November 12 to end a U.S. government shutdown has re-criminalized hemp products with THC nationwide. By this time next year, the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived THC products will be banned. The new law is also expected to significantly reduce the availability of medicinal CBD. Both the recreational marijuana and liquor industries are attributed with efforts to re-criminalize hemp and its euphoric derivatives, which they say are cutting into market shares.
A GUIDE TO CANNABIS TERMINOLOGY Hemp Cannabis sativa L. is a tall aromatic cane-like annual cannabis plant indigenous to Asia. Mature male hemp plants produce pollen sacs. The pollen fertilizes flowering female hemp plants, which result in seed. Unpollinated female plants yield sticky resin-rich white hairy blooms. The resin contains non-intoxicating cannabidiol (CBD), which is extracted for medicinal use. Hemp contains trace, non-intoxicating amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), limited under federal law to no more than 0.3% dry plant weight.
Cannabis distillates are extracts of hemp or marijuana. The most common distillates are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oil and cannabidiol (CBD) oil, used as a base in edible, topical and vape remedies and products.
Marijuana, also a cannabis plant, comes in two strains: Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa. Mature female plants produce resin-rich flower buds containing over a 100 cannabinoids and terpenes smoked and ingested for both intoxicating and medicinal benefit. Dried marijuana contains cannabidiol (CBD) and up to 30% delta-9 THC. Marijuana resin extracts, sold in tinctures and edibles, may contain as much as 90% delta-9 THC.
Broad spectrum CBD is also a type of cannabidiol extract that contains multiple cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis plant, but no THC.
Delta-9 THC cultivated in recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states and sold to adults over 21 in licensed retail stores. Delta-9 THC in medical marijuana is legal in 40 states, sold in state-licensed dispensaries. Both medical and recreational delta-9 THC products, however, remain federally illegal. Cannabinoids are a group of cannabis compounds that interact within human endocannabinoid receptors affecting mood, memory, appetite and pain. The most well-known cannabinoids are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
Full-spectrum hemp CBD is a type of cannabidiol extract that contains all the natural compounds found in the cannabis plant, including cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids, as well as trace amounts of THC limited to no more than to 0.3% plant dry weight.
Delta-8 THC is a relatively new synthetic hemp intoxicant. Processed into gummies, chocolates, baked edibles, vape cartridges, drinks, oils and tinctures, delta-8 products are colorfully packaged and widely sold over the counter to teens and children in convenient stores, and to adults in liquor, tobacco and vape stores. Delta-8 in small doses produces a mild psychoactive effect, but in large quantities pose a serious health risk. Cannabis laboratories have also produced delta-10 THC, delta-11 THC and other new intoxicating derivatives. A federal law passed mid-November, scheduled to take effect in 2026, bans all hemp-derived intoxicants over 0.4 mg of THC per package or container.
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AN ELEGY FOR CARVER MAGNET
Just 35 years ago, an LRSD elementary with a court-mandated 50/50 racial balance became one of the most sought-after schools in the state. Now, the campus in Little Rock’s faded East End stands empty. BY FREDERICK MCKINDRA
MAGNETIC PERSONALITIES: A photo collage from Carver's yearbook in the 1995-96 school year.
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BRIAN CHILSON
XXXXXXXX: xxxxx
ALL QUIET: The school building at 2100 E. Sixth St. opened in 1989 and closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Carver's academic program moved to Washington Elementary on Main Street.
28 JANUARY 2026
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C
oming into racial consciousness began early for me. My first school years in the 1980s were spent at the McGraw Learning Institute, an experimental Afrocentric preschool in Little Rock where Black children were introduced to African culture and history from the earliest ages. Each day began with a school-wide recitation of the poem, “I Am the Black Child” by Mychal Wynn. Then, in 1989, soon after the start of kindergarten, I transferred to Carver Magnet Elementary, a school where a 50/50 racial balance between white and Black children was mandated by the federal court that had overseen the Little Rock School District for years. I was aware that attending Carver was a privileged position, my two older siblings having won admission there two years earlier. This would be my first extended time around white people. From the start, I was attentive to the racial composition of my friend group, fearful of being labeled an Oreo — Black on the outside, white on the inside — by classmates or family. Kindergarten and first grade I navigated with Black friends, mostly, but things became more politically charged soon thereafter, when sleepovers began. By third grade, I was pretty adept at spending the night at a white person’s house, as my friend group then skewed predominantly that way. At some point that year, a friend’s mom asked if
my mom could drop me off at a neutral site — a grocery store parking lot — put off by the prospect of coming to my home in the South End to pick me up. This incensed my mother; sleepover canceled. Race became a charged topic, and for me, school became its arena — the place for sanctioned and safe competition, for achievement, for coming to understand power and privilege, the haves and the have-nots, and to mediate my ambition. One’s whiteness or Blackness, in outward appearance, performed manner or inner constitution, became fraught with the potential for betrayal, personal ruin and excommunication, both social and familial. It also carried the potential for escape, and access — mostly to plentiful snacks at the houses of my classmates. Whiteness at that age meant frequent trips to the “pantry” (a foreign word to me), a self-replenishing cabinet stocked with goodies — Dunkaroos, Fruit by the Foot — marketed to us kids in TV cartoons. Though I knew Carver’s racial ratio was something we were supposed to be proud of, I didn’t know how rare it was. Magnet schools, or at least the type of magnet that Carver represented, were a product of their time — a radical effort to achieve true racial integration in the nation’s public schools after decades of struggle. Carver occupies a curious place in this
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city’s long narrative on public education. Historically, it served Black students as a neighborhood school in Little Rock’s East End, the area between downtown and the Little Rock airport. In the late ’80s, it was designated a magnet school in an effort to help the district achieve its long-sought desegregation goals. Helmed by an inspired Black woman who herself attended the school in the ’60s, flooded with resources and relocated to a new building, Carver became the envy of the district — with a ballooning waitlist to boot. Now it is gone. Carver closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year, the remnants of the once venerated program consolidated with Booker T. Washington Magnet School to become Carver-Washington STEAM Magnet School. Though this new iteration carries forward the legacy of Carver, the carefully tuned racial balance and vigorous marketing of the school to white families are things of the past. The neighborhood that surrounded Carver, in the past few decades, has literally disappeared. Many of the residential areas in the East End were bought up and cleared years ago to make way for an expansion of the airport that started in 2004. The school building that originally housed Carver, located at 800 Apperson St., was leveled. And the new building at 2100 E. Sixth St., which opened in 1989, is now another vacant campus. THE EAST END AND THE LRSD According to redlining maps made by the federal Home Owners’ Loan Corporation sometime between 1935 and 1940, the racial composition of the East End in the 1930s was roughly split along racial lines. Both white and Black residents were mostly working class, and most lived in small single family homes. White elementary students from the area probably would have been assigned to the Parham School, which sat where Interstate 630 runs today. And Black students attended the East End School, which eventually became Carver. In 1949, city officials commissioned a housing quality assessment that declared much of the East End substandard due to “overcrowding, structural dangers, and/or [the] lack of modern plumbing” and eventually earmarked the area for urban renewal projects, a designation that often led to “slum clearance” or the demolition of homes and business. Maps of the area show that by the 1950s, the neighborhood had become predominately African American, though some
areas remained racially mixed. From the ’70s to the early aughts, the neighborhood was marred by a reputation of heavy gang activity and drug use. Black communities have long struggled against these blanket characterizations that can cast an entire community as violent or impoverished, when the lived reality of residents is much different. The East End’s reputation wasn’t anything like the neighborhood Mary Guinn, who served as principal of Carver from 1985 to 1994, remembers. Guinn’s parents moved in 1964, when she was a sixth-grader, from Granite Mountain to East Little Rock’s New Addition, a neighborhood just behind the
munity hub under Denton’s direction. He believed that “if the students in the area attended a school in which they could take pride, it would increase attendance and academic performance,” according to “Educating the Masses: the Unfolding History of Black School Administrators in Arkansas, 19002000.” Denton worked to involve students and parents in maintaining the school and grounds, and Carver regularly won the “City Beautiful Award” plaque given by the Little Rock School District to the school showing the greatest building improvements. The building hosted community teas for neighborhood residents to socialize. In a climate dominated by respectability politics, these superficial improvements impacted Carver’s reputation across the city. Still, Carver firmly remained a “Black school,” even if segregation was no longer the law CARVER of the land. In 1957, Little Rock DOWNTOWN Central High became a symbol LITTLE ROCK of the federal government’s commitment to upholding the school desegregation principles mandated by the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education. AIRPORT But the entrance of nine Black students to Central High was just the first small step toward integrating the district, and in the years that followed, many white Little Rock residents continued to resist every effort to break Hollingsworth Grove Projects, a low-income down the racial barriers that decades of Jim housing development built in 1955. “The New Crow had created. The LRSD remained clearly Addition of East Little Rock was still integrat- divided into white schools and Black schools ed,” Guinn said. “We had white neighbors in the ’60s, despite the dramatic events of the two doors down, white neighbors next door previous decade. to us.” In the 1970s, federal courts began to more Guinn attended Carver Elementary, then aggressively force school districts to desegrehelmed by Principal Herbert Denton Sr., who gate, including “busing” orders that required demanded excellence of his all-Black faculty moving students within districts to balance and student body. Denton was known as a the racial makeups of specific schools. Many taskmaster of an administrator, demanding white families responded by fleeing to suboversight over teachers’ curricula and a strict urbs or outlying communities, or to private professional dress code. There, Guinn experi- schools. By the early ’80s, Little Rock’s popenced a level of expectation that would carry ulation was about 65% white but the LRSD over to her own tenure as the leader of the student body had become 70% Black. school some 20 years later. That history was the backdrop to Guinn’s “How we walked in the hallway, to how we career as an educator in the district. After addressed teachers, to how the curriculum serving as a teacher at Woodruff and Stewas delivered. It was so clear that Mr. Den- phens elementaries, Guinn became the ton understood what it was like to ensure first African American principal at Pulaski high-quality education for African Ameri- Heights Elementary in 1984. Pulaski Heights can students,” Guinn said. “The systematic was a choice assignment, the neighborhood nature of how Carver School was run by Mr. school being a well-known, high-achieving Denton will forever be etched in my mind.” institution in the city. But during that same She recalls the Carver Elementary of the early year, the principal position at Carver became ’60s being “one of the most talked-about Afri- vacant. can American schools in the LRSD.” “I had always said, if I ever decide to be a Carver developed a reputation as a com- principal, I want to be the principal of CarvARKTIMES.COM
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BRIAN CHILSON
er,” Guinn said. Still, it was a hard choice: She was new to her role at Pulaski Heights and felt torn about leaving. Guinn may have been persuaded by the negative attitudes toward the East End, according to Lola Perritt, a former science teacher at Pulaski Heights who was convinced by Guinn to follow her to Carver. An editorial at the time in a local newspaper “said nothing comes out of the East End but maids and drug dealers,” Perritt recalled. The “general consensus” in Little Rock was that “nothing good comes from the East End,” Guinn said. That wasn’t the neighborhood or the school that she remembered. “The real impetus for me to go back [and] become the principal was that I’d had such a wonderful experience as a student at Carver. … I was like, ‘That can’t be the place I know, the people I know, the community I go to church in — why would it have declined so?’” A CARROT, NOT A STICK Guinn decamped to her alma mater in 1985. She immediately recruited a biracial group of four teachers from Pulaski Heights — Perritt, Patricia Killingsworth, Mary Jo Curtis and Maxine White — and her secretary, Betty Simpson. The team moved into what was colloquially known as “Old Carver” at 30 JANUARY 2026
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800 Apperson St., the same building where Denton had been principal a generation earlier. Only three rooms in the building had air conditioning; teachers supplied their own oscillating fans to cool their classrooms. Killingsworth, who eventually became the school’s math specialist, remembers the two years at Old Carver as time dedicated to remedying the negative effect of inflated grades, evidence that Carver’s sterling reputation may have owed somewhat to teachers beautifying student records rather than their actual academic skills. “These kids were bringing home report cards with straight A’s on them, but not from us, from the other teachers. And when we started calling parents in to show them that their kids were reading at the pre-primary level, [they said] ‘What are you talking about?’” Killingsworth said. Those first years were “the moment I’m the proudest of, because our mission was to get [the students] on level by the end of the year.” The school received its magnet designation two years later, in 1987. By that point, battles over desegregating the LRSD had been raging for 30 years. Despite years of federal court orders, the goal of racial equity remained a distant dream,
THEN AND NOW: Mary Guinn, Carver's principal from 1985 to 1994, visits the campus in 2025. Below, Guinn's photo from a 1993-94 school yearbook.
and white families continued to flee the district. In 1982, the Little Rock School District sued its neighbors, the Pulaski County Special School District and the North Little Rock School District, alleging that white students were leaving the LRSD in favor of the NLRSD and the PCSSD. The state was also named a defendant for its role in creating and maintaining an unequal school system. Years of litigation followed, including a court order in 1984 to consolidate all three districts into a single school district encompassing all of Pulaski County. A federal appeals court put a stop to the consolidation plan, but the case would change the LRSD in profound ways. One was the development of magnet schools requiring a 50/50 racial ratio in student and faculty populations. These magnets were devised as a new means of meeting desegregation goals. In the LRSD, these schools would receive special funds from all three districts and the state to offer innovative programming that aimed to attract families. “If you look at the long history from 1975 [when the district became majority Black] to
’87, you see complete panic by white business leaders and white board members that we are losing white kids,” Jim Ross, a history professor at UALR, said. “So they try all kinds of plans. And the goal is always to bring back the white kids, including setting up a white flight committee. The court gives them a list of things that have been tried nationally. And one of them is magnet schools.” The idea was that public schools with specialized course offerings could act as a “magnet” to pull in students who otherwise may have left the school district. Rather than forcing integration through court orders, magnet schools would become so attractive that white families would attend voluntarily. “The seats are assigned by race. And the whole goal, in my opinion, was to somehow bring white parents back to the district,” Ross said. The insistence on maintaining a strict halfand-half racial balance could lead to strange outcomes. “If an Asian student wants to come, they’re counted as white,” Ross said. “We’re going to do ‘Black’ and ‘white’ only.” It also meant magnet schools threatened to exclude at least some portion of the Black students in the very neighborhoods that were hit hardest by generations of racism and segregation. Guinn remembers feeling ambivalent about Carver becoming a magnet in 1987. “My feelings were that we were on an upward trajectory with the children in the community, and I felt like several of the families would be disenfranchised as a result of the magnet school taking its place as a neighborhood school,” she said. But she felt the decision was inevitable and she could help ensure the reimagined school would still serve the East End as much as possible. “I took the position that it was going to happen, and I wanted it to happen positively for the children who had gone to school there most of their educational career,” she said. To continue leading Carver once it was designated a magnet, Guinn had to appear in federal court. “I remember being sworn in and asked questions and then it was determined whether I would be the principal,” Guinn said. The goal of the magnet program was to radically desegregate the schools, so Guinn was taking on this challenge by agreeing to stay on. “I was told that white students were assigned to Carver in the past, but they never came. They would go to other schools in the district,” Guinn said. “And so I had the task of making sure that a school that had not ever received or ever enrolled very many, if any, white students would be integrated by the fall.” She started out by developing a four-person team of school staff to recruit students. This team went with Guinn to neighbor-
hoods, community centers and churches across North Little Rock and Pulaski County to trumpet the school’s amenities. They started with a basic curriculum, but had to find a way to differentiate the new school from the institutions the students al-
THE RESOURCES THAT WENT INTO PROGRAMMING FURNISHED TO ME, AT THE EXPENSE OF MY NEIGHBORS, CAN SEEM UNJUST. ready attended. They implemented a Young Astronauts program, complete with an inflated planetarium; a science lab that housed various animals, including a ball python; and a math lab, where students could study toward placement in algebra. They offered a gifted and talented program, a computer lab with individual terminals for every student in the class (no small thing for a school in the ’80s), an early childhood interventionist, and rooms devoted to art, music and physical education. Guinn and her staff members built the school’s curriculum through meeting parents and asking them what programs they wanted. “The staff members that were with me basically had the job of writing down everything I said it was going to be,” Guinn said. “If I said we’re going to have smaller classes, then we had to figure out what that meant. Every time we went to the next meeting, we would have a better definition of what that looked like until ultimately, through our description, our communication with the community, we actually developed what the curriculum would be. And we made it happen.” What’s remarkable is that the plan actually worked. Carver, for the first time in its history, attracted a racially balanced student population. Its success, though, did not come without misgivings from some of the new parents. “When we first had open houses ... some of the [white] families would come out, and one parent asked me, ‘Well, do you ever hear gunshots?’ I had to say, ‘No, ma’am, I don’t,’” said Angela Doyne, who taught kindergarten at Carver for 17 years beginning in 1987. “They would ask you things like that.” Teachers at Carver with kids who were of
the right age inevitably chose to send them to the school, Guinn recalled. “So there was no better testament of the quality of the school than the fact that we brought our own children there,” she said. ‘TOO MANY OF “US” AT ONE TABLE’ The Carver of the ’90s, the school I first attended as a kindergartner in the fall of 1989, by then had moved from the building on Apperson to the new Sixth Street location. With extra resources from the state and all three school districts, the new (and fully air-conditioned) building accommodated the curriculum’s programming and attracted new families to a neighborhood with a precarious standing. The school’s reputation ignited, being named one of 160 best schools nationwide and the best school in the state by Redbook magazine in 1993. Parents camped out in near-freezing temperatures to get their children on the school’s waiting list. “Anxious parents turned the entrances of two Pulaski County public school district offices into makeshift campsites last week, standing in line several days to register their children for a limited number of openings,” the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported in February 1994. “Carver Magnet Elementary School was the favorite choice. … Parents, friends or grandparents had slept in tents, motor homes, trailers and car seats since Feb. 1, hoping to get a magnet school slot.” All of this created a rarified environment at the school. There were opportunities available, and one had to make oneself visible as desirous of those opportunities. I remember watching classmates being pulled out of class for a specialized gifted and talented course that met in a separate classroom. My goal became to join that select group and to be singled out in that way. Achievement, for me, became more a matter of setting a goal and working to attain it, and less about some native ability that I possessed. “It became a culture where recruitment was not even necessary,” Guinn said. “In fact, after Carver became really, really popular, there were so many students on the waiting list that they would never be able to get into Carver.” As many as 42 buses would deliver students from as far away as Jacksonville, Doyne recalled. The district designated Booker T. Washington Elementary as a sister magnet school in 1990, hoping to replicate the success of Carver. Teachers would routinely stay into the evening to plan lessons and get ready for the coming week, Doyne said. “Mary [Guinn] worked really hard,” she said. “Everybody worked really hard. For years, there was a big turnover in staff because they couldn’t keep up. … They couldn’t handle it. They weren’t ready for all of that structure. And Mary had ARKTIMES.COM
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structure, baby. Because she knew that folks were watching.” Jascena Sweat, Carver’s physical education teacher, remembers when Guinn hired her. “She said, ‘You do lesson plans?’ I said, ‘Yes, doesn’t every teacher do lesson plans?’ She said, ‘I have never heard of a PE teacher that does lesson plans.’ So that’s how I got the job.” Sweat introduced elementary students to concepts as diverse as Lummi sticks, fencing and square dancing. She also engaged the school’s science emphasis by including a unit on human anatomy, delineating the bones of the body with a replica of a human skeleton. But the school’s success did not always alleviate the new parents’ concerns about safety. “They would try to have open houses as early [in the day] as possible because parents, they were just like, ‘Oh no, I’m afraid,’” Sweat said. “Ms. Guinn would get security and things like that, so there was nothing to be afraid of. But they would tell her, ‘Look, we saw homeless [people] walking down the street, people hollering and screaming.’” The emphasis on racial balance pervaded the school building. Carver gave us students racial diversity, but it didn’t give us language to process our understanding of privilege, or socioeconomic diversity, or residential segregation — themes that, admittedly, adults struggle to discuss 30 years later. I remember race feeling like a huge gulf that endangered anyone who tried to traverse it. “We would go to faculty meetings and sometimes [Guinn] would tell us later, ‘I need y’all to move around. Too many of ‘us’ at one table,’” Doyne said. “At one point, [me and a group of teachers] stopped eating in the lounge and we were eating in a teacher’s room. We got torn to pieces,” Sweat said. “Mary said, ‘Oh no, we do not segregate like that.’ If we wanted to eat in our own room alone, we could. But the lounge was there for us to get to know each other. And it was so our kids could see that we got along and everything.” All of this pressure on maintaining diversity grew out of the oversight of the magnet school program by the federal courts. Sweat recalled a visit to the school by Don Roberts, the former head of the Arkansas Education Department who served as superintendent of the LRSD in the 1990s. “We would have tours all the time where people would come in to see what kind of program it was. So we were used to that. One day [Roberts] came into the multipurpose room and somehow my kids had gotten together in two groups and they were all white and all Black,” Sweat said. “He said, ‘You need to make sure that those [groups] have diversity.’” She tried to make light of the moment. “I turned around, and I saw who it was, and I said, ‘Oh, yeah, you know, I don’t know what these kids are doing,’” she said. Roberts 32 JANUARY 2026
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smiled and continued his tour, but the memory stuck with her and left her worried she’d done something wrong. Faculty worked hard to demonstrate that interracial interaction was a priority in their classrooms, wary that their performance would be measured by this criteria. By the time Guinn departed Carver in 1994 for an associate superintendent job in Louisiana, she’d had to return to the LRSD’s student assignment office to demand that seats at the school be reserved for Black children to retain its 50/50 racial ratio. Demand for entry had grown so insistent that the school’s population had begun to skew white. ‘SILOS OF WHITE SAFETY’ Guinn felt that the culture and program she left behind at Carver were strong enough to continue without her, but some staff say the school’s quality began to dip upon her departure. Still, the program continued for many years, buoyed by state funding provided by a series of legal settlements resulting from the desegregation case filed in 1982. But a reduction of oversight, both within the school, and later from the courts, eventually eroded the popularity of Carver. When U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall released the LRSD and the North Little Rock School District from court oversight in the desegregation case in 2014, the state stopped providing funding to support the kind of programs that had made Carver so attractive. The term “magnet” became a less meaningful designation. Today, the LRSD still has a number of specialty magnet programs — including at Gibbs, Williams and Dr. Martin Luther King elementaries, and the newly combined Carver-Washington school — that have seen varying degrees of success. Ross, the UALR history professor, said the magnet schools of the ’80s and ’90s ultimately failed to achieve the larger goals of desegregation, but they may have slowed white flight from school districts in some cases. “[Magnet schools] didn’t work. But it did in those schools. It gave us what I call these little silos of white safety, where you could have 40% more white kids, 50% white kids in the school,” he said. It didn’t help that the East End neighborhood itself was fading into oblivion. As of 2010, roughly 680 parcels of land were purchased in the East End of Little Rock by the airport, with 11 businesses and 180 households relocated, at a cost of about $22 million. Carver up until its closure had operated well below the building’s capacity, last year filling about 37% of 634 student seats. This shrinkage resulted from the school district’s continued enrollment declines, attributable to the growth of public charter schools and private schools, which are now aided by taxpayer-funded vouchers. Public schools
receive funding on a per-student basis, and the district simply can’t afford to keep many buildings open that are operating well below capacity. In 2024, Carver was one of four schools in the LRSD to receive a multimillion-dollar federal grant intended to help them expand and enrich their magnet curriculum — the single-largest grant awarded in the district’s history. Still, administrators saw consolidating the program with Washington Elementary, another under-capacity school, as the most effective way to cut expenses. Carver moved to Washington and not vice versa because of Washington’s larger size — the building can hold 900 students. Plans for the current Carver campus include accommodating “some special education personnel as well as serv[ing] as a pilot day-treatment program for kindergarten-through-eighth-grade students who have severe behavioral and mental health needs,” according to the Democrat-Gazette. “The Carver campus would also be used as an alternative learning environment for those students who are not successful in their traditional classrooms.” When asked whether she was surprised that the program she’d engineered lasted 30plus years, Guinn said, “Oh, no, surely not that long.” She then amended her thinking, and mine, by accounting for the work of her own beloved principal, Herbert Denton. “I’m an extension. I was an extension,” she said. “The program was an extension of Carver back when. We just added the math and science. So actually you can add the glory days of Carver back through the ’60s.” The privilege my journey through the Little Rock School District afforded me can sometimes feel like an unwieldy burden. The amount of resources that went into the programming furnished to me, at the expense of my neighbors, can seem unjust. I wonder what my attitude toward academic toil might have become had I not enjoyed that elevated classification — “magnet” — throughout all of my schooling here. And of course there’s the residual unsurety about adjacency to whiteness being a prerequisite to one’s academic or professional successes. I find some consolation in Mrs. Guinn’s conception of the Carver of my youth as an extension of the tradition set by Herbert Denton some 60 years ago. It’s debatable whether magnet schools were successful in helping public schools achieve equity, but they probably got us closer than charter schools or private school vouchers will today. And whatever their limitations, they mark a rare instance of engaging a Black history of excellence to create spaces that normalized achievement in the face of difference. Nothing more American than that.
ALL DRESSED UP: A photo collage from Carver's 1993-94 school yearbook.
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A SHORT STORY.
BY JARED LEMUS ILLUSTRATIONS BY @OATMEALGOTH 34 JANUARY 2026
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T
he job started at five thirty in the morning. The crew was me, Jorge, and Shawna, and we were in charge of two buildings connected by an awning. The goal was to constantly look busy — emptying trash cans, mopping floors and putting out wet floor signs — while not working hard enough to finish all of our duties too fast. The job sucked, but it didn’t require a high school diploma, or even a GED, so I couldn’t complain too much, I guess. “Before you do the bathrooms in Fassler,” Jorge called out to me from inside the janitor’s closet, next to the table where we took our lunch breaks. “Shawna wants to see you.” He emerged waving a communal walkie-talkie at me. I would only get one with my name taped on it after I passed what he and Shawna called the six-month free-trial period. Shawna was the head custodian and the leader of the Ross Hall crew. She was older than me by over twenty years, and swore she’d been working as part of the janitorial staff since the day she was born. “Got a slap on the ass and a mop for my first birthday,” she liked to say. “Tell me it’s not paint again,” I said. It was too early to have to deal with scraping dried paint off the walls and then doing a fresh coat. “Orange this time,” Jorge said. A few weeks earlier, I’d walked into a classroom on the fourth floor of Ross Hall to empty out the trash cans and found one of the walls covered in blue paint. There wasn’t a design or pattern, it just looked like someone had taken a paintbrush, dipped it into a can of paint, and then set about splattering it everywhere. Protecting the walls from any further, non-university-sanctioned paint jobs had somehow become my responsibility. “Where is it?” I asked. “Said she’d meet you on the third floor,” Jorge said, stretching like a cat in a La-Z-Boy rather than an employee on the job. “You gonna take care of the bathrooms?” I asked. “Yeah, man,” Jorge said. “Easy-peasy, y con una sonrisy.” That was his catchphrase. He’d told me that when he’d first started working as part of the staff over eight years earlier, he and Shawna had a different crew leader. On one of the days the old crew leader and Jorge had to team up with the groundskeepers to chase a family of opossums out of the building, he’d asked Jorge where he was from. “Mexico,” Jorge said. “Ever think you’d be hunting down opossums in America?” the man asked. “No,” Jorge said, adding that he was
surprised by how often it happened. The man told him the staff propped the doors open during the summer because the air-conditioning was spotty, and jokingly added that they should put opossum-corralling on the application as part of the job description. “Hard work,” Jorge had said, crouching down by one of the traps he’d helped set up. The man shook his head and told Jorge that when he was his age, he’d worked on a pig farm with his father. “Now that was hard work,” the man said. “This here,” he said in his southern drawl, made worse by the alcohol, “this here’s easy peasy, lemon squeezy.” Jorge adopted the saying, giving it his own twist — easy-peasy, y con una sonrisy: easy peasy, and with a smile. Ever since then, anytime Jorge had to do something he hated — cleaning up shit someone had smeared on the bathroom walls, re-mopping a hallway he’d just cleaned because a student dragged in mud, or shampooing the carpet in a classroom after someone brought in a dog with fleas — he’d say his stupid saying and remind himself and the rest of us that things could always be worse. The door to the room on the third floor where the paint had been spread — on two of the walls this time — had been blocked with three wet floor signs, the closest thing we had to crime-scene tape. “Fucking shitshow,” Shawna said when I walked in. “You believe this?” she said, waving at the wall, almost not talking to me. “I thought they were going to put in cameras?” I said. According to Shawna, the school had been talking about upping their security for years. Every time there was an active shooter on the news, the plan was revamped, but nothing ever came of it. The same was true for getting door handles with key codes that would automatically lock after five minutes and their plan for hiring overnight security guards to patrol each building, instead of only nine-to-fivers. “Right after they give me that raise,” Shawna said. She placed her hands on her hips and let out a huge sigh. “Had to tell the chancellor,” she said. She’d told the chancellor’s office the first time, too, and had received an email from the chancellor herself, asking how it was possible something like that could have happened on our watch, as if it had been our responsibility to patrol the building after our shifts. In the email, the chancellor asked if we had any keys missing. Shawna had told her we were more careful than that,
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but she’d sent someone from Lock and Key Services to account for all of the keys in our possession anyway. When everything checked out, her office sent an apology in the form of two dozen donuts and a coffee for each of us, with a passive-aggressive note that read, “To keep the staff well-caffeinated and alert.” “Are you getting fired?” I asked. “What? Hell no,” Shawna said. “Day they fire me, the whole building’ll collapse.” She laughed. “No, this is worse,” she said. “They want us to have our pictures taken so they can post ’em on the school website.” I didn’t understand how that was the solution to the problem, but Shawna filled me in before I could ask, saying it was meant to put a face to the “real victims” of the crime. She’d caught the chancellor during her jog around campus, which she did at four thirty every morning. The chancellor had come up to the room, and within half an hour, her office had sent Shawna an email saying they’d contacted one of the freelance school photographers and that each of us was expected to show up in our best outfit the next day. She said we were also expected to talk with one of the school writers, who was going to ask us questions about our backgrounds and hobbies so he could write a blurb to go along with our pictures. “All of that before the banks are open?” I said. Shawna shrugged her shoulders. “Money don’t keep hours,” she said. I nodded. “I don’t have any hobbies,” I said. “Make something up,” Shawna said. “Can’t very well tell ’em you and Jorge spend your free time impersonating Cheech and Cheech,” she said, laughing at her own joke. She turned to look at me. Get it? It seemed like she wanted to ask. Because you’re both Hispanic? But she didn’t. “All right,” she said, signaling at the wall behind her. “Get to it.” The next day, Jorge showed up with an entire bottle of gel in his hair, and Shawna doubled over in laughter when she laid eyes on him. “Better hope they don’t use a flash,” she said, and cackled all the way up to the sixth and final floor of the building, where they were going to take our pictures. “Can you spell your name for us?” the writer asked when it was my turn to sit in the chair. I could tell Jorge and Shawna wanted to stick around but also didn’t want to appear not busy, so they’d left after their pictures. “Santorío,” I said, spelling it out. It was a strange name even in Guatemala, where my parents are from. I’d asked why they’d given me the name, since it wasn’t a family name or anything, asked if it was like a male version of Santería, but they’d said it wasn’t. They’d said it was a combination of the words holy and river, that it was so only good things flowed into and out of me. “Can you tell me a little about you?” the writer asked as the photographer instructed me to raise my chin a little and tilt my head to the right. “I like to play guitar,” I said, lying. “What kinda guitar you have?” the writer
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asked, his pencil poised above his notepad. I hadn’t thought ahead that far, so I said nothing. Pretended I hadn’t heard the question. “How long have you been on the staff?” the writer asked, moving on. “Almost five months,” I said. “A young buck,” the writer said to the photographer, slapping his knee with his notepad. “Turn this way a little,” the photographer said, pointing. “Joined right after my twenty-third birthday,” I said. The writer nodded and wrote this down. “You like working here?” the writer asked. The photographer pointed at his chin, instructing me to lift mine a little more. “Hold it right there,” he said, then pushed down on the shutter button. The blurbs about us were up on the webiste later that week. “Look at this,” Jorge said, pulling up his picture. “That photographer made me look like a fat howler monkey.” Jorge was in his early thirties, fairly light-skinned, had a slight accent, and was sensitive to every little change in his body, even though he did nothing to take care of it. He would come in to work sometimes and ask if we noticed anything different, and when we said we didn’t, he would point at a new wrinkle or an extra pound, shocked by how it got there. “You look the same to me,” I said. “Yours isn’t any better,” Jorge said, clicking over to my picture. It was true. The lighting wasn’t great, but it was a work website, not a dating app. “This part about your parents true?” Jorge asked. It was. One of the questions the writer had asked me was about why I was working as part of the “facilities management.” I told him that I’d had to drop out of high school in my junior year after my parents were deported for having entered the country illegally, so I took the janitorial position because the univeristy would pay for a GED course as part of my benefits package after I’d been a full-time employee for a year. I didn’t mention that I was actually only two years old when my parents left me behind with my aunt, and that I’d dropped out of high school in my junior year to help her pay the bills, getting a job at a fast-food restaurant and staying on even after she, too, moved back home, unable to take the long hours working as a maid. “That sucks, bro,” Jorge said. “You still talk to them?” Jorge and I got along, smoked weed after work most days, but we didn’t talk about anything personal, so I kept it simple. Said I did, but that it was hard because of how expensive the calls were. I didn’t mention that they had to make the two-hour trek to the main part of town to use a phone, because they lived on a mountain in the highlands and didn’t have one up there, nor that when I called, I lied to them, saying I worked at a college, which wasn’t technically a lie, and that I had a girlfriend, that we lived in a nice place.
Shawna, who knew some of my story from what I’d told her during my interview and had been sitting at the table behind us in the janitor’s office, got up and glanced over our shoulders at the computer screen showing Jorge’s picture. “Makes me want to deface public property,” she said. Jorge tsked at her. “I didn’t know you played guitar,” she said to me, patting me on the back. The pictures didn’t stop the vandalism from happening again, so they hired an overnight security guard for our building the following week. We met her during her orientation, when they brought her by on our ten a.m. lunch break. She was halfway between my height and Jorge’s, tan, with an upturned nose and green eyes. I could tell Jorge wished he’d worn the hair gel that day. She introduced herself to each of us. “Courtney,” she’d said. “Will one of you show her to the Lock and Key Services?” the head of security said to us, adding that someone had called in and that they had to get back to Weber Hall. “I’ll do it,” Jorge said, nearly tipping his chair over. “Aren’t you on trash cans in Fassler?” Shawna said. “Santorío’ll do it,” she said. Even if Jorge wanted to protest, he knew better than to argue with Shawna. She’d put him on vomit and shit duty for the rest of the year if he said anything. With the matter settled, the head of security told Courtney to make her way back to the Security Services desk after she was done. She nodded, and we all headed down on the elevator. “Pretty campus,” Courtney said on our walk from Ross. I knew she was lying. The campus was made up of ten buildings, each spaced out almost a full block from the next, with no sports fields, no gym, and a library half the size of most of the ones I’d seen on TV. “You new here?” I asked, then sneezed into the crook of my elbow. It was a nice day out — not a cloud for miles, but pollen like you wouldn’t believe. “No, I’ve lived here forever,” she said. She couldn’t have been older than me by more than a few minutes, but I knew what she meant; time in your hometown stretches like gum on a summer day. “Why this job?” I asked. “The discount,” she said, explaining that campus security guards got a 60% discount on tuition. “Is it not the same for you?” she asked. “Nah,” I said, telling her I was technically part-time, since I only worked 38 hours a week. “But they gave us donuts once,” I said. She laughed, and I noticed she had pretty teeth, all in a row, like small chalkboard erasers. We walked on quietly for a few seconds with students passing us on either side. “So, someone’s been painting the walls?” she asked. “Yeah. Everyone’s pissed.” I tried to clear my throat, feeling like there were bees in it. “I’ll catch ’em,” she said. “Don’t want to catch them too fast,” I said. “What?”
“Nothing,” I said, and sneezed again. “They give you a gun or anything?” “No, but I’ll bring my own.” She looked at me. “You should have seen your face,” she said. I laughed, and I suddenly couldn’t tell if I was sweating from the heat or from nervousness. “Listen,” I said once we were outside the Lock and Key Services building. “You smoke or anything?” “I used to dabble,” she said. “Me and Jorge get together after work sometimes,” I said. “Well, now that I’m an officer of the law ... ,” she said, pointing at her laminated temporary badge. “But I’ll think about it.” She gave me her number and went inside. It was the first time I’d gotten a number in almost a year, and with it safely in my phone, the walk back to Ross Hall felt less stuffy. Almost like floating downriver. My apartment was a one-bedroom with a bathroom so cramped, you could touch the sink, bathtub, and toilet at the same time if you wanted to. “Place is smaller than I remember,” Jorge said when we walked through the door. “No discount here,” I said, referring to his uncle, who was the super in his building. Jorge splayed out on the secondhand couch I’d gotten from my aunt four years earlier, tossing one of the end pillows on the floor with his foot. “At least take off your shoes,” I said. He kicked them off. I went into the kitchen and checked the fridge for beer. I had most of a six-pack of PBR but not much food — a jug of expired milk I was still using for my cereal in the mornings, some cheese slices, jelly, and leftovers from takeout I’d gotten the week before. I checked the cabinets and found only Ramen and boxed mac and cheese. “Got the munchies or something?” Jorge called from the living room. “Should we order something for when Courtney gets here?” I said. We’d been over at Jorge’s apartment smoking a bowl when I’d told him what happened with Courtney. Not believing me, he’d dared me to text her. I was high, so I did, and before I knew it, she’d agreed to stop by after her orientation. But one look around Jorge’s apartment with his food-stained dishes piled up in the sink, the two bags full of trash next to the can that had trash sticking out of it, and a carpet that looked like he owned a pack of stray wolves told me it wasn’t the ideal location for a good first impression. “You got delivery-fee money?” Jorge asked. “We could pick it up,” I said. “We got a couple hours before she’s off.” “You go,” Jorge said, taking out his wallet and handing me some bills. “I’m going to take a nap.” I was exhausted, too, but I tried not to sleep until bedtime; otherwise, it took me forever to fall asleep and then I overslept the next day, and Shawna did not like tardiness.
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I grabbed my car keys and picked up some cheap pizza — including a cheese one, in case Courtney was vegetarian — and a cheap bottle of rum, then woke up Jorge when I got back. We sipped on rum and Cokes and puffed on joints until Courtney got there. “Neat place,” she said, taking her shoes off as she walked in. I closed the door behind her and got her a beer and a plate. I noticed she’d changed out of her uniform and was in jeans and a loose-fitting top. “Hey,” Jorge said, sounding like a drunk infant. “We were watching ... ,” he said, trailing off, looking at the TV and realizing the movie we’d picked was still on the title menu. “But you can pick something else.” He scooted over to make room for us on the couch — my only real piece of furniture. Courtney looked through the DVDs I had. “Mall Cop?” she said, holding up one she’d found on my shelf. “That’s probably there by mistake,” I said. She turned to me. “You have the sequel,” she said, pointing it out on my shelf. “It’s awful, but I like it,” she said, handing me the DVD. “I did security for the mall right out of high school.” “Why’d you leave?” Jorge asked. “Too much bullshit,” Courtney said, sitting down on the couch, leaving the middle cushion for me. “Had to stop a mom stealing clothes for her son at the Gap once,” she said. “It was really depressing.” She cracked open her beer. “Now you’re after Banksy,” Jorge said. “More of a deterrent than active pursuit,” Courtney said. “Like a neighborhood watch.” I popped in the DVD and joined them on the couch. “Marathon?” Courtney asked. I hit play, and every now and then, her leg would brush up against mine, making it hard to concentrate on the movie. The occasional arm bumping we did while lifting our beers became more frequent, and I was starting to think we were both doing it on purpose. Eventually, Jorge got up to piss, and I finally got a moment alone with Courtney. “I’m glad you joined,” I said. “We’ll have to do it again,” Courtney said. “Without Jorge next time.” She squeezed my hand. Jorge came back and we continued the movie, but halfway through the second one, I could barely keep my eyes open. Maybe it was from the weed, maybe from the beer, or maybe from the fact that I’d been up for over nineteen hours, but I fell asleep on Courtney’s shoulder. She didn’t wake me before she left, but she left me a note saying she was going to use my key to lock the door, that I would have to find her to get it back. A few weeks before I would be getting my walkie-talkie, Shawna came in in a bad mood. “What’s up?” Jorge wanted to know. “They’re threatening to make me part-time,” Shawana said. “Saying they can’t afford all three of us and a security guard for one building.” “That’s some bullshit,” Jorge said.
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“Isn’t it technically two buildings?” I asked. “It doesn’t matter,” Shawna said. “Look, y’all know y’all are like family, but they think the security guard is why there hasn’t been another break-in. I have to let one of you go,” Shawna said. “I’m sorry, but I can’t be on hourly with no benefits.” “I’ve been here longer,” Jorge said. “There’s gotta be something we can do,” I said. “I tried everything,” Shawna said. “What if we get Courtney fired?” Jorge said. “What?” I asked. Courtney and I had been seeing each other since that night at my place. I’d even told my parents about her during our phone calls. She worked overnight and I had to be up super early, so it was mostly weekends, but those weekends were the best ones I’d had in a long time, maybe ever. “Sorry, bro, but that’s just how it is,” Jorge said. “How?” Shawna said. I couldn’t believe my ears. “I’ll just quit,” I said. “Don’t be stupid,” Shawna said. “You got a good thing here. Don’t throw it away over someone you’ve known less time than some of the shits I’ve had,” Shawna said. “How?” she asked Jorge again. “We paint the wall.” The next night, I stayed with Courtney for her overnight shift. Shawna and Jorge had said we had to do it together, that we were a crew. They said they were glad I had someone outside of work, but that I needed to get my priorities straight. They said all I had to do was make sure she didn’t catch them while they snuck in and painted one of the rooms on the fourth floor, that once the school realized a security guard wasn’t solving their problem, they would put in the cameras and we’d never have to deal with it again. “You should go home and get some sleep,” Courtney said. We were doing a round on the third floor. Courtney would stop at each classroom, open the door, and turn on the lights, like an RA at summer camp. “I’m off tomorrow,” I said. I felt too guilty to sleep anyway. Courtney turned off the lights and locked the door behind us. “We could check out that craft beer place then,” Courtney said. “It’s supposed to be nice out,” I said. We were about to walk into another room when we heard the elevator bell ding. “Did you hear that?” Courtney asked. I couldn’t believe those lazy assholes hadn’t taken the stairs. Courtney jogged over to the elevators and pressed her ear to the door. “It’s moving,” she said and started pushing on the up and down arrows. “Shouldn’t we call somebody?” I said. “Come on,” Courtney said, heading for the stairs. I followed her, trying to lag behind,
hoping Jorge and Shawna had enough time to escape, but Courtney didn’t seem to care if I caught up or not. I sneezed as loudly as I could in the stairwell, trying to alert Jorge and Shawna. When I opened the door to the hallway on the fourth floor, Courtney was already in the room that had been vandalized once before. I jogged over and peered in, pressing myself against the wall like I was in an action movie, but all I saw was Courtney crouching down to check under the desks. Maybe Jorge and Shawna had backed out or decided to do a different floor or room, thinking I was going to choose Courtney over them. “See anything?” I asked. “No,” she said. “Let’s check the other rooms.” “Maybe the elevators were just resetting for the night?” I said. Courtney shook her head no, told me she hadn’t ever heard the elevators make any noise with no one inside the building. I followed her to each of the rooms on the rest of the fourth floor. When they were cleared, Courtney turned to me and said, “Up or down?” as if to say Dealer’s choice. We made our way down to the second floor and looked into each of the classrooms. “I feel like John McClane,” I said, but Courtney didn’t laugh; she was in full security mode. Courtney was small, but I started to worry she was going to tackle Shawna and hurt Shawna’s back or break Jorge’s nose if she caught them. We made our way up to the fifth floor. And right when I thought Jorge and Shawna had made it out safely, Courtney said, “Look,” and waved me up the last two steps. She pointed down the hall, and I could see an open door with the light on inside. “Let’s get ’em,” Courtney said. “With what?” I asked, checking my pockets, like it would magically make handcuffs appear. “I got a baton,” she said, taking it from her belt. With that, she instructed me to follow her in a crouched position, and we made our way to the door halfway down the hall on the right. When we got there, without any hesitation, Courtney ran right in and shouted, “Stop right now!” I stayed outside the door and considered running if I heard Jorge’s or Shawna’s voice, but after a few seconds of silence, all I heard was Courtney calling me into the room. Inside, I saw the paint that Jorge had bought and hidden in the janitor’s closet earlier that day and two paintbrushes. “Maybe they’re in the bathroom?” I offered, but I knew they weren’t coming back. I figured the sound of us running up the stairs or their shadows probably scared Jorge and Shawna enough to back them out of the whole thing. “I don’t think so,” Courtney said. She kicked at one of the paint buckets, then bent down to open one of them. “Think Shawna carried one, or did she make Jorge carry both?” “What?” She stood up. “I saw the paint ear-
lier,” she said. “Same brand, same color.” Shit. “Has it been y’all the whole time?” she asked. “No,” I said. I tried to think of a way out of it, but the look in her eyes told me there was no point in lying to her. I tried to make her see my side, saying I’d stuck up for her, but that Shawna had two grandchildren and not enough in her 401(k) to retire early. I said I’d justified the thing in my head by convincing myself that Courtney had experience and could easily get a job somewhere else. “I’m sorry,” I said, disappointed in myself. “Would you have told me eventually?” she asked. “Probably not,” I said. It was the truth. Jorge and Shawna, for good or bad, were the closest thing I had to family. Aside from them and Courtney I had no one, but I’d been forced to choose a side. “That’s good,” she said and smirked at me. “Loyal,” she said. “Woof,” I said. “I guess that means you won’t tell on me either,” she said, bending down to pick up a paintbrush and dipping it in the neon-green paint. “What are you waiting for?” she said, and tossed me the other brush. I caught it, and walked to her. “What are you going to do?” I asked. “We,” she said, and instructed me to uncap the other can. “We could get fired,” I said. “Fuck this job,” she said. With that, she swung the paintbrush like a baseball player, getting paint on the carpet, the ceiling, and the wall. Some of it even splattered the back of her uniform shirt and the picture on her badge. “Come on,” she said, gathering paint in her hands. I dropped the paintbrush and dipped my hands into neon-green paint and joined her, splattering paint across the desks, on the lectern. On the windows and desk chairs. We splattered paint on the floor and along the tiles on the ceiling in long, flowing streams. We didn’t stop until we were out of breath and laughing like schoolchildren, the whole room dripping as though it were melting. “Let’s get out of here,” she said. And with paint in our hair and between our fingers, she grabbed my hand and led me down the hall, down the stairs, and into the night, where we glowed under the stars and street lamps. Easypeasy.
Jared Lemus is a Guatemalan-American fiction writer who grew up in Little Rock, where he attended Parkview High School and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. His debut short story collection, “Guatemalan Rhapsody,” came out last year. “Whistle While You Work” from Guatemalan Rhapsody by Jared Lemus. 2025 © Jared Lemus. Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers.
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NOVO STUDIO
“The people of the State of Arkansas
YOUNG AND GREEN: Wyatt Rice (left), Sydney Stewart (center) and Kevin Durden (right) are three of the University of Arkansas students leading a ballot initiative campaign that would add the right to a clean environment to the Arkansas Constitution.
ARKANSAS ENVIRONMENTALISM, THEN AND NOW A NEW GENERATION JOINS THE QUEST FOR A CLEAN, GREEN NATURAL STATE. BY PHILLIP POWELL 40 JANUARY 2026
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find that it is necessary to protect Arkansas’s position as ‘The Natural State’ and to preserve our outdoor spaces and natural resources for current and future recreational enjoyment, economic enhancement, and public health benefits. … All Arkansans have the right to a clean and healthy natural environment.” While the sentiment can be traced back to Arkansas’s rough-and-tumble first conservationists hunting amid Delta cypress trees, those are the opening sentences of a constitutional amendment cooked up just months ago in a Fayetteville dorm room. University of Arkansas sophomore Kevin Durden was doom-scrolling during an ice storm in February 2025, wishing the university housing’s heat worked better, when he first thought of those words. Or at least when, thanks to an AP news article he stumbled upon, it first occurred to him that something like them could one day be in the pages of the Arkansas Constitution. The article was about a group of children between the ages of 2 and 18 who successfully sued the state of Montana on environmental grounds. Like only a handful of other states, Montana has a right to a “clean and healthful environment” enshrined in the state’s constitution, which allowed the children to challenge Montana’s prohibition on considering greenhouse gas emissions in the permitting process as a violation of their constitutional rights. In late 2024, those Montana kids won their case at the Montana Supreme Court, securing not just a cleaner environment, but national acclaim, too. “It was really cool to see a group of very young activists taking a stand on such a big level,” Durden said. “But the bigger thing was that a state could have a right to a clean environment. I didn’t know that was something that was possible, and that sent me down a rabbit hole of researching and I thought it was kind of goofy that Arkansas didn’t when we are The Natural State.” Previous generations of Arkansas environmentalists faced down the feds, watched their homes burn and challenged corporate powers to protect their state. Figuring it was time for the current generation to carry it forward, Durden got to work. He began pitching other like-minded students in the student government association on his idea to draft and campaign for a constitutional amendment. Junior political science students Wyatt Rice and Sydney Stewart and chemistry student Muskan Taori signed on
soon after. “Arkansas gives us the right to bring a citizen-led constitutional amendment, and this is something I think should be in the constitution — so we might as well try,” Durden said. The idea didn’t become real until September, when Bentonville-based attorney Jennifer Standerfer, who has worked on many ballot initiatives, agreed to help the students pro bono with writing their amendment and getting the language approved by the Attorney General’s office. Their first two shots at approval were rejected, but the students submitted a third draft in mid-December while preparing to take their final exams. “What we really want is a preventative right to say that this is something Arkansans have a right to, and if at some point in the future some government action violates that, we want to make it clear that Arkansans have a defense against that,” Rice said. “We want to preserve access to the environment for Arkansans, and we want clear guidelines on what the government can do when they are making decisions and give Arkansans some recourse if those rights are violated.” With major developments on the horizon like big tech data centers, lithium extraction, Delta steel plants, Walton-backed bike parks and the rapidly growing population of Northwest Arkansas, the students feel that now is the time to enshrine the right. But they also recognize the many hurdles they will have to jump through for a shot at amending the Arkansas Constitution. State legislators passed a slate of laws this year heavily regulating the process by which citizen groups can get proposed legislation added to the ballot. Some of the laws included prohibiting ballot titles written above an eighth-grade reading level, requiring paid canvassers to be permanent Arkansas residents, and requiring canvassers to request photo IDs from potential signers. Still licking their wounds after watching the Arkansas Abortion Amendment go down in bureaucracy-fueled flames, critics of these encroachments on the rights of Arkansans argued the measures were meant to restrict citizens’ ability to put issues on the ballot. And a federal judge in the Western District Court of Arkansas mostly agreed, putting the laws on hold as a lawsuit plays out. The injunction by the federal judge won’t apply to the clean environment amendment push, though, unless their ballot question committee is
added to the lawsuit, and the students aren’t counting on that. A December decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court means that even if voters go to the trouble of crafting legal language, getting it approved and collecting thousands of signatures, state legislators have the power to alter citizens’ changes or dump them altogether with a simple twothirds vote. The Keep Arkansas Natural student group (which is what Durden and company plan to name their ballot question committee) knows they are in for an uphill fight. If their language is approved, they will have until early July 2026 to collect close to 91,000 signatures across 50 counties in Arkansas. And then they’ll have to persuade at least 50.1% of Arkansas voters to vote for it. So what drives four students to spend hours of their time organizing an environmentalist campaign when they could be calling the Hogs, performing keg stands, studying, hammocking around campus and just living the life of a normal 20-something? Climate change. “Just because we live in The Natural State and it’s nice and beautiful and has clean air doesn’t mean that’s what it is like everywhere, or that’s what it will always be,” Stewart said. “I would hate to see the decline of individual health on top of the fact that our climate is changing in a negative way.” “I have a lot of anxiety about the world going to crap and climate change ruining everything, and this is giving me a productive outlet to put all my anxiety into,” Durden added. “No more doom-scrolling on Instagram; we are going to actually do work.” If we peel away labels, most Arkansans will agree we want to preserve a healthy environment, Durden said. Indeed, there’s as much fire power as flower power to be found in Arkansas’s hardscrabble history of environmental activism. Natural preservation around here has long been of the burly sort, driven by hunters, farmers and outdoorsmen intent on protecting their livelihoods and pastimes. “‘Climate change’ is a big buzzword and can be controversial, but I think when you take the word ‘climate change’ out and look at its individual impacts like higher asthma rates, worsened health, not having access to hunting or agricultural lands — most Arkansans agree these are issues,” Durden said. “The amendment doesn’t mention climate change, or greenhouse
gas emissions, or any specific terms or anything vaguely political.” Their strategy? To build the broadest coalition possible. GOOD OLD-FASHIONED ENVIRONMENTALISM Enshrining a right to a clean and healthy environment into the state constitution is an audacious goal. But these students stand on the shoulders of dozens of successful conservation campaigns to stop destructive developments, preserve scenic and biodiverse areas, and make outdoor recreation more accessible to all. Sports hunters who opposed the mass, unregulated killing of deer, black bear, turkey and other wildlife by market hunters were the first to organize around the idea of conserving resources in Arkansas. The state’s first big modern environmental win, according to University of Central Arkansas historian Buckley Foster, came in 1915, when after years of unregulated hunting and killing of wildlife, the state founded the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. “No one had written about the fight between market hunters and sportsmen — who are really our first wildlife conservationists,” Foster said. “By the time we get to 1925, there are no self-sustaining numbers of deer, bear, turkey, buffalo, alligator, beaver — there’s nothing left. So as the numbers diminish, attitudes change, with the sportsmen taking the attitude that they must conserve the resources ‘or we aren’t going to go out and be able to enjoy this and our kids won’t be able to enjoy this.’” While sportsmen were organizing in Arkansas, President Theodore Roosevelt was crusading for national parks, conservation and pure food and drugs at the national level. The environmental movement lost steam in Arkansas and elsewhere in the 1930s and 1940s as the nation’s attention was directed elsewhere. Foster called those progressive-era first conservationists the “grandpappies and grandmas” of Arkansas conservation, who were followed by a generation of “backto-the-land” types in the 1960s and 1970s who advocated for many of the modern environmental protections. “During the Great Depression and World War II … nobody cared about the environment. They were trying to get a job, feed their family and beat the Nazis and the Japanese,” Foster said. “But then we move into the 1960s and the counter culture and people begin to think, ‘Maybe we should go back to the land because the land is ARKTIMES.COM
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PHILLIP POWELL
THE OLD GUARD: Tom McClure (left), Gordon Watkins (center) and Brian Thompson (right) have all seen their fair share of trials in their decades working for more conservation and environmental protections in Arkansas.
pure and our society is destroyed.’ People begin to look into escapism as a concept and have to have the environment in order to do that.” Like many back-to-the-landers, Gordon Watkins moved to the Ozark Mountains in the early 1970s to homestead, enchanted by the rugged terrain and the chance to live in a free and self-sustaining way. “I started coming up here in the late 1960s and started canoeing and fell in love with the Ozarks and Buffalo River country, and at that time the back-to-the-land movement was percolating,” Watkins, a retired farmer and conservationist in Newton County, said. “I was raised by a civil rights attorney in Mississippi and I come from a line of rabble-rousers, I guess you could say, and back-to-the-land really appealed to me. So in high school I made the decision that I was going to move to the Ozarks and build myself a log cabin and everyone laughed and said that would never happen.” But it did happen. Watkins set out to farm his land in a clean, sustainable way, eventually starting an organic growing association to pool and transport organic harvests from many farms to sell to the single Whole Foods in Texas. “I grew up on a big cotton farm in Mississippi, and probably the most influential moment for me was that one of my jobs on the farm was to fill the spray tanks up … on the big tractors that would spray primarily 42 JANUARY 2026
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pesticides … and I’d see them do that and I’d see rabbits come stumbling out of the weeds in a stupor from being exposed to the toxin,” Watkins said. “Rabbits, birds, squirrels, just stumbling out of the weeds, and at the time I said, ‘I don’t think that’s the farming I want to do.’” Pat Costner, another fixture in the environmental movement, made a similar choice to seek a new life in the Ozarks. “I decided that what I really wanted to do was take my three children and move to the woods, and that was in 1974, when I bought 180 acres of land and sold 45 acres to help pay for the rest of it, and I thought I could live self-sufficiently here,” Costner said. “But it didn’t take me very long to realize that couldn’t be done in the Ozarks. My dad, who was a farmer, came over and looked at my land, and he smiled and said, ‘Honey, what are you going to do with this?’ And he was right. But the kids and I loved living out here, and I’m still on the same place.” A chemist, Costner spent several decades of her life traveling the world conducting research with Greenpeace International and working to close incinerators that produce harmful chemical pollution, all while being based in Northwest Arkansas. She gained enough notoriety that in the early ’90s, she was one of many environmentalists targeted in an arson campaign when her beloved first house in the Ozarks was torched.
As Watkins and Costner promoted organic farming and railed against chemical pollutants, an Arkansas-flavored environmental movement was sprouting in the Ozarks while the national environmental movement rode the highs of the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts. A doctor named Neil Compton from a tiny hill town called Bentonville led a rag-tag bunch of hillbillies, college kids, educators and professionals in the fight to prevent the damming of the scenic Buffalo River, and miraculously they won. In 1972, Arkansas congressmen and senators passed a federal bill making the Buffalo River the nation’s first “national river” and it was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. They successfully won federal protections for nearly 100,000 acres of land across the entire Buffalo River watershed. The fledgling group, the Ozark Society, soon took up environmental advocacy campaigns one after the other, and Tom McClure was there for most of it. “I grew up hunting and fishing all around Malvern and the Ouachita National Forest, and did a lot of bass fishing on Lake Hamilton. I kind of got hooked on that and … the beauty of the areas, and we would go turkey hunting out among big timber trees. And it seemed like every time we would go out in these big tall woods to turkey hunt, well, they would be cut the next year,” McClure said. McClure spent much of his 20s advocating for various conservation causes in the state with the Ozark Society. He joined the group as they went from their Buffalo National River campaign to campaigning for more river and stream preservation on the Cossatot, Ouachita, Eleven Point, Caddo, Strawberry, Cache and Cadron rivers. They also fought for the creation of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission at the Legislature, and the establishment of federal wilderness areas in Arkansas’s national forests. At the same time organizers like McClure campaigned, the state of Arkansas — through the Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the state parks service — began
ENSHRINING A RIGHT TO A CLEAN AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT INTO THE STATE CONSTITUTION IS AN AUDACIOUS GOAL. BUT THESE STUDENTS STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF DOZENS OF SUCCESSFUL CONSERVATION CAMPAIGNS FROM PREVIOUS GENERATIONS. preserving lands, which would eventually total well over 3 million acres of land in parks, natural areas and wildlife management areas. As the excitement of those first ambitious environmental campaigns faded, the Ozark Society membership rolls faded as well, according to Brian Thompson, the current president of the organization. And new challenges awaited on the horizon that threatened so many of the wins environmentalists were able to make. In the early 2010s, after Costner returned to Eureka Springs to retire, she quickly became embroiled with Watkins and others in a campaign to prevent the Carroll County Electric Cooperative from using herbicides to control weeds and plant growth along power lines. For organic farmers like Watkins, herbicides being sprayed on their land jeopardized their livelihoods. Plus, there were concerns over potential health impacts. With sustained action, they finally got the utility to offer customers an option to opt out of herbicides. In 2013, the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality permitted a highly controversial industrial hog farm in the Buffalo River watershed, and Thompson said the Ozark Society was caught “flat-footed.” Watkins organized a small group called the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance, and with the Ozark Society and others, they began a years-long pressure campaign to get the state to revoke the hog farm’s permit and protect the watershed on a more permanent basis from industrial farms. Arkansas bought out the hog farm in 2019, and in 2025, the state finally codified a permanent moratorium on industrial hog farms in the Buffalo River watershed. While Watkins and Thompson took on the hog farm, Costner was organizing the “Save the Ozarks” campaign in Carroll County to stop Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) from building high voltage transmission lines from Bentonville into Carroll County. “We made it clear that we would appeal any legal decision to put the transmission lines in,” Costner said. “The people here were so amazing in that campaign. They weren’t young people, but they got out and raised money — something like a quarter
of a million dollars — and spent every bit of it on legal expenses and experts. We told them what the environmental impacts would be. It was a massive transmission line and would’ve taken out lots of trees and made many landowners vulnerable to eminent domain.” Just like Watson and Thompson’s campaign against the hog farm, after a few years of sustained opposition, SWEPCO withdrew its application to build the transmission line with state regulators. WILL ARKANSAS VOTE FOR A RIGHT TO A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT? Despite all the accomplishments they can boast, no conservation campaign in Arkansas has tried to establish a constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment for the state’s 3 million people. Onlookers have reason to doubt it can happen, especially in light of an immovable ruby red Republican political majority that is often hostile to the fight against climate change. With the Arkansas Supreme Court ruling that legislators have, with a two-thirds vote, the power to undo any constitutional amendment initiated and passed by voters in mid-December, the students’ path forward seems harder than ever. But after the recent Supreme Court decision came down, the students added a section to their amendment text saying the state Legislature cannot amend or undo the amendment if voters pass it. “No matter what our opinions are of the Attorney General’s office, or these laws, it doesn’t matter. Because if people don’t believe in direct democracy, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Durden said. “We only have direct democracy if we keep exercising it — if we keep signing petitions, if we keep voting on items.” Like Watkins, Costner, McClure, Thompson and countless others who came before them, the students have a deep admiration for the natural world. They feel as though they’ve been shaped by the unique, varied landscapes of Arkansas and beyond, and they are betting that Arkansans, regardless of political affiliation, will draw on the same feelings when they vote in November. “Growing up, my mother was very big on
protecting the environment and watching how we waste things, and on top of that, hiking, camping and going places like Yellowstone National Park was big for us,” Stewart said. “We would stay in a camper for a week at discrete locations no one had ever heard of and see every waterfall in the area. And I grew to appreciate that more as I got older. When I got to college, I realized that not all people valued the environment the same way I did.” Even as the barriers line up, the students are strategizing, one group text chain at a time. Rice and Taori are in charge of logistics, finances and fundraising, while Stewart will run communications. Durden, who will be chair of their ballot question committee, emphasized that the group would try to build their volunteer movement on social media to get young people involved. They will all network with as many groups around the state as possible to pass out petitions and coordinate volunteers. After organizing successful environmental campaigns for much of their adult lives, the elder environmentalists had one word for the students pushing forward with their constitutional amendment to dwell on: persistence. “Their campaign will be more complex than running a campaign in opposition to a particular point of view or development, but they just need to persist. There are enough ways to reach people these days that you really have to be loud to stand out in the clamor,” Costner said. “People have to love where they live and want to take care of it and protect it. You have to feel a sense of belonging to the land rather than it belonging to you. Most people want a home and to belong to a place.” For their part, Thompson and Watkins said that what they’ve learned through years of environmental organizing is that nothing is impossible. “It is a big job that we have in front of us, but I think that the conversations we’ve had with people so far who are really excited about this is keeping me motivated,” Rice said. “And the human connection around in-person organizing has been amazing so far. The signature collection is the hurdle, but I’m more confident in Arkansans.”
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looks like when commitment, creativity, and care come together. Better at Community Outreach. The businesses recognized in this Hall of Fame understand something fundamental. Being successful and being engaged in your community are not separate goals. They are connected. Across Arkansas, these organizations invest time, resources, and heart into the places where their people live and work. That mindset resonates deeply with our team. Datamax has always believed that strong communities build strong businesses, and that belief drives how we serve through contributing, volunteering, and leading. “Community involvement is not a box you check. It is a responsibility you embrace,” said Datamax Arkansas President David Holzhauer. “When you care about the people around you, that care shows up in how you do business every day.”
Technology. Raving Results.” Everything begins with relevance. We take the time to understand your goals, your challenges, and the realities of how work gets done inside your organization. From there, we craft solutions that truly matter, not technology for technology’s sake, but tools and services that make a meaningful difference. Our goal is never simple satisfaction. We strive to create raving fans by delivering results that exceed expectations. “Our clients expect more than a vendor. They
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workplace culture that values people. The Arkansas Times Hall of Fame highlights organizations that understand culture is about respect, growth, and shared purpose. Datamax is honored to have been named one of the Best Places to Work in Arkansas eight times. That recognition belongs to our team members who bring dedication, collaboration, and integrity to work every day. “When people feel valued and supported, they do their best work,” Holzhauer said. “Culture is the foundation that everything else is built on – it trumps everything.” To all the Hall of Fame winners, congratulations on building workplaces that attract talent, inspire loyalty, and create opportunity. Your achievements remind us that being the best is never a final destination. It is a commitment to getting better, together, every single day.
Little Rock • Hot Springs • Dallas/Forth Worth datamaxarkansas.com Tyler • Longview • Lufkin • El Dorado Texarkana
2017, 2018, 2019
For more than five decades, Arkansas Times has proudly celebrated the people, places, and businesses that make our state exceptional. Our annual Best of Arkansas awards are more than a list—they’re a reflection of the passion, creativity, and dedication that define communities across Arkansas. This special section is dedicated to those who have gone above and beyond, earning the respect of their peers and the loyalty of their customers. From longtime local institutions to rising standouts, these honorees represent the very best our state has to offer—and the reasons Arkansas continues to be such a remarkable place to live, work, and do business. Being named a winner or finalist is no small achievement. It’s recognition driven by the voices of Arkansans themselves, celebrating excellence, consistency, and impact. In the pages that follow, we invite you to explore the stories behind the accolades, discover what sets these businesses apart, and join us in applauding those who have earned their place among the Best of Arkansas. This is their moment—and their story—to tell.
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Datamax BEING THE “BEST” BEGINS WITH GETTING BETTER EVERY SINGLE DAY. At Datamax, that belief shapes how we show up for our clients, our coworkers, and our community. It is also why we are proud to sponsor the Arkansas Times Best of the Best Hall of Fame. This issue celebrates organizations that have not simply won once, but have built a reputation for sustained excellence. As a long time sponsor and a multiple-time winner ourselves, this recognition holds special meaning for our team. We extend a sincere congratulations to every company honored in this year’s Hall of Fame. Your work sets a standard for what progress looks like when commitment, creativity, and care come together. Better at Community Outreach. The businesses recognized in this Hall of Fame understand something fundamental. Being successful and being engaged in your community are not separate goals. They are connected. Across Arkansas, these organizations invest time, resources, and heart into the places where their people live and work. That mindset resonates deeply with our team. Datamax has always believed that strong communities build strong businesses, and that belief drives how we serve through contributing, volunteering, and leading. “Community involvement is not a box you check. It is a responsibility you embrace,” said Datamax Arkansas President David Holzhauer. “When you care about the people around you, that care shows up in how you do business every day.”
The Hall of Fame winners exemplify that philosophy. Their outreach efforts do more than give back. They create trust and long-term impact that benefits everyone. A Better Client Experience. Another common thread among this year’s honorees is a clear focus on client experience. These companies understand that being the best means listening first, solving real problems, and staying accountable long after the initial sale. At Datamax, the way we approach every client interaction is guided by our tagline, “Relevant Technology. Raving Results.” Everything begins with relevance. We take the time to understand your goals, your challenges, and the realities of how work gets done inside your organization. From there, we craft solutions that truly matter, not technology for technology’s sake, but tools and services that make a meaningful difference. Our goal is never simple satisfaction. We strive to create raving fans by delivering results that exceed expectations. “Our clients expect more than a vendor. They
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expect a partner who understands their business and helps them grow,” said Cody Simon, Vice President of Sales at Datamax. “That expectation pushes our team to keep improving how we serve, support, and communicate.” That mindset has helped Datamax earn recognition as an ENX Magazine Elite Dealer for nine consecutive years, reflecting consistency, leadership, and a strong focus on service excellence. The Hall of Fame winners share that same drive. A Better Workplace Culture. Behind every award-winning company is a workplace culture that values people. The Arkansas Times Hall of Fame highlights organizations that understand culture is about respect, growth, and shared purpose. Datamax is honored to have been named one of the Best Places to Work in Arkansas eight times. That recognition belongs to our team members who bring dedication, collaboration, and integrity to work every day. “When people feel valued and supported, they do their best work,” Holzhauer said. “Culture is the foundation that everything else is built on – it trumps everything.” To all the Hall of Fame winners, congratulations on building workplaces that attract talent, inspire loyalty, and create opportunity. Your achievements remind us that being the best is never a final destination. It is a commitment to getting better, together, every single day.
their people live and work. That mindset resonates deeply with our team. Datamax has always believed that strong communities build strong businesses, and that belief drives how we serve through contributing, volunteering, and leading. “Community involvement is not a box you check. It is a responsibility you embrace,” said Datamax Arkansas President David Holzhauer. “When you care about the people around you, that care shows up in how you do business every day.”
ceed expectations. “Our clients expect more than a vendor. They
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“When people feel valued and supported, they do their best work,” Holzhauer said. “Culture is the foundation that everything else is built on – it trumps everything.” To all the Hall of Fame winners, congratulations on building workplaces that attract talent, inspire loyalty, and create opportunity. Your achievements remind us that being the best is never a final destination. It is a commitment to getting better, together, every single day.
Little Rock • Hot Springs • Dallas/Forth Worth datamaxarkansas.com Tyler • Longview • Lufkin • El Dorado Texarkana
Raving Results
Bloom Salon 2017, 2018, 2019
In the heart of Hillcrest you’ll find that one salon is making waves in their community in the best possible way. From opening its doors in 2021 to now completing 4 years of service, Bloom Salon has earned their spot in the Hall of Fame not only for their impeccable and thorough service, but also with their love and appreciation of the community around them. Bloom Salon has worked incredibly hard over the last few years to raise over $20,000 for various charities and nonprofits around the area. Beyond that, they’ve worked to provide other essentials like clothing and food. Most importantly, as a salon, they will have you walking out the door with a cut – or color – that is sure to change your life. Owner Maygie Stallings says that what sets her incredible stylists apart is that each one is an expert in one style or another – meaning that whether you are looking for a lived-in look, textured cut, or beautiful vivid, Bloom has got you covered. Maygie and her stylists have worked hard to create a community within a community, ensuring that everyone is supported and loved when they walk through the doors.
Maygie Stallings, owner
bloomsalonlr.com
Wright Lindsey Jennings Since 1900, Wright Lindsey Jennings has followed one simple rule to stay on the Wright side of history – always move forward. From our roots as a railroad litigation firm – which helped lay the tracks for a modern nation – to our leadership in the technologies and industries of tomorrow, our pioneering spirit is enduring. We’ve helped Arkansas advance and grow for 125 years, with unwavering commitment to professionalism and advocacy. And we’ve built a vibrant, forward-thinking culture that has been recognized as a “Best Place to Work” for eight consecutive years. We are dedicated to progress in our communities, too, annually supporting more than 120 organizations statewide through our volunteerism and philanthropy. We’re honored to help guide their growth, protect their purpose and advocate for their mission. We believe in building a stronger Arkansas for the next 125 years. We hope you believe, too.
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Blue Yoga Nyla NEW THINGS ARE COMING UP BLUE
“New things are coming up Blue” is more than a tagline–it’s a reflection of where Blue Yoga Nyla finds itself today. After sixteen years rooted in the heart of Park Hill, the studio is entering a season of meaningful growth and expansion, guided by the same values that have shaped it from the beginning. Blue Yoga Nyla is preparing to launch its fourth location, all within a half-block radius of where it first opened its doors. In a rare and intentional continuity, every studio has remained deeply embedded in the same neighborhood. The newest space, designed for expansion, will face both the original first and second locations–a physical representation of honoring the past while stepping confidently into the future. One of the most exciting additions to this next chapter is the opening of a dedicated children’s yoga studio, developed in conjunction with Blue Yoga Nyla’s Soul Child program. Officially launched in 2025, Soul Child is a therapeutic yoga model developed from owner and founder Stacey Reynolds’ years of work in a children’s therapy clinic. Drawing from her experience supporting children and teens with generalized anxiety and those on the autism spectrum, the program integrates the eight limbs of yoga to help children regulate emotions, build connection, and feel safe in their bodies. The response from both parents and children has been deeply affirming, reinforcing the need for spaces that
prioritize emotional well-being from an early age. At the heart of Blue Yoga Nyla is Stacey herself. The studio’s mission and spirit were born from her own lived experience with chronic illness and a profound desire to share what yoga has offered her over nearly three decades. What began as a personal healing journey became a calling to create a space where others could also find healing, respite, and community. In January 2026, Stacey will begin her 25th year of teaching yoga, an anniversary that still feels surreal. As she often shares, there are moments when she wakes up and has to pinch herself that this work of purpose and passion is what she gets to do for a living. Over the years, Blue Yoga Nyla has grown far beyond a traditional yoga studio. Yoga therapy has become a cornerstone of the offerings, reflecting Stacey’s “day job” addressing trauma, grief, and addiction. In addition, 200/500 hour yoga certification is offered through an in-per-
blueyoganyla.com
son, intensive training experience for teacher credentialing or personal advanced training. In the studio, students range from those newly discovering yoga to senior adults who began practicing with Stacey 25 years ago and still attend classes multiple times a week. This speaks to the studio’s deep relational roots and its commitment to meeting people wherever they are. Accessibility has always been non-negotiable. Every class offered Monday through Friday before noon operates on a “pay what you can” model, with approximately one-third of all classes available this way, something the studio has always upheld. The belief is simple and unwavering: all people deserve access to yoga, regardless of their financial situation. Blue Yoga Nyla is intentionally referred to as a sanctuary, and for many, it truly is. It serves as a safe haven for the walking wounded, a place where people can arrive exactly as they are and feel held. None of this would be possible without its extraordinary staff, the dedicated students, and the broader Park Hill community that has supported the studio from the beginning. It is this collective heartbeat that continues to carry Blue forward. As new doors open and new offerings emerge, the purpose remains unchanged. Blue Yoga Nyla is, and always has been, about healing, connection, and creating a space for people to come home to themselves.
nates deeply with our team. Datamax has always believed that strong communities build strong businesses, and that belief drives how we serve through contributing, volunteering, and leading. “Community involvement is not a box you check. It is a responsibility you embrace,” said Datamax Arkansas President David Holzhauer. “When you care about the people around you, that care shows up in how you do business every day.”
“Our clients expect more than a vendor. They
PRESENTED BY
do their best work,” Holzhauer said. “Culture is the foundation that everything else is built on – it trumps everything.” To all the Hall of Fame winners, congratulations on building workplaces that attract talent, inspire loyalty, and create opportunity. Your achievements remind us that being the best is never a final destination. It is a commitment to getting better, together, every single day.
Little Rock • Hot Springs • Dallas/Forth Worth datamaxarkansas.com Tyler • Longview • Lufkin • El Dorado Texarkana
Raving Results
The Good Earth Garden Center 2017, 2018, 2019
The Good Earth Garden Center has been growing right alongside central Arkansas since 1974. Fifty years ago, the garden center itself was half the size, and the now award-winning landscape construction team was more of a plan than reality, similar to the maintenance services, which now has an impressive wait list. Ask someone about The Good Earth and you are more likely to hear about their experiences than this history. ‘Our customers often share stories about their first experiences here; they grew up coming here with a grandparent, or parent who gardened and are now bringing their kids in with them. We greatly value the trust our community has in us. We call it the Good Earth Great Experience, making sure each customer feels confident not only about their chosen plant, but how to care for it as well, plus have some fun along the way, either at the playground or visiting our Sasquatch for pictures!’ says manager Keaton Curtis. Keaton grew up watching his parents create these experiences and now, since their retirement, it’s his turn. ‘Our favorite thing is getting to know our customers and developing relationships with them. Each award won is recognition of the hard work our team does every day, both here at the garden center and in landscapes across the area. We look forward to another year of growing with you!’
thegoodearthgarden.com
Dr. Bev Foster CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH & REHABILIATION Dr. Beverly Foster, a trusted chiropractor with more than 25 years of dedicated service to the Little Rock community, has been named Best Chiropractor multiple times by Arkansas Times readers in the Best of Arkansas awards. Widely respected for her expertise in resolving complex back and neck conditions, she is the driving force behind Chiropractic Health & Rehabilitation. Dr. Foster blends decades of hands-on experience with a commitment to staying at the forefront of advancements in chiropractic care. A valued member of both the American Chiropractic Association and the Arkansas Chiropractic Society, Dr. Foster champions evidence-informed treatment methods that integrate natural, conservative therapies with modern medical principles. Frequently regarded as the “go-to” chiropractor for difficult or long-standing cases, her reputation reflects exceptional diagnostic skill and unwavering dedication to patient well-being. Believing that “diagnosis is the key to successful treatment,” Dr. Foster customizes every care plan to meet each patient’s unique needs. With a post-doctorate specialty certification in orthopedics and a patient-centered approach, she prioritizes thorough assessment and precisely targeted interventions to achieve optimal outcomes. Patients can rely on Dr. Foster and the compassionate team at Chiropractic Health & Rehabilitation to provide a welcoming environment, personalized care, and expert guidance for all their chiropractic needs.
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drbevfoster.com | 501-371-0152
Catholic High School
NEARLY A CENTURY OF TRADITION, FOCUSED ON THE MEN OF TOMORROW. At Catholic High School for Boys, the mission is clear and enduring: Virtus in Veritate —“Manliness in Truth.” Since 1930, that guiding principle has shaped generations of young men, forming a school rooted in faith, integrity and duty and preparing boys not just for what comes immediately after graduation but for life itself. For many Arkansas families, the transition from eighth grade to Catholic High marks a rite of passage. It is the moment when boys step into higher expectations and greater responsibility. While that change can feel uncertain at first, Catholic High quickly becomes a place of belonging. From the first weeks on campus, students find teachers and mentors who know them, classmates who challenge them and a brotherhood that supports them through every stage of growth. Catholic High exists to partner with parents in transforming their sons into strong husbands, fathers and leaders in their communities. Its spiritual foundation remains the rock of its mission, while the school continues to adapt to the needs of boys today by offering a high-quality education at affordable rates supported by modern technology, the best and
brightest teachers and updated facilities across the campus. That balance between tradition and innovation is part of what makes the Catholic High experience unique in Arkansas. The school has earned a reputation for discipline, high academic expectations, spiritual growth and a strong sense of brotherhood and tradition. These values are not abstract ideals. They are lived daily in classrooms, on fields, in service projects and in moments of quiet reflection. Academics matter deeply at Catholic High, but success is defined broadly. While many graduates go on to colleges, universities or military academies each year, college is not the only measure of achievement. Catholic High prepares boys for life by ensuring every student leaves with confidence, character and direction
whether higher education is his immediate path or not. Inside the classroom, students benefit from innovative and creative teaching methods that blend foundational coursework with opportunities in areas such as robotics, aerospace engineering and computer science. Outside the classroom, athletics, arts, journalism, clubs and service opportunities allow boys to discover interests, develop leadership skills and learn how to work alongside others. Service begins freshman year and continues for life, reinforcing responsibility and empathy as essential parts of manhood. The Catholic High experience does not end at graduation. Alumni remain deeply connected to the school and to one another, returning year after year and passing the Rocket legacy from one generation to the next. Fathers, sons and grandsons share a bond rooted in shared values and common experience. Nearly a century after its founding, Catholic High School for Boys continues to move forward with purpose, grounded in faith, strengthened by tradition and focused on forming young men prepared to lead with virtue and truth.
300 Father Tribou St. | Little Rock | lrchs.org
nates deeply with our team. Datamax has always believed that strong communities build strong businesses, and that belief drives how we serve through contributing, volunteering, and leading. “Community involvement is not a box you check. It is a responsibility you embrace,” said Datamax Arkansas President David Holzhauer. “When you care about the people around you, that care shows up in how you do business every day.”
“Our clients expect more than a vendor. They
PRESENTED BY
do their best work,” Holzhauer said. “Culture is the foundation that everything else is built on – it trumps everything.” To all the Hall of Fame winners, congratulations on building workplaces that attract talent, inspire loyalty, and create opportunity. Your achievements remind us that being the best is never a final destination. It is a commitment to getting better, together, every single day.
Little Rock • Hot Springs • Dallas/Forth Worth datamaxarkansas.com Tyler • Longview • Lufkin • El Dorado Texarkana
2017, 2018, 2019
Hill Station MORE THAN JUST BURGERS — IT’S A COMMUNITY. Among the many reasons that Arkansas is a wonderful state, two in particular stand out; good food and the great outdoors. Coincidentally, these two reasons are also the inspiration behind the game changing restaurant nestled in the heart of Hillcrest – Hill Station. Owner Daniel Bryant recounts that upon opening their doors, the two main goals they set out to achieve were to have a great burger and offer the best patio space as possible. Needless to say, they’ve accomplished these goals beyond a shadow of a doubt. Amazing burgers and wide open, shaded patio space aside, Daniel is sure to mention that what actually makes Hill Station stand out above the rest is the staff. With his brother and sister-in-law, Tim and Christin Bryant, as well as a tight knit group of managers running things there is always someone around who cares about making the service at Hill Station unforgettable. Beyond that, the core of the staff has been onboard since the beginning and though their work family has grown, Daniel thinks that at the center of their success is the dedication to creating a welcoming atmosphere that the staff gets the credit for. In addition to the focus on service, Hill Station cares about the community that surrounds
them. From sourcing their ingredients from local vendors like HAM Market that is now merged under Hill Station’s roof, changing up their menu just enough to give regulars and newcomers a unique experience every time they come in, to raising funds for neighborhood organizations and hosting neighborhood meetings. You’d be hard pressed to find a restaurant more involved with the people and businesses in their neighborhood. When asked what the most important thing people know about Hill Station when they come in, Daniel provides a humble and customer-centered answer; you’ll never find an unfamiliar face behind the bar, or taking care of your table. Patrons can expect to find a warm welcome when they come in. It’s a place that encourages people to come and stay down for a while, get to know people that live nearby or even people they may never see again. The
hillstationhillcrest.com
Daniel Bryant, Owner
hardworking staff care – above all else – that you leave the restaurant with a full belly and the best all around experience. What’s important to them is that you simply enjoyed your time. Being committed to creating a slow paced and welcoming environment makes Hill Station incredibly unique in a world focused on how quickly things can be done and over with, but it isn’t just their immediate community that they extend this love to. With the World Cup just around the corner, Daniel talks fondly of their plans to again stream the whole thing from start to finish and hints at the preparations they are already putting into motion. This summer, Hill Station will transform into a multicultural melting pot as people from all over pour in to spend time with like minded fans. No one did it bigger than Hill Station during the 2022 World Cup at Hill and those who were there remember how electrifying the whole experience was. Everyone at Hill is looking forward to getting the chance to see new and old faces as the tournament approaches and how much bigger and better the experience can be this time around.. No where else will you find the kind of connectivity that Hill Station cultivates, there’s no doubt that they have earned their spot in the Hall of Fame.
Brave New Restaurant LITTLE ROCK’S ORIGINAL FARM-TO-TABLE, FINE DINING RESTAURANT Brave New Restaurant exists at the corner of family and fine dining. First opened and manned by the illustrious Peter Brave, the restaurant has seamlessly transitioned into the hands of Peter’s daughter Cicely and her husband Miles who have continued to hold onto the many values that the business was built on. If you ask them, Cicely and Miles will tell you that the most important of these values is that they take care of the people who make running the restaurant easy. With dedicated staff that do things like ride bikes all the way from North Little Rock to make it to work and a chef that pours his heart and soul into the deliChef Sean cious food they serve, it’s easy to Rumery see why this matters so much. Peter’s family has worked diligently to create an environment where staff is able to provide the best experience for their customers because they are also provided with the best working family they could ask for. Speaking of experience, you’ll be hard pressed to find another dining institution where you are going home with a full and happy belly is just as important as you going home having had the best interaction, you’ll ever have with restaurant staff. The business was built to fill a void that was becoming ever more apparent in the Little Rock scene, a severe lack of hospitality. Seeing as being hospitable is something that Arkansans pride themselves on being, Peter felt that he had just the solution to this glaring issue, Brave New Restaurant. And fill the void he did. Today when you walk through the narrow hallway into the brightly lit restaurant overlooking the river, it’s easy to see the product of holding true to these values. It’s a cozy and
comfortable location, with an intimate bar area adorned with sparkling glasses for any kind of drink you could imagine. The din of the staff working hard to prep the kitchen for closing and for the upcoming day fills the front room with a happy sort of discourse. The whole restaurant is warm with the day’s work, it feels welcoming even without the usual flow of customers. Brave New Restaurant cares for more than just their staff, they care for their community too. Ingredients are carefully sourced from local farmers, with Cicely and Miles making sure to attend farmers markets and get to know the people they are buying from. Even voices without a face like those often found on social media are heard, Miles mentions that after seeing a growing demand for soup flights in the Little Rock restaurant scene, they moved quickly to satisfy the needs of the masses and whipped one up for Brave New Restaurant to serve. Sitting in the back room with four team members that range from general manager to chef, it’s easy to see that what really makes this restaurant the best is the soul-deep love the staff has for their workplace. As far as the future is concerned, Brave New Restaurant and the people who make it great look forward to expanding their space and their capacity to serve their community. Most importantly, in the words of their chef Sean Rumery – whom Peter travelled all the way to California to meet, yet another example of the restaurant’s dedication excellence – “Brave New sells experience, not just food.” Without a doubt, this is a staple of culinary brilliance which is too good to pass up. If you do, you’re sure to regret it.
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time, resources, and heart into the places where their people live and work. That mindset resonates deeply with our team. Datamax has always believed that strong communities build strong businesses, and that belief drives how we serve through contributing, volunteering, and leading. “Community involvement is not a box you check. It is a responsibility you embrace,” said Datamax Arkansas President David Holzhauer. “When you care about the people around you, that care shows up in how you do business every day.”
to create raving fans by delivering results that exceed expectations. “Our clients expect more than a vendor. They
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and integrity to work every day. “When people feel valued and supported, they do their best work,” Holzhauer said. “Culture is the foundation that everything else is built on – it trumps everything.” To all the Hall of Fame winners, congratulations on building workplaces that attract talent, inspire loyalty, and create opportunity. Your achievements remind us that being the best is never a final destination. It is a commitment to getting better, together, every single day.
Little Rock • Hot Springs • Dallas/Forth Worth datamaxarkansas.com Tyler • Longview • Lufkin • El Dorado Texarkana
2017, 2018, 2019
Alice L. Walton School of Medicine
U.S. Marshals Museum
Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects EVERY SPACE A STORY: ARCHITECTURE SHAPED BY PURPOSE AND INSPIRATION
If you’ve visited the U.S. Marshals Museum— where abstract points rise from the Arkansas River like a badge embedded in the landscape— or rested beneath the undulating roof canopy at the Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center, then you’ve already experienced the thoughtful design of Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects. From modest beginnings, the firm quickly established itself as a trusted name in architecture. Founded as Polk Stanley Shannon in a house on Main Street, the firm entered a new chapter of growth with its 2009 merger with the Wilcox Group. As Polk Stanley Wilcox approaches its 50-year anniversary, its legacy of service and design excellence continues to shine. Storytellers at heart, the team takes pride in understanding each client and crafting spaces that reflect their unique needs and vision. From one of their earliest projects—the First National Bank on the square in Fayetteville—to more recent work such as the Central Arkansas Library System renovation, the firm’s portfolio reflects both longevity and evolution. Polk Stanley Wilcox is particularly proud of its contributions to
medical education in Arkansas, including the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, as well as its role in preserving historic buildings, including those that now house the firm’s Fayetteville and Little Rock offices. With impactful projects comes meaningful recognition. Polk Stanley Wilcox has earned numerous accolades, including the National AIA Honor Award for the design of the Heifer International headquarters—an achievement that, at the time, was rare among Arkansas firms. While striking design may first draw attention, it is the firm’s enduring commitment to trust, accountability, and hard work that keeps clients coming back.
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Polk Stanley Wilcox believes great design starts with the people behind it. The firm fosters a supportive, inclusive culture where employees are treated like family and encouraged to grow and succeed, resulting in an average tenure of 13 years. With nearly half of its design professionals being women, the firm demonstrates its commitment to diversity and the future of the profession. Strong mentorship and a culture rooted in acceptance and support remain top priorities, reflected in the firm’s remarkably low turnover. Looking ahead, Polk Stanley Wilcox has several high-profile projects on the horizon. The firm is eager to contribute to the next phase of the Walton Institute healthcare campus, supporting physicians trained at the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. Construction is also underway on a new community center in Searcy, and the firm is partnering on the next phase of the Clinton Presidential Center, which includes renovations to the former Heifer International headquarters. With momentum building, Polk Stanley Wilcox looks forward to continuing to make an impact for the next 50 years.
CULTURE BOY ON BOX: Sam Murphy, Nancy Nolan’s assistant, poses for a portrait.
‘THE PAUSE BEFORE THE CLICK’ ‘HENRY AND NOLAN’ WEAVES IMAGES AND IMPLEMENTS IN A LOVE LETTER TO FILM PHOTOGRAPHY IN LITTLE ROCK. BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK
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PORTRAITS OF THE ARTISTS: Little Rock photographers Nancy Nolan (left) and Rita Henry beat the odds, carving out decades-long careers in a male-dominated industry.
I
t is said, I was reminded by Arkansas Times photographer Brian Chilson on a recent visit to ESSE Purse Museum to see the work and equipment collection of two Little Rock women photographers, that just as it’s not the brush that makes the great painter, it’s not the camera that makes the great photographer. In theory, you could pick up one of Ansel Adams’ large-format cameras or Nancy Nolan’s Mamiya medium-format cameras, or Rita Henry’s 35mm cameras, but you wouldn’t get a photo like Adams’ “Half Dome” in Yosemite National Park or Nolan’s shot of a bowing dress designer Connie Fails blurred against a wall or Henry’s low-light and ethereal shot of a woman at a church piano. But lives there a photographer who doesn’t love his or her collection of cameras? Fortunately for us, apparently not, because the cameras and film and artifacts of the photographer’s art tell a fascinating story of history and technology and invention — just as the purse collection at ESSE enlightens us on women’s history. Hence “Henry and Nolan: A Retrospective of History, Photography, and the Arkansas Women Behind the Camera,” a temporary exhibit devoted to the work of Rita Henry and Nancy Nolan that runs at ESSE through Feb. 1. Among Nolan’s technically masterful and visually intriguing photos — including shots of former Historic Arkansas Museum Director Bill Worthen in costume holding a Bowie knife, her son Park crouching on a sofa from her “Park’s Pants” series, and a woman in a
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straightjacket — are the tools of her trade: Mamiya and Hasselblad medium-format cameras, her grandfather’s Graflex and Rolleiflex cameras, and a huge, wooden 1923 Deardorff field camera that uses 8-by-10inch glass negatives. Nolan, 65, got her start in commercial photography after college in Atlanta as a studio assistant, starting in the darkroom and eventually taking over the JCPenney fashion account. She moved to Little Rock in the late ’90s, equipped with a $20,000 “back” — new technology at the time that attached to a film camera and gave it the ability to take digital photos. It took years for her clients at Nancy Nolan Photography to trust the digital camera, she said. While there were once more male photographers than female (the number is almost even now, according to some sources), men still command the more lucrative photography jobs, like those in journalism, fashion and commercial advertising, Nolan noted. “Within these fields, bias is very real,” she said. Women make up nearly 80% of photography graduates, but “only 20% … will get a career” in the field. The result: “For decades, the dominant visual narrative has been shaped largely through a male lens,” she said, leaving the perspective of women out of the “visual record of our world.” (An illustrative example of Nolan’s experience as a woman in the business: Hired to shoot musician and preacher Al Green in 2007, she took her male assistant along and, at the direction of Green’s aides, set up in
the sanctuary of Green’s church in Memphis. “Al Green shows up and his head explodes when he sees us in there,” Nolan said. “He went straight to my assistant and starts bawling him out.” He assumed the man was the photographer; Nolan laughed and said she let him think so for a bit just to tease her assistant, but she finally disabused him of his mistake.) Nolan left the fashion industry, she said, when sexualized underage models came into style (think Brooke Shields in Calvin Klein ads) and turned to teaching at the Arkansas Arts Center (now the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts). She later opened Nancy Nolan Photography studio, and has shot portraits of famous people, like President Bill Clinton, and covers and spreads for such magazines as Southern Living, Southern Home, Traditional Home, Weddings, Little Rock Soirée and more. Nolan is no longer taking clients. Her goal, her mission statement says, “is to pull the beauty out of the everyday” — and she is now in the middle of trying to “reinvent” herself as a fine art photographer “if I get there.” The exhibition shows she’s already there, however: Along with her soft-focus shot of Fails, are her ghostlike double exposure of a little girl on a swing and her fashion-meets-art shot of a woman standing on a table with arms outstretched in a way that looks like she’s holding an enormous globe light fixture. Nolan worries that the replacement of expensive and time-consuming film photogra-
STAREDOWN: Charis Cook, captured by Rita Henry.
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“ “WHEN DIGITAL CAMERAS — AND LATER, PHONES — TOOK THE COST OF FILM OUT OF THE EQUATION, EVERYTHING CHANGED.” — NANCY NOLAN phy with quick and cheap digital photography (except sometimes for the camera itself) has come at a cost. “When digital cameras — and later, phones — took the cost of film out of the equation, everything changed. Suddenly we could shoot endlessly. … And with that freedom, something else slipped away: the pause before the click.” The result, in Nolan’s estimation, has been a “flood of mediocre work.” *** Nolan has never liked 35mm cameras, but they are Rita Henry’s primary medium. Henry is an experimenter, playing with alternative chemistry to create a unique look. Her versatility makes sense. She’s fit nearly as many jobs in her life as her 68 years: media buyer, including a stint in Dallas (which “gave me very little time to do anything else”); work at the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission (now the Arkansas Economic Development Commission); teaching at and eventually heading up the school during the heyday of film photography at the Arkansas Arts Center; teaching a semester at Henderson State University; working in the lab at Peerless Engraving Co.; doing quality control at the Arkansas History Commission when it was digitizing its collection; assisting Little Rock photographers George Chambers, Tim Hursley and Nolan; scanning photo collections for ESSE owner Anita Davis. She was even a hostess at Ciao Baci restaurant for a short time (“I was terrible,” she said) and still operates a pet-sitting business to this day. After the Arts Center phased out film photography, Henry opened a studio in the carriage house in back of Nolan’s downtown home, the former residence of Townsend Wolfe, who led the Arts Center for decades. On the door of the carriage house was a 56 JANUARY 2026
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knocker featuring a girl with blue eyes, hence the name of the Blue-Eyed Knocker photography club, made up of former film students from the Arts Center and others who wanted to learn the art from someone who loved to teach. (Henry also taught kids in after-school programs at Pulaski Heights and Dunbar middle schools). That was 15 years ago, and Blue-Eyed Knocker continues, with beginning and more advanced students, and has exhibited over the years. Its most recent exhibition, “Between Cities: Altheimer, Delight, Eudora, Marked Tree,” a small-town photodocumentary, was at Gallery 26 in September. With both film and digital cameras, Henry and three other members — Darrell Adams, Rachel Worthen and Jessica Maxwell — set out to capture life in “small-town Arkansas,” Henry said: non-touristy places that don’t get a lot of attention. Henry described many of the cameras in her collection as coming to her “on the last stop before the trash.” One of those — though not in the exhibition — is a 1911 field cam- TREASURE TROVE: The cameras and film and artifacts in “Henry and Nolan” tell a fascinating story of history and era that uses 11-by-14-inch technology and invention. negatives. It is no longer in working order, but a cou-
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ple of photographs in the show were taken with the old “workhorse,” including one of a woman in a top hat that has been added to a large photogram in a display case. The photogram is an example of Henry’s love of working with light and materials to make something new: To make it, she took old printing paper, still laden with silver, placed plants on top and exposed the paper outdoors for two or three hours. The image, a silhouette of the plants, she further manipulated and fixed in the darkroom. Polaroid film is one of Henry’s favorite mediums, and her display cases in the show include nine Polaroid Land Cameras, models from 1966 to 1972. “Lennie,” a composite image of a figure both seated and walking in front of a cross, is a Polaroid manipulation made with a color slide shot through a light-tight day lab. Polaroid emulsion lifts — a photo’s image will lift off its paper when submerged in water — are “so fun,” Henry said; it was Nolan who taught her how to do it. She loves this technique, as well as using slide film on watercolor paper to appear as painting. With film, the photographer is working with a finite number of frames in each roll, meaning you’ve got to think before you shoot — that “pause before the click” that
Nolan referred to — but the possibilities in the darkroom with paper and chemicals and camera quirks are endless. “You can really screw around with things in digital, too,” the adventuresome shooter said happily. Unusual composition marks much of Henry’s work, like “Dorothy,” her photograph of a worried little girl in costume: The child is in the right half of the frame, looking down. Another, her composite black-and-white photo “Dallas Night,” features only the tops of neon letters. They’re unreadable, making the bird perched on one of them the focus. Henry’s equipment on display includes three Brownies, an inexpensive brand that will take even nonprofessionals back. The oldest, the 2A Model B (1916) and the Target C (1946), were loaded with film and then sealed; to develop the pictures, the entire camera had to be returned to the darkroom to be developed. There’s also a Hawkeye, made from 1950-61. Henry described her inclusion in the exhibition as “riding Nancy Nolan’s coattails. I’m just lucky to be here.” It’s sort of a “retirement retrospective” for her, she said; family business is occupying much of her time and she’s had to sell her studio. She hopes to set up a smaller darkroom in the future.
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SAMPLING IN STYLE: Goat cheese mousse and the sausage “of the moment” from Allsopp & Chapple.
AFTERNOON DELIGHT WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK BETWEEN WORK AND HOME.
BY RHETT BRINKLEY, ELIZABETH L. CLINE, DANIEL GREAR, STEPHANIE SMITTLE AND MILO STRAIN
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T
he term “happy hour” has been a part of the American lexicon for over a century, but it wasn’t always used to describe a time for discounted deals on boozy beverages. In the 1910s, the expression became a catchphrase for sailors — notably, those aboard the Navy’s USS Arkansas — that defined time set aside for entertainment while at sea. Later, it became a euphemism for clandestine cocktail rendezvous during Prohibition, and sometime in the midcentury, bars and restaurants advertised happy hours to usher in the post-work crowds for cheap drinks during the slow afternoon period between lunch and the dinner rush. It’s mostly still recognized today as a way to save a dollar or two on beer or wine between 4-6 p.m., but restaurants are also using the period to highlight small plates or create exclusive buzzy items to make post-work meetups just as much about the food as they are the drinks. Whether your dry January calls for more than the La Croix in your fridge or you need a distraction from the horrors our state legislators will surely unveil in the 2026 fiscal session, here are a few local happy hours to counter the winter doldrums.
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CRUNCHWRAP: Attic Bar‘s artisinal spin on a Taco Bell favorite is ample enough to split.
ATTIC BAR 4-6 P.M. TUE.-FRI. In filling Little Rock’s acute shortage of chic, craft cocktail bars, I do wonder if Attic Bar’s owners knew they’d be this popular right out of the gate. As soon as the clock strikes 4 p.m., this upstairs speakeasy is packed with downtown office workers sipping on rotating and inventive cocktails, like the $9 cocktail of the month (currently a sake-based holiday cocktail infused with orange blossom honey). A hip, more diverse clientele showing off their top-shelf liquor knowledge and designer clothes shows up as the evening wears on. Arrive early to avoid the line and grab one of the retro-inspired nooks decked out with ’70s-era couches and velvet armchairs, and to take advantage of the specials: There are also $8 wines and $6 drafts, including craft beers like the Left Hand Peanut Butter Milk Stout, for the lightweights. For the sober-curious, the friendly and knowledgeable bar staff can make $7 mocktails to your specification. The bar menu, prepared by the excellent Back Home BBQ downstairs, is a big draw, albeit splurge-y. Luckily, “small bites” is a bit of a misnomer. The crunchwrap (an artisanal spin on the fast-food favorite from Taco Bell) is ample enough to split. The flour tortilla, grilled in butter, is stuffed with cheese, tomato, shredded lettuce and cilantro, and your choice of brisket, pulled pork or beef. EC TABLE 28 5-6 P.M. MON.-THU. If you’ve ever had a job that involved attending a work conference “out of town,” you might already know this, but just in case you don’t: Hotel bars are an absolute crapshoot, seemingly destined to occupy
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HAPPY HOUR TREATS: From left to right: Crispy potatoes drizzled with fondue cheese and gougère sliders from BCW; a dirty martini from Brood & Barley; house margaritas and nachos from El Sur; and the loaded potato cake from Table 28.
one extreme or another of a spectrum that ranges from “cutting-edge cuisine and bespoke architecture” to “carpeted cesspool where dreams go to wither and die.” Count West Little Rock’s Table 28 on the former end of that spectrum, thanks largely to the seasonal rotation of dishes from chef Scott Rains and staff that have kept its tables full for years — quail “lollipops,” aged beef meatloaf, a rabbit and bone marrow pie. The wine list is several miles long and, apropos to this roundup, the happy hour is a sweet little luxury. Boozy delights abound, with a couture Old Fashioned made with aged cognac-soaked cherries and a cheffy “Private Martini” with Ketel One and Rains’ blue-cheese stuffed olives. (Don’t overlook the espresso martini sundae on the dessert menu!) For those doing a dry December, you’ve got great options — N/A iterations of prosecco, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a fresh Lavender Basil Cup. We tried (and loved) the cleverly named N/Aperol Spritz, a giant glass of the Italian classic made with Mionetto Aperol aperitivo, a Mionetto alcohol-extracted sparkling wine and an orange slice. And going the N/A route is no excuse to drink on an empty stomach; pair your bev with the spot’s absolutely gorgeous loaded potato cake, a side made in the French pavé style (aka the “thousand-layer potato”) that works just as well as a snack for two. SS 60 JANUARY 2026
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BROOD & BARLEY 3-6 P.M. DAILY The happy hour category in the Arkansas Times annual Toast of the Town poll has been dominated by Brood & Barley for the last five years, and it’s easy to see why. Crack a $3 Coors Banquet “stubby” bottle or choose any of the three $5 happy hour shots while you peruse the food menu. One of our favorite burgers in town, the gastropub’s Yum Yum Smash was created for the happy hour menu and goes for $10. That includes fries, which makes it essentially cheaper than fast food. If you’re a fan of Philly transplant chef Brayan Mcfadden’s “legit cheesesteak,” you can get it in the form of three sliders for $14. And the street corn dip ($12) served in a small cast iron skillet with the restaurant’s impressively airy and crispy house-made chips is worth the trip alone. RB THE PANTRY CREST 4-6 P.M. TUE-SAT. Happy hour at The Pantry Crest provides a more economical way to enjoy its Czechand German-inspired cuisine and take in the atmosphere of the upscale Hillcrest eatery. The menu is pretty bare-bones at first glance: a dollar off of beer and wine, well spirits starting at $6, and $8 select appetizers. You won’t find deep discounts or
special happy hour cocktails, but if you’re already there for an early dinner or want to start a night of bar hopping with friends off with some decadence, it’s pretty good. Plus, right now you can snag a pint of Boulevard Brewing Company’s tasty Tank 7 saison for $4 during happy hour. I don’t know where else in town you can get a pint of 8.5% ABV beer for that price. Hell, $5 isn’t a bad price for it either if you’re there outside of happy hour. I went in a group of four and we each picked an appetizer to share with the group: cheese spaetzle, brussels sprouts, country terrine and the pomme frites, which are just french fries. While the fries weren’t anything to write home about (I’d skip them if I go back), everything was quite tasty. Everyone agreed the spaetzle — chewy dumplings topped with melted cheese and caramelized onions — was the star of the show. MS ALLSOPP & CHAPPLE 4-6 P.M. DAILY Allsopp & Chapple isn’t just the downtown Main Street fine-dining destination for special occasions and Valentine’s Day reservations; it’s also an ideal location for post-work pre-dinner snacks. Drink specials include $4 mini margaritas and mini Moscow mules and half-priced Old Fashioneds. Everything on chef James Hale’s daily happy hour bar bites menu is between $10-$12. My dining companion remarked that the grilled
sausage “of the moment” rivaled the ones he recently had in Germany. The bartender told us that one of the restaurant’s most ordered items is the goat cheese mousse from the sharable plates menu ($13). Served with delightful crostini right off the grill, the warm, creamy mousse is artfully blanketed by basil pesto, roasted tomatoes and garlic cloves. Mind-blowing. Combined with our two $6 Old Fashioneds, the split check came out to about $22. Not bad for one of my favorite small meals of the year. RB CERTIFIED PIES 3-6 P.M. TUE.-SUN. Certified Pies is beloved for its decadent, housemade wings and Southern soul food-inspired pizzas, like the cup n’ char with hot honey or the 400 Degreez buffalo-sauced pie. Happy hour is a chance to branch out from your go-tos: Try the loaded fries, which are half-off, along with appetizers like fried ravioli, okra and pickles. The Boss Hog fries are a heap of crinkle-cut potatoes smothered in mozzarella, crispy chicken and bacon, then topped with ranch and a drizzle of spicy-sweet Truth Sauce. Plant-based eaters are just as well-served: The vegan chik’n bac’n ranch loaded fries are topped with meatless chik’n and bac’n, scratch-made by local vegan food company Utopia Deli and topped off with Daiya cheese. Certified Pies does a booming takeout business, and its happy hour food menu
is available to-go, but the storefront — anchored by an ’80s-era graffiti-style mural — is a cheery, family-friendly spot to enjoy your meal alongside $3 domestic bottles. EC EL SUR STREET FOOD CO 3-6 P.M. MON.-FRI. Plantains are a staple at El Sur Street Food Co, especially where their baleadas are concerned, but the kind served only at happy hour — smashed, fried, generously salted and served with a killer housemade ranch dressing — are no less worthy of praise. And that’s just one of the Honduran restaurant’s easily shareable, happy hour-specific offerings, which also include fully loaded nachos and tostadas topped with juicy shredded chicken and guacamole, radish and cheese. If you’re feeling something simpler and more frisky, consider ordering salsa, guac (both of which are $2 off) or cheese dip alongside a draft beer (also $2 off) and a $5 house margarita — one of the best and most drinkable cocktails in town. DG BCW ALL DAY MONDAY; 3-6 P.M. TUE.THU. In addition to a $10 bartender handshake (a shot of Fernet and Flyway Light) and a $7 draft wine selection, BCW’s happy hour includes the SoMa restaurant’s wildly addictive crispy potatoes drizzled with fondue cheese, and for a whopping $10 you get a
bowl big enough to feed a table of four. Pair them with a $10 order of three gougère sliders: smoked pork belly and gruyère; braised beef and cheddar; mushroom and Swiss, all served on the superbly textured French cheese puff-style buns. I will be eating these once a week now. RB THE PIZZA PUB 3-6 P.M. WED.-MON. Munch on baskets of fresh-cut fried pickles, tots or cheese curds for $6 a pop while splitting a $9 pitcher of domestic beer at this retro-chic Park Hill pie shop’s daily happy hour. Drink specials include wine ($5 reds and whites) and liquor, with the best deal being the $5 Tito’s and sodas. On weekends, sports fans should arrive early to get a straight shot of the TVs lined up behind the polished concrete bar; during the week, families and pizza obsessives should dig into Little Rock’s only tavern-style pizza, a Midwest staple. The Pizza Pub shares owners with Argenta favorites Brood & Barley and Four Quarter Bar; thus, it should come as no surprise that the dough is scratch-made daily and ingredients are fresh. Deal-hunters shouldn’t miss the 16-inch pizza, baked thin and crispy, cut into squares, and topped all the way to the edges. At $15 with one topping, it’s hard to find a pizza at that price anywhere in town. The pro move is to order a pie with their Vodka Rosa sauce, a sweet vodka sauce that adds a creamy tang to every bite. EC ARKTIMES.COM
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HISTORY
SHEDDING LIGHT ON DARKER DAYS
FOUR NEW BOOKS EXPLORE PRISON ABUSE, MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE, RACE-BASED PRIVILEGE AND RACE-BASED BARRIERS. IF YOU’RE SCARED OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY, DON’T READ THEM.
BRIAN CHILSON
BY ERNEST DUMAS
I
t is some coincidence that, in the year of our Lord 2025, Arkansas has produced not one but three more books illuminating the terrible history of racial repression in America: “There Is a Deep Brooding in Arkansas” by Scott W. Stern, “Running Against the Wind” by Arkansas native Collins Hemingway, and “Impermissible Punishments” by Judith Resnik. Stern’s and Resnik’s books dig deep into the historical record of rapes and imprisonment, first in Arkansas but also throughout the Deep South and the nation, and (at least in the case of prisons) the rest of the world, too. Hemingway examines the life and times of Bill Brooks, a Black football and track teammate of Hemingway at Little Rock’s Central High School in the 1960s who climbed all the racial bulwarks of the era for a successful career in professional sports and business. Make that four books, if you count Dr. Charles R. Feild’s whimsical little book, “Feild Notes on Little Rock,” about uncovering his familial past in the South all the way back to the introduction of slavery in 1619. Most notably, Feild discovers that his historical inheritance included the ownership of slaves and, like nearly every other white person in those days, his family’s embrace a century ago of Jim Crow and the Lost Cause. It is an obligation of citizenship, at least for those of us in the media (if not for anyone
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else), to alert the governor of Arkansas and her very personal attorney general that any teacher or librarian in Arkansas who introduces one or all of these books to students flagrantly violates her executive order of January 2023 and her celebrated anti-public school law, the LEARNS Act. On Day One in office, Gov. Sarah Sanders decreed what kind of history may be taught in Arkansas public schools. “Critical Race Theory (CRT) is antithetical to the traditional American values of neutrality, equality, and fairness. It emphasizes skin color as a person’s primary characteristic, thereby resurrecting segregationist values, which America has fought so hard to reject,” her executive order says. A bogeyman of the right, critical race theory is a group of concepts that includes the idea that race is more sociological than biological, and that racism is woven into American institutions, leaving people of color with less money and fewer opportunities. While these concepts are demonstrably true, beneficiaries of systemic privilege tend to bristle at the notion that they were preordained for success, and others for failure. The LEARNS Act of 2023 specifically prohibits critical race theory in K-12 classrooms. These books likely wouldn’t make the cut. Feild notes at the end of his little family history that on what once was the Feild Bros. plantation on the northern outskirts of
Little Rock, where slaves loaded cotton on the banks of the Arkansas River, the stabilized land still floods. Downriver in the heart of the metropolis, however, there is now a magnificent library memorializing the recent presidency of an Arkansas native who championed equality and even privilege for Black and poor people. In addition, a Black man is the city’s mayor, while Feild’s Methodist church has a Black pastor, embraces LGBTQ people and celebrates the revolutionary ideas of equality, diversity and inclusion that are scorned now by the national administration and the state government. Feild seems to relish the idea that the governor and the attorney general will ban his book for acknowledging that critical race theory is American and Arkansas history, as anyone who watched Ken Burns’ 10-hour history, “The American Revolution,” must recognize. Feild’s, Stern’s and Resnik’s books are not film material, but Hemingway’s “Running Against the Wind” — maybe. It is about sports, and if the hero, Bill Brooks, had come along four or five years later he might now be a sports legend. Brooks followed an older brother who was the first Black student to go out for one of the athletic teams at recently integrated Central High School. Brooks was the fastest kid in the school and eventually proved to be the fastest one in the state. He
excelled in football, track and baseball but couldn’t get a scholarship to the University of Arkansas, so he signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals and starred for five years on the Cardinals’ farm teams, including the Arkansas Travelers. Then he quit, frustrated with the coaching and management — not all of it racially based — and had a successful career in business. Hemingway, a football and track teammate in high school although not friends at that time, kept running into Brooks at airports and business conferences, and they struck up a friendship when they learned that they grew up near one another, both in segregated slums, and both with alcoholic fathers. So Hemingway, first a sportswriter for the Arkansas Gazette and later the author or co-author of 10 books, both fiction and nonfiction, decided that his newfound friend was the perfect subject for a book that had not been written — the struggles in a segregated social order of a man who neither became president of the United States nor was slain by overzealous cops or was a drug dealer. The cover of the book is a photo of Brooks leaping out of the blocks on his way to a state record, taken by the legendary photographer Bill Eppridge for a Life magazine spread in 1967 about Central High School, 10 years after Gov. Orval Faubus made world history by attempting to stop racial integration there. “Running Against the Wind” serves as an epilogue to all the books written about the Central High School crisis, a pivotal event in American history. Lottie Shackelford, a high school classmate and friend of Ernest Green at the all-Black Horace Mann High School before Green became the first Black graduate of Central High, wrote a brief introduction that reinforces the book’s accounts of the nearly daily obstacles to young Black children at the time. “The fact that Bill’s ancestors were enslaved and the author’s ancestors were slaveholders and leaders of the Ku Klux Klan makes for difficult conversations as the two wrestle with the lessons of the past,” Shackelford wrote. “The book will help readers see in practical terms how race regularly disrupts the daily lives of people of color, even in a culture more welcoming than a generation ago.” Stern and Resnik are Yale law scholars and historians — she his professor, and he her star pupil — who both came to Arkansas some years ago, separately from one another but both impelled by the groundbreaking research and writing of writer and historian Grif Stockley. They both came here to explore the rich archives of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. That is where I met each of them a few years ago.
Stockley, a lawyer who grew up outside the Delta town of Marianna, published five mystery novels in the 1990s. He abandoned that endeavor to satisfy his curiosity about the murder of hundreds of Black adults and children in 1919, some 25 years before he was born and 35 miles from his plantation home down a Delta dirt road in the hamlet of Elaine, just off a bend in the Mississippi River. In Arkansas, at least, it was Stockley’s research and reporting on the Elaine Race Massacre and other calamities, like the Negro Boys Industrial School fire in 1959, that revived the old higher-education doctrine of critical race theory. One result of Stockley’s extensive research on Elaine, which included the Black journalist Ida B. Wells’ reporting from inside the Phillips County jails on the plight of innocent Black men held there awaiting execution, was the posthumous Pulitzer Prize for reporting that Wells received a full century later, in 2020. Stockley’s grim research and writing also inspired the work of another Pulitzer Prize winner for reporting on racial brutality in the South: “Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II” by Douglas A. Blackmon. Blackmon was an Arkansas Democrat reporter who later moved to Alabama and Atlanta; he won a Pulitzer in 2009 for his research and recording of the atrocities committed against Black men in Alabama, and other states like Arkansas that had employed versions of the convict-lease system. Starting during Reconstruction, Arkansas leased Black and sometimes white prisoners to farms and businesses. The money was paid into the state treasury, thus the title “Slavery by Another Name.” In 1875, the Arkansas Legislature passed a law that made the theft of anything valued at $2 or more subject to up to five years in prison. The law filled the state prisons, which leased the men to plantations and businesses, and the money that was paid into the state treasury for that slave labor became a major source of funding for road work — until 1912, when Gov. George Donaghey ended the practice by paroling scores of prisoners who were leased to contractors. “Impermissible Punishments,” Resnik’s massive (818 pages) history of prison retribution in Arkansas, America and elsewhere, revolves around the decade-long legal tumult launched in 1966 by an investigation of brutality and corruption in the Arkansas prisons. The investigation started under Faubus, and continued under his successors Winthrop Rockefeller, Dale Bumpers and David Pryor. And a Republican federal judge, J. Smith Henley, pursued the issue for more than a decade. At that point American courts had left prison conditions and especially prison brutality unexamined,
until Judge Henley took up the cause and conducted two trials (Holt v. Sarver I and II) over conditions in the state’s penitentiary. Henley also held other hearings over discrimination and physical abuse of Black prisoners at the Pulaski County penal farm on the Arkansas River. It was Judge Henley’s audacity to summon two young trial lawyers, Jack Holt Jr., the future chief justice, and Phil Kaplan, a civil rights lawyer, to his chambers to instruct them to go down to the prisons, get the facts about brutality and corruption, and bring a lawsuit to his court. But the process had started with a young lawyer named Eugene Hale, whom Faubus hired in January 1966 to be his executive assistant for prison and parole matters. Presumably at Faubus’s suggestion, Hale rounded up three state police investigators to go with him to Tucker Prison Farm and look into rumors of bribery and torture. They found the rumors to be true and compiled a stinging 50-page report, including pictures of straps and the famous Tucker Telephone, an old crank phone with two batteries that would be attached to a prisoner’s big toe and genitals. A few cranks sent electrical shocks through his body. My wife and I had bought a house on Crystal Court in Little Rock and were moving there the week Faubus left office. That is when I learned that Hale was renting a tiny garage apartment on the property that we now owned. Hale promptly moved out, on the same day he left the governor’s office and started a job under the new attorney general, Joe Purcell. Hale decided to make his prison report public before Rockefeller was sworn in, but he leaked it to the Pine Bluff Commercial instead of to me, the Gazette reporter who covered the Capitol and who had talked to him nearly every day. He later sort of apologized. Hale said the prison farm had become “the site of torture, brutality, extortion and gross wrongdoings.” Rockefeller shortly released a summary of the report and called for a separate investigation of the prisons. State Sen. Knox Nelson of Pine Bluff, who owned a farm near the Cummins unit and always considered the prisons to be his bailiwick, passed a bill to conduct a prison-reform study. The superintendent of the prisons, O.E. Bishop, who had recently been the sheriff of Union County and whom I had visited daily when I began my reporting career in 1954, soon fired three wardens and replaced a few inmate trusties who must have been identified as the men who did the torturing. But it was the subsequent work of Holt and Kaplan, and of Judge Henley, that became the heart of Resnik’s book. “Impermissible Punishments,” her life’s work, is a penetrating history of crime and punishment in America. Criminal law, which ResARKTIMES.COM
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Angelou’s rapist in Missouri (including the almost instant murder of the rapist after his conviction and An-
gelou’s tortured life afterward), and the trials in Mississippi County of two white men accused of raping a white woman and of two Black men also accused of raping a white woman. Stern followed the transcripts of the trials and appeals and the extensive coverage in the press, and drew his conclusions about the race-based judgments. All four men were sentenced to death. The white men were clearly guilty but ultimately went free, while the Black sharecroppers were obviously innocent (or at least there was no clear evidence of their Prolific Author Dr. Lou Turner guilt) but were executed. The trials and ordeals of the Black men, Bubbles Clayton A thought-provoking and Jim X. Carruthers, exploration of how we followed the more can align our thinking famous trials of the with divine principles. “Scottsboro Boys,” nine Black teenagers in Alabama convicted and sentenced to death for allegedly raping two white women. The Scottsboro Boys, after years of trials by all-white jurors — Alabama prohibited Black people from either voting or serving on juries at
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the time — were never executed, and most of them ultimately were found innocent and went free. Clayton and Carruthers in Arkansas faced the same barriers, including all-white juries, prosecutors and judges. Stern’s extensive research of rape-trial records support his conclusion that rape and sexual charges of one sort or another were a way of reinforcing white supremacy and Jim Crow. Jeannie Whayne, the legendary historian at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, confirmed that judgment in a jacket blurb for Stern’s book. Stern recounts in considerable detail the work of Thurgood Marshall, the future U.S. Supreme Court justice, to prevent the execution of Clayton and Carruthers. As the young head of the NAACP, Marshall wrote a letter to another NAACP leader in 1939 as the executions approached. He then described the Clayton-Carruthers case before the U.S. Supreme Court: “This one is worse than any we have had as yet.” Presumably, he meant worse than the Scottsboro case. Stern recounts in detail Marshall’s tireless efforts, day and night, to persuade Arkansas Gov. Carl Bailey, who was in New York City to attend Arkansas Day at the World’s Fair, to grant clemency to the two men, whose execution date Bailey had set. Leaders at Commonwealth College, the Marxist school at Mena where Faubus, the future governor, had been president of the student body, joined Marshall’s efforts to get Bailey’s help. They failed. Clayton and Carruthers were electrocuted at Tucker Prison on June 30, 1939. Arkansas Congressman Brooks Hays, later a central figure in the 1957 Little Rock school crisis (he was defeated by a segregationist write-in candidate in 1958 as a result), tried to persuade his friend Bailey to save the men. Bailey seemed to be too busy. It occurs to me that Marshall’s efforts to save the lives of Clayton and Carruthers might account, many years later, for Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright’s break with other Southern senators to vote to confirm Marshall’s appointment to the Supreme Court, making Marshall the first Black justice in history. Fulbright also would later break with his Southern colleagues and vote not to confirm William H. Rehnquist as a Supreme Court justice after the public release of a transcript of a proposed opinion opposing desegregation of the nation’s schools that he had written while he was the law clerk for Justice Robert H. Jackson in 1954. Fulbright’s votes were about the only two instances before the modern era when an Arkansas political leader challenged a system specifically rigged against Black people. I predict that he will never be honored for these votes by proclamations of the governor or the Legislature.
BRIAN CHILSON
nik taught at Yale, and the operation of jails and prisons were always misguided in their determination solely to punish the wrongdoers, physically and mentally, rather than to fix the social problems that produced so much crime. If there are heroes in “Impermissible Punishments,” they are Judge Henley and the two trial lawyers who investigated the prisons. I admired Henley’s unusual judicial temperament and his crusader’s zeal. Alas, he did not reciprocate that admiration. The state attorney general, defending a legislative redistricting in a federal lawsuit filed by Republicans in 1973, put me on the stand to explain an analytical piece I had written for the Gazette, which concluded that the state board of apportionment had devised a plan that would maximize Black representation in the legislative bodies. “Just a minute, Mr. Thornton,” Henley said, as I began talking, “are you putting a newspaper reporter on the stand as an expert witness?” Ray Thornton said he was. “Not in my court,” Henley said. “Mr. Dumas, you’re dismissed. Go back to doing whatever it is that you do.” The subtitle of Stern’s book about rape and its racial connotations, published this spring by Yale University Press, is “The Rape Trials That Sustained Jim Crow, and the People Who Fought It from Thurgood Marshall to Maya Angelou.” Stern spent weeks searching the voluminous trial records of rapes in Arkansas in the early 20th century. He wrote about three of them: the trial of young Maya
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ANC grad blazing atrail at Big River Steel
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rkansas Northeastern College — with its emphasis on vocational education in the industrial trades — is ideally situated in the midst of Northeast Arkansas’s steel-production boom, and ANC takes full advantage of that proximity to potential employment and industry expertise with robust industry partnerships that yield both instructors and internships for students willing to put in the work. Here’s one ANC success story:
NAME: Alyssa Summerville AGE: 20 EDUCATION: Osceola High School, Class of 2024 Arkansas Northeastern College, May 2025
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Best thing about Arkansas Northeastern College: “The teacher-to-student ratio. It was easy to get one-on-one time with your teachers and professors.” Education-to-employment advantage: Alyssa began an internship with Big River Steel while still enrolled at ANC, utilizing the institution’s close relationship with area industries. “ANC has connections with any big company around,” Alyssa says of the opportunities available.
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ANC, knowing she didn’t want to “go off” to college, but that she wanted something, and ANC appeared to offer both – and did. “It’s a great choice,” Alyssa says of vocational education generally and ANC particularly. “It can help you go in so many directions you didn’t even realize you wanted to go.” It helped Alyssa get her AAS in Steel Technology, a field that she had not considered previously. “And now,” Alyssa says, “I’m the first female in my department at this major steel company.”
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manufacturing
Lexicon U.
an internal training program to advance employees in their careers. By matt mcnair
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COURTESY LEXICON
he late Tom Schueck, along with his wife, Marge, started Lexicon Inc. in his garage in 1968. What began as a small industrial construction company soon expanded into steel fabrication – a way to custom-build materials the rapidly growing company needed to complete its own projects while also removing a link in the supply chain, which both streamlined projects and cut costs. Now, 57 years later, Lexicon is recognized as a global leader in steel fabrication, specializing in the kinds of steel components needed to erect the massive industrial facilities that, not coincidentally, Lexicon also specializes in as a company considered among the global elite.
Mentorship and scholarship at Lexicon U. Not to put too neat a bow on it, but even within that very specific world of large-scale fabrication and construction, the area of expertise for which Lexicon is perhaps best known is the construction of steel plants, facilities that more often than not end up producing the very same steel that Lexicon then fabricates into the giant components needed to construct the next steel mill on its project docket. “We don’t make steel,” Jeff Weatherly, Lexicon’s chief financial officer, has been known to say, “but we make the places that make the steel.” Intentionally or not, one of Lexicon’s newest projects seems of a piece with that philosophy, a corporate strategy that looks within the company itself for the things it needs and strives as much as possible to implement its own high standards on every step of any project. This project, however, isn’t a new fabrication center or a renovated corporate
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campus (although you’ll find both are well underway should you drive by Lexicon’s headquarters, situated on Fourche Dam Pike near the Port of Little Rock), or a lucrative new contract or expansion into a new area of construction. Rather, it is its school. Lexicon University — or “Lexicon U.” as the folks in HQ phrase it — isn’t a building that’s being built, or even a university or school in the traditional sense. It’s an internal training program meant to advance Lexicon employees in their careers. And while an internal training program isn’t a revolutionary concept in and of itself, the way it has come about and is being executed at Lexicon is definitely of a piece with that company’s ethos of trusting in its own expertise, its own corporate culture and its own people, from C-suite to shop floor. That ethos has been influencing upward mobility in the company since its inception in many ways — for instance, Lexicon has a tradition known as the “20 Year Club,” wherein employees, regardless of position, are rewarded for 20 years of employment with a company-wide party and a generous bonus check. More than 200 active employees claim membership. Lexicon employees have always been able to receive training for new responsibilities, but the inception of Lexicon U. marks a new commitment to training, retention and advancement at the company. “It’s not like Lexicon wasn’t doing training before,” Catherine Brumbaugh, Lexicon’s Director of Training and Development, said. “It just wasn’t as formalized as Lexicon U. is now.” That formalization, which was executed in 2022, provides a set of protocols for employees to follow and clear paths for advancement. The induction process is simple: Managers nominate employees for participation in the program, and if they accept, then they’re off. While many employees will be trained for advancement in a position they already occupy, it’s not unheard of for a manager to see in an employee potential to excel in another facet of the fabrication process than the one they’re currently doing, and earn a trip to Lexicon U. in that other field. Regardless of starting point, Lexicon U. focuses primarily on welding, fitting and industrial maintenance, with numerous iterations of those job classifications nested in the curriculum. There are, however, technical writing classes as well, and also courses that cover legal language and legal concepts, primarily as that language and those concepts pertain to contract law. That’s not to say that Lexicon U. is offering a pre-law curriculum, but there is opportunity to gain competence in the kinds of dense and high-stakes contracts that are part and parcel in heavy industrial construction and maintenance. Lexicon U. is set up to train and graduate two cohorts per year, with the goal being 35-40 students per graduating class. The most recent
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graduation came in August 2025, with 39 Lexicon employees earning industrial certifications that qualify them for more responsibility and higher wages going forward. While some certifications can be earned from Lexicon U. without leaving Little Rock, more advanced certifications for specialized forms of welding might require a bit of travel, with students finishing up their training in Blytheville, where Lexicon has formed a partnership with Arkansas Northeastern College. That partnership doesn’t mean that a prospective Lexicon U. student or even a prospective Lexicon employee must attend a 2- or 4-year college. A high school diploma or, barring that, GED certification clears the bar for educational requirements, and after that, it boils down to attitude and aptitude, qualities that Lexicon emphasizes in all facets of onboarding, training and advancement. “We talk about the 70-20-10 approach,” Brumbaugh said, referencing a concept often used in corporate settings and other pursuits where on-the-job learning is a given. It means that in a good and productive working environment, a person will learn 70% of what they need to know from doing their job, 20% from interacting with their co-workers, supervisors and others, and 10% from classroom instruction. That means that Lexicon places great emphasis on both know-how and a willingness to work on one’s craft, but also acknowledges the importance of interpersonal interactions and, yes, a little bookwork to boot.
Reid Erwin, ASU-Newport Scholarship Recipient
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T The shop floor is also a classroom at Lexicon U. For her part, Brumbaugh exudes the esprit de corps that Lexicon’s meritocratic corporate culture seems to inspire; a fairly recent Lexicon hire herself, she’s there not because her career is just now getting started — far from it, as she comes to the company with 25 years of industrial training and development expertise under her belt — but because it’s a good place to be, and she’s particularly excited about Lexicon U. and its ethos of camaraderie and hard work. “I was incredibly excited to help build this development program,” she said of Lexicon U., and of the company that’s investing so many resources in the future success of its employees, no matter where they end up. It’s a place where, Brumbaugh said, “If you want to work … we’ll give you that chance.”
he Arkansas Scholarship Lottery is helping students across the state build winning futures – especially those pursuing technical education and hands-on career paths. Since 2009, the scholarship lottery has raised more than $1.5 billion in proceeds to support Arkansas students, opening doors to training programs that lead directly to in-demand jobs. With over 822,000 scholarships funded, students seeking careers in skilled trades, health care, technology, manufacturing and other high-demand fields are getting the support they need to move forward with confidence. Scholarships supported by the lottery help cover tuition at two-year colleges, technical schools and certificate programs throughout Arkansas, making career-focused education more accessible and affordable. For students looking to jump straight into the workforce, the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Award offers additional financial assistance for certificate programs in critical, highgrowth industries. From welding and HVAC to nursing assistants and IT certifications, these opportunities help Arkansans gain the specialized skills that employers are seeking. Whether you’re training for a technical trade, earning a specialized certification or preparing for a hands-on career, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery can help you claim your ticket for a better future. Learn more and apply today at MyArkansasLottery.com. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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EDUCATION
Arkansas Northeastern College
Entering its fifth decade of providing access to careers in the state’s northeast corner By matt mcnair
S
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erving the needs of both traditional and nontraditional students in Arkansas’s northeast corner since its 1975 founding (as Mississippi County Community College), Arkansas Northeastern College (ANC) is entering its fifth decade of providing access to practical degrees and improved career opportunities. With an eye toward accommodation, innovation, and affordability, ANC serves students in the region and beyond. Situated in Blytheville, the Mississippi County seat—and with satellite campuses in Osceola, Wilson, and Leachville—ANC finds itself in the heart of Arkansas’s steel-production industry. By extension, it is also part of the heart of the nation’s steel industry, as counties along northeastern Arkansas’s Mississippi River have become an epicenter of a reinvigorated U.S. steel sector, powered by new technical innovations and a broader push toward re-industrialization in rural America. Given its proximity to both industry and a wealth of industrial employers, it makes sense that ANC places strong emphasis on degrees and certifications applicable to modern industry, along with a curriculum that stresses hands-on training alongside classroom instruction. According to Stacey Walker, ANC’s associate vice president ANC’s Division of Allied Technologies is dedicated to delivering for workforce development, the college’s Division of Allied Technolhigh-quality technical education and customized workforce ogies is dedicated to delivering “high-quality technical education solutions. and customized workforce solutions” to meet the needs of students that end, the college currently supports 10 active student organizations, and their future employers amid “the evolving needs of industry.” each open to all students and dedicated to a wide range of interests Through a disciplined focus on an “employer-driven curriculum”— and philanthropic efforts. which includes strong industry partnerships and instructors who are While the campus does not have housing, students have access subject-matter experts with long commitments to their fields—ANC and to amenities comparable to those found at larger, four-year instituits Allied Technologies Division are able to “strengthen productivity tions. One highlight is the Sun Room, where students can socialize, while empowering individuals to advance in high-skill, high-wage relax, play air hockey, or enjoy video careers,” Walker says. games between classes. The college This focus on industry-aligned instrucANC’s mission centers on also boasts the Briggs/Sebaugh tion, combined with ANC’s location in one delivering useful degrees Wellness Center, which is open to all of the fastest-growing industrial areas in that prepare students for students and includes facilities for the country, has made the college “a vital employment in high-skill, basketball, pickleball, weightlifting, talent pipeline for the region’s growing high-wage industrial jobs. and walking. industrial sector,” according to Walker. Ultimately, ANC’s mission centers on delivering useful degrees that Students enrolled in Allied Technologies courses can also expect a prepare students for employment in high-skill, high-wage industrial high level of individual attention, with the student-to-instructor ratio jobs. Reflecting its place in a steel-manufacturing hotbed, the college currently sitting at 17:1. offers an associate’s degree in Steel Industry Technology—a unique As a two-year institution, ANC is a commuter college and does not course of study. Additional programs include aviation maintenance, offer student housing. That said, the campus maintains a robust student industrial maintenance, welding, industrial electrical infrastructure, culture. According to Rachel Gifford, vice president for development computer science, and office management, along with numerous and college relations, ANC recognizes that even commuter schools degrees and certifications in the large and growing field of allied need a strong campus community for students to fully “explore their health services. talents, develop leadership skills, and pursue personal interests.” To
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The entire operation is supported by ongoing student feedback through ANC’s nationally recognized use of EdSights, a technology platform that allows students to provide real-time feedback to administrators. That data is then used to tailor the student experience in a dynamic way befitting a college operating at the forefront of a rapidly evolving industry and region. Beyond improving student experience, ANC also seeks to serve its students and the broader region by offering quality education at the lowest possible tuition cost. The college provides numerous avenues for financial assistance, including Pell Grants, VA education benefits, Arkansas Lottery scholarships, the Arkansas Futures Grant, and the Arkansas Workforce Challenge and Access to Acceleration scholarships. According to Gifford, ANC also offers institutional scholarships and support from a privately funded foundation, which typically distributed between $250,000 and $300,000 in aid to students each year. Those interested in working in the trades—or looking to build on existing industrial skills—can learn more about what ANC has to offer at www.anc.edu. ANC Allied Technologies delivers high-quality technical education and customized workforce solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of industry. Through hands-on training, modern equipment, and employer-driven curricula, Allied Technologies prepares individuals for high-demand careers in steel industry technology, aviation maintenance, industrial maintenance, welding, industrial electrical systems, computer science, office management, and related fields. With strong industry partnerships and a commitment to skill development, ANC Allied Technologies serves as a vital talent pipeline for the region’s growing industrial sector. Its instructors are subject-matter experts with long-standing experience and commitment to their industries. The ANC Solutions Group is the workforce-training arm of Arkansas Northeastern College, providing fast, flexible, and industry-validated training for both new and incumbent workers. Leveraging expert instructors, state-of-the-art equipment, and close employer collaboration, the Solutions Group delivers tailored programs in safety, industrial maintenance, mechanical systems, heavy equipment, and specialized technical skills. Focused on rapid upskilling and real-world readiness, the ANC Solutions Group helps companies strengthen productivity while empowering individuals to advance in high-skill careers.
COURTESY UA LITTLE ROCK
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The Briggs/Sebaugh Wellness Center includes facilities for the highly popular sport of pickleball.
Dr. Philip Huff, associate professor of cybersecurity at UA Little Rock.
T
Cyber secure
he Cyberspace Operations Research and Education (CORE) Center at UA Little Rock is reshaping how Arkansas understands, prepares for and responds to cybersecurity threats. As cyber risks grow more complex and more consequential, CORE stands at the intersection of education, research and real-world application, helping strengthen the state’s digital defenses. Launched with support from a $1 million grant from the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, the center serves as a statewide resource for advancing cyber knowledge and building a workforce ready to protect critical systems. Through hands-on learning, applied research and collaboration with government and industry partners, CORE helps meet critical cyber needs across Arkansas. “Cybersecurity has become an indispensable part of our national infrastructure, and UA Little Rock is committed to leading in this field,” Philip Huff, Ph.D., associate professor of cybersecurity at UA Little Rock, said. “In recent years, UA Little Rock has also become a hub for high-impact research in cybersecurity.” That research includes protecting energy infrastructure and applying advanced AI techniques to secure critical systems, with direct, real-world implications for the state. CORE’s impact is also visible in the classroom. “Over the past few years, our program has expanded to meet the growing demand for cyber expertise across Arkansas,” Huff said. “Today, we have over 100 students majoring in cybersecurity, with our graduates filling critical roles across local businesses and industries.” By pairing cutting-edge research with workforce development, the CORE Center is helping ensure Arkansas is better informed, better prepared and better protected in an increasingly digital world. ARKTIMES.COM
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JOB TIPS
Medical Marijuana and the Trades Info for Job Seekers. By matt mcnair
A
s of December 2025, nearly 113,000 Arkansans have an active medical marijuana card. With that many cardholders, it’s a pretty fair bet that plenty of tradespersons, employed or seeking employment, are legal users of marijuana. The trades, of course, constitute several professions that involve operating heavy equipment, and working around dangerous materials in dangerous situations. Considering these conditions and the liability issues they raise, there’s a good chance a prospective tradesperson will be subject to a pre-employment drug screen, and a drug test in the wake of an accident, no matter who’s at fault.
THE FEDERAL ANGLE
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The “federal angle” isn’t really an angle at all: Marijuana is still an illegal substance under federal law. A federal employee — of which there are more than 20,000 in Arkansas — is allowed by state law to possess a medical marijuana card, but that will not protect them from disciplinary action by their federal employer under any circumstance. It is also important to consider the ramifications of federal prohibition even if a worker is not employed directly by the federal government, as certain professions and many projects fall under the purview of one or more federal agencies — regardless of who signs the check — and once again, this disproportionately impacts CAN I HAVE A MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD AND BE EMPLOYED IN the trades. THE TRADES? A good example is commercial trucking. All truck drivers, no The short answer is “yes.” State law prohibits discrimination against matter their employer, are subject to U.S. Department of Transpeople who hold medical marijuana cards. Written into the law is a portation regulations, including those pertaining to marijuana. provision that disallows employers from withholding employment Likewise, many large construction from a medical marijuana patient and industrial projects and workon the sole grounds that he or places are covered by both state she has been issued a medical law and federal regulations. The marijuana card in accordance resulting patchwork can be comwith Arkansas law. plicated, but for any tradesperson working on a project with federal “SAFETY-SENSITIVE” funding, in a federal jurisdiction POSITIONS or in any other way potentially Arkansas’s medical marijuana law affected by federal rules, it is best contains protections for workers to presume the federal prohibition who already have a medical maron marijuana consumption is in ijuana card upon employment or play and that it supersedes the receive one after employment. The protections afforded an Arkansan most important of these protecState law prohibits discrimination against people who hold by Amendment 98. tions is the simple fact that it is medical marijuana cards. illegal for an employer to refuse to hire a cardholder or to fire an existing employee who obtains one. SUMMARY This protects an employee’s right to have a card and to use it, but While Arkansas law protects your right to possess a medical marithe law also gives employers wide latitude to enforce drug policies in juana license and associated medicine regardless of your profession, the workplace, especially those officially labeled “drug-free” (i.e., most the wide latitude afforded employers to enforce drug-free workof them). The legality of the drug doesn’t matter; only the potential place policies in any way they see fit — particularly in the context for intoxication. of safety-sensitive positions, which will include a vast majority of For tradespeople, the most common impediment to using positions in the trades — means that even legal, off-hours use of medical marijuana — even off work — is their job being labeled medical marijuana could have a negative outcome in the event of “safety-sensitive.” Job descriptions for safety-sensitive positions a drug test, whether pre-employment, random or post-accident. include language that prohibits the use of marijuana at any time It’s best to read Amendment 98 and vigorously research any job for any reason, owing to the very specific responsibilities, tasks, for which you might apply. Know your rights and ask questions — etc., associated with that job. The equipment, conditions and tasks cardholder status is legal, not the same as current use — but also commonplace for a professional tradesperson will almost always know that as a tradesperson, you’ll likely face more restrictive fit this description. drug policies on the job and less legal recourse to challenge them.
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Technical and skilled Careers
Professional Jobs in Arkansas With every issue of Blueprint, we dutifully seek out the current data, salary and information to highlight the multitude of career opportunities found here in The Natural State. Using information provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we've listed some of the most sought-after careers in the following section to provide future health workers, plumbers, welders and more with the information they need to start their career journey.
AGRI-TIMBER WHAT DOES AN AGRI-TIMBER WORKER DO? • Management of forest resources • Harvesting of trees in an environmentally responsible manner. • Processing wood into a variety of products at a mill or factory. WHAT PRIMARY JOBS ARE OUT THERE? • Logging equipment operator • Log graders and scalers WHAT RELATED JOBS ARE NEEDED IN THE FIELD OR AT A PLANT? • Computer programmer/coder • Diesel tech • Electricians • Industrial maintenance worker • Plumber IDEAL WORKER • Likes to be outside • Safety-first mindset • Enjoys working on a team
LEARN YOUR CRAFT • High school diploma • 1-12 months on-the-job training • College coursework in forestry/forest technology WHERE CAN I GO? • Related college coursework in Arkansas can lead to a career in: • Surveying • Forest conservation • Natural resources management
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? Log Graders • Lower Range Wages (bottom 10%) —
$35,050 annually/$ hourly
• Middle Range Wages (median) —
$46,710 annually/$ hourly
• Higher Range Wages (top 10%) —
$63,370 annually/$ hourly
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Allied Health Workers WHAT DOES AN ALLIED HEALTH WORKER DO? • Support staff, serving alongside doctors, dentists, behavioral health specialists and even veterinarians. • In addition to hospitals and clinics, may work in the pharmacy, medical lab or rehabilitation room. • Operate medical equipment that helps physicians and nurse practitioners diagnose injuries and illness. IDEAL WORKER • Strong desire to help people and improve their health • Great communicator with highly refined people skills • Detail-oriented and thorough JOB DEMAND • Home health aide - projected increase • Physical therapist - projected increase • Medical assistant - projected increase LEARN YOUR CRAFT • Ready to start your career NOW? The allied health field provides many rewarding careers that can move you from classroom to workplace — fast. The following is a sample of jobs that can typically be trained for in 12 months or less (Training periods listed are approximate; actual time to certify will vary.) WHAT PRIMARY JOBS ARE OUT THERE?
Cardiac Technician
• Variants: Cardiac Monitor Technician, Cardiac Catheterization (Cath) Technician, Cardiopulmonary Technician, Electrocardiogram (EKG) Technician. • Certification: About 3-6 months • Perform cardiovascular tests using medical imaging equipment. • Record results of cardiological tests, generate reports for doctors. • Assist physicians during noninvasive cardiovascular procedures.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%)—
$37,890 annually/$20.15 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$67,260 annually/$35.78 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$108,900 annually/$57.93 hourly
Home Health Aide
• Assist patients in their homes with a variety of health and wellness tasks. • In addition to medical and personal care, tasks may include shopping or companionship. • Some medical training is helpful, but generally, no degree is required.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%)—
$25,600 annually/$13.62 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$34,900 annually/$18.56 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$44,190 annually/$23.51 hourly
Physical Therapist
• Help patients recover through physical movement in hospitals, clinics or in their home. • Assist patient after surgery or injury; promote patient wellness by improving strength and balance. • May require more schooling than other jobs on this list..
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%)—
$74,420 annually/$39.59 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$101,020 annually/$53.73 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$132,500 annually/$70.48 hourly
Medical Assistant
• Assists doctors and nurses • Typically works in hospitals, clinics or doctor’s offices. • Become certified in less than a year of college.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%)—
$25,600 annually/$13.62 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$34,900 annually/$18.56 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$44,190 annually/$23.51 hourly
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Phlebotomy Technician (Phlebotomist)
• Certification: About 2-6 months • Draw blood for medical tests • Once received in the lab, prepares blood sample for testing. • Job is a good stepping-stone to other medical professions.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%)—
$ 34,860 annually/$18.54 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$ 43,660 annually/$23.22 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$57,750 annually/$30.72 hourly
Neurodiagnostic Technologist (NDT)
• Certifications: About 12-18 months • Uses specialized equipment to record electrical activity in the body’s nervous system. • Tests are used to diagnose and treat brain disease, stroke, seizure disorders and epilepsy. • Can also help doctors diagnose the cause of mental and behavioral disorders.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%)—
$37,290 annually/$19.84 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
Audiologist
• Median Annual Salary: $87,740 • Works with patients suffering from a variety of hearing issues. • Helps treat patients of all ages, from children to seniors. • Typically works in a clinic or as part of a larger health system.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%)—
$61,930 annually/$32.94 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$92,120 annually/$49 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$129, 830 annually/$69.06 hourly
Orthotists and Prosthetists
• Work with patients who have lost limbs to illness, accident or birth defect. • Create prosthetic devices to replace missing limbs; fit to individual patients. • Support patients over time by replacing, repairing or adjusting prosthetics.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%)—
$46,220 annually/$24.59 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$78,310 annually/$41.65 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$118,730 annually/$63.15 hourly
$48,790 annually/$25.95 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$81,290 annually/$43.24 hourly
Occupational Therapist
• Work with patients born with a condition or following a medical incident or accident. • Help patients learn or relearn to perform everyday tasks. • May work in a hospital, clinic or home setting.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%)—
$49,070 annually/$26.10 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$68,340 annually/$36.35 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$86,930 annually/$46.24 hourly © IQRA - STOCK.ADOBE.COM
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Aviation Technician WHAT DOES AN AVIATION TECHNICIAN DO? Perform a wide variety of duties on private and commercial aircraft including: • Inspections of aircraft systems. • Repair or replace aircraft components. • Install, diagnose and fix the aircraft’s electronics/navigation systems. WHAT PRIMARY JOBS ARE OUT THERE? Airframe • Perform inspections of airflow frames, mechanical components and electrical systems. • Test aircraft functions using diagnostic equipment. • Repair or replace components using hand or power tools. Avionics • Responsible for all the electronics onboard an aircraft. • Run cables, mount antennas and connect instruments for navigation. • Test onboard equipment to ensure it’s working properly. WHAT RELATED JOBS ARE NEEDED IN THE FIELD OR AT A PLANT? • Aviation technicians may specialize in certain categories of aircraft, such as passenger jetliners, propeller-driven airplanes or helicopters. • Technicians may also focus on different systems such as engines (also known as the power plant) or hydraulics. • Avionics technicians are specialists focusing exclusively on an aircraft’s various electronic systems.
WHERE CAN I GO? • Aircraft technicians’ workplaces include fixed-base operations at airports servicing corporate jets and private planes, aircraft manufacturers and commercial airlines. • Once a technician receives an associate degree, they can opt to complete a four-year degree, which opens up several other job opportunities with greater earning power.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? Aircraft Mechanic and Service Technician • Lower Range Wages (bottom 10%) —
$47,790 annually/$26.47 hourly
• Middle Range Wages (median) —
$78,680 annually/$41.85 hourly
• Higher Range Wages (top 10%) —
$120,080 annually/$63.87 hourly
Avionics Technician • Lower Range Wages (bottom 10%)
$49,770 annually/$22.38 hourly
• Middle Range Wages (median) —
$81,390 annually/$43.29 hourly
• Higher Ranger Wages (top 10%) —
$113,580 annually/$60.41 hourly
IDEAL WORKER • Highly detailed • Complex problem-solver • Comfortable with electronics and computers LEARN YOUR CRAFT • High school diploma filled by Federal Aviation Administration-approved college coursework, typically completed at a community college or specialized aviation technical school. • Following training, individuals must pass an FAA certification exam to be able to work in this field. • Continuing education is ongoing to help technicians stay on top of changing equipment and regulations.
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CAD/CAM DRAFTER WHAT DOES A CAD/CAM DRAFTER DO? In manufacturing applications, CAD and CAM are the most effective at working together. CAD provides the informationdense digital models that a CAM system needs to program manufacturing. CAM writes intuitive G-code that, in turn, makes CAD models real. In construction, CAD provides detailed drawings to exacting specifications, reducing miscalculations and costly do-overs. WHAT JOBS ARE THERE? CAD/CAM drafting includes several subspecialties, including: Architectural Drafter • Draw architectural and structural features of buildings for construction projects. • May specialize in a specific category of building (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) or by materials used (steel, wood, reinforced concrete, etc.). Civil Drafter • Work with engineering firms, highway construction firms or within city planning departments. • Prepare maps used in municipal construction projects, such as highways and bridges. Electrical Drafter • Prepare wiring diagrams for installation and repair of electrical equipment in power plants, residential and commercial buildings. • Employed by a wide range of job fields, including construction, electrical firms and manufacturers. Electronics Drafter • Produce wiring diagrams for circuit boards. • Produce layout drawings used in manufacturing and in installing and repairing electronic devices and components. Mechanical Drafter • Prepare layouts detailing a wide variety of machinery, mechanical tools and devices. • Employed in a wide variety of manufacturing companies.
IDEAL WORKER • Precision thinker; creative problem-solver. • Proficient in computers and mathematics. • Knowledge of manufacturing, machinery or construction a plus. LEARN YOUR CRAFT • High school graduates typically hold an associate degree in drafting. • Training programs are generally easy to find among Arkansas’s two-year colleges. • American Design Drafting Association (ADDA) offers certification for drafters in several specialties, which may increase hireability and boost pay.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%) —
$46,500 annually/$24.73 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$68,510 annually/$36.44 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$107,600 annually/$57.23 hourly
RELATED FIELDS • Building Information Modeling — In construction applications, BIM drawings take CAD drafters’ work to the next level by adding a plethora of other data, including partand material-based information, procurement, logistics, cost figures and operational budgets.
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CARPENTER WHAT DOES A CARPENTER DO? • Construct, repair and install building frameworks, remodel and rehab existing buildings. • Performs finishing work, such as interior trim and flooring. • Some carpenters are more specialized, such as those who insulate office buildings, install dry-wall or kitchen cabinets in homes, or focus on outdoor structures.
WHAT RELATED JOBS ARE IN THIS FIELD? • Construction management • Brick mason • Concrete worker • Roofer • Outdoor/landscape construction (decks, patios outdoor kitchens)
WHAT JOBS ARE THERE? Carpentry isn’t just one specialty; it’s a skill that breaks down into various subspecialties. Being proficient in more than one of the following boosts your employability and pay range: Rough carpenter • Primarily work on the initial stages of a project. • Focus on framing and structural work, such as building foundations, walls, floors and roofs. • Often work with larger pieces of lumber using power tools to create the framework of a structure. Finish Carpenter • Craftspeople who focus on detailed, aesthetic aspects. • May install doors, windows, trim, molding and cabinetry. • Must possess a keen eye for precision and craftsmanship, ensuring the final product looks polished and visually appealing. Cabinetmaker • Specializes in designing, building and installing custom cabinets and other storage solutions. • Works with various materials such as wood, plywood and laminates, and has expertise in joinery techniques and cabinetry design. • May create other furniture pieces, such as bookshelves, entertainment centers and vanities. Formwork Carpenter • Builds temporary structures, molds or frameworks used in concrete construction. • Forms hold concrete in place until it sets and hardens. • Skilled in accurate measuring, cutting and assembly to ensure the proper shape and structure of the concrete Trim Carpenter • Focuses on installing decorative moldings, trim and architectural features in a building. • May include installing baseboards, crown molding, chair rails, window casings and staircases. • Must have strong attention to detail and the ability to work with precision. Restoration Carpenter • Specialize in the restoration and preservation of historic structures. • Must have extensive knowledge of traditional building techniques and materials used in the historic building. • May repair or recreate damaged or deteriorated elements using traditional methods and materials.
IDEAL WORKER • Detail-oriented • Creative problem-solver • Math skills • Physical strength/stamina LEARN YOUR CRAFT • A high school diploma • Many community colleges offer carpentry curricula from a few weeks to two years in length • Carpentry apprenticeships, sponsored by employers, unions or contractor associations, can take two to four years to complete
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%) —
$38,760 annually/$27.76 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$59,310 annually/$31.55 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$98,370 annually/$52.32 hourly
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DIESEL TECHNICIAN WHAT DOES A DIESEL TECHNICIAN DO? • Make major and minor engine repairs by repairing or replacing parts and components. • Perform routine and preventative maintenance of systems, including mechanical, electrical and exhaus. • Test-drive vehicles to diagnose malfunctions or to ensure that they run smoothly. WHAT JOBS ARE THERE? Diesel technicians inspect, diagnose, repair and maintain any machine with a diesel engine, including: • Aircraft support equipment, Farm equipment, including tractors, harvesters, dairy and irrigation systems, Marine equipment, ships and yachts. • Over-the-road trucks (semis), Buses and dump trucks • Earth-moving equipment, such as bulldozers, loaders, backhoes and graders. • Road construction/highway paving equipment • Industrial/factory machines, including cranes, pumps and drilling equipment. IDEAL WORKER • Problem-solver, mechanically and electronically inclined. • Able to deliver quality work with minimal supervision.
LEARN YOUR CRAFT • High school diploma and on-the-job training. • As engines become more sophisticated, employers prefer some training, which can be completed at many Arkansas two-year colleges ranging from six months to two years. • Continuing education is a given; some employers may require (and pay for) certification by various groups, including the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). WHERE CAN I GO? • Diesel techs are employed by (among others): manufacturers, trucking companies, equipment dealerships, farm operations, cities and counties. • Diesel technicians work in a repair, maintenance or garage-type facility. Some are mobile and travel to the site of a breakdown or jobsite to provide service.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%) —
$39,020 annually/$18.75 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$58,970 annually/$28.35 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$82,430 annually/$39.62 hourly
Work families and Work forfor families and become part one. become part of of one.
“I helping love helping youth, “I love youth, and Iand loveI love whatwhat I do. I do. This isn’t work to me. This is a passion.” This isn’t work to me. This is a passion.”
Join Youth Join Youth Villages to find Villages to find a family and a family and a a forever career. forever career.
– Thurmeisha Villages employee – Thurmeisha White,White, YouthYouth Villages employee
It takes a family to just findwhere just where you belong. It takes a family to find you belong. Creative, adaptable, focused, resilient and determined. Is you? this you? Creative, adaptable, focused, resilient and determined. Is this
youthvillages.org/careers youthvillages.org/careers
The path right feels path feels lessalike job more and more a calling. Is you? this you? The right less like jobaand like alike calling. Is this Doesn’t shy away a powerful payoff. Is you? this you? Doesn’t shy away from from hard hard workwork with awith powerful payoff. Is this
A company with national that feels a family. That’s Youth Villages. A company with national reachreach that feels like alike family. That’s Youth Villages. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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peer to peer
Joseph Kelsheimer AGE: 35 OCCUPATION: Master Plumber EMPLOYER: 4K Plumbing LLC YEARS WITH EMPLOYER: 2 (self-employed) HOMETOWN: Sulphur Springs
How long have you been a plumber? I’ve worked as a plumber for 16 years and have held my Master Plumber license for the past eight years. What’s your background? I have experience in commercial and residential plumbing, including new construction, new homes and custom-built homes. Before entering the plumbing trade, I worked in metal fabrication. What’s your typical day like? As a business owner, my day involves scheduling and managing multiple jobs, typically attending at least three jobsites daily. I prioritize work from urgent to nonurgent while keeping availability open for emergency calls, such as sewer stoppages, leaks or burst pipes. I also plan dedicated days for new construction and remodeling projects, as these require the most time and coordination. Whenever possible, I complete each job and issue billing the same day. What education and/or training did you receive before becoming a plumber? Have you received any additional education or training (besides on-the-job experience) after beginning your career? I completed a registered plumbing apprenticeship that included both classroom instruction and extensive on-the-job training under licensed plumbers. My formal education covered plumbing codes and regulations, blueprint reading, plumbing math, pipe sizing, system design and safety practices. I completed thousands of supervised work hours, passed the Journeyman Plumber exam, gained the required years of experience as a Journeyman, and successfully passed the Master Plumber exam. In addition, I received specialized septic system education, including septic system design and layout, soil evaluation and site requirements, installation and repair of septic systems, and state health and environmental regulations. I passed the septic system licensing exam and continue to complete ongoing code updates and safety training to maintain licensure and industry standards. If you could go back to your high school and talk about what it takes to be successful on the job, what would you tell students? I would tell them that showing up on time is critical and being late is not an option. I would emphasize the importance of clear and respectful communication with co-workers and customers, as well as being honest and transparent in all situations. I would also remind them that selflessness is essential when providing a service to others; putting the needs of the customer first builds trust, professionalism and long-term success. 84 JANUARY 2026
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PLUMBERS VARIANTS: PIPE FITTER, STEAMFITTER, PIPE WELDER, DRAIN TECHNICIAN WHAT DO PLUMBERS DO? Residential • Build and maintain piping systems for moving liquid, steam, natural gas, liquid fuel or waste • Install and connect piping and fixtures, including welding metal components • Develop blueprints to plan pipes and fixtures within a structure • Make connections between the city’s water supply and homes and businesses • Install bathtubs, showers, sinks, toilets, dishwashers and water heaters Industrial • Perform inspections, maintenance, new installation, handling fuel, wastewater and coolant • Minor carpentry to repair or reconfigure systems • Install and service septic systems • Perform functions related to gas lines, including installation, maintenance and replacement and proper installation of gas appliances LEARN THE CRAFT • High school diploma • Two-year college degree • Most learn and advance through an apprentice program, the first of three levels of professional training, with a corresponding rate of pay • Apprentice — a beginner, enrolled in a training program lasting on average 4-5 years • Journeyman — completed apprentice training and passed the license test administered by the state • Master — served as a journeyman for a period of years and passed the license test by the state
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%) —
$40,670 annually/$21.63 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$62,970 annually/$33.49 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$105,150 annually/$55.93 hourly
PROCESS TECHNICIAN WHAT DOES A PROCESS TECHNICIAN DO? • Looks for ways to build or produce things better • Identify inefficiencies in production and find ways to improve the process • Prepare machinery and equipment layouts, plan workflows, conduct statistical production studies and analyze production costs WHAT JOBS ARE THERE? Chemical technician • Use laboratory instruments and techniques to help chemists and chemical engineers research, develop, produce and test chemical products and processes • Monitor chemical processes and test the quality of products • Set up and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment • Troubleshoot production problems or malfunctioning instruments Industrial engineering technician • Assist industrial engineers in devising efficient systems to make a product or provide a service • Revise methods of operation, material handling or equipment layout • Interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams and formulas • Prepare charts, graphs and diagrams to illustrate workflow, routing, floor layouts, how materials are handled and how machines are used WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE SUCCESSFUL? Chemical • STEM concepts, Critical thinking, Information ordering, Monitoring • Deductive/inductive reasoning Industrial • Mechanical skills, Engineering/technology concepts • Production/processing concepts, Mathematics and Design • Complex problem-solving
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? Chemical Technician • Lower range wages (bottom 10%) —
$90,990 annually/$48.40 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$57,790 annually/$30.74 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$93,340 annually/$49.65 hourly
Industrial Technician/Technologist • Lower range wages (bottom 10%) —
$46,370 annually/$24.66 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$64,790 annually/$34.46 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$97,670 annually/$51.95 hourly
SURVEYOR WHAT DOES A SURVEYOR DO? • Make exact measurements and determine property boundaries. • Provide data relevant to the shape, contour, gravitation, location, elevation or dimension of land or land features on or near the earth’s surface for engineering, mapmaking, mining, land evaluation, construction and other purposes. WHAT JOBS ARE THERE? • Surveyors are an integral part of virtually any development project, whether private or public. Common roles for surveyors include City Surveyor, County Surveyor, Land Surveyor, Licensed Land Surveyor, Mine Surveyor, Professional Land Surveyor, Registered Land Surveyor, Staff Land Surveyor and State Surveyor. WHERE DO SURVEYORS WORK? • Surveyors may be employed by government agencies at the local, state or federal level; many architectural and engineering firms employ dedicated surveyors, and self-employed surveyors can hire out their services as contractors. LEARN THE CRAFT • Surveying requires an aptitude for mathematics and, increasingly, technology. GPS and related technologies undergird modern surveying techniques. • Although not required to work on a surveying crew, professional surveyors in Arkansas must be licensed by the state. Applicants must possess at least an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, which consists of a two-year college curriculum. • Apprenticeships and other training programs are available in Arkansas, but will vary by firm and still require at least an AAS in order to work toward licensure.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10% of field) —
$43,680 annually/$23.23 hourly
• Middle range wages (median of field) —
$72,740 annually/$38.69 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10% of field) —
$116,330 annually/$61.88 hourly
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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JANUARY 2026 85
TRUCK DRIVER
WELDER
VARIANTS: COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENSE (CDL) DRIVER, LINE HAUL DRIVER, OVER THE ROAD (OTR) TRUCK DRIVER, PRODUCTION TRUCK DRIVER
WHAT DOES A WELDER DO? • Skilled professionals who join two pieces of metal using heat and gas. • Perform the right type of welding for the materials being joined used on any given job depending on the materials.. • Welding is the most durable way to join two parts, using electrical currents to create heat and bond metals together.
WHERE DO TRUCK DRIVERS WORK? • Over-the-road truck drivers may follow a set territory or they may go anywhere in the lower 48 states, plus Canada and Mexico. • Truck routes range from a few days out and back to crosscountry runs that keep drivers out for several weeks at a time. LEARN THE CRAFT • Learning to operate a semi generally happens at schools set up for that purpose, although some community colleges also offer this instruction. • On average, trucking school takes 3-5 weeks to complete, while two-year schools’ programs can be completed in a semester or two. • Once training is completed, drivers must pass a test to get their commercial driver’s license (CDL), which requires them to operate semis, buses and other heavy, oversized vehicles. • In Arkansas, 18-year-olds can drive commercial motor vehicles within state lines. Drivers must be 21 to drive commercial vehicles across state lines, haul hazardous materials or operate a vehicle with double or triple trailers.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10%) —
$38,640 annually/$20.55 hourly
• Middle range wages (median) —
$57,440 annually/$30.55 hourly
• Higher range wages (top 10%) —
$78,800 annually/$41.91 hourly
Earning power varies widely with the type of loads handled, as some drivers have earned special certifications and therefore command more money. The current shortage of drivers has driven up wages all over the country, with some companies offering handsome sign-on and retention bonuses to keep their fleets running.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
WHAT JOBS ARE THERE? Cutter • Utilize heat from an electric arc, plasma stream or burning gases to cut and trim metal objects. • Cutters also take apart large objects such as ships, railroad cars, boilers and aircraft. Solderer/brazer • Use heat to join two or more metal objects together. • Soldering is used to make electrical and electronic circuit boards, such as computer chips. • Brazing is used to connect cast iron and thinner metals. WHERE DO WELDERS WORK? • Industrial and manufacturing • Plumbing • Body shops, sheet metal, shipyards, and boilermaking • Building or bridge construction LEARN THE CRAFT • High school welding programs as part of automotive or shop classes. • Two-year college welding curriculum. • Designated apprenticeship welding program sponsored by unions or trade associations.
HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? • Lower range wages (bottom 10% of field) —
$36,830 annually/$19.59 hourly
• Middle range wages (median of field)
$48,940 annually/$26.03 hourly —
• Higher range wages (top 10% of field) —
$75,850 annually/$40.35 hourly
© MASUD - STOCK.ADOBE.COM
WHAT DO TRUCK DRIVERS DO? • Operate heavy-duty trucks to transport load from Point A to Point B. • Follow time schedules to meet delivery deadlines, balanced with road conditions, speed limits and other variables to ensure safety.
•
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JANUARY 2026 87
88 JANUARY 2026
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Dry January ARE YOU READY FOR THE CHALLENGE? SOBER FOR ONE MONTH ... WE GOT YOU!
Midtown Billards has your dry January covered with Athletic brew beer, pair it with a famous Midtown Burger! Come enjoy Brave New Restaurant's beautiful and tasty craft mocktails! All the goodness of their famous specialty cocktails without the booze. (Pictured: Spicy Ginger Limeade, Harvest Punch and Arkansas Honey Cider) bravenewrestaurant.com
IPNA, all the flavor, no buzz. Available at Four Quarter Bar. fourquarterbar.com Stop by Attic Bar for their custom mocktails. Jared's bartender's tonic (topo chico, fresh lime juice, and angostura bitters), N/A old fashioned (Ritual non-alcoholic whiskey, demerara syrup, Mrs better's NA bitters) and Here for the vibes (house-made blueberry shrub, fresh lemon juice, hibiscus ginger beer, sparkling water).
Dry January Yoga at Blue Yoga Nyla! Combine the health benefits of abstaining from alcohol with mindfulness and physical strengthening of yoga, offering a chance to reset with better sleep, energy and clarity. sign up for classes today. blueyoganyla.com
Good Twin NA wine. Big ole' bubbles and a taste of rose. Available at Problem Child. problemchildlittlerock.com SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
ARKTIMES.COM
JANUARY 2026 89
GOING SOUTH
T
he Observer was somewhere around Blytheville, hurtling southward into the Delta darkness, when the U-Haul began to chug. It was the final few hours of New Year’s Eve 2005 and I was moving from St. Louis to Little Rock. But the underpowered truck I’d rented from a sketchy U-Haul outpost in East St. Louis didn’t appreciate the increased hilliness of Northeast Arkansas, at least not at the speed I was trying to maintain. I eased off the throttle and steered to a truck stop a quarter-mile ahead. I drank two cups of coffee while the engine cooled, then limped the vessel carefully to Little Rock, 2006 arriving without fanfare as I crossed Crowley’s Ridge. I think about that drive most every December. At the time, I was sure I had everything — life, career, the future — figured out. Two decades and 180 miles down the road from that Blytheville truck stop, I not only laugh at how little I knew, but I barely recognize Arkansas as the same place. The biggest change, of course, was the state’s abandonment of the Democratic Party a decade or more after other Southern states. When I arrived, Democrats still held all seven state constitutional offices, both U.S. Senate seats, three of four U.S. House seats and a majority in both chambers of the state Legislature. Those days are far in the rearview mirror. A rightward slide caught state Democrats off-guard in November 2010. That slide became all-out Republican control of the state by 2015. Following eight years of Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s conservative (but only rarely embarrassing) tenure, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders took over in 2023 and promptly began dismantling the state’s educational system, ignoring Arkansas’s horrendous maternal mortality rate, and announcing plans to lock up more Arkansans for longer periods of time. Republicans in the state Legislature spent much of the last two decades trying to kill di-
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rect democracy in Arkansas. Just last month, those anti-democracy Republicans got what they’d wanted for more than 70 years: permission from the Arkansas Supreme Court for the Legislature to change or entirely trash citizen-initiated amendments if they feel like it, the people’s will be damned. Even at the local level, Republicans, first under the auspices of the Tea Party movement and then via wholesale embrace of Trumpism, largely took over. Conway’s school board — which has recently tacked back toward sanity ever so slightly — became home to the worst kind of anti-education hatemongers. Libraries from Bryant to Van Buren were taken over by zealots who wanted to ban books that made them uncomfortable about their own ignorance. Not that it required being taken over by MAGA chuds to reach a disappointing outcome. Two-thirds of Little Rock’s board of directors have been unchanged for 15 of the last 20 years. Under this stagnant city leadership, the River Market — the hip, relatively new area for nightlife in 2006 — bears little resemblance to how it looked in the final years of the second Bush administration. The Underground, Bosco’s, Gusano’s and Ernie Biggs left a long time ago. The Rev Room is on the way out as well. The owners of Flying Fish and the Flying Saucer bemoaned the lack of business in the area in recent years. As much of the fun stuff dried up downtown, money and construction moved west. The Promenade on Chenal opened in 2008, creating a new shopping center beyond what was traditionally West Little Rock. Bass Pro Shop, opened in 2013, and the outlet mall next door, opened in 2015, are practically in Alexander. And, despite the city closing a functional golf course at War Memorial Park and trying to get Topgolf to move into that space, the Topgolf that opened in Little Rock in 2023 is west of Interstate 430. It would be unfair, of course, to act like
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nothing good happened in Little Rock in recent years. For instance, the Main Street corridor has carved out a niche by taking up some of the nightlife slack from the River Market while maintaining enough traffic to keep storefront, daytime businesses afloat. But even where good stuff is happening, it has frequently been despite city leadership, rather than because of it. An adorable and potentially thriving community is blossoming in Pettaway, but they’ve recently had to fight the city on zoning laws designed specifically to prevent the construction of multiple smaller houses that people can actually afford. And rather than build parks or infrastructure or other things in the burgeoning East Village that might be useful or interesting to Little Rock residents, the city seems content to sit back and let hotel builders try to turn that area into another tourist trap for convention-goers. This isn’t meant as yet another middle-aged white guy rant, pining for the past as the world leaves him behind. That’s the opposite of my complaint, in fact. I wish Arkansas had grown and developed by leaps and bounds in the past 20 years, leaving me feeling like I’d become a stranger in my adopted state. That would be awesome. Instead, what we got was 20 years of a state generally being made worse for all but the privileged few calling the shots and controlling the money. And that realization has me thinking again about that New Year’s drive in 2005. With the gift of hindsight, if I could suddenly time-travel and talk to that guy beside the overheating U-Haul, I wonder if I would tell him to turn around and head back north. I’d like to think that I wouldn’t — I’ve grown to love Arkansas, warts and all, and so many great things came from that move for me personally that it is soul-crushing to even hypothetically undo all of them — but … I’m just not sure. And that uncertainty is much more depressing than I care to admit.
Copper Grill: Brunch, Bubbles & Bold Flavors— From Morning Mimosas to Evening Plates!
SATURDAY BRUNCH
11AM - 3PM $3 Mimosas $5.50 Bloody Marys $1 Off Draft Beers + All Regular Happy Hour Pricing
HAPPY HOUR DAILY
Monday - Friday 4PM-7PM $1 Off Cocktails + Draft Beer $5 House Wine
LUNCH & DINNER
Monday-Saturday Served until 10PM Closed Sunday
Open Mon–Sat 11am–10pm • Closed Sunday 300 E Third, Little Rock
(Corner of Third & Cumberland; half a block from the Historic Arkansas Museum)
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