News

First National Bank of North Arkansas has announced they will be transitioning from a National Charter to a State Charter, pending regulatory approval from the Arkansas State Bank Department, and changing their name to Bank of 1889. Bill Hudspeth, CEO of FNBNA, said “The decision was not an easy one as the bank has had a National Charter for over 100 years but we believe this change will benefit our customers and our service to you. Our new name Bank of 1889 represents the fact that we have been a locally owned institution since 1889 and we plan to continue to provide the same level of superior customer service and great products that have made us successful for over 130 years. The bank has weathered many national crises occurring within its lifetime, without loss or major inconvenience to its customers.”

If you are someone you know is caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, you may be interested in a new program launched this week. The Arkansas Legislative Council recently approved the creation and funding for the Dementia Respite Care Pilot Program.

Little Rock – When people call the state hotline to report suspected child abuse or neglect, about 80 percent are assigned to the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The other 20 percent are considered more serious, and are assigned to the State Police, which has a Division of Crimes Against Children.

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Center for Business and Professional Development will host a series of two-day courses designed to help individuals learn to use Microsoft Excel. Trainings will be held at the UAFS Center for Economic Development at The Bakery District in downtown Fort Smith.

Arkansas’s education system greatly depends on our ability to attract and retain teachers. We need to make sure the pay reflects the importance of their job and our respect for their role in shaping the lives of the next generation of leaders.

Bentonville – The 66th Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is headed to the state of Arkansas to give a keynote speech at the inaugural ‘America Leads: An Ideas Summit’ hosted by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. The summit will take place October 19 in Bentonville and will bring together thought leaders and policy makers from across the nation to discuss real, actionable ideas and policies that are impacting America with the goal to encourage problem-solving and practical solutions.

Every five years, Congress sets out to write and pass a new farm bill, the cornerstone of our nation’s agriculture policy. It is a daunting undertaking. However, passing farm bills in this manner offers an opportunity to see what policies are working for our agricultural, nutrition and rural communities, and which ones need updates to better serve their needs.

Little Rock — Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge applauds today’s United States Supreme Court opinion protecting religious liberty. The opinion issued in Carson v. Makin comes after Rutledge led a 21-state coalition urging the Supreme Court to declare that Maine could not exclude religious schools from its school choice program. The Court agreed, holding that Maine’s exclusion of religious schools violated the First Amendment.