Opinion

Cooking with Mumzy!

Hello friends and readers of the Mountaineer Echo, I hope this week finds you all healthy and in happy spirits. Mumzy’s Taco Dip: 1 pound ground beef 16 ounce can refried beans 2 (1.25 ounce) packages mild taco seasoning mix divided 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 (8 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese, divided 1 (16 ounce) package shredded lettuce 1 (8 ounce) jar salsa, or to taste Directions: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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Voting in Arkansas

An important deadline is approaching if you plan on voting in the May 24 Preferential Primary Election and Nonpartisan General Election. If you have not already registered to vote, you have until April 25 to file your voter registration application with your county clerk.
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Teachers Salaries in Arkansas

Little Rock – Average teacher salaries in Arkansas ranked 47th in the nation in 2020, down from 46th in 2019 and 44th in 2018. Legislators on the Senate and House Education Committees heard a lengthy salary comparison last week, written by legislative staff.
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Building a Better Arkansas Through Service

Arkansans are unfortunately familiar with the devastating impacts of tornadoes. I’ve seen the damage left in their powerful wake and talked with homeowners, businesses and local leaders about the challenges they face in getting things back to normal. In the face of these trials, I have also seen the resolve of citizens determined to rebuild and the care of those who offer hope through words and deeds to friends and neighbors experiencing some of the greatest hardships of their lives.
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Combatting Violent Crime

Today, I would like to talk about the national increase in violent crime, and what we are doing to combat that here in Arkansas. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world felt like it came to a halt while we dealt with the issues of public health.
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State of Arkansas Prisons

Little Rock – The recidivism rate for Arkansas prison inmates is 46.1 percent, a rate which the head of state prisons called unacceptable. Prison officials appeared before a joint meeting of legislators to discuss estimates of growth in the state’s inmate population.
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The Black Bear Makes a Comeback

One hundred-fifty years before I took office, Arkansas was home to so many black bears that we were known as The Bear State, but by the early years of the last century, enthusiastic hunters had thinned the population to the point that the General Assembly outlawed bear hunting.
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Rutledge Announces Lawsuit Against Biden’s Face Mask Mandate on Public Transportation

Little Rock – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and a coalition of 20 states today filed a lawsuit against President Biden’s face mask mandate on planes, trains, buses and in their respective hubs. The complaint challenges the mask mandate issued on February 1, 2021, which requires any person traveling by plane, train or bus to wear a mask, on the grounds that it exceeds federal authority and is otherwise arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law.
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