Items worth noting this morning.

* SLOT MACHINE EXPANSION AT OAKLAWN: A business owner’s appeal of an expansion plan at the Oaklawn casino in Hot Springs was rejected in a 6-0 vote last night by the Hot Springs Board of Directors. He feared restaurant competition from the racino. A major addition of slot machines and gambling tables will come with the expansion. Noted: Mayor Ruth Carney abstained from the vote, according to the Channel 11 report.

* RUNOFF FOR LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL BOARD: Incumbent Tommy Branch was defeated in a bid for election to his appointed seat on the Little Rock School Board last night. Tara Shephard and Florene Armstrong will have a runoff for the seat. 

Advertisement

* OVERPASS PROTEST: If you note some signs being waved on the Jonesboro Drive overpass of I-630 by the Zoo this morning, keep your mind on your driving. But note that it’s a Democratic Party protest of U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin’s unwillingness to commit to keep the government operating and paying its bills. His reluctance is a last-ditch effort to block implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Griffin is not alone among the Arkansas delegation, of course. U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton has also signaled repeatedly that he think a dose of shutdown, debt default medicine would be good for the U.S. Griffin signed a letter expressing support for a shutdown, which would, among others, bring huge layoffs to Little Rock Air Force Base, among others.