It was a good week for …
ARKANSAS COLLEGE FOOTBALL. The University of Arkansas, Arkansas State University and the University of Central Arkansas all handled their opponents with ease. Optimism abounds. But it’s early.
MAYFLOWER RESIDENTS. The state of Arkansas announced that, five months after an Exxon pipeline burst in Mayflower, it would begin offering free health screenings to people who live in the area who say exposure to fumes from the oil leak has made them sick.
It was a bad week for …
LT. GOV. MARK DARR. After only a couple of weeks in the race, he dropped his congressional bid for the Fourth District. Darr said he was exiting to focus on his family, but campaign-spending violations pointed out by Matt Campbell of Blue Hog Report no doubt were a factor (more on page 20).
REP. ANDY DAVIS. The Little Rock Republican’s legislation to make it easier to get water permits discharging minerals into streams seems to have backfired. In reaction to the law, which may run afoul of the federal Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency will now be reviewing those water permits, which will slow down the permitting process and could eventually lead to stricter federal oversight on all water permits.
T-SHIRT CANNONS. A pneumatic launcher discharged while it was on the artificial turf of Razorback Stadium, not in use, on Saturday, striking a UA marketing intern, who was carried away on a stretcher. The intern, whose name hasn’t been released, was treated and released from the hospital. The university said it wouldn’t use a T-shirt launcher at this weekend’s game at War Memorial Stadium.
SALINE COUNTY SHERIFF BRUCE PENNINGTON. Following his guilty plea on public intoxication and resisting arrest charges, he rightly announced his plan to retire. Several days later, he had second thoughts, announcing that he wouldn’t retire and planned to seek election to another term in 2014. The Saline County Quorum Court was expected to urge the sheriff to resign on Tuesday (after our deadline).
ALSO: Tommy Morrison, the Gravette, Ark.,-born boxer who once held a heavyweight title and appeared in “Rocky V,” died in Omaha. He was 44.