The Senate recently advanced critical legislation to support our nation’s defense and ensure U.S. service members have the tools to combat evolving threats from our adversaries.

This year back to school activities in Arkansas have historic importance, thanks to the far-reaching changes in Act 237 of 2023.

One of the best ways I know of getting familiar with a new place is simply to get out and explore it with my camera. Having a dog who needs walking on a daily basis also helps.

Lawmakers taking false credit for funding Dear Editor: Arkansas is to receive $1 billion for broadband build-out under the Biden Infrastructure Bill. Arkansas has 1% of the U.S. population, …

This week in The Record, you’ll read about a lot of change and new beginnings, including a new school year, the start of football and on this page a new editor introduces himself.   …

I just moved here from Mississippi, but don’t hold that against me.

County resident 100% against fluoride Dear Editor: I cannot answer this week’s poll question with one word. So…. Am I for or against fluoride being added to the county …

I knew it was coming, but seeing it in my inbox made me sad, happy for the person sending the email, but sad for The Record. 

You may have noticed a new name in last week’s newspaper. Dan Marsh, a native of Arkadelphia, has joined the paper’s staff as editor. Dan comes to The Record from a newspaper in Mississippi.

Every year the sales tax holiday is the first weekend in August. This year it will be Saturday, August 5, and Sunday, August 6.

Some of our Record staff spent the weekend in Little Rock at the Arkansas Press Association’s 150th anniversary celebration and convention celebrating each paper’s hard work throughout the year. The Record was the winner of 27 awards, including 10 first-place awards, as part of the press association’s general excellence’s competition.

Oh my, CBS has announced that it will air episodes of “Yellowstone” this fall. Network censors better be ready. They will be busy. If you’ve followed the family drama you know what I mean.

According to a 2022 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) report, 17 veterans take their own life each day, on average. While the number has decreased for the past two years, even one suicide is too many. There is a lot of work to do to ensure our veterans get connected with resources to treat their mental health struggles and save lives.

The governor announced that the state would provide about $11 million to local school districts to help them pay the steeply rising costs of property insurance premiums.

When we lived in south Arkansas, one of the coolest things my wife and I did took place at Moro Bay State Park, along the Ouachita River. We spent an evening gazing at stars and planets through wonderful telescopes that had been assembled and perfectly placed in an open field. Experts on astronomy were on hand to field any questions.

Arkansas celebrated Independence Day this year the same way it always does, by closing out the state fiscal year with a balanced budget and beginning a new fiscal year with a balanced budget in place.

On Monday, the Huntsville School Board along with Huntsville City Council members approved a contract for the city to provide school resource officers for the district. The school will fund the majority of the cost, approximately 75% of the nearly $330,000 over a two-year period.  See our full story beginning on page 1A. 

Word came from my hometown over the July Fourth holiday that a longtime friend of mine had passed away.

A few weeks ago we received a letter about an alternative sentencing facility opened in the county three weeks ago.

I covered a trial last week in which an Elkins man was convicted of raping his adopted daughter.