COVID-19

Community Loan Funds Key for Small Businesses Before the coronavirus pandemic, Arthur Stringfellow’s business—Razor’z Back Barber and Styling Team in Little Rock—was booming. Today, his shop is closed. His rent and home construction loan are due, and neither landlord nor…

Before the coronavirus, the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the University of Arkansas operated as a “one-stop shop for startups and existing for-profit businesses,” as the center provided consultation and workshops for the establishment and growth of…

Gov. Asa Hutchinson provided an update on the rate of COVID-19 tests in Arkansas by region on June 5.  In regards to COVID-19 testing in Arkansas per 10,000 residents, Hutchinson said that it is “largely balanced across the state.”  The…

Gov. Asa Hutchinson reported 226 new COVID-19 cases at his press conference on June 5, bringing the total number of cases in the state of Arkansas to 8,651.  Hospitalizations have increased to 147, which is 10 more than yesterday’s total.…

Although Monday, June 1 marked the first day the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) allowed student-athletes in all sports to begin voluntary workouts and training again, there are already reports of student-athletes testing positive for COVID-19.  Arkansas State University reported…

In recent months, COVID-19 has roiled the worldwide economy, leading to significant job losses and skyrocketing unemployment numbers. Unemployment soared to 14.7 percent in the United States in April with 20.7 million jobs lost that month. The previous month saw…

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is moving towards a fall 2020 reopening that incorporates in-person classes in a “flexible hybrid format.” On Friday, June 5, university officials announced that the UA-Little Rock campus will be open for the…

Students attending Arkansas State University System institutions will see flat tuition rates this fall after the ASU System Board approved measures reducing budgetary expenses on Thursday, June 4. The board voted to lower the system’s expenses by approximately $14 million…

State officials are eyeing a Phase II reopening, but it may be a regional approach instead of a full state-wide reopening. Gov. Asa Hutchinson told reporters on Thursday, June 4 that he was looking at the possibility of specific regions…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has approved more than $545 million in payments for farmers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). In Arkansas, there has been more than $12 million approved in payments for…