News

Arkansas' state treasurer has resigned after federal prosecutors accused her of taking cash payments from a broker who handled a large amount of the state's investment portfolio.

Democrat Martha Shoffner resigned effective Tuesday from the office she has held since 2007 and was re-elected to in 2010. She was barred by term limits from seeking re-election next year.

A book dedicated for school-aged children just came out earlier this spring.

Natural State Notables features 21 people from Arkansas who became famous.

They include U.S. president Bill Clinton, Walmart creator Sam Walton, as well as a woman who saved Arkansas Children’s Hospital from closing during the Great Depression.

Author Steven Teske said he was inspired to write something for kids.

The top Republican in the Arkansas House is calling on the governor to begin the process to remove state Treasurer Martha Shoffner over federal charges she accepted cash from an investment broker.

House Majority Leader Bruce Westerman on Tuesday asked Gov. Mike Beebe to convene lawmakers to remove Shoffner, a day after she appeared in court on federal extortion charges.

Remington Arms Company LLC says it will spend $32 million to expand the company's ammunition plant in Lonoke. 

Remington says the expansion will include the construction of a new building. Work is expected to begin later this year and finish up by next spring.

Remington's Lonoke plant manager Jim Grahlmann says the expansion will help Remington meet a growing global demand for ammunition.

The Remington plant in Lonoke designs and makes ammunition products. It opened in 1969.

Authorities say a teenager was killed in northwest Arkansas on Monday night when storm debris crashed into his car. 

Arkansas State Police say 19-year-old Austin Deere of Prairie Grove died at about 7:30 p.m. Monday while driving on U.S. 412 in Springdale.

A preliminary report says a street sign that was uprooted by high winds landed on top of Deere's car. Deere was pronounced dead at the scene by the Washington County coroner.

The Storm Prediction Center says a wind gust of 69 mph was recorded in Springdale at the same time as the accident.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for much of Arkansas on Monday evening, and rain and storms are forecast to last through much of Tuesday. 

Forecasters say the main threat Tuesday will shift to damaging winds and heavy rain, though isolated tornadoes are possible. Parts of west-central Arkansas could get between 4 and 5 inches of rain.

Two museums in downtown Little Rock are lowering their admission rates during this year's Riverfest. 

The Clinton Presidential Center and the Museum of Discovery are offering $5 admission during operating hours for the festival over the Memorial Day weekend.

The Clinton Center is to be open Friday through May 27, which is Memorial Day. The Discovery Museum is to be closed Friday but it is planning special programs while it is open the rest of the holiday weekend.

Riverfest draws about 250,000 people to downtown Little Rock each year.

If you thought the carnival left Arkansas with the conclusion of the Symphony’s final Pops concert last weekend, you’d be wrong. The Arkansas Festival Ballet’s "The Adventures of Pinocchio" presented its own circus atmosphere this weekend with wandering minstrels and prizes in the lobby and marionette dolls played by children on stage at the Arkansas Arts Center’s Children’s Theater.   The marionettes looked so wooden it was genuinely difficult to tell if they were real.

US Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Chris Thyer said Monday that allegations against state Treasurer Martha Shoffner are grave.

He spoke to reporters after Shoffner made her initial court appearance on charges she accepted money from a broker in return for investing state money with that broker.