I-530 hit-and-run driver identified
The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) have located the commercial vehicle and identified the driver involved in the hit-and-run crash on Interstate 530 South near the 34-mile marker at approximately 11:30 a.m. Dec. 30.
The crash occurred near White Hall when a Peterbilt truck struck an orange Dodge Charger, forcing it off the roadway into the median, before going back across the southbound lanes, where it overturned and came to rest in the trees, according to state police.
“Through continued investigative efforts, the truck was located, and the driver has been positively identified. The investigation remains ongoing. The Arkansas State Police appreciates the assistance of witnesses and the public in providing information in this investigation,” state police said.
Elks to host candidate forum
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The community is invited to attend a candidate forum at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the William Townsend Elks Lodge, 2315 University Drive. The forum will include county judge candidates, sheriff candidates and federal senate Democratic Primary candidates, according to a post on Facebook.
County judge candidates include County Judge Gerald Robinson, Eric Walden, Michael Turley, Jeff Edwards, Nathaniel Todd and Efrem Neely.
Sheriff candidates include Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr., Mark Cannon and Chris Lowery. U.S. Senate candidates include Hallie Shoffner and Ethan Dunbar.
The moderator is Michael McCray. Sponsors include the Pine Bluff Branch of the NAACP.
“This is your chance to be informed, engaged, and ready for the upcoming election,” the post said.
Center announces MLK Challenge
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) invites students ages 12-18 to participate in its annual MLK Challenge, a day of service and civic engagement honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 19.
The MLK Challenge encourages students to develop leadership skills, civic responsibility and a deeper understanding of how service strengthens communities, according to a news release.
“Engaging young people in service is one of the most meaningful ways we can honor Dr. King’s legacy,” said Key Fletcher, director of Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. “The MLK Challenge empowers students to see themselves as leaders today, not just in the future, and to understand the impact they can have when they commit to serving others.”
Participants will engage in age-appropriate service activities at local community service organizations.
Registration for the MLK Challenge closes Jan. 16. To learn more or to register, visit https://www.arkansasheritage.com/mosaic-templars-cultural-center/news-events/annual-events/mlk-challenge.
New proposed WOTUS definition
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have submitted a proposed new definition of waters of the United States, or WOTUS, but the situation is very fluid, said Brigit Rollins of the National Agricultural Law Center.
WOTUS has been the very core of the federal Clean Water Act since it was enacted more than 50 years ago to limit the amount of pollution discharged into waters and wetlands. However, the WOTUS definition has seen its share of litigation and attendant changes in the past half century, according to a news release from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The latest proposed definition was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 20, with a public comment period that would end Jan. 5. As of Dec. 18, the proposal has received nearly 12,000 comments.
Some aspects of WOTUS have been heavily litigated, Rollis said. This includes the definitions of “navigable waters” and what “wetlands” and “adjacent” really mean in the phase “wetlands adjacent to any WOTUS.” Discharging pollutants into a navigable water requires a permit, and the definitions are necessary for understanding which waters would require a permit.
For farmers, the changing definitions of “wetlands” have made understanding use of their properties difficult. The new definition should bring some clarity, Rollins said.
“The biggest, most impactful thing for agriculture is that this wetlands definition … pretty clearly would say that a wetland is only a WOTUS if it is connected to a water that is itself a WOTUS via a direct surface water connection,” she said.
Regardless of the legal and policy trends of the moment, Rollins said there’s a very basic reason defining WOTUS is so difficult.
“It’s worth highlighting that when we’re talking about WOTUS, we’re talking about the definition of waters of the United states for a continent that has more ecosystems than you can shake a stick at,” she said.
See Rollins’ deep dive on the issue at the National Agricultural Law Center site. To learn more about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.