Here’s a look at some of the top stories from around the state.
Police: Arkansas man fatally stabbed trying to stop fight
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) — Police say a northwest Arkansas man was fatally stabbed while trying to break up a fight.
Springdale police Sgt. Chad Niccum told reporters that 44-year-old Luis Esmurria-Anaya was pronounced dead Sunday at a hospital where he was taken after being found with stab wounds on a staircase at an apartment complex.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Niccum said a 20-year-old resident of the complex was later arrested on a first-degree murder warrant in the stabbing.
Niccum said the Esmurria-Anaya and the suspect did not know each other and that Esmurria-Anaya was apparently trying to break up a fight between the suspect and another man when he was stabbed.
Jail records show the suspect remains in custody and online court records do not show that formal charges have been filed against him.
Police: Woman found shot to death outside Little Rock home
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Police say a woman has been found shot to death outside a house on the city’s southeast side.
Police say the body of 52-year-old Tamela Jones was found dead about 8 a.m. Monday behind the home.
Officer Steve Moore says a witness reported hearing an argument followed by gunfire, but had no other information.
Moore says the body was sent to the state medical examiner for an autopsy and police have no information about a suspect in the case.
2 Arkansas colleges at risk of losing state funding
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Two Arkansas colleges will be submitting improvement plans to the state’s Department of Higher Education amid declining enrollment.
Northwest Arkansas Community College and the University of Arkansas Community College fell below the minimum score in performance-based funding, a drop that can lead to losing a portion of funding from the state.
Colleges and universities get their funding mostly from student tuition and fees, state appropriations and private donations.
Northwest Arkansas Community College President Evelyn Jorgenson said the school will focus its improvement plan on student success initiatives.
“When our enrollment began to decline in fall 2012, we knew there would be a corresponding decline in degrees and certificates awarded to follow, and that is exactly what happened,” Jorgenson said. “Fewer students enrolling eventually means fewer degrees and certificates awarded.”
Tara Smith, the department’s deputy director, expects the University of Arkansas Community College’s improvement plan to focus on retention efforts.
This is the fifth and final year the department will measure colleges and universities on performance. Starting July 1, 2018, Arkansas will fund higher education institutions only on “productivity,” which is measured by student success.
“Now, ultimately, they could lose money based on productivity funding, but it would be based on a different model than this one,” Smith said.
Arkansas lawmakers named to panel studying tax cuts
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Ten Republicans and six Democrats have been named to serve on a legislative task force that will recommend tax cuts before the 2019 session.
House Speaker Jeremy Gillam and Senate President Jonathan Dismang on Monday named their appointees to the Tax Reform and Relief Legislative Task Force, created as part of a $50 million income tax cut plan approved by lawmakers this year.
The Senate’s Republican members are Sens. Bart Hester, Missy Irvin, Dave Wallace, Dismang and Senate Majority Leader Jim Hendren. Its Democratic members are Senate Minority Leader Keith Ingram, Sen. Joyce Elliott and Sen. Larry Teague.
The House Republican members are Reps. Joe Jett, Frances Cavenaugh, Jim Dotson, Lane Jean and House Majority Leader Mathew Pitsch. Its Democratic members are Reps. Bob Johnson, Warwick Sabin and Kenneth Ferguson.
Reward increased in Little Rock child’s shooting death
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A reward for information leading to an arrest for the fatal shooting of a 2-year-old Little Rock girl has been increased to $50,000.
The city of Little Rock announced Saturday that the reward had been raised by $10,000 for information in the Nov. 22 death of Ramiya Reed. It had been initially set at $20,000 and then doubled in December.
Police say Ramiya was riding in a vehicle with her mother and others when someone fired shots into the vehicle. No suspects have been identified.
The girl’s death was one of two fatal shootings of toddlers within a month in Little Rock.
Authorities say 3-year-old Acen (AY’-sin) King was fatally shot in a Dec. 17 road-rage incident. He was killed while riding in a car with his grandmother.
Weather damage assessment of Arkansas roadways begins
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department says officials are in the process of assessing damage to roadways caused by recent severe storms.
Department spokesman Danny Straessle says the most significant road damage is on Arkansas 304 about 3 miles east of Pocahontas in Randolph County in northeast Arkansas.
Straessle says work has begun on several roadways to repair storm damage, but the cost of repairs has not yet been determined.
Parts of Randolph County have been dealing with significant flooding due to recent severe storms that also brought tornadoes to the state. Nine deaths in Arkansas have been linked to the storms and flooding.
A report released by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture puts preliminary crop flood damage at $64.5 million.