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Fourth quarter News Articles in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that our viewers may have missed that may be of interest:
12/18/22 pg 1A – Jacksonville Vertac Inc. superfund site: soil testing not begun
12/18/22 pg 3B – Bentonville Lake Bella Vista dam removal
12/18/22 pg 1A – new (Anthropocene) geologic epoch?
12/11/22 pg 1A – Electric vehicles tune out AM radio
12/11/22 pg 12A – Cities turn to ‘rewilding’ as open spaces dwindle
11/20/22 pg 1G – offshore wind project – Linking ocean turbines to land a major obstacle
11/13/22 pg 1G - Egypt Racks up deals to go green, aims to upgrade energy, transport systems
11/6/22 - Su - Long time climate activist Glen Hooks is featured on the front page of the High Profile D-Section of today's Democrat-Gazette.
10/30/22 pg 1G – Renters hit e-vehicle roadblock; lack of charging opportunities
10/9/22 pg 4A – Irish peat bogs in turf war, fuel users vs EU restrictions
OTHER EVENTS - fourth quarter
12/13/22 Tu - Walnut Ridge; 12/14/22 W - Pocahontas; 12/15/22 Th - Corning - AR-DoT Public Hearings – 4 to 7 pm – Walnut Ridge to Missouri State Line (Future I-57) Connection. Formal comments will be received until January 24, 2023.For more info, go to future57. transportationplanroom.com
11/15/22 - Tu - National Recycling Day - Green Stations in Pulaski County open 7:30 - 5:30. For more info, check page 12D of the Sunday 11/6 Democrat-Gazette or go to MyDoRight.com
Conway recycling info is available at https://conwayarkansas.gov/sanitation/residential-recycling/
Fayetteville recycling info is available at https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/1297/Recycling
11/8/2022 - LR - Ron Robinson Theatre - Arlette Laan: Hiking the 11 National Scenic Trails - Doors: 6 pm - Presentation: 7 pm - Arlette Laan is the first woman to have completed all 11 National Scenic Trails - totaling over 18,000 miles. Her talk will include brief descriptions of the trails she's hiked, her observations on the changes in long distance hiking over time, and tips on perseverance. In addition to hiking and backpacking, Arlette enjoys photography and doll making. Her dolls can be found on her Instagram page, which is located on her website: http://arlettelaan.com/. Click HERE for a downloadable PDF flier of the presentation.
11/8/22 - November CAG meeting - The above presentation is on the 2nd Tuesday of November and replaces the normal CAG meeting normally held on the third Tuesday of November. Co-sponsors of the November 8 presentation include the Sierra Club - Central Arkansas Group as well as the following: The Ozark Society, Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FooT), ArkansasOutside.com, and the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS).
November Ballot - Constitutional Amendments - 11/13/22 update - All 4 amendments failed to pass.
Refer to the 6/4/22 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for information on the following (abbreviated titles of) proposed constitutional amendments that are scheduled to appear on the ballot in November's General Election:
Issue 1 - Convening Extraordinary Session of General Assembly
Issue 2 - Changing Number of Votes Required to Approve Constitutional Amendments
Issue 3 - Arkansas Religious Freedom
Editor's Note: The above info has been reported in the 8/7/22 Sunday edition, Section A
11/6/22 - Su - Long time climate activist Glen Hooks is featured on the front page of the High Profile D-Section of today's Democrat-Gazette.
11/2/22 - Sometime since 6/4/22, Issue 4 - The Cannabis Amendment has also qualified for the November ballot.
10/20/22 – Th – 4 to 7 pm – LR - AR-DoT Public Meeting – Hwy 10 Widening from Taylor Loop Road to Pleasant Ridge Road. Comments accepted until Friday 11/4. For more info or meeting location, go to ardot.gov/PublicMeetings
10/19/22 - Wednesday (not Tuesday) - 6:30 pm - CAG Meeting - Planned agenda: Little Rock mayoral candidates. Where do the candidates for Little Rock Mayor stand on environmental issues? Join us October 19th to find out.
Mayor Frank Scott - confirmed; Greg Henderson - confirmed
Steve Landers - invited; Glen Schwarz - confirmed
Third quarter News Articles in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that our viewers may have missed that may be of interest:
9/25/22 - pg 1H - Caddo River outdoor opportunities
9/4/22 - pg 3H - Wrong-headed environmental practices (Richard Mason)
8/28/22 - pg 1G - Arkansas farmers turning to solar
8/28/22 - pg 2H - It's difficult to buy an electric car
8/21/22 - pg 1H - self-piloting trucks
8/21/22 - pg 9A - Mosquito services' bombardment worry ecologists
8/7/22 - pg 1H - Arkansas: A land of missed opportunities
7/31/22 - pg 1H - Fort Smith growth, innovation,talent
OTHER THIRD QUARTER EVENTS
7/11/22 - Comet K-2 may be visible July 14. For more info, click HERE. (external link)
7/8/22 - A new environmental analysis has been released on the ConocoPhillips Willow project in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve. Public comments will be accepted until August 29. For more info, click HERE.
6/21/22 - The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) in collaboration with the Department of Energy and Environment (E&E) will conduct a virtual public involvement meeting Tuesday, June 21, at 4 p.m. regarding the Arkansas Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan. For more info, go to https://www.ardot.gov/news/22-131/
6/19/22 - T - CAG Meeting - Please join us for our June meeting via Zoom at 6:30 pm. We are thrilled to show “First River:How Arkansas Saved a National Treasure”. This Ozark Society film presents the history of the Buffalo National River from the 1960s to the present day.The film identifies the people and organizations that stopped the plans to dam the river and achieved the designation of the Buffalo River as America’s first National River. Join Zoom Meeting (Meeting ID: 889 7108 5030; Passcode: 641194) at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88971085030?pwd=QmZ5ZXdhaEExYnFQRExhMjhQZWZMQT09
Editor's note: If you enjoyed tonight's film and are interested in learning more of the history of the area, you might be interested in one of the following: (1) National Park Service's (softcover) book "Let the River Be - A History of the Ozarks Buffalo River," assembled/prepared by Dwight T. Pitcaithley and probably published in the mid-1980s; 133 pages with around 75 pages of text and an extensive bibliography - or (2) Kenneth L. Smith's 400+ page "Buffalo River Handbook" (c) 2018.
6/19/22 - What's Going To Happen To The Millions Of Electric Car Batteries After Their Lifespans End? For more info, click HERE. (external link)
6/17/22 - Glyphosate - The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the EPA to reexamine its 2020 finding that glyphosate did not pose a health risk for people exposed to the chemical. For more info, check/follow info on https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate
6/10/22 - Flex-fuel Vehicles and E-85 Use
I guess now is not yet the time to complain of high prices!
6/9/22 - Th - 4 to 7 pm - Conway - Proposed widening of Hwy 65B between Oak and Bruce - Don Owens Sports Center, 10 Lower Ridge Road, Conway - Road to be widened to add a center left turn lane and a signal light at College. Sixth and Third streets east of Harkrider to be widened for better left turn lanes. Most of widening is in highway right-of-way but additional land will be needed in a limited number of locations. Construction planned for 2023 to 2025. Public comments are due by Friday, June 24.
For more information on the following virtual public meetings, go to: https://www.ardot.gov/publicmeetings:
5/26 – 6/10 - Proposed replacement of the Highway 283 bridge over Interstate 30 in Hot Spring County
5/26 – 6/10 - Proposed plans to replace one bridge structure on Hwy. 71 over Sixmile Creek south of Hatfield in Polk County
5/26 – 6/10 - Little Flint Creek Structure and Approaches Highway 12 Benton County
5/26 – 6/10 - Baron Fork and Fly Creek Structures and Approaches (Highway 45) Washington County
6/4/22 - November Ballot - Constitutional Amendments - Refer to today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for information on the following (abbreviated titles of) proposed constitutional amendments that are scheduled to appear on the ballot in November's General Election:
Issue 1 - Convening Extraordinary Session of General Assembly
Issue 2 - Changing Number of Votes Required to Approve Constitutional Amendments
Issue 3 - Arkansas Religious Freedom
5/15/22 - Su - Total Lunar Eclipse in Arkansas - For timing of the eclipse, go to
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/little-rock
5/8/22 - Su - Arkansas Primary Elections: Early voting starts this week. To access your sample ballot, go to https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/voterview.
5/3/22 – T – 5:30-6:30 pm (live event) - AR-DoT / FHA public involvement meeting – Subject: Selective Alternative for the Southwest Trail between Hot Springs and Little Rock. Project material may be viewed and comments submitted at swTrail.TransportationPlanroom.com until May 18.[posted 4/25/22]
4/27/22 - This is the deadline to vote in the National Sierra Club Elections for Board of Directors.A Democratic Sierra Club Demands Grassroots Participation. Do not wait until the last minute and miss out.Those eligible to vote in the national Sierra Club election have received in the mail (or by Internet if you chose the electronic delivery option) your national Sierra Club ballot in early March. This included information on the candidates and where you can find additional information ....For more info, CLICK HERE.
4/19/22 - T - CAG (virtual) Meeting - 6:30 pm - Our Speaker will be Greg Ramon with Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority who will speak on efforts to improve our water reclamation system to ensure that we protect the environment as well as improve the system to meet the needs of the next generation.
4/10/22 - Pinnacle - West Summit Trail Construction? - Around ten years ago, Pinnacle Mountain State Park (PMSP) opened an alternate trail between WST7 and WST8, allowing hikers to bypass the rocky ridge trail between these points. (...Last Thursday, this alternate trail was still open but several park employees were in the area looking it over.) Today, this alternate trail was closed and thoroughly fenced off to prevent entry - and a trail construction company sign was on the fence. Also, a backhoe was sitting on the access road near WST6.) Apparently, that upper trail between 7 & 8 is to be re-worked in some fashion. All of this may be related to the new visitors center planned for the WST trailhead. 4/29/22 -F - Update: The trail was re-opened late today. Steps have been restored to a more usable condition and the park bench at WST8 now has a more stable foundation.
4/10/22 - 300th Anniversary - Little Rock - Yesterday, Little Rock officials celebrated the 300th anniversary of French explorer La Harpe's passage through the area that later evolved into the city of Little Rock. For more info, check the front page of today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
First quarter News Articles in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that our viewers may have missed that may be of interest:
2/13/23 - pg 1G - Asia to use half of all electricity by 2025
3/13/22 - Gas-powered Mowers: Pros & Cons - California will soon ban the sale of gas-powered mowers and other states may follow. For a brief review of the pros and cons, check page 4 of today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Home Section.
3/10/22 - Th - Hiking trails in Central Arkansas may be open and ready for use although some may be a bit damp from recent rain/snow. Wildflowers are beginning to make an appearance as are a few ants, flies, even a few butterflies. 3/11/22: 7 pm Update - Where I am, there is now about 2 inches of new snow on the grass; roads and sidewalks appear mostly clear; the temperature is still slightly above freezing. 3/12/22 7 pm update: Snow is almost all gone. 4/10/22 update: After yesterday morning's frost warning, spring conditions may have finally (actually) arrived in Arkansas.3/13/22 - California will soon ban the sale of gas-powered mowers and other states may follow. For a brief review of the pros and cons, check page 4 of today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Home Section.
3/3/22 - 4 to 7 pm - AR-DoT Public Meeting - To discuss proposed plans to widen Hwy 270 between the Ouachita River and Fleetwood Drive in Garland County - The Glory Barn Church, 138 Treasure Isle Road, Hot Springs National Park. [Also a virtual public meeting 2/25 to 3/18, same topic.] For more info, go to ardot.gov/publicmeetings
2/25/22 - F - Pinnacle Mtn State Park Trails (following Wednesday's snow & ice) - A retired couple from VT went up the East Summit Trail and reported limited ice on the trail that they were able to avoid. They then went down the West Summit Trail and encountered ice covered rocks around WST9 (which they had to bypass by going down the hillside to the right). 2/26/22 Update - Ice on the trail around WST9 was still a problem mid-day Saturday as was a short stretch of ice-covered boulders (on the original trail) just above the junction near WST7. 2/27/22 Update - By Sunday, most of the ice was gone but there were still isolated ice-covered boulders, so caution is needed in the area.
2/15/22 - T - CAG - Established in 1972, Buffalo National River flows freely for 135 miles and is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. The Buffalo National River turns 50 this year. Join us for our February virtual meeting to learn about the Buffalo River and ways the National Park Service is celebrating this 50th Anniversary. Our speaker is Mark Foust, Superintendent of the Buffalo National River.
1/18/22 - T - CAG - Join us for a discussion on green jobs to replace jobs in towns and counties where jobs were lost to changes in the environment. We will watch a 30 minute film about a success story in Oregon and then talk about what we can do in Arkansas.
First quarter News Articles in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that our viewers may have missed that may be of interest:
3/27/22 pg 1H – Flood control: Levees
1/2/22pg 3A – Nevada site for radioactive storage still focus of debate
1/2/22 - RECOMMENDED READING: Today's Democrat-Gazette page 6A article: Alaskan spruce symbol of past and future. ...Topics covered include ending old-growth harvesting (at least for now); carbon storage.