It’s Tuesday, May 27. This is your Free News Arkansas Daily Briefing — where we skip the fluff, skip the spin, and just break down what’s really going on across the state. Let’s get into it.
We’re starting today with a federal budget proposal that could affect four Arkansas airports: Harrison, El Dorado, Hot Springs, and Jonesboro.
These airports rely on the Essential Air Service program — a subsidy created to keep commercial flights available in small, rural communities after airline deregulation in the late '70s. But now, the program could face a $308 million cut in next year’s federal budget. That budget states that program spending is "out of control,” more than doubling between 2021 and 2025.
Airport leaders say the impact would be serious. Judy McCutcheon at the Boone County airport in Harrison said if the cuts go through, quote, “It would just be private general aviation,” adding that businesses on the airfield — including car rentals and jet fuel sales — would take a financial hit.
Right now, all four Arkansas airports are served by Southern Airways Express, which connects places like Harrison and Hot Springs to Dallas or Memphis. The airline says it’s the lowest-cost bidder for many routes and remains committed to staying in Arkansas.
Congress hasn’t made a final decision, and Arkansas Senator John Boozman says the proposal is still just that — a proposal — and he’ll be working to make sure rural access isn’t lost.
Next up — the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission is rethinking how dispensaries are allowed to move locations.
This comes after a controversial relocation earlier this year, when Osage Creek Dispensary moved from Eureka Springs to Springdale, sparking complaints from nearby competitors like The Source in Rogers.
Right now, dispensaries can change locations with minimal regulation and no public input — and that’s raising eyebrows across the industry.
The commission will take public comment at its June 5 meeting, with plans to finally create a formal rulemaking process. Any final rules would still need approval from the Arkansas Legislative Council.
Advocates like Melissa Fults say dispensaries should only be allowed to move to underserved areas, not to simply chase customers in more profitable markets.
A convicted murderer and rapist — who used to be a police chief in Gateway in Benton County — is on the run after escaping an Arkansas prison.
Grant Hardin, 56, slipped out of the North Central Unit in Calico Rock Sunday afternoon through its sally port, wearing what officials described as a makeshift law enforcement uniform. He was not wearing a DOC outfit, and all issued equipment is accounted for.
Authorities say he should be considered extremely dangerous. An image released by the Stone and Izard County sheriffs shows Hardin pushing a cart in a black outfit with what looks like a badge or logo.
Hardin was sentenced to 30 years for murder and 50 more for rape, including the 1997 rape of a Rogers elementary school teacher. If you see him, don’t approach — call law enforcement immediately.
A former technology director at Mount Vernon–Enola High School goes on trial today on multiple federal child pornography charges.
Blair Michael Williams, 33, is accused of possessing and producing child pornography, including videos with minors and screenshots of online conversations spanning several years.
Investigators found roughly 500 explicit images on his school-issued Google Drive account, including a video involving Williams and a 17-year-old in a Jeep — which deputies later found outside his home with a matching deer sticker.
Williams has been in custody in Faulkner County and faces seven federal counts. A separate state case is also pending, with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for June 3.
Michael Mason, a former president of the Little Rock School Board, announced he’s running for House District 79, the seat currently held by Tara Shephard. Shephard is planning a 2026 run for the Senate District 15 seat held by term-limited Sen. Fred Love.
Mason has worked as an equal opportunity specialist for the U.S. Department of House & Urban Development, starting in 2001. He has also worked for the city of Little Rock in Community Development and General Services, and in former North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays' office.
He says his campaign will focus on safe neighborhoods, public education, small business, and family values.
House District 79 includes southwest Little Rock, Mabelvale, and parts of Alexander.
In Franklin County, a national nonprofit has been filming with residents who oppose the new state prison planned just north of Charleston.
The group, You Are The Power, teamed up with local organizers for interviews and a screening of the documentary Calls From Home, which explores the emotional impact of incarceration on families.
Governor Sanders announced plans for a new 3,000-bed prison on 815 acres of state land last fall. Locals worry about long-term impacts on their community — but the state argues it’s necessary to address overcrowding and improve public safety.
And finally, a nearly $1 million contract to help state employees navigate student loan forgiveness was put on pause last week.
The contract would pay Little Rock-based Aptus Financial to help government workers apply for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives student debt after 10 years of service and qualifying payments.
But lawmakers on the Arkansas Legislative Council say they want more time to review the deal, especially with uncertainty about how the program might change at the federal level.
The contract could grow to more than $2 million over seven years, and some lawmakers questioned whether that’s a wise use of state dollars for a program that only applies to public employees.