Asian longhorned tick spreading across Arkansas, experts warn

Weekend Entertainment Roundup for July 2, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0ae9fc8/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1760x1056+0+0/resize/792x475!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F44%2Fb3%2F14819c884a02aabc70a7296a8aa5%2Fdownload-42.png]( City of Little Rock) INDEPENDENCE DAY Independence Day festivities, particularly important this year as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, take place across the state. Here are a couple that are taking place closest to home: A performance of patriotic and show tunes by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra with a festival-culminating fireworks finale are at the heart of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s 42nd annual Pops on the River, Saturday in the River Market/First Security Bank Amphitheater at Julius Breckling Riverfront Park, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. Festivities get underway at 5 p.m. in the River Market District, with the amphitheater gates opening at the same time for pre-symphony-concert entertainment that includes Nicky Parrish, featuring the group Kemistri, and jazzman Rodney Block. Former Miss Arkansas Kennedy Holland serves as master of ceremonies. Inside the gated area, the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau will set up tents to sell beer, canned mixed drinks and water. There will be children’s activities and games, including soccer activities and information on summer camps from Arkansas Rising. And food trucks will vend traditional (and not so traditional) fair food. pops.arkansasonline.com [http://pops.arkansasonline.com/]. Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Second St., Little Rock, offers its annual Frontier Fourth of July, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday. Attendees can munch on birthday cake and add their signature to a giant replica of the Declaration of Independence. There will be historic games and make-and-take activities, music by Artists United and Starr Mitchell and George West, a parade around the grounds (while the participants sing “Yankee Doodle”), a reading of the Declaration and historic toasts in lemonade and watermelon. arkansasheritage.com/events/2026/07/04/default-calendar/frontier-fourth-of-july [http://arkansasheritage.com/events/2026/07/04/default-calendar/frontier-fourth-of-july]. THEATER Middle and high school students from across Arkansas who have gathered at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education's "MT Stage: From the Bard to Broadway!” Have been examining how Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” students will examine how Shakespeare’s classic tragedy has been reimagined for Broadway and contemporary audiences before creating their own interpretation. Which they’ll show off at a Student Showcase Performance at 2 p.m. Friday in Ledbetter rooms A, B and C at the Donaghey Student Center on the UA Little Rock campus, 2801 S. University Ave., Little Rock. Actors from Actors Theatre of Little Rock mark the organization’s fourth birthday by performing hits from the TV show “Glee” for “Little Rock Sings: Glee!”, 6:30 p.m. Monday at Camp Taco, 822 E. Sixth St., Little Rock. Also part of the evening’s activities: “Sing-alongs, surprises, and all the show choir fun,” according to a news release, which suggests, “Come dressed in your best ‘Glee’-inspired look.” The theater company will also announce its lineup for its fifth season. actorstheatrelr.org [http://actorstheatrelr.org/]. And Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, opens its run of “Footloose the Musical” this week, running 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday (but Wednesday matinees only July 15 and 22), 12:45 and 6:45 Sunday. Buffet opens 30 minutes before curtain time. (501) 562-3131; murrysdp.com [http://murrysdp.com/]. MUSIC  A brass ensemble consisting of Andrew Stadler, trumpet; Luke Sargent, trumpet; David Renfro, horn; Austin Motley, trombone; and Ed Owen, tuba, join organist Colin MacKnight for a patriotic “USA 250 Brass and Organ Pops Concert,” 7 p.m. Friday at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 310 W. 17th St. facebook.com/events/998159359530722 [http://facebook.com/events/998159359530722]. Bree Ogden, Bryan Copeland, Laura Caroline, Midnight South, The Big Dam Horns, The Church Fires and The Cons of Formant perform for the 34N92W Music Festival, , 10:45 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday at Southern Tail Brewing, 900 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. (501) 912-0980; southerntailbrewing.com [https://southerntailbrewing.com/] ART AND EXHIBITS “Remote Wonder: Richland Creek Wilderness,” recent photographs by Paul Caldwell centering on Richland Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo River, up through July 18 at Cantrell Gallery, 8202 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. (501) 224-1335; cantrellgallery.com [http://cantrellgallery.com/]. “The Art of Friendship,” watercolors by Kim Perkins and Laura Powers, is up through July 25 in the Gallery at the William F. Laman Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (501) 758-1720 or visit NLRlibrary.org. “Thomas Hart Benton,” a traveling exhibition of original artwork created by the artist during World War II, is up through July 31 at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 376-4602; littlerock.gov/macarthur [http://littlerock.gov/macarthur]. “Arkansas Black Voices: Shaping a Nation at 250,” personal histories, artifacts, photographs and stories highlighting “the lasting impact of Black Arkansans whose lives and legacies have helped shape the United States,” is on display through Aug. 29 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. Ninth St., Little Rock. The exhibit includes. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday- Saturday. (501) 683-3593; mosaictemplarscenter.com [http://mosaictemplarscenter.com/]. “The Three SoMa Sisters: History, Nature, Wellness, and Anita Davis’ Mission to Thrive in SoMa” is on display through Aug. 30 at ESSE Museum & Store, 1510 Main St. in Little Rock’s SoMa neighborhood. (501) 916-9022; essepursemuseum.com [http://essepursemuseum.com/]. “Will Barnet: Seasons of Life,” works on paper by Barnet from the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation Collection, is on display through Oct. 11 at the museum, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. amfa.org [http://amfa.org/]. “Kuimeaux’s World,” drawings and paintings by late Little Rock native Dwight “Kuimeaux” Drennan, is on display through spring 2027 at Little Rock’s Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 324-9351. “Manufacturing Victory in Arkansas: Supplying the Battlefront and Changing the Homefront During World War II,” “highlight(ing) the role and contributions of ordnance plants in Arkansas during the war,” remains on display through Dec. 31, 2027, at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 376-4602.

Daily Newscast for Thursday, July 2, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec71a3e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1485x1485+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F20%2F58%2F541e6e6741a9bf41936eb513de74%2Fnewscast-square.png] Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Thursday, July 2, 2026. - An Arkansas State Police chase in Hot Springs ended tragically when an unidentified minor died after crashing into a tree - A former North Arkansas law enforcement officer has been acquitted of charges related to the shooting of a teenager - A federal judge has struck down several Arkansas laws restricting the ballot initiative process, calling them unconstitutional - The number of people receiving health insurance through Arkansas’ expanded Medicaid program is expected to shrink drastically because of upcoming work requirements - Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders unveiled a new online dashboard Wednesday that tracks savings generated through her Arkansas Forward initiative - The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry released a draft of the 2026 Farm Bill last week - An Arkansas Congressional candidate says he lives outside of the district he’s hoping to represent - A senior advisor to Arkansas’ attorney general is leaving for a job in the private sector Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's Morning Edition from 6 to 9 a.m., during All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.

Federal judge strikes down Arkansas laws restricting ballot initiative process

Former member of the Genesee County Board of Canvassers and republican, Michelle Voorheis, points to the official Manual for Boards of County Canvassers. [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1855b66/2147483647/strip/false/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/792x528!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F05%2F20%2F04262022_genesee_cromie_31_slide-9aebd5f782abd105f397228d72f21f320345b31c.jpg]Former member of the Genesee County Board of Canvassers and republican, Michelle Voorheis, points to the official Manual for Boards of County Canvassers.(Elaine Cromie for NPR) A federal judge has struck down several Arkansas laws restricting the ballot initiative process. U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks said in a ruling Tuesday [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/63/c8/78fa89d74611896df0aab47e8755/02913062990.pdf] that laws making canvassing more difficult are unconstitutional. In Arkansas, anyone can get a ballot title approved by the attorney general, then collect tens of thousands of signatures to have the measure put on the ballot. Bills made law over the last few legislative sessions make the process harder. Opponents say they make it almost impossible. Canvassers were required to read lengthy ballot titles out loud, recite a message about petition fraud, verify identification and disclose their own personal information to collect one signature. Opponents of the laws said the extra steps drained time and resources from canvassers. In a 62-page ruling, Brooks said the rules violated canvassers' rights. He was skeptical that the laws prevent petition fraud, saying: “There is no evidence in the record connecting any canvassers (with or without a criminal history) to any crimes against petitioners.” He also said the secretary of state goes through a “robust” review of the signatures. The suit was brought by the League of Women Voters of Arkansas and Save AR Democracy, two groups working to put amendments on the November ballot. Brooks did not rule on other controversies in the law, including claims about vagueness. He dismissed a separate part of the lawsuit against a requirement raising the number of counties required to collect signatures from 15 to 50, saying it did not violate the First Amendment. In February, a different judge struck that law down for constitutional reasons. The case will go to trial in late July. In a statement, a spokesman for Attorney General Tim Griffin said “We will continue our vigorous defense of the State at trial later this month.”

Daily Newscast for Wednesday, July 1, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec71a3e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1485x1485+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F20%2F58%2F541e6e6741a9bf41936eb513de74%2Fnewscast-square.png] Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Wednesday, July 1, 2026. - Arkansas State Police say they’ve arrested a Hot Springs man who allegedly impersonated a law enforcement officer - A candidate seeking a seat on the Little Rock City Board of Directors is facing new scrutiny over his residence - A new study finds the achievement gap between higher- and lower-performing students has been widening significantly over the past two decades - The City of North Little Rock has named a new police chief - A renowned opera singer with ties to Arkansas has died - Arkansas is under a heat advisory through at least July third, and cooling centers are now open across central Arkansas Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's Morning Edition from 6 to 9 a.m., during All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.

Daily Newscast for Tuesday, June 30, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec71a3e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1485x1485+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F20%2F58%2F541e6e6741a9bf41936eb513de74%2Fnewscast-square.png] Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Tuesday, June 30, 2026. - A new lawsuit alleges a cover-up of sexual abuse within the central Arkansas faction of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Starting Wednesday, Arkansans' SNAP recipients cannot use their benefits to buy candy, soft drinks, and other items considered unhealthy by DHS - Arkansas is training several new physicians each year, but many are leaving the state once their training is complete - Entergy Arkansas is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit seeking more information about a planned data center in eastern Arkansas - An Arkansas judge says the state Supreme Court must weigh in if the City of Little Rock wants to keep licensed gun owners from bringing firearms to City Hall - Pulaski County’s head attorney is stepping down - A second candidate has announced their bid to fill a vacancy in the Arkansas Senate Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's Morning Edition from 6 to 9 a.m., during All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.