Fatal Charter Bus Crash Under Investigation

Fatal Charter Bus Crash Under Investigation

LITTLE ROCK — One child is dead and at least 40 other individuals, most of them children, are reported to be injured, as the result of a bus crash west of Benton early Monday morning.

The injured have been transported to area hospitals in Little Rock and Benton.

The crash was reported to Arkansas State Police about 2:40 a..m, and was located at the 111 mile marker along Interstate 30. Troopers say a charter bus traveling from Dallas, Texas to Memphis, Tennessee left the roadway and overturned. The bus driver is alive and is being questioned by state troopers.

The bus was carrying a youth football team that had played in championship game in Dallas during the weekend. More information will be distributed by the Arkansas State Police later as the investigation continues.

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Gas Prices Continue to Fall Throughout the

Mid-South

LITTLE ROCK — Gasoline prices in Arkansas have fallen 15.0 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.08/gallon yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 1,826 stations in Arkansas. This compares with the national average that has fallen 10.0 cents per gallon versus last week to $2.43/gallon, according to GasBuddy.

Average gasoline prices on December 3 in Arkansas have ranged widely over the last five years: $2.23/gallon in 2017, $1.93/gallon in 2016, $1.85/gallon in 2015, $2.55/gallon in 2014 and $3.05/gallon in 2013.

Including the change locally during the past week, prices yesterday were 11.9 cents per gallon lower than a year ago and are 37.0 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has dropped 31.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 2.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Areas near Arkansas and their current gas price climate: Memphis – $2.17/gallon, down 10.7 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.28/gallon. St. Louis – $2.16/gallon, down 11.3 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.27/gallon. Shreveport – $2.02/gallon, down 5.9 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.08/gallon. “Motorists finally have something to be excited about: gas prices plummeting, with at least one gas station in 27 states offering a gallon of gasoline at $1.99 per gallon or less. The national average stands at its lowest point of 2018 having fallen nearly 50 cents since the start of October, keeping nearly $200 million in the pockets of Americans every single day, acting as an economic stimulus ahead of the holidays,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for Gas-Buddy. “While OPEC will be meeting this week to discuss the possibility of cutting oil production in light of the $25 per barrel drop in prices since October, Americans will likely see falling prices at least for one more week. In addition, the promise of a trade deal with China may boost confidence in the economy, pushing global oil demand back up and driving prices higher. Motorists are encouraged to continue shopping around to find the best deals at the pump and prices under $2 per gallon while they last.”

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Roadhouse Casino Closing, 400 Employees Affected

TUNICA, Mississippi — Caesars Entertainment is folding on one of its two Tunica casino properties.

The company announced Nov. 27 that Tunica Roadhouse Casino will cease gaming operations at the end of January 2019. That decision will affect close to 400 employees.

In October 2018, Tunica Roadhouse had 377 gaming employees and an additional 36 hotel employees, according to the Mississippi Gaming Commission. Caesars plans to keep Tunica Roadhouse’s 135room hotel in operation. The company will provide affected employees with job-search assistance, training, and preference at other Caesars properties.

Of the casinos and gaming venues in the Memphis metro area, Tunica Roadhouse has the smallest amount of gaming space at 31,000 square feet and the fewest number of gaming machines at about 700. Caesars’ remaining Tunica property, Horseshoe Casino & Hotel, has 63,000 square feet of gaming space and more than 1,000 gaming machines.

“After exploring every other viable alternative, we have come to the difficult but necessary conclusion to cease gaming operations at Tunica Roadhouse in an effort to appropriately position our business for the current market opportunity and ensure the long-term viability of our remaining operations in the vicinity,” said Scott Barber, regional president of Caesars Entertainment’s Mid-South Division.

Since 2012, Tunica Roadhouse has seen a nearly 250,000 decline in visitors to the property, dropping from the No. 9 most attended attraction in the Memphis area to No. 14 in 2017, according to Memphis Business Journal research. Gaming employees at Tunica Roadhouse have declined from about 430 in the fourth quarter of 2012 to about 375 in the fourth quarter of this year.