Anti-trans law could block Hogs’ bid to host NCAA sporting events

FAYETTEVILLE — With the Coach Dave Van Horn’s 26-5 Razorbacks baseball team ranked No. 1 nationally and Coach Courtney Deifel’s 33-5 Razorbacks women’s softball team ranked No. 10 nationally, the UA has put in bids for each to host NCAA Regional Tournaments.

However Arkansas’ state legislature passed a statewide law banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports simultaneous to the NCAA taking public heat for not matching equal weight- training facilities at the San Antonio sites for the NCAAWomen’s Basketball Tournament as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament sites in Indianapolis.

Arkansas Idaho Mississippi and Tennessee have passed laws banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports opening questions regarding possible discrimination.

“We are committed to ensuring that NCAA championships are open for all who earn the right to compete in them,” the Board of Governors was quoted in a statement regarding NCAA bids in general. “When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected.

“We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants.”

Joe Steinmetz, the Chancellor of the University of Arkansas’ Fayetteville campus, in a statement said, “As an educational institution, the University of Arkansas continually strives to make the world a better place through inquiry, discovery, learning. It should be evident that we stand firm against, and prohibit, all forms of discrimination and harassment, and as such, have concerns about recent legislation that has impacts on the LGBTQ community. These policies affect our campus community and can be hurtful to many. We believe that the world is better when we work together, care for one another, and intentionally seek to lift one another, so that all feel a sense of belonging.”

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Crashes claim lives in Northeast Arkansas over deadly weekend

NEWPORT — A Jonesboro man died and two others were injured following a Friday afternoon wreck in Sharp

County. Brian Day, 67, was driving northbound on Cave City’s North Main Street when he “crossed the center line and collided head on with V1 (Vehicle No. 1),” according to the Arkansas State Police preliminary crash summary.

Day perished and his passenger Debra Day, 57, of Cherokee Village, was injured. Sarah Estes, 45, of Ash Flat, who was a passenger in the opposing vehicle, was also hospitalized at the UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock.

An Evening Shade man reportedly also perished Friday in a one-vehicle crash in Izard County.

The vehicle Michael Moore was driving veered right off Zion Road and struck a tree on its passenger side, ASP indicated. Moore, 57, drove through a fence before the driver’s side of the vehicle struck a tree and ultimately stopped against a tree.

Moore was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

A one-vehicle accident on Sunday afternoon at Strawberry resulted in the death of a juvenile, according to the fatal crash summary released by the ASP.

The vehicle was traveling eastbound on Highway 230 at 1:54 p.m. when it crossed the center line and left the roadway on the westbound side. According

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to Cpl. Phillip Roark, the vehicle then overturned two times before coming to final rest upright on the westbound side of the roadway.

The report states that a female minor passenger died as a result of the accident, and a second female minor passenger was transported to Arkansas Children’s Hospital with injuries.

Three medical helicopters were dispatched to the scene. Also injured were the driver of the vehicle, Travis Dutton, 30, of Walnut Ridge, and passenger, Garah Braden, 27, also of Walnut Ridge. They were transported to The Med in Memphis.

Also on Sunday a crash claimed the life of Jennifer M. Goforth, 44, of Searcy.

She was operating a 2016 Harley Davidson headed east on Arkansas Highway 36 in White County when she collided with a westbound 2007 Nissan.

The crash happened at 6:10 p.m. Weather conditions were clear and road conditions

were dry according to

the ASP report.

Also in White County on Sunday, Jackie D. Junior, 66, of El Paso, died after the 2000 Harley Davidson he was riding northbound on State Highway 5 ran off the road and struck an embankment. That crash happened at 6:47 p.m.

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LITTLE ROCK — The urgency of getting vaccines out to Arkansas residents, and addressing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine issues, were the focus of Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s weekly COVID-19 update and news conference held Tuesday.

Arkansas and other states are temporarily stopping the administration of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine while a federal review is being conducted.

And while the Arkansas Department of Health says vaccination clinics with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are canceled, clinics offering the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines continue as planned.

A free Moderna COVID-19 vaccine walk-in clinic for anyone age 18 or older has been scheduled for April 17, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Paragould Community Center.

Other area clinics scheduled include one today at Shady Grove Baptist Church, 85 West Front St., in Parkin from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. One Tuesday, April 20, at the McCrory Civic Center-The Warehouse, 103 North Edmonds Ave., in McCrory from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. St. Bernards Healthcare in Jonesboro has announced it will have walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations open to all Northeast Arkansas residents from 9 a.m.-noon on April 23 and April 29. A drive-through Covid Vaccine Clinic has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 27, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at George Kell Park, Fairgrounds Road, in Newport. A vaccine clinic also is set for April 28 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Dondie’s Parking Lot, 203 East Curran St., in Des Arc.

“We respect the CDC decision and the White House recommendation on a short pause and we will follow that in Arkansas,” Hutchinson said, regarding Johnson & Johnson vaccines on Tuesday. “We will continue our vaccination program uninterrupted. It continues at a rapid pace, and no one should delay getting a vaccination because of the pause on one part of the vaccination.

We have the supply, currently on hand in Arkansas to meet the demand needs of our state.”