Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Thursday, October 8, 2026.
-An audit finds Arkansas failed to meet federal standards for handling child abuse reports
- The Arkansas Legislative Council and Joint Budget Committee’s budget hearings began Tuesday
- State regulators are seeking to take over historic Black cemetery Haven of Rest in Little Rock
- The State Board of Education will allow potential Sherwood school district residents to vote on whether they want to detach from the Pulaski County Special School District
- The mayor of West Memphis estimates a planned Google data center might generate upwards of $20
million in new annual revenue for the city
- Arkansas’ second-highest court has struck down part of the state’s whistleblower protection law
- On Tuesday night, the Fayetteville city council voted unanimously to prohibit the purchase and use of automatic license plate readers
- Officials of the University of Arkansas System are continuing talks for a merger with National Park College
Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.
