Alexandria Brown

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. delivered his third annual State of the City address Thursday where he announced his plans to improve the quality of life for residents. During his virtual speech, Scott listed ways he plans to rebrand Little Rock through his one-cent sales tax increase and “Rebuild The Rock Experience.”  

Scott began his speech with addressing the hardships the city has endured because of the pandemic. Frontline workers, business owners, and students were invited to tell their stories on how COVID-19 has personally impacted them. 

Although the Arkansas General Assembly didn’t meet last week because of severe winter weather, House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, still commends the amount of progress that the legislature made this week.

While he says the amount of bills that have been filed is down compared to other sessions, he expects those numbers to pick up despite some members contracting the coronavirus earlier in the session.

Arkansas is expected to receive another four to eight inches of snow across the state Wednesday night, forecasters say, but the end is near. Heavy snowfall during the day caused widespread traffic disruptions, including Interstate 40 being closed at times in central and eastern Arkansas because of multi-vehicle accidents.

Meteorologist Dennis Cavanaugh with the National Weather Service says the southern and central part of the state will continue to receive snowfall, but it won’t be as widespread as what has been experienced since Sunday night.

Arkansas utility companies are asking people to conserve electricity usage as the state braces for another round of winter weather. Companies say heavy snowfall and unusually cold temperatures have prompted many consumers to use a substantial amount of natural gas and electricity to stay warm in their homes.

Melody Daniel, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, says lowering thermostats to within the 60 to 65 degree temperature range will help conserve power.

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted officials to encourage people not to travel, causing the cancellation of many vacation plans. But the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism and its partners are urging residents to enjoy some time off while staying in the state.

Tuesday was National Plan for Vacation Day, with officials saying there are plenty of things to do while remaining safe. Tourism is a vital part of the state's economy.

Arkansas is launching two programs that will expand the number of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state. $2 million from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund is going toward providing more than 200 charging stations.

Becky Keogh, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, says the grant will pay for infrastructure and incentivize private and public investments to leverage their funds.

An estimated 443,000 additional Arkansans will be eligible to begin getting vaccinated for the coronavirus next week as the state moves into the next phase of inoculations. This group will include educators and those who are over the age of 70.

But many people are hesitant to get vaccinated because of potential side effects. UAMS said last week that among employees surveyed recently, 30% said they were reluctant to get a vaccine. Some people have also wondered if an employer can require them to get a vaccine.