Resident News Network

Obituary: Robert White (1953-2025)

Obituaries

-

5:14 pm

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Robert Leslie White Jr., a beloved father, grandfather, brother and friend. Robert was born June 29, 1953, and raised in San Diego California. He enjoyed his career with longtime friend Pete Tarantino in USDA quality control. In 2015 he retired and moved to Waldron Arkansas to be near family.

Robert enjoyed deep sea fishing with his father and brother’s, camping and gemology.

He is survived by his children, Amy Jamieson and Robert L. White, 3rd; his granddaughter Abigail Jamieson.; and his son-n-law, Dale Jamieson. He also leaves behind his loving sisters, Cathy Galloway and his twin sister Jo Anne Swanson; his brothers Richard White and Jim White; and his sister-n-law, Jane White.

He was a loving brother and remembered by many extended family and friends.

He will be greatly missed and forever remembered. We take comfort in the thought that Robert is once again casting a line alongside his beloved father.

And we will see again in the everlasting Kingdom of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

A memorial service celebrating Robert’s life will be held Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel.

State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice

News

Resident News Network

-

10:50 am

0

State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice

LITTLE ROCK – Last year about 173,000 Arkansans spent more than 265 million hours taking care of family members or friends who were suffering from Alzheimer’s. They were not paid for those hours.

Measured another way, that amount of care would have cost $5.4 billion if government or private insurance had paid for it.

An estimated 60,400 people in Arkansas have Alzheimer’s, which represents 11.3 percent of the population older than 65. The deaths of 1,577 people in 2022 can be directly attributed to Alzheimer’s, making it seventh on state Health Department’s list of leading causes of death.

The effect on caregivers can be overwhelming, according to a report presented to the state Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Advisory Council. Almost 70 percent of caregivers have chronic health conditions and more than 30 percent report that they must cope with depression. More than 18 percent of caregivers are themselves in poor physical health.

The Council is composed of private citizens with expertise on the topic, and co-chaired by a senator and a member of the House of Representatives. At a meeting in the Capitol, members reviewed their 2025 annual report.

Providing care to people with Alzheimer’s and dementia is a growing public policy concern for legislators because of its financial cost. For example, last fiscal year the state Medicaid program spent $492 million on care for people with Alzheimer’s. The legislature considered several proposals to improve early diagnosis and treatment, but they were put off because of concerns about their potential fiscal impact.

One measure would have mandated insurance coverage of assessments of the cognitive functions for certain patients. It was still in committee when the legislative session ended.

Another measure would have created income tax credits for the expenses of caregivers, and it also was still in committee when the session ended. The Department of Finance and Administration did a fiscal impact in which it estimated that 13.9 percent of the population of Arkansas provided unpaid care for loved ones.

The fiscal impact suggested amendments to the proposal in order to clarify questions that would certainly arise, such as how to provide tax credits to several different family members who claim a credit for the care of the same person.

A federal pilot project has provided some grant money for respite services that provide relief for caregivers, with about a third of the funding going into rural areas. According to a policy analyst at the Council, making the project into a permanent program would greatly help patients with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

Re-entry Training

Little Rock has received $4 million from the federal government for workforce training of inmates, to better prepare them to be productive after they get out of prison. Some of the money will pay for job training, some will pay the salaries of staff who will run the program and some funding will subsidize the salaries of about 200 inmates who participate.

Training will focus on construction, transportation, hospitality and advanced manufacturing. Every county jail in Arkansas has a stake in the success of the program because prison overcrowding affects the operations of county jails, due to the backup of inmates for whom there is no space in a state prison unit.

Timepiece: Music of a Small Town

Insider

Resident News Network

-

3:50 pm

0

This content is reserved for RESIDENT INSIDER members.

Please login or subscribe to view.

SR Tigers Nonconference Dominance Sets Up Unprecedented Expectations

Insider

Adam Hecox

-

3:48 pm

0

SR Tigers Nonconference Dominance Sets Up Unprecedented Expectations

This content is reserved for RESIDENT INSIDER members.

Please login or subscribe to view.

Center for Food Safety fills gaps in research on hand sanitizers

Featured

Resident News Network

-

3:47 pm

0

Center for Food Safety fills gaps in research on hand sanitizers

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

Hand sanitizers became ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic, but scientists are still finding answers to questions about their efficacy.

While hand sanitizers are considered a reliable alternative to soap and water when hands are not visibly dirty or greasy, the application time of hand sanitizer remained a question, according to a recently published study from researchers with the Arkansas Center for Food Safety, a part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s research arm, the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

Francis Torko, a Ph.D. student and research assistant in the food science department, worked with Kristen Gibson, a professor of food safety and microbiology and director of the center, to put five commercially available foam hand sanitizers to the test. They found that application time made a big difference.

In their evaluation of hand sanitizers with 30 volunteers, tests revealed that those who rubbed their hands with sanitizer until it was dry saw a greater reduction of viruses than those who rubbed their hands for the typical 10 seconds.

Four of the hand sanitizers were alcohol-based, and one had benzalkonium chloride as its active ingredient. Surrogate viruses representing those that cause respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses were applied on the palm area of the volunteers’ hands before the hand sanitizer was used.

The study also supported other research that found product formulation, rather than just active ingredient concentration, impacted product efficacy.

“The study simulated real-world conditions and provides valuable evidence to inform future hand sanitizer practices aimed at maximizing the reduction of infectious viral pathogens on the hands,” said Gibson, who is also the Donald “Buddy” Wray Endowed Chair in Food Safety for the experiment station and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

The study, titled Product formulation and rubbing time impact the inactivation of enveloped and non-enveloped virus surrogates by foam-based hand sanitizers,” was published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology in March.

Torko also presented the results of the study at the 2025 International Association for Food Protection conference in Cleveland.

Filling the gaps

Differences between this study and past research on hand sanitizers include the use of commercially available hand sanitizers, rather than lab-based solutions, and evaluation of the whole palm area of the hand, rather than just the fingers.

The Center for Food Safety study also used direct comparisons between different rubbing times and the volume of sanitizer applied to hands for “enveloped” and “non-enveloped” viruses. Examples of enveloped viruses include those that cause respiratory diseases like influenza and coronaviruses. Non-enveloped viruses include human noroviruses that cause gastrointestinal illnesses.

Enveloped and non-enveloped viruses can potentially be transmitted by contaminated surfaces, according to Gibson.

In environments with high contact rates, such as childcare centers, food establishments, public transport, and gyms, contaminated surfaces and hands play a critical role in pathogen transmission, Torko noted, because hands often make primary contact with pathogen points of entry such as the eyes, mouth and nose.

Formulation factor

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain a minimum of 60 percent alcohol, whereas the World Health Organization recommends 80 percent ethanol or 75 percent isopropanol.

Although most previous studies on hand sanitizer efficacy noted the concentration of active ingredients as a key factor, Torko said the results of their study and other recent publications suggest that the efficacy of hand sanitizers may not solely depend on the concentration of active ingredients but rather on the overall formulation of the product.

For example, studies cited by Torko and Gibson showed there were significant differences between products with similar active ingredient concentrations, as well as a lack of significant differences between products with varying active ingredient concentrations. Two other studies they cited observed that reducing glycerol in hand sanitizers appeared to positively impact the efficacy of the formulations. Glycerol is added to moisturize skin and to slow the evaporation of alcohol, Gibson said.

Results of the Center for Food Safety study showed, for example, that a 63 percent isopropanol demonstrated a higher log reduction than a 70 percent isopropanol product that was formulated differently. These results emphasize that overall product formulation impacts efficacy, not just concentration of active ingredients.

Members of the Arkansas Center for Food Safety seek evidence-based solutions to food safety issues within Arkansas and beyond through research, innovation and collaboration between the public and private sectors. In addition to food safety issues in vegetables and meats, the center also focuses on novel processing technologies, mitigating mycotoxins in grains, and low-moisture food safety challenges.

The hand sanitizer study was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant No. 2020-67017-32427 from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

Scott County Utilizing Enhanced List for Jury Selection

Insider

Resident News Network

-

8:18 pm

0

Scott County Utilizing Enhanced List for Jury Selection

This content is reserved for RESIDENT INSIDER members.

Please login or subscribe to view.

Greenwood’s Inclusive Playground Just $25K Away From Reality

Featured

Resident News Network

-

8:13 pm

0

Greenwood’s Inclusive Playground Just $25K Away From Reality

After two years of fundraising and planning, the Greenwood Adaptive Playground Committee has announced a major update to its design.

The original layout, unveiled in 2023, was a custom build created from a large catalog of equipment. But after meeting with suppliers in July, organizers discovered a stock inclusive playground option that offers the same features as their custom design—at half the cost.

Committee members carefully weighed the change and determined that the new design would not sacrifice accessibility, inclusivity, or fun for children. Instead, it provides a smarter financial path forward.

The switch brings exciting progress: the project is now 95% funded, with only about $25,000 left to raise before breaking ground on Greenwood’s first fully inclusive playground.

“This decision puts us closer than ever to making this dream a reality,” the committee shared. “We’re applying for grants and continuing behind-the-scenes efforts, but community support remains the key to finishing strong.”

The rendering released this week shows the stock playground design. Additional features—including sidewalks, shade structures, benches, picnic tables, and fencing—will be part of the completed site but are not shown in the supplier’s image. A zipline and another row of swings are also planned as part of a Phase 2 expansion.

Organizers encourage the public to stay involved and help push the project across the finish line.

How to Donate:

Online: e.givesmart.com/events/dKy
Venmo: @greenwoodplayground
Farmers Bank account in Greenwood

The Greenwood Adaptive Playground Project is a registered 501(c)(3), making all donations tax-deductible.

Gunner DeLay to Run for Sebastian County Circuit Court Judge

Resident News Network

-

11:58 am

0

Gunner DeLay to Run for Sebastian County Circuit Court Judge

FORT SMITH, Ark. (September 16, 2025) – Judge Gunner DeLay has announced he will seek a second term for Sebastian County Circuit Court in the upcoming primary election scheduled for March 3, 2026. DeLay stated his reason for running for re-election is simple – “the people of Sebastian County want and deserve an experienced, trusted, conservative judge handling the important matters that come before the court.”

DeLay has over 37 years of legal, judicial, and legislative experience making him well qualified to serve as Circuit Judge. His record of public service includes serving eight years in the Arkansas Legislature as a Republican State Representative and State Senator, a two-year term as Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney, serving as a member of the Sebastian County Election Commission, and being appointed as a Fort Smith District Court Judge before taking the bench as a Circuit Judge in 2019.

“During my time as a legislator, I obtained the funding to start the first drug court program in Sebastian County,” DeLay said. “As a Prosecuting Attorney and Circuit Judge, I have seen how that program has changed and impacted lives making our community safer and more productive.” As Prosecuting Attorney, DeLay tried multiple felony cases, including a capital murder case. As Circuit Judge, DeLay handles 30% of the civil cases, and 50% of the criminal cases filed in Sebastian County. He has presided over jury trials involving medical malpractice claims, property and contractual disputes, and serious felony cases.

Statistics provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts show DeLay’s office is one of the most diligent in the state. In 2024, his office exceeded the stateaverage for timely disposition of both civil and criminal cases. “That means we are doing the work taxpayers expect us to do. Last year alone, my court disposed of 1,758 cases,” commented DeLay.

DeLay has also served as Chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee, which helped save taxpayers millions of dollars. He explained, “the committee adopted several policies that kept our jail population at a manageable number, which meant we did not have to ask the voters for a tax increase to build a larger jail facility.”

Educating young people about the judicial branch of government is a top priority for DeLay. Each spring, local fourth grade classes visit his courtroom to learn how a jury trial works, as well as ask questions about the law. “This program gives these students a better understanding of the law, and an appreciation for our judicial system,” he remarked.

The judicial role models DeLay most closely aligns himself with are U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. “I am a strong believer in judicial restraint when it comes to interpreting statutes and the constitution. The original intent of the framers should be our guiding light.

Unfortunately, there are judges who want to impose their political ideology from the bench,” DeLay commented. “That type of judicial activism undermines the credibility of the courts.”

“It has been my great pleasure to serve as Sebastian County Circuit Judge. I am blessed to go to work each day getting to do a job I love and enjoy so much,” said DeLay.

DeLay is a member of the National Rifle Association and the Federalist Society.

He has been married to his wife Robin for 40 years, and they have four children and four grandchildren. He attends First Baptist Church where he teaches a class of newly married couples, and also teaches a mid-week Bible Study at Christ the King Catholic Church.