By Andrew Bagley Publisher After a string of defeats on primary election night in legislative races, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders got a win when Senator Reginald Murdock provided the 18th and decisive vote to her appointment of her former Chief of Staff, Jamie Barker, to the Board of Corrections.  Last week when the Senate convened to confirm appointments, most were approved as routine affairs. However, the appointment of Barker to the Board that will have a huge impact on

Staff Reports HELENA-WEST HELENA — On March 23, 2026, at approximately 7:02 PM, officers responded to Westwood Place in reference to reported gunshots and located an adult male, identified as James Sanders, suffering from a gunshot wound. Life-saving measures were attempted but were unsuccessful.  The Phillips County Coroner later pronounced Mr. Sanders deceased. Detectives responded and, through the course of the investigation, identified the suspect as Ashton Henderson. Lat

A war of words unfolded last week between Elaine Mayor Lisa Hicks-Gilbert and County Judge Clark Hall about 911 service to the City of Elaine, or an alleged lack thereof with Elaine contending that the county dispatch is not dealing with its calls and jeopardizing public safety. Hicks-Gilbert launched the first salvo by issuing a press release on social platforms on March 19.  In the release, Hicks-Gilbert called for state and federal review of the situation and also lamented