Does Martha Shoffner have any friends? Former employees with unhappy tales of their time in her office would be surprised. The tales are mounting. Hurled phones. Employees sent on personal errands with the office credit card, including to fetch meals for her dog. But the core issue is more likely to be along the lines [...]
The day’s not done, but I’ve seen two excellent films at the Little Rock Film Festival. “Muscle Shoals” was a tuneful history of the large and talented personalities behind the recording industry in that seemingly unlikely place. Even better was “Bridegroom,” a love story that I wish somebody would put in the hands of the [...]
I’ll have more on my impressions on this year’s festival tomorrow. In the meantime, here are this year’s prize winners. Oxford American Best Southern Film Award ($ 10,000 prize money): “Bayou Maharajah”Heifer International Social Impact Film Award ($ 10,000 prize money): “These Birds Walk”Golden Rock Narrative Film: “Short Term 12″Golden Rock Documentary Film: “Dirty Wars”Extraordinary [...]
Central Arkansas is blessed with some really good sausage makers. Whether it’s the house made sausages from Hillcrest Artisan Meats, Edwards Food Giant, or straight from the farm, there’s no shortage of really fantastic sausage in the area. To this list of greats, add Travis McConnell, a man with no small amount of experience making [...]
Remember Jon Hubbard, the former Republican legislator from Jonesboro whose views proved too extreme for voters in 2012, though not for the Republican Party of Arkansas? (His self-published book included the observation that slavery had some positive benefits for black people.) His fighting spirit continues, as evidenced in an op-ed this week in the Jonesboro [...]
Local media – especially television news, which greets each new Walmart press release as though it were manna from Heaven – has never had a particularly critical eye when it comes to the behemoth of the retail world. Never is that adulation more in play than during the annual shareholders’ meeting, when thousands of Walmart [...]
Not much new to report this morning. If all goes well, I’m going to catch at least three movies today at the Little Rock Film Festival. But if anyone would like to forward details of the coming charges against state Treasurer Martha Shoffner, you know where to find me. Someone asked about impeachment. Here’s what [...]
Sen. Jason Rapert, author of the patently unconstitutional bill to ban most abortions in Arkansas at the 12th week of pregnancy, took heart yesterday at Judge Susan Webber Wright’s indication that she was inclined to uphold the part of the law that requires women seeking an abortion in the 12th week of pregnancy or later [...]
The line is open. Nothing to say but to add to Lindsey’s endorsement on our podcast this week of the Little Rock Film Festival. At age 7, this event has grown up into a wholly big-time entertainment (and education) plus for the city. We watched “Bayou Maharaja” in the space on Main across from the [...]
The shoe drops. This mug shot of Democratic state Treasurer Martha Shoffner appeared on the Pulaski County sheriff’s office jail intake page late this afternoon. (She looked a little distracted when I saw her looking over the cottage cheese in a case at Kroger’s.) Sorry: I originally called her auditor incorrectly. Shoffner has been under [...]
