State Digest

Arkansas House hopeful: Replace ancestor's Capitol statue

LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A Democrat running for a congressional seat in Arkansas says a statue of his great-great grandfather should be removed from the U.S. Capitol, condemning his ancestor's statement that the South looked to the Democratic Party to preserve "white standards."

Democrat Clarke Tucker wrote in a column published by the Arkansas Times Wednesday he thinks the Legislature should replace Arkansas' two statues at the Capitol, including that of his ancestor, James P. Clarke. Clarke was a former governor and U.S. senator in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Tucker is challenging Republican Rep. French Hill in Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District, which includes Little Rock and seven central Arkansas counties.

A Republican state senator last month said he planned to call for replacing the statues next year.

Entergy crews to head to Georgia to help restore power

LITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas energy company says it will send relief crews to Georgia in the coming days to assist any areas which lose power in Hurricane Michael, which made landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm.

Entergy Arkansas spokeswoman Kerri Jackson Case said Wednesday that 75 crew members, including line workers and support crews, will arrive Thursday and will be available to assist Georgia Power restore electricity.

Case says Entergy and Georgia Power are part of a nationwide mutual-assistance agreement in which one company can request assistance during a natural disaster.

Crews have been told to pack for two weeks, but Case says their continued presence will be determined by Georgia Power's needs. Case says Michael's affect is projected to be "widespread and catastrophic."

Arkansas governor holding town halls around state

LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas' governor is holding a series of public town halls around the state to talk about his proposals for next year's legislative session, including a plan to reorganize state agencies and an effort to cut taxes.

Hutchinson's office on Wednesday said the town halls would begin with an event Monday at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Hutchinson also plans town halls later this month in Jonesboro, Hot Springs, Fort Smith and northwest Arkansas.

Hutchinson last week proposed an agency reorganization that would cut the number of cabinet-level agencies from 42 to 15.

Hutchinson is a Republican who was first elected in 2014. He's running for re-election next month against Democratic challenger Jared Henderson.