State briefs

Unemployment rate dips below 4 percent

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ unemployment rate has dipped back below 4 percent in the final month of 2016.

The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services said Friday that the state’s unemployment rate in December was 3.9 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from November’s numbers. The state’s jobless rate has hovered around 4 percent for the past six months after starting 2016 at 4.4 percent.

The national unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in December.

In Arkansas, seven industry sectors posted job losses in December, but the state says those were mostly seasonal jobs. The biggest losses came in professional and business services and government, while trade, transportation and utilities added 2,300 jobs.

Tornadoes, large hail in forecast for southeast Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK — Stormy weather is in the forecast for parts of southeast Arkansas this weekend.

The National Weather Service says the greatest risk for bad weather is Saturday night and Sunday. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, says southeast Arkansas is at an enhanced risk for severe weather, including many areas in the Delta like Pine Bluff and Lake Village.

Other cities in the enhanced risk area include Jackson, Mississippi; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and Monroe, Louisiana.

Forecasters say the storms could bring very large hail and a few tornadoes, especially in the eastern half of Arkansas. Forecasters say the risk of tornadoes in Arkansas is primarily in areas south of Interstate 40 and east of Interstate 30.

More than 1,200 wildfires reported in Arkansas last year

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas forestry officials say 2016 was a relatively quiet year for wildfires, but the fires still burned nearly 30 square miles in the state.

The Arkansas Forestry Commission says there was a total of 1,248 wildfires last year, and the busiest months were February, March and November. Officials say the top two causes of wildfires in the state were fires unintentionally started by outdoor burning and arson.

State Forester Joe Fox says officials are concerned about wildfire conditions in 2017 because of lingering drought conditions and a build-up of fuel on the ground that’s attributed to several years in a row with low wildfire activity.

Man sentenced for killing horse

FORREST CITY — A Forrest City man charged with fatally shooting a horse pleaded guilty to felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and first-degree criminal mischief.

The Times-Herald reports 19-year-old Brandon Mitchell was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

An affidavit filed in St. Francis County District Court says