Arkansas House panel advances gun bill
LITTLE ROCK — A bill that would allow people with a concealed carry license to carry their firearms at Arkansas colleges, some bars and many state buildings if they undergo additional training has advanced out of a House committee.
Republican Rep. Charlie Collins’ bill advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday. Collins says the bill is meant to deter shootings on Arkansas campuses.
Under the measure, people with a concealed carry license
can complete an additional eight hours of training to receive a permit endorsement, which allows them to carry on college campuses and other public buildings. A person with the enhanced permit could also carry in private establishments, like restaurants or bars, unless written notices prohibiting concealed carry at that location are posted.
Courtrooms, prisons and places of worship are exempt.
Crystal Bridges curator departing for California job
BENTONVILLE — The curator at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is leaving the northwest Arkansas museum to take a job in California.
Curator Chad Alligood says he’s accepted a position as chief curator of American art at The Huntington in San Marino, California. Alligood has served in a curatorial role at Crystal Bridges since 2013, and was part of a team that traveled 100,000 miles to put together the museum’s “State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now” exhibition in 2014.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Crystal Bridges will begin a national search soon for a new curator.
Fayetteville school workers on leave after death
FAYETTEVILLE — Officials with Fayetteville Public Schools say five employees have been placed on administrative leave after a 6-year-old boy went missing from a school playground and later died after being found unresponsive in a nearby swimming pool.
Authorities say 6-year-old Adron Benton died at a Little Rock hospital last week after the incident. Fayetteville television station KHOG reported Tuesday that the five employees have been placed on leave.
Officials are still investigating what happened when the boy went missing during recess at Vandergriff Elementary School, but say that a fence will be installed at the school’s playground.
Arkansas House passes juvenile sentencing bill
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas House has passed a bill that would eliminate mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles.
The bill co-sponsored by Republican Rep. Rebecca Petty and Republican Sen. Missy Irvin passed House on an 86-1 vote Tuesday. It’s meant to bring Arkansas’ sentencing standards in line with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that say mandatory life sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional.
The proposal would apply retroactively to juveniles sentenced for offenses committed before their 18th birthday. It would allow minors who were given life-without-parole sentences to be eligible for parole after serving 20 to 30 years in prison, depending on the charges.