NOT A SUBSCRIBER? SIGN UP TODAY FOR ACCESS TO ALL OF HAWGBEAT’S PREMIUM CONTENT AND FEATURES

Arkansas basketball fans have voiced their displeasure with officiating pretty regularly throughout the season so far. Razorback head coach Eric Musselman has been crafty with his criticism, hiding his opinions through veiled statements of astonishment.

“I can’t recall a home game that I’ve ever coached that an opposing team had 36 free throws attempted,” Musselman said after the Alabama loss in Bud Walton Arena on January 11th.

Later in the press conference he added: “We went to the foul line five times in the second half in a really physical game. So, you know. But it’s been that way since league started, so we’ve got to try and play through it.”

While it may seem like Arkansas is getting an unfair shake, is that actually reality? To be clear, this is not about any one game or specifically responding to Musselman’s comments from that particular game. Rather, this is a question I attempt to answer based on the entirety of the season.

So far this season, the Razorbacks are shooting 22.0 free throws per game, which ranks 27th nationally. Arkansas is putting opponents on the line for an average of 20.9 free throw attempts per game, as well, giving teams plenty of opportunities at the charity stripe. So at face-value, barely one attempt is separating the Razorbacks and their opponents from the line per game. Granted, that is with zero context and zero additional, necessary data.

On the season, Arkansas has shot more free throws than its opponent 12 times so far. Four of those were in conference play (Texas A&M, Ole Miss, @ Missouri, @ Auburn) with the only loss coming against Auburn. In the eight games where the Razorbacks shot more free throws than their opponent in the non-conference, they went 8-0.

Officials aren’t treating Arkansas any differently or officiating them any harsher than normal or than other teams.

The Razorbacks are still getting to the free throw line, and when they defend without fouling, especially shooters, there is no free throw discrepancy. When there is, it’s normally in Arkansas’ favor. Foul counts are typically even. Arkansas’ free throw attempts are high. There’s a pattern of Arkansas fouling more in the second half. It’s not unfair – it’s fixable.

For starters I think it’s relevant to ask: in the losses where Arkansas shot fewer free throws than its opponents, was it because of how the game played out as a whole, or more so the final stretch?

Creighton:

The first loss of the season saw the Razorbacks fall in Maui to the Creighton Bluejays 90-87. The Bluejays shot 29 free throws to Arkansas’ 17. A whopping ten of Creighton’s free throw attempts came in the final 0:37 of the game, eight of those with Arkansas fouling and putting them on the line to extend the game. The Bluejays ultimately iced the game hitting seven of those ten free throws.

In terms of foul calls in general, Arkansas was called for 22 fouls while Creighton was called for 16. Again, five of those were in the final seconds of the game. Additionally, Creighton has demonstrated throughout the season that they can defend without fouling and also don’t put opposing teams at the charity stripe.

So far this season, the Bluejays rank first nationally for fewest fouls per game with 13.0. They also come in second for free throw attempts allowed per game (11.2) and free throw makes allowed (8.0).

Creighton was in the bonus (after the sixth Arkansas foul) with 15:09 to go in the game, though Arkansas didn’t enter the bonus until 5:16 remaining. Does that seem lopsided? Of course it does. I’ll touch on the second half bonus later.

Ultimately, Arkansas shot 11 second half free throws to Creighton’s 28.

LSU:

The loss to LSU in Baton Rouge was a rough one for Arkansas for a multitude of reasons. The Tigers have been trending in the wrong direction since this game and are now at the bottom of the SEC, making the loss a Quad 3 loss on the Razorbacks’ NCAA Tournament resume. Free throws and officiating didn’t really affect this game at all.

Arkansas shot just two fewer free throws than LSU — 10 to the Tigers’ 12 — and both teams shot a porous 50%. Total fouls were essentially a wash, too, with Arkansas called for 14 to LSU’s 13.

Alabama:

For one, Alabama does play a style of basketball that warrants a great deal of free throw attempts. They rank seventh nationally with 24.7 free throw attempts per game and fifth nationally with 17.8 makes at the charity stripe per game. The 23 free throw attempts by Arkansas exceeds its season average and is over three more than the 19.7 attempts per game the Crimson Tide allow.

Four of these free throw attempts came with under 0:38 remaining in the game, and Alabama made all of them. Arkansas picked up its sixth foul of the second half with 12:51 remaining, while Alabama picked up its sixth foul with 6:58 to go.

The Crimson Tide shot 17 second half free throws, making 14 compared to Arkansas’ five. Over the course of the entire game, Arkansas committed 12 shooting fouls, while Alabama just committed seven. That alone will cause a disparity in free throw attempts, especially with the number of fouls essentially being the same.

Vanderbilt:

The Commodores typically do not get to the free throw line, shooting just 17.9 attempts per game, and they also do not defend without fouling exceptionally well, averaging 17.0 personal fouls per game.

Vanderbilt shot 36 free throws to Arkansas’ 24 in Nashville. There was a stretch in the first half where the Razorbacks actually shot seven consecutive free throws with 0:49 remaining. Arkansas knocked down five of the seven and eventually held a 42-34 lead at halftime. The Razorbacks took a double-digit lead in the second half before falling to Vandy by 13.

Arkansas shot 14 first half free throws compared to Vanderbilt’s 13, but had it not been for the flagrant and technical foul situation, the Razorbacks would’ve been at eight or so first half attempts. Regardless, in the second half, Arkansas shot 10 free throws to the Commodores’ 23.

Again, at least six of these attempts came at the end with Arkansas attempting to extend the game. Even removing those, what led Vanderbilt to shooting 30+ free throws over the course of the game?

In this game, the shooting foul disparity was actually in favor of the Razorbacks, with the Commodores committing 12 shooting fouls to Arkansas’ nine. The Razorbacks picked up their sixth foul with 8:02 remaining in the game, while Vanderbilt picked up their sixth foul with 3:43 remaining.

Regardless of foul counts or free throw attempts in this game, Vanderbilt was significantly better from the field, from behind the arc and from the free throw line than Arkansas, and any minor free throw attempt disparity would not have changed the outcome, most likely. But, we do see again a second half free throw disparity in favor of the opposition.

Missouri:

Another game where Arkansas led in the second half before ultimately losing. The Razorbacks held a 10-point lead with just 5:52 remaining in the game before falling, 79-76. The free throw count? 40 to 26 in favor of the Tigers.

On the season, Missouri commits 19.0 fouls per game but only gets to the free throw line an average of 19.2 times. Neither of those are great numbers nationally, yet the Tigers somehow managed to find success getting to the charity stripe against the Razorbacks.

Eight of Missouri’s 40 free throws came in the final 30 seconds as Arkansas tried to extend the close game. The Tigers shot 28 second half free throws to Arkansas’ 14.

Missouri picked up its sixth foul with 13:51 remaining in the second half, compared to Arkansas committing its sixth foul with 9:57 to go in the game. For once, Arkansas was actually in the bonus before its opponent in the second half. The Razorbacks also committed 13 shooting fouls to Missouri’s seven.

Between extending the game because of a narrow deficit and nearly doubling the Tiger’s number of shooting fouls, the free throw discrepancy here seems pretty valid.

Baylor:

Arkansas played a great game on the road in Waco, and despite of a valiant effort, still came away with a loss. Fans were quick to take to Twitter talking about officiating and the free throw disparity, but let’s look at that game just as we have all the others.

Baylor ranks 15th nationally with 23.0 free throw attempts per game and 10th nationally with 17.3 free throw makes per game. The Bears foul a decent amount with 17.8 fouls per game and allow 18.4 free throw attempts per game. Against Arkansas, they committed 19 fouls and put Arkansas on the line 11 times. The Razorbacks, on the other hand, committed 24 fouls and put the Bears on the line 24 times.

Again, six of Baylor’s free throws came in the final 30 seconds of the game as Arkansas tried to extend the game. They made five of six. The Bears shot 15 second half free throws to Arkansas’ four. The Razorbacks picked up their sixth foul with 14:38 remaining in the second half; the Bears picked up their sixth with 0:37 remaining. Arkansas committed seven shooting fouls to Baylor’s six.

The free throw attempt numbers are again inflated because of extending the game. If it weren’t for those three fouls and six free throw attempts, the foul total is almost even and the free throws are separated by just seven.

Now that I’ve angered you enough for looking at the losses, has it been the same in victories, too?

South Dakota State: Arkansas shot 15 free throws compared to SDSU’s 20, while the Jackrabbits were +4 in second half free throw attempts.

Louisville: Arkansas shot 19 free throws compared to Louisville’s 19, while the Cardinals were +1 in second half free throw attempts.

LSU: Arkansas shot 12 free throws compared to LSU’s 16, while the Tigers were -3 in second half free throw attempts.

I only make a brief mention of those games for a few reasons: (1) the teams Arkansas beat in these matchups were not good, (2) there are only three instances where the Razorbacks shot fewer free throws than their opponent and won, so at this point it is more of an anomaly than something to track, and (3) the games were so lopsided it wouldn’t have really mattered anyway.

What about games where Arkansas shot more free throws and won? Are the characteristics that set up their losses in games they shot fewer free throws rectified and inverted?

San Diego State:

Still on paper the biggest win of the year for Arkansas, the Razorbacks closed the Maui Invitational with a bang, defeating the Aztecs in overtime 78-74. On the season, San Diego State is fouling just 16.7 times per game and allowing opponents to shoot just 16.0 free throw attempts per game. Arkansas shot 38 free throws to the Aztecs 23 in this matchup.

Four of the Razorbacks’ free throws were a result of the Aztecs extending the game in overtime, where Arkansas made three of four. Arkansas shot 22 second half free throws to San Diego State’s ten.

The Aztecs picked up their sixth foul with 9:12 to go in the game, while Arkansas committed their sixth foul with 8:07 remaining in the second half. Arkansas committed just six shooting fouls compared to San Diego State’s 13.

UNC Greensboro:

A tightly contested matchup and the game where Trevon Brazile was injured, Arkansas relied heavily on its ability to get to the free throw line to seal this victory.

UNC-Greensboro fouls a decent amount with 17.1 fouls per game, and they also put teams on the line for 17.0 free throw attempts per game. Arkansas shot 33 free throws to Greensboro’s 11.

Four of the Razorbacks’ free throw attempts came at the end as Greensboro tried to extend the game, and Arkansas made all four. Arkansas shot 27 second half free throws to the Spartans’ four.

Greensboro picked up its sixth foul with 11:51 to go in the second half, while Arkansas picked up its sixth foul with 3:45 to go. Arkansas committed seven shooting fouls to the Trojans’ seven.

Oklahoma:

After getting manhandled last season, the Razorbacks went into Tulsa looking for revenge and found it this season. Arkansas beat the Sooners 88-78, but the game did not seem that close.

The Sooners are one of the best teams in the country at defending without fouling, only committing 15.3 per game, and allowing a modest 16.9 free throw attempts per game. In this year’s matchup, the Razorbacks shot 19 free throws to Oklahoma’s nine.

Oklahoma didn’t try to extend the game. The second half free throw total was fairly even, with 10 for Oklahoma and nine for Arkansas. The Razorbacks picked up their sixth foul with 6:15 to go in the game, while the Sooners picked up their sixth with 3:39 to go. Oklahoma committed six shooting fouls to Arkansas’ three.

What to take away:

The goal here was to provide more context and as much data as possible to allow readers to draw their own conclusions. Obviously while watching a game live, fans are less likely to be objective or willing to accept calls. Emotions get in the way of things and opinions are formed based on feeling and impulse. There’s nothing wrong with that.

I’m also not naive enough to think this provides full context. That would take much more research and analysis, which maybe I can provide at a future date.

Does Arkansas put teams on the free throw line a lot? Yes.

Are some of those bad calls? Sure.

Is Arkansas being unfairly officiated? Not at all.

The areas fans seem to scream up and down about on social media as being unfair towards the Razorbacks are the exact areas those same fans are silent about when it benefits the Hogs.

Overall, it seems like Arkansas needs to get better in a few areas: (1) coming out of halftime not being overly aggressive, (2) not committing as many shooting fouls, and (3) when driving, try to finish the shot rather than just seeking out contact for a foul call.

It is pretty consistent this season that Arkansas allows teams in the bonus early. It’s happened all season across wins and losses. That says more about the aggressive nature of the team to me than anything.

Fouling shooters is an easy way to get your team in foul trouble and put teams on the free throw line. It really is that simple.

For the most part Arkansas does a great job of getting to the free throw line – it’s 25th nationally in attempts per game – yet fans want or expect more. Some of that may be justified, I suppose, and if there’s really an area to improve it’s to go up at the rim trying to make the shot first.

For comparison’s sake, here is where this year’s team ranks with other Musselman-era Razorback teams:

Fouls and Free Throws under Musselman

*season not yet completed

**JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH ARKANSAS FANS ON THE TROUGH, HAWGBEAT’S PREMIUM MESSAGE BOARD**

Sixty-one residents of southern Arkansas were arrested this week on various drug-related charges, the 13th Judicial Drug Task Force said Tuesday.

According to a press release, the DTF works with the Union, Ouachita, Dallas, Columbia and Calhoun County Sheriff’s Offices; El Dorado, Smackover, Magnolia, Camden, Bearden, Fordyce, and Hampton Police Departments; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the arrests between January 23 and 30.

Officer Jonathan Messer, director of the DTF, said the agencies’ investigation began in November.

“The last three days of that have been sort of a takedown part of it, if you will. It actually started on November 1st. We basically just built cases, bought drugs,” Messer said, referring to covert drug purchases. “Some of these things came from traffic stops.”

Messer declined to share details of the investigation, saying the arrests were spread across all counties in the 13th judicial circuit. He directed the News-Times to District Attorney Jeff Rogers for details on which Union County individuals were arrested, but Rogers did not return a call regarding the arrests as of Tuesday’s press time.

As of Jan. 23, law enforcement agencies involved in the drug bust were executing multiple search and arrest warrants across the district, according to the press release. During the searches, police seized 1,011 grams of methamphetamine; 218.8 grams of crack cocaine; 79 grams of cocaine powder; 2,610.4 grams of marijuana; 829 different pills; $28,342.65 cash; a vehicle; and 52 firearms.

Messer said those arrested face charges ranging from supplying and possessing narcotics and possession with intent to supply, to maintaining a drug premises, possession of drug paraphernalia and simultaneous possession of narcotics and firearms.

“Most of them were crimes, it’s safe to say that,” Messer said.

Last week’s operation follows another recent drug raid conducted by the DTF in conjunction with the El Dorado Police Department and the Union County Sheriff’s Office. On January 3, six local residents were arrested on drug charges ranging from misdemeanor to felonies after police searched three homes in the city. Messer said those arrests were included in the count of that operation.

Messer said it’s important to the community for law enforcement to work together across the district, noting that crime often crosses county lines.

“It’s not just our big areas, it’s our rural areas that have the same problems. There are drug problems in all counties and we’re just trying to fix them,” he said.

Drugs, guns and cash were seized this week by the 13th Circuit Drugs Task Force and other local law enforcement agencies. (Courtesy of the 13th Judicial Drug Task Force/Special to the News-Times)

The Arkansas House on Wednesday passed a bill barring transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice in a public school.

House Bill 1156 would require public schools and public charter schools with open enrollment to prevent people from using a toilet that does not match the gender listed on their birth certificate. The bill applies to places in schools where people are close to others “in various stages of undressing,” including toilets, locker rooms, locker rooms and multi-person shower rooms.

The bill met with opposition from parents of transgender students and activists, who called it discriminatory. Supporters praised the law, saying it protects children and protects school districts from having to enact similar policies that could open them to lawsuits.

The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 80 to 10, with five members present voting. The bill will go to the Senate for consideration.

“Our schools just have to have a policy where boys go in the boys’ room and girls go in the girls’ room,” said Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, the sponsor of the bill.

For proponents, the bill aims to protect the privacy and convenience of those sharing bathrooms during school hours. The bill also requires schools to provide “reasonable accommodations” such as a private bathroom or changing area for those who are uncomfortable in a multi-person bathroom. Students traveling on school-sponsored overnight trips are also prohibited from “sharing dormitories with a member of the opposite sex” unless it is an immediate family member.

The bill is also seen as an attack on transgender students, parents of transgender children and activists to lawmakers during last week’s hearing on the bill for the gender listed on their birth certificates.

“All it will do is demonize trans kids, make them feel less safe in school, and make their lives even more difficult than they already are,” said Eric Reece, principal the Human Rights Campaign in the state of Arkansas, an LGBTQ citizens’ initiative. rights group, in a statement. “Schools should be safe and welcoming places for all children. The Arkansas Senate should refuse to send this bill to the governor’s desk.”

[DOCUMENT: Read House Bill 1156 » arkansasonline.com/202hb1156/]

House Minority Leader Tippi McCullough called the bill a distraction and said the legislature should focus on improving education in the state and not seek to force teachers and school leaders to enforce new bathroom regulations.

“Rather than focusing on keeping our schools on track, principals, principals and teachers need to focus on how to keep their bathrooms tidy,” said McCullough, a Little Rock Democrat.

Bentley claimed teachers and principals could enforce the toilet rule through their personal relationships with students. McCullough, a former teacher, responded by saying that even in the smallest school, teachers rarely know each student personally.

Schools would also be prohibited from adopting a bathroom policy that contradicts the one outlined in the bill. Superintendents, directors and teachers may be subject to a minimum fine of $1,000 and possible further disciplinary action from the Professional Licensure Standards Board for not complying with the law.

Rep. Cindy Crawford, R-Fort Smith, said the bill would help protect school districts that enact similar bathroom guidelines from lawsuits. In October, the Conway School Board passed a similar policy for bathrooms, which drew vocal opposition and prompted Bentley to introduce their law.

“It’s our job as adults to set boundaries,” Crawford said. “It’s our job as legislators to legislate to protect our children, so schools aren’t afraid of being sued for having toilet policies the way they’ve been since inception — male and female.”

If it becomes law, House Bill 1156 will likely go to court. Bentley said her bill will stand up to legal scrutiny and said the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a similar law in Florida. Sarah Everett, policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, said the legality of the bill is not clear because the Fourth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeals have come to “opposite conclusions.”

“If that happens, we’ll know what’s going to happen, and it won’t have anything to do with bathrooms,” McCullough said. “Somebody’s going to sue, it’s blocked, one day we’ll look it up and see that Arkansas taxpayers paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.”

Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, looks at the final voting results for House Bill 1156 during Wednesday’s House session at the State Capitol in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)

Thursday’s next bout of freezing weather could stress trees, causing them to snap or fall over.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – We’ve seen that in this winter weather, and it could get worse this next round of storms.

Freezing rain could damage trees and power lines. It’s already happening here in Arkansas.

Eventually, as more ice accumulates on tree branches, they become heavy enough to snap if they fall onto roads, power lines, or even buildings.

Capital City Tree Service has been busy making sure trees don’t fall on homes when the ice was seen in Arkansas this week. Emergency services removed a fallen tree from a house on Tuesday morning.

“It had been weighted down with ice, causing it to break at the roots,” said Matt Shaw, general manager of the Capital City Tree Service.

Shaw said annual inspections and property maintenance are a must to ensure this doesn’t happen when inclement weather hits.

“Have a pro come out, make sure you’re in good shape,” Shaw said. “Just because a tree is green doesn’t mean it’s healthy.”

The company tries to make its workers safer when cutting down trees.

They have a new machine called the Merlo that cuts and removes the tree without a person climbing on it.

The company offers free inspection and relocation services.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark — Hundreds of Summit Utilities customers have seen their gas bills skyrocket, leaving some Arkansas residents frustrated and calling for answers. Arkansas leaders like Attorney General Tim Griffin responded to the concern after his office received hundreds of complaints.

Griffin said his office has received 650 calls and emails since last week about high energy bills from Summit Utilities. Griffin said on Facebook he’s heard from some customers that they were being overcharged due to a bug in Summit’s billing system.

Attorney General Tim Griffin deals with inflated energy bills from Summit Utilities

“She was one [Summit] from CenterPoint, so they’re migrating their computer system, they’ve sent out some estimated bills, and maybe that’s what caused the different billing levels,” Griffin said.

Brian Bowen, senior director of external affairs at Summit Utilities, said the data processing issue is no longer an issue.

“The data processing issue that some of our customers may have seen is a result of a transition from the acquisition of Summit and CenterPoint Energy. In November, we began migrating our billing from CenterPoint to Summit, and on January 11, as part of our Faze In, we went live with a valued feature,” said Bowen. “When we activated this feature, we had meter pools that were not transferred to the new system. We identified and fixed this problem.”

Bowen added that anyone who has received an estimated bill will receive a corrected bill within the next day or more. However, Bowen said most of her customers should see a “slight reduction in their bill” as there will be “about a 4% variance”.

Customers report high gas bills at Summit Utilities, company says natural gas price is rising

Bowen said the real problem affecting her customers’ bills is gas costs.

“The only factor contributing to the increase in customer bills is gas costs, commodity gas costs have quadrupled nationwide recently,” Bowen said.

Bowen said Summit buys gas and passes it on to the customer, and the company can’t make a profit from it.

Bowen also said the reason the gas price rose was due to outside companies.

“We’ve seen significant winter storms, so demand has increased, and the war in Ukraine has also had a significant impact on gas prices,” Bowen said.

Electricity and water will be turned off again in the Big Country Chateau Apartments; Tenants fear eviction

Griffin said he spoke to Summit Utilities CEO Kurt Adams about it.

“Summit Utilities has spoken about the recent rise in gas prices, which I understand is that prices are going up and prices are going down. But the question is does that fully explain all those climbs, and that’s what I’m investigating,” Griffin said.

Griffin added that he spoke to Summit about what they could do to find more reasons why the spike was being caused.

“I’m going to take 10 sample bills and look at the increase and have my reps call their people at Summit and we’re going to really get into the details and figure out bill by bill what explains the increase,” Greif said.

Griffin said he’s also following up other questions about the bills increase.

“At the end of the day I’m focused on why the bill increases for some people and not others because you’d think if it was just a function of rising prices everyone would have higher bills in general and it’s not like that the case,” Griffin said.

Ricky Lindley said his January bill was just over $200, which he said was more than his usual amount. He hopes the state will investigate further into the cause of the increase as it hurts his wallet.

“I’m on National Security on a regular income, I’m 58 years old and I would never have dreamed of seeing a gas bill higher than my electric bill; it was less and less,” Lindley said.

Capitol View: Beginning of the Arkansas legislature, several bills tabled

Bowen said that alongside customers turning down their meters to save energy, there are utility programs customers can use to get help paying their bills.

Griffin said he would have further discussions with Summit about increasing the bills and they would provide updates.

Educators have become more flexible and students continue to learn through AMI (Alternative Method of Instruction) days.

SPRINGDALE, Ark. – During this week of winter weather in Arkansas, many schools in the area have closed and are embracing so-called “AMI days.” But what exactly are these?

JB Hunt Elementary School in Springdale is usually packed with students, but on snowy days like today, it’s empty. However, educators have become more flexible and students continue to learn through AMI (Alternative Method of Instruction) days.

“We created a situation where there is some flexibility so they can thrive no matter what setting they are in,” said Leah Padilla, the principal of Janie Darr Elementary at Rogers.

She says while their focus is on literacy and math, they send students flexible classes home on snow days.

“It’s not just sitting on a pencil and paper or on a computer, we’re trying to create situations where they have to apply those essential standards in real life.”

While some observe the state of matter outside, other students use the weather in other ways.

Lauren Crespin is both a teacher and a parent in Springdale, but still chose to take her two children on a sledding break at JB Hunt Park. “Just remember to take breaks in your day,” Crespin said. “Keep calm. We don’t expect you to come out like a master’s thesis after AMI.”

She says her circumstances as a teacher and her husband’s home have helped, but that she empathizes with other parents.

“They don’t get paid extra because they have to stay at home and be teachers. So I really feel for those people, especially in these times, you know, when we have to miss three or four days in a row.”

That’s one of the reasons Fayetteville’s Assistant Superintendent Joy Shirley says they send packages home. “We know we need to meet families and students where they are,” Shirley said.

Schools are already announcing AMI days and closures for Tuesday. Check out this creative idea from my son’s school…

Posted by 5NEWS Erika Thomas on Monday 30th January 2023

But ultimately, these AMI days are designed to help continue a child’s learning and hopefully keep their summer plans intact.

“If we missed something, we have to make up for it. And we need to think about when is the actual time for quality teaching.”

While many are at home enjoying their snow days, both educators and parents agree that they look forward to seeing students back on campus once all the ice has melted.

Follow 5NEWS on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | youtube

Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:

Stream 5NEWS around the clock in the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device

To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and indicate which story you are referring to.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — State officials in Arkansas say keeping roads clear is their top priority as the state prepares for a third round of ice storms while still recovering from the first two.

Tuesday night’s winter storm blanketed streets in eastern Arkansas with a thick layer of ice.

Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesman Dave Parker said they have been preparing for the storm since Sunday. “We have pre-treated. Then systems came through. We had to deal with that. Then we pretreated and went back and plowed whenever we could.”

Parker says hundreds of crews in eastern Arkansas are working to clear the roads, but there are still some slippery spots, particularly on bridges and underpasses.

“Ice is extremely difficult to deal with. It’s not like you can plow it away. It takes time for the chemicals used to kick in and allow us to plow something.”

Parker says the state has enough supplies and manpower, but they want to make sure all resources are allocated appropriately. “We use the really abrasive calcium chloride rock salt on these bridges and overpasses, but if we can keep the 40 and 55 moving reasonably well, that’s a win for us.”

ArDOT says they encourage everyone to stay off the streets as much as possible.

Close modal

Suggest a correction

Suggest a correction

Sunrise anchor and reporter

Arkansas road crews want drivers to stay off the roads

Updated 05:53 CST February 1, 2023

Hide transcript Show transcript

THE WINTER MIX TO MOVE IN. AND SAFE ENOUGH, DID IT. AND ALL OF OUR CREW WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO MAKE THE ROADS CLEAN FOR US. AND WE ORDERED SOME INFORMATION. OFFICER DAVE PARKER JOINS US LIVE NOW. AND DAVE, YOUR TEAMS HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR HOURS NOW. WHAT DO YOUR TEAMS SEE ON THE STREETS THIS MORNING? >> wow. WE TALKED EXACTLY ON CUE. >> AND HERE IN LITTLE ROCK WE START GETTING THE GRUST, THE PELLETS, THE FREEZING RAIN JUST 10 MINUTES AGO. IT IS NOW COMING DOWN AS PREDICTED. HAPPILY WE KNEW THAT THE SECOND WAVE WAS COMING. YOU KNOW WE’RE QUITE LUCKY. UNTIL NOW. ACCIDENT NOT ACCIDENT THREE BUT NOT BAD IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF RIVER VALLEY SOME REAL PROBLEMS IN EASTERN ARKANSAS AT INTERSTATE 40 AND 55. BUT YOU KNOW WE’LL JUST WATCH. WE GET SOMETHING TO PLOW. WE WILL FLUGH IT OUT. WE WILL REMOVE THE STONE. SALT WILL COME BACK AND HIT IT AGAIN. BUT IT WILL BE THE SAME PROCESS ALL NIGHT, ALL TOMORROW. AND THEN ON WEDNESDAY, OF COURSE, I assume you’re talking about a third wave right now. I DON’T REALLY WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT. >> YES DO DAVE I MEAN THEY HAVE WORKS 24/7 SINCE WHAT, SUNDAY NIGHT TILL MONDAY MORNING. AND NOW WE JUST I DON’T KNOW LEFT A FEW DAYS WITH LOTS OF HOURS TO GO. WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR CREWS TO HELP THEM KEEP ON VIEW AND GIVE THEM LOTS OF PEACE FOR THEIR NEXT SHIFT? >> LUCKY WE HAVE ENOUGH MANPOWER. YOU KNOW THEY WORK 12 HOUR SHIFTS. I TELL YOU A NEW INSPECTION WE HAVE NOW IS YOU GET FUEL TO OUR EQUIPMENT BECAUSE IT WILL BE A PROBLEM TO BRING THESE TANK TRUCKS WHERE WE NEED TO BRING THEM. WHEN THE ROADS GET REALLY ICE. SO WE WATCH THIS NOW. WE ARE NOT AT A CRITICAL LEVEL WITH FUEL. WE ARE NOT THAT WAY. BUT IT’S SOMETHING THAT HAS JACKED ON OUR RADAR. THE TANK TRUCKS CANNOT ENTRY. IT CREATES PROBLEMS. SO WE HAVE THE GO. WE HAVE OUR CHAINSAW CREWS READY. THE POWER LINES FALL, ESPECIALLY TONIGHT. THIS IS CERTAINLY A MAJOR CONCERN FOR THE MOTORISTS BUT CERTAINLY FOR OUR WORKERS OUT THERE AT NIGHT TRYING TO PULL THESE TREES OUT OF THE WAY WITH POWER LINES, IT CREATES A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. DAVE, WHERE DO THESE TANK TRUCKS COME FROM? >> IS THERE NEARBY IN NORTH WESTERN ARKANSAS IN THE RIVER VALLEY? >> I MEAN THEY COME FROM EVERYWHERE. YOU KNOW, I JUST DID A QUICK REVIEW OF OUR TEN COUNTIES. AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LIKE EVERYONE, WE NEED ACCESSORIES TO HELP. WE HAVE THE SALT SUPPLY, WE HAVE THE STAFF. WE HAVE EVERYTHING RUNNING. BUT OUR EQUIPMENT TO OPERATE THESE TRUCKS. AND IT’S NOT IN A BAD PLACE NOW. BUT IF THIS CONTINUES, THE TANK TRUCKS CANNOT ENTRY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GO TO OUR BACKUP CORE AND THEN THIS GETS A BIT INTERFERABLE. >> YES, BECAUSE YOU RIDE SO LONG AND STILL RIDE MANY HOURS. DAVE BARKER OF THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF TRAFFIC, THANK YOU DAVE AND YOUR TEAMS FOR SEEKING US SAFE ON THE ROADS AS YOU CAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND NOW WE TAKE A LIVE LOOK AT ROAD CONDITIONS AND BETTE IN WASHINGTON AND SEBASTIAN COUNTY. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT LOOK STRAIGHT AT ROAD CONDITIONS ON I 49. AND AS YOU CAN SEE THE ROADS ARE PASSABLE. THEY HAVE TREATED THEM. THEY HAVE WORKS TO PLOW THEM. BUT WE STILL SEE BAD CONDITIONS. REMEMBER WE SEE EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, WAYWAY 59 AND EXIT FIVE AND NOT MUCH TRAFFIC HERE OVERALL. STAY TUNED. WITH 40, 29 NEWS WHILE WE CONTINUE TO SHOW YOU THE LIVE CONDITIONS OUTSIDE AND ENSURE THAT YOU DRIVE VERY CAREFULLY WHEN GOING ANYWHERE AND KEEP THE SECONDS ALWAYS. MANY ROADS, THE SMALLER

Arkansas road crews are dealing with a second wave of winter weather, even as a third looms. ARDOT crews will alternate between plowing and laying rock salt Tuesday through Wednesday, said spokesman Dave Parker. Parker said ARDOT was beginning to have concerns about sourcing fuel for its equipment. Crews now have enough fuel, but unless conditions improve enough for tankers to drive in, problems could arise. ARDOT also has chainsaw crews ready for trees that fall on the road. Benton County Freezing rain and sleet continue to fall, making it impossible for crews to keep the roads clear. “We’ve been plowing, grinding and salting where we can, so we’ve made some progress,” said county spokeswoman Melody Kwok. “But it’s definitely gotten us back to where we started.” Crews prepare for overnight re-freezing. Washington County Many roads throughout the county are covered in ice. “I’ve been here almost five years and this is the worst thing I’ve ever seen on the streets,” said Fayetteville Police Officer Ethan Mabie mabie “Glateis doesn’t discriminate.” Mabie said people don’t have to use their turn signals. River Valley Progress is slow in the River Valley, especially on the I-540 bridge between Fort Smith and Van Buren and the Highway 64 / Midland Ave. bridge. The roads in Greenwood are covered in ice, making it difficult for drivers and road staff. “We’re obviously concerned about the weight of the trees and the downing of power lines and the loss of power to people,” Greenwood Police Chief Will Dawson said. “We’ve had this problem for the past few days.”

ROGERS, Ark —

Arkansas road crews are dealing with a second wave of winter weather, though a third is looming.

ARDOT crews will alternate between plowing and laying rock salt Tuesday through Wednesday, spokesman Dave Parker said.

Parker said ARDOT was beginning to worry about how its equipment would be fueled.

Crews now have enough fuel, but unless conditions improve enough for tanker trucks to enter, problems could arise.

ARDOT also has chainsaw teams ready for trees that fall onto the road.

Benton County

Freezing rain and sleet continue to fall, making it impossible for crews to keep the roads clear.

“We’ve been plowing, grinding and salting where we can, so we’ve made some progress,” said county spokeswoman Melody Kwok. “But it definitely brought us back to where we started.”

Crews prepare for overnight refreeze.

Washington County

Many roads in the county are covered with ice.

“I’ve been here almost five years and this is the worst thing I’ve seen on the streets,” said Fayetteville Police Officer Ethan Mabie.

Mabie said officers see vehicles in ditches all the time, and nine times out of ten it’s because they’re speeding.

“Even people with four-wheel or all-wheel drive just feel invincible and they’re not,” said Mabie. “Glateis does not discriminate.”

Mabie said people have to use their turn signals.

river valley

Progress is slow in the River Valley, particularly on the I-540 bridge between Fort Smith and Van Buren and the Highway 64/Midland Ave. bridge.

The roads in Greenwood are covered in ice, making it difficult for drivers and road staff.

“We’re obviously concerned about the weight of the trees and the downing of power lines and the loss of power to people,” Greenwood Police Chief Will Dawson said. “We’ve had this problem for the past few days.”

On Sunday morning after church a couple of men including FH Lyons and Tom Fowler were talking about football and Henry Moore’s name came up.

For another generation, Henry and his brother Billy were sporting icons.

The term “badass” was probably created for the way they played football. Henry was a two-time All Southwest Conference player for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 1953-1955, and Billy was an All-American quarterback from 1960-1962.

Growing up, they attended the Baptist Tabernacle and played what is now Little Rock Central High.

After growing up, they occasionally visited their parents, and worshiping with razorbacks always caused a surge of excitement.

Her sister Judy was in my class and was pestered with questions about her brothers by this sports-loving kid.

One of Henry’s sons-in-law, Dr. Doug Stokes, is part of my Wednesday men’s group.

Henry was part of the 25 Little Pigs and captained the team with Preston Carpenter during his senior season.

He was part of an NFL championship team with the New York Giants and scored a touchdown when recovering a blocked punt in the end zone.

He is possibly the only player to have played for three coaching legends: Wilson Mathews, Frank Broyles and Vince Lombardi. He was the leading rusher for the Razorbacks in the 1950s and twice set school records.

Back then, playing football was at best a part-time job. Henry learned in the offseason that he was good at selling, and after two years in the NFL, he came home and started selling. He was successful, whether it was stocks, building materials or real estate.

Henry never met a stranger, and he could entertain his many friends for hours with his storytelling.

Henry hasn’t been well for the past few days and last Sunday he got his wings. There is no doubt that God needed a hardened football player who was always a great American.

The visit will take place this Friday from 5pm to 7pm at the Chapel of the Roller-Chenal Funeral Home on Chenal Parkway in Little Rock.

. . .

The Big 12 has released its football schedule for this fall and includes the four new teams plus Oklahoma and Texas, but a source says all have been told to postpone the schedule for next year.

Oklahoma and Texas are officially scheduled to join the SEC in 2025, but all signs point to ESPN wanting to take the step a year early.

The SEC, its coaches and athletic directors have not yet decided whether they will play in divisions or pods when it becomes a 16-team league.

If they go with four pods they would probably be: (A) Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri; (B) LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi and Texas A&M; (C) Florida, South Carolina, Auburn and Georgia; (D) Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

Or maybe that’s too logical.

Make sure Auburn and Alabama are separated no matter which way they go.

. . .

Many eyes turn to Pro Football Hall of Fame defenseman Deion Sanders, who coached Jackson State to a 27-6 record in three seasons, and what he has already done in Colorado.

He signed Freshman Recruitment Class #29 and Transfer Class #4.

Colorado has not had a top-30 recruiting class since 2008 and has only qualified for the Bowl twice during that time.

In addition to getting better players, Sanders hired several top-notch assistants.

He did all of that in less than two months on the job, so there’s little doubt he’ll change the landscape of the Pac-12 and maybe all of college football.

Name, image and likeness and the transfer portal are two things that he has fully embraced.

By the time NCAA football’s early signing period began in December 2017, the traditional signing day, the first Wednesday in February, had become fairly uneventful.

While the University of Arkansas expects to sign consensus 4-star tight end Shamar Easter Wednesday, the Hogs inked 19 high school prospects during the early signing Dec. 21-23. He will send his national memorandum of understanding to Arkansas this morning.

The vast majority of prospects nationally chose the December ink.

Only four of on3.com’s top 150 prospects in the US have yet to sign.

Arkansas enrolled 10 midterm grant transfers and one Walkon transfer in early January.

Easter, 6-5, 225 pounds, was the first promise for the Hogs in the Class of 2023 when he joined the Razorbacks on August 23, 2021 via offers from Auburn, Tenn., Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida State, Michigan, Committed State, Arizona State, Kansas and others.

He was supposed to sign with the Razorbacks during the early signing phase, but his lead recruiter, former Arkansas tight ends coach Dowell Loggains, was named offensive coordinator for South Carolina on December 13.

Easter paid an official visit to Gamecocks on December 17 and 18, and later announced he plans to sign on February 1 after paying an unofficial visit to Fayetteville on January 15 “with the pigs.”

He was due to hold a signing ceremony at the school today but postponed it to Thursday due to bad weather.

Prior to the early signing phase, signing day in February was action-packed and often very exciting as recruits made last-minute commitments while other prospects might pass their commitments on to another school and inked with that school.

The early signing period has made February’s signing day almost an afterthought, with the vast majority of prospects opting for the December ink.

Arkansas’ underwriting class ranks 21st nationally, according to Rivals.com, while the other three major services have the class 22nd. All services are class #9 in the SEC.