Update: Stephens Media Layoffs Hit Arkansas

We reported last night that the Stephens Media Washington D.C. bureau was bracing for cutbacks, as two of the bureau’s three reporters were being laid off. The news today is equally grim for some Stephens workers in Arkansas:

Arkansas Project commenter “Ink-Stained” reports that the layoffs hit Fort Smith (Stephens owns the Southwest Times Record newspaper there) today, with at least five employees being let go, maybe more. (Update: A commenter adds that the Fort Smith hit totals 16 individuals.)

Over at the Arkansas Times blog, Max Brantley reports that the cuts are hitting the Little Rock Capitol Bureau as well.

If you’ve got more information, feel free to leave it in the comments section. All comment submissions can be anonymous, if you so choose.

The Unbearable Lightness of Beebe

Beebe

Beebe

Would someone please tell Gov. Mike Beebe that it’s really not that damn hard to come to a decision on these things? Asked about the Arkansas lottery proposal today, Beebe offered one of his typical mushmouth responses. From John Lyon at the Politics in Arkansas blog:

Gov. Mike Beebe says his position on a proposed state-run lottery changes depending on the day of the week.


“This is one of those deals where it depends on what day of the week I wake up,” Beebe said today on his monthly call-in radio program on the Arkansas Radio Network. “One day I decide I’m going to vote for it and the next day I wake up and decide I’m not going to vote for it”…..

“I honestly don’t know how I’m going to vote and won’t know until I get in that booth,” he said.


Stephens Media Laying Off Workers

The newsboy industry was equally hard hit.

The newsboy industry was equally hard hit.

You know how lay-offs for print reporting types are all the rage these days? Las Vegas-based Stephens Media, which has a large media footprint in Arkansas, doesn’t want to miss out on that sweet action.

Word on the street is that cutbacks are coming for the Stephens Washington, D.C., bureau, which will soon be operating as a one-man shop to service all the Stephens properties in Arkansas, Hawaii, Las Vegas and wherever else they are.

No word at this point on whether the cutbacks will hit the Little Rock Capitol bureau or any Stephens daily and weekly papers in Arkansas.

Dobbins Skips Rehearing Request

Former Democratic Rep. Dwayne Dobbins will not request a rehearing from the state Supreme Court to get his name listed on the ballot, the Arkansas News Bureau’s Rob Moritz reports.

And thus it appears that we are finally coming to the end of the long saga of Dwayne Dobbins, which began with his resignation in 2005 as part of a plea bargain to avoid a felony prosecution for fondling a 17-year-old girl.

When asked what he was going to do next, Dobbins said he intended to spend more time with his family, and that he might go catch a movie, maybe an afternoon matinee of “High School Musical 3.” Hmmm. I’m not sure if I like where this is headed.

‘Alex, I’ll Take “Wynne Natives” for $200′

Wynne native Anders Reynolds on Jeopardy

A loyal Arkansas Project reader sends along a tip that Arkansas native Anders Reynolds will be a contestant on long-running nerdfest game show “Jeopardy.” This week? I think it’s this week. Political connection: Reynolds is a staffer for Democratic U.S. Rep. Marion Berry of Arkansas’ Mighty First District.

Click here to watch a video of Reynolds making a horrible pun on his hometown’s name. Ooooh, he’s a quiz show contestant AND he makes terrible puns! I’ll bet he gets all the ladies. And by “all the ladies,” I of course mean “none of them.” But all good luck to him nonetheless.

Today’s Poll: House District 29, Clemmer vs. Smith

Cast your votes accordingly.

[poll id="4"]

Message from the Publisher

Due to circumstances beyond my control, blogging will be a little sporadic today. And for the next couple of days, for that matter. (Yes, we will have another legislative poll coming shortly, for those of you who get your jollies from clicking on buttons on web pages). Try not to miss me too much.

Arkansas Legislative Races: A Few Things

Just rounding up a few things that have come across The Arkansas Project threshold the last few days:

Republican Kelly Eichler and Democrat John Edwards are fighting it out for the open seat in Little Rock’s District 38, in a race that’s been dubbed “too competitive to call” over at Under the Dome. A correspondent sends along a sample mail piece, one of several, that Eichler has sent out to voters in the district, reproduced here:

I would say “Click images for larger view,” but the larger versions aren’t displaying. I’ll fiddle with them a bit more, but if I don’t fix them, they’re about education. She’s for it.

Also happening in Pulaski County: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette endorses Republican challenger Phil Wyrick over longtime incumbent Buddy Villines in the closely watched race for Pulaski County Judge. (Subscription required to read the whole thing.) Yes, I know this isn’t a “legislative” race, but I’m sticking it here nonetheless. Quoth the editorialist:

Phil Wyrick sounds like just what Pulaski County has needed for some time-someone you could trust to balance budgets, hire competent help, keep the lights on, and finally, finally, finally provide the law-abiding public in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Pulaski County with the kind of well-run jail that’s long been needed. At last, a local official who might put public safety first instead of concentrating on tourist attractions, study committees, multiple excuses and other diversions from the basic business of local government.

In other races: In District 87, GOP Rep. Mark Martin is in a tight race with Earl Hunton, son of Washington County Judge Jerry Hunton, to hold his seat. Scott F. Davis at the Northwest Arkansas Times, my journalistic alma mater, sizes up the race here.

But wait, there’s more from Northwest Arkansas: Davis also has a look at the District 89 race between incumbent Democrat Jim House and GOP challenge Gene Long.

And in District 50 over in White County (open seat), Republican Kyle Reeves has to run not only against Democrat Monty Betts, but also the Searcy Daily Citizen newspaper. Reeves better up that radio ad buy.

We’ll have another legislative poll later today.

Rasmussen: McCain Holds 10-Point Lead in Arkansas

Latest Rasmussen poll shows John McCain holding a 10 point lead in the Natural State, relatively unchanged from the last time Rasmussen ran the numbers in Arkansas in September.

Skinhead’s Sister: Brother ‘Sorry’ for Obama Plot

Aw, how can we stay mad at you? Oh, that's right, the whole "plotting mass murder" thing.

Aw, how can we stay mad at you? Oh, that's right, the whole "plotting mass murder" thing.

Paul Schlesselman, 18, of Helena-West Helena is one of the two men arrested by federal agents as neo-nazi skinhead conspirators in an alleged (and ridiculous) plot to assassinate Barack Obama as the final act in a massive murder spree. Today, his younger sister tells the AP’s Andrew Demillo that her brother is really, really sorry:

“He just believes that he’s the master race,” said his sister, Kayla Schlesselman, 16, adding that she would often argue with him about his racial beliefs. “He would just say things like ‘white power’ and ‘Sieg Heil’ and ‘Heil Hitler.’”

But she and her father, Mike, both said they didn’t believe he was capable of carrying out an attack. “I think it’s just a lot of talk. He would never do something like this,” his father said.

Meanwhile, the intrepid Aaron Sadler at the Stephens Media Politics in Arkansas blog digs up a YouTube page that includes lots of video clips from the bloodthirsty twosome. Most of the clips are exactly the type of fascinating footage you would expect if you gave an 18-year-old idiot a video camera.

Here’s one of the more interesting videos—it’s Schlesselman discussing the mayor of Helena’s imposition of “martial law” in response to a crime wave in the city:

Oh, by the way, that video clip has some rough language, if you’re the sensitive ears type. I probably should have mentioned that before you watched it.