In the News

Arkansas' congressional delegation on Thursday asked the federal government to support a disaster-declaration request for 12 counties hit the hardest by up to two weeks of steady rainfall in August.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson recently asked for the disaster aid. U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton and U.S. Reps. Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to approve the request.

The Arkansas House and Senate committees on agriculture, forestry and economic development committees voted Thursday to send similar letters.

The University of Arkansas System's Agriculture Division recently said in a study that the heavy rains in August caused at least $46.4 million in crop losses, especially to rice, cotton and soybeans. Farmers in Lawrence, Craighead and Randolph counties were hit the hardest when the Black River and its tributaries overflowed at the start of harvest.

Carroll, Clay, Independence, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Prairie, White and Woodruff counties also were cited in the delegation's request.