EL DORADO, Ark. — New and expectant parents across South Arkansas are invited to attend a Community Baby and Safety Shower designed to connect families with essential supplies, education and local support services.

The event will take place Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Immanuel Baptist Church, located at 3209 West Hillsboro Street in El Dorado.

The shower is being hosted by TOUCH Coalition, which stands for Tremendous Opportunities for Union County Health, in partnership with Ambetter Health & Wellness, the UAMS Institute for Community Health and the UAMS Family Medicine Clinic.

While supplies last, families attending the event will be able to receive diapers, wipes and baby formula. A free boutique featuring baby clothing and other infant items will also be available.

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Arkansas Children’s Hospital representatives will be on site to provide car-seat safety checks and education. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to bring their child’s car seat to receive guidance on proper installation and use.

Safe-sleep classes will be offered at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Participants who complete one of the classes may receive a portable Pack ’n Play while supplies are available.

More than 30 vendors are expected to participate, offering resources, supplies, educational materials and information about services available to children and families throughout the region.

Organizers say the event is intended to help parents prepare for their new arrival while learning about infant safety, health and community resources in a welcoming environment.

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Communist China has been working to undermine the United States at seemingly every turn. From leaking COVID from a lab to buying up farmland in Arkansas, they will stop at nothing to try to do us harm. Their latest target? Medications. The flow of illegal Chinese drugs into our country is stronger than ever and puts our nation at risk. For these reasons, we must now take long-overdue action to protect the health and safety of Arkansans. Communist China is a major source of counterfeit and unregulated active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). These are the substances in medications that produce a drug’s intended therapeutic effect. For example, ibuprofen is the API used in many pain relievers.

Communist China doesn’t have the same quality-control standards as the United States, meaning that APIs produced by corrupt, unregulated Chinese manufacturers can’t be trusted. When sourcing APIs from Communist China, there’s no telling whether they are diluted or mixed with other dangerous ingredients. Nonetheless, these substances make their way into our homes by way of online marketplaces. Under-regulated GLP-1s are a good example of how Chinese APIs can infiltrate our pharmaceutical supply chain. While FDA-approved versions of these drugs can be life-changing, the under-regulated compounded GLP-1 market exposes Americans to dangerous, unreliable Chinese APIs. These products are sold directly to American patients at high volumes through online marketplaces. Yet, when they arrive on a patient’s doorstep, they have no way of knowing what’s actually in it or what it will do.

That’s why Congress must take action to protect Arkansans against this unnecessary risk. In November, I introduced the Combatting Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals Act to identify and sanction those responsible for bringing counterfeit drugs and drug ingredients into our country. I also wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and prosecute anyone affiliated with bringing illicit foreign pharmaceuticals into America. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it was working with the DOJ to investigate under-regulated manufacturers of compounded GLP-1s for potential violations of federal law. While this is a welcome development, we must do more to address this ongoing problem. That’s why I also recently wrote to the Director of the Food and Drug Administration, urging him to investigate the extent to which unregulated Chinese ingredients are infiltrating American medications.

Communist China’s unfettered access to America’s pharmaceutical supply chain presents national security risks as well as significant health risks to Arkansans. Protecting Americans from illicit Chinese pharmaceuticals requires that we strengthen enforcement, secure our supply chains, and hold bad actors accountable. Every Arkansan should have the assurance that their medication will provide the therapy it advertises. And above all, no Arkansan should ever have to worry that the medicine they take contains unsafe or counterfeit ingredients that may do more harm than good.

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By: Sen. John Boozman, R.-AR

Arkansas is full of entrepreneurs who use innovative ideas, everyday solutions and ongoing challenges to fuel opportunity. This reality is apparent when I return home and visit the excellent small businesses generating economic growth across all regions of our state. As the backbone of our communities and the American economy, I am pleased to advocate policies that make it easier to start, sustain and grow a small business. During the last state work period, I had the pleasure of visiting Red Barn Donuts in Rogers, owned by the hardworking Wiginton family. They are a great example of entrepreneurs turning their passion and family activity into a thriving local business where neighbors can come together and enjoy a delicious treat. Small businesses like theirs not only serve customers –– they help define the character and spirit of the towns they call home. It almost goes without saying that starting and growing a business is not a simple feat. Through grit and tireless dedication, paired with resources such as the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC), the Wigintons were able to make their dream come true. Their collaboration is a great example of what can happen when public institutions and private businesses work together to achieve success. As a result, jobs are created and enterprises thrive, with far-reaching benefits. This public-private partnership is just one example of the exciting economic development underway in The Natural State. When government, educational resources and private initiative work hand in hand, Arkansas families win. Fortunately, our spirit of hard work and resilience is reinforced by policies that increase access to capital and promote right-sized regulations.

One such policy I am proud to back is Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) and Congressman French Hill’s (R-AR) PROTECTED Act, a bill that would shield small financial institutions and Main Street businesses from burdensome requirements to collect and share personal and private data. Forcing entrepreneurs and community lenders to share identity-based information opens the door for the federal government to pick winners and losers based on factors other than sound underwriting. Rural employers should be focused on growing their businesses and communities, not complying with overly burdensome red tape. Significant federal support was also secured through the Working Families Tax Cuts, landmark legislation that Senate Republicans championed and President Trump signed into law. Provisions that made the small business deduction permanent, reduce regulatory burdens and implemented “No Tax on Tips” put more money back in the pockets of Arkansans. The law will also spur investment by allowing companies to fully expense business equipment more quickly. Providing certainty in the tax code allows job creators to plan for the future with confidence and gives them breathing room to invest, hire and grow without Washington’s cumbersome overreach. By uplifting small businesses, supporting effective public-private partnerships and continuing to fight for pro-growth policies, we can ensure they stay strong. Small businesses are the backbone of rural America, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure the regulatory environment allows for local businesses and communities to flourish. My priority in Washington is to help create an environment that keeps our economy moving forward so Arkansas remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Charles Brough, a Mississippi native and former professor at the University of Arkansas, became the twenty-fifth governor of Arkansas in 1917 in a time of change.  The early twentieth century was a time promising tremendous changes in the way that Americans worked and lived, and Americans were excited about what the future held.  And Americans were calling for a modern system of government to keep up with the changing times.  And Brough was ready to deliver.

He quickly enacted school reform measures in the state, creating compulsory attendance laws and expanding vocational education.  Brough enacted numerous other reforms.  He created the Arkansas Corporation Commission in 1917 to oversee utilities in the state and pushed for a modern highway system in the state.  Though the highway plan was bogged down by financial problems and mismanagement at the county level, it did result in 2,500 miles of new highway being constructed.  He also pushed through a law in 1917 allowing women to vote in state party primaries, where most elections in the state took place at the time.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Brough shifted the focus of his administration to the war effort.  He went across the state to raise money for the troops and for the Red Cross.  He also created the State Council of Defense to help coordinate production to ensure the troops had all the supplies they needed.

Brough’s popularity was so high that the Republican Party did not even bother fielding a candidate against him in 1918, endorsing Brough’s re-election against Socialist candidate Clay Fulks.  Brough swept into a second term with 93% of the vote.

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While he hoped that his second term would allow him to build on his earlier successes, the end of the war saw new challenges.  He attempted to push through a new state constitution, but the effort failed.  In 1919, the nation was hit with a major recession.               And in late September, Phillips County erupted into bloodshed as a race riot erupted in Elaine.  An estimated 200 African-Americans were slaughtered by white mobs, but the death toll was possibly much higher.  Brough sent in the National Guard to restore order and appointed a special committee to study the slaughter, but the committee’s weak recommendations to prevent further riots were never acted upon, and the matter still haunts Phillips County to this day even as residents strive to rise above the massacre.

After his second term ended in 1921, Brough toured the country on the speaking circuit, promoting the state.  And it is Brough who is responsible for what is probably the worst Arkansas joke in history, one he repeated often in these speeches: “Did you know Arkansas is the only state mentioned in the Bible?  The Bible says, ‘Noah looked out the Ark-and-saw!’”

In 1928, Brough spoke at the graduation at Central Baptist College in Conway.  So impressed with his performance, college trustees decided that he would be the perfect choice for the new president of the college.  Brough accepted, but he quickly ran into controversy.  The country had taken a sharp reactionary turn since World War I, and Brough’s attempts to defend progress and reform were faltering.  He fought back against attacks by fellow Baptists against the 1928 Democratic nominee for president, Al Smith, for his beliefs as a Roman Catholic.  In addition, he supported the teaching of evolution in accordance with scientific standards, but fundamentalist Baptists howled their objections to the idea.  Within a year, Brough was forced to step down, but he soon found work as a promoter for the University of Arkansas.

He unsuccessfully attempted to run for U. S. Senate twice, the last time being in a 1931 loss to Hattie Caraway.  In spite of his lack of political success in his years after his governorship, he remained an enthusiastic personality and stayed active in civic causes.  In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him to a special commission to help solve a dispute over the West Virginia border.  However, just weeks after his work was completed in 1935, Brough suffered a massive heart attack and died.  After his death, he was widely praised for the accomplishments in transportation and education he achieved for the state.

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