Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Chip Security Act, legislation that will prevent advanced American chips from falling into the hands of adversaries like Communist China by improving oversight of advanced chips and directing Commerce and DoD to study promising chip security mechanism.

“We must do better at maintaining and expanding our position in the global market, while safeguarding America’s technological edge. With these enhanced security measures, we can continue to expand access to U.S. technology without compromising our national security,” said Cotton.

Text of the bill may be found here.

The Chip Security Act would direct the Secretary to:

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• Require a location verification mechanism on export-controlled advanced chips or products with export-controlled advanced chips within 6 months of enactment and require exporters of advanced chips to report to BIS if their products have been diverted away from their intended location or subject to tampering attempts.
• Study, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, other potential chip security mechanisms in the next year and establish requirements over the next few years for implementing such mechanisms, if appropriate, on covered advanced chips. This longer timeline accommodates the years-long technological roadmap for development of the next generation of advanced chips.
• Assess, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the most up-to-date security mechanisms annually for three years and determine if any new mechanisms should be required
• Make recommendations annually for three years on how to make export controls more flexible, thus streamlining shipments to more countries.
• Prioritize confidentiality when developing requirements for chip security mechanisms.

EL DORADO – Mayor Paul Choate and the City Council met in regular session Thursday. With all present and the preliminaries out of the way, Mayor Choate addressed the increasing amount of painted markings on roadways, yards, curbs and sidewalks. “In light of the kind of construction we are going to have going on in the community, for evidently some time there will be a lot of digging done, and you see a lot of paint down. I have a copy of this on the bulletin board if you don’t know what those spray painted colors are.” He directed the Council to their packets. According to AR811.org, the Arkansas 811 “Call Before You Dig” site, the colors are universal across most parts of the country and can be placed either by spray paint or colored flags, marking the location of utilities underground. Those colors and their meaning are:

• RED: Electric Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lighting Cables
• YELLOW: Gas, Oil, Steam, Petroleum or Gaseous Materials
• ORANGE: Communication, Alarm or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduits
• BLUE: Potable, Water
• GREEN: Sewers and Drain Lines
• PURPLE: Reclaimed Water, Irrigation and Slurry Lines
• PINK: Temporary Survey Markings
• WHITE: Proposed Excavation

The construction being referred to by the Mayor centers mostly around the fiber optic cables being buried inside the city. AT&T currently has operations happening in the city in multiple locations. However, two other companies are investing millions of dollars in fiber optic installation as well. RightFiber, a Jonesboro, Arkansas based fiber optic internet provider says their $5 Million expansion into El Dorado should be complete by the end of the summer 2025. Conway, Arkansas based TCW announced earlier this year, they will be investing $12 Million to bring fiber optic service to El Dorado. In addition to the investment, TCW plans to hire 15-20 local employees to serve the region. TCW says their work will begin in the current quarter of 2025 and should conclude by the end of the calendar year. 

• Free NARCAN Training

Jill Weinischke, Ward One Alderman, announced she will conduct two training seminars on NARCAN. “Next Monday (May 12th) here in the Council Chambers, there will be free NARCAN training and if you don’t know what NARCAN is, it’s a drug used to counteract an opioid overdose. You’ll get a kit with a couple of NARCAN nasal sprays in it, it’s free and it will be here at Noon and then again at 5:30 P.M. to accommodate work schedules.” Mayor Choate endorsed the training, saying he had been through it twice and the training takes about 45 minutes. 

• Mayor: “These are the kind of citizens we want!”

The Mayor then called on Morgan Wiley and asked her to come to the front. Speaking to the crowd and the Council, he said, “If you guys haven’t been to the North end of North West Avenue in the last couple of weeks, especially on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we’ve got a new coffee shop here in town.” Then addressing Wiley and her regional manager Landon Evans, the Mayor said, “I don’t think you’ve sold a cup of coffee yet have you? But how many hundreds, if not thousands of cups have you given away?” Evans replied with, “Over 20,000.” which drew an applause from the gallery. “I’ll admit, I had never had a cup of 7 Brew Coffee until they got here. How do I endorse something I got for free? I’ve said it before, welcome to the community, this is an official welcome from the City Council. We are very happy to have you and as I told you this morning, your marketing is working.” Morgan replied with, “We are doing our training right now, so you might see quite a few folks outside. Starting tomorrow (Friday, May 9th,) we are doing our friends and family program, so we will be doing free small drinks once again. We did drink drops throughout the community about two weeks ago. Then last week we had free small drinks as well and we will continue that with our friends and family program.” Regional Manager, Evans said, “We call it our friends and family but you don’t have to be either, because we look at the entire community as our friends. So, starting tomorrow from 7:00 to 10:00 A.M. and then from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M. you can come through and we give free drinks to anyone, anything on the menu.” The offer is one per person, per vehicle and the program will continue Saturday, May 10th from 9:00 A.M. until 12:00 and then again from 2:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M. The final day of the program will be Sunday and will take place from 10:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. In addition to the free coffee, the offer extends to all menu drink items which includes smoothies, shakes, and tea. Thus far, 7 Brew has hired about 60 new employees, many of whom are high school and college students that were looking for part time work. Last weekend, 7 Brew did not charge anything for drinks but did accept donations for a local charity. They chose the South Arkansas Children’s Coalition and collected more than $5,700 for the charity.

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• Moving Forward, Council Approves Land Purchase

Moving to the agenda item labeled as New Business, the Mayor told the Council, “The Mt. Holly Water Treatment Plant, I’m pretty sure everyone here knows where that is, on Mt. Holly just outside of the city. Well, our water treatment plant sits on property we do not own. When it was built decades ago, there was never a transfer of deed for the property, nor was there a purchase price.” According to the Mayor, the owners of the property have been paying taxes on the eight plus acres since the construction of the treatment facility and now would like to sell that property to the City of El Dorado. The offer is to allow the city to purchase the 8.58 acres for $51,480. “I can tell you, they are being very kind.” Mayor Choate told the Council. He said a survey of the property was currently being done and once the survey was deemed to be in order he would like the Council’s approval to purchase that property. Buddy McAdams, Alderman for Ward Four, said, “Mayor, we would have already paid this much in rent.” Ward Two Alderman, Vance Williamson, made the motion with multiple seconds and the vote passed unanimously. 

• Parks & Playgrounds and Civil Service Commissions

In other business, the Council approved the reappointment of A.J. Kemp to the City’s Parks and Playgrounds Commission. The Mayor also announced that the El Dorado Civil Service Commission had an opening and encouraged anyone interested in serving, to reach out to City Clerk Heather McVay.

EL DORADO – 7 Brew Coffee will officially open Monday at 2100 N. West Ave. in El Dorado, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce earlier this week.

The drive-thru coffee chain, which began in Rogers, Arkansas, in 2017, has expanded across multiple states and offers a menu that includes coffee, teas, smoothies and energy drinks. The company emphasizes quick service through its drive-thru model.

During the ribbon cutting, 7 Brew presented a donation to the South Arkansas Children’s Coalition. The organization was named as the local charity partner for the El Dorado location.

Chamber officials welcomed the business to the local commercial community, noting its customer-focused operations and commitment to local engagement.

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The El Dorado site is one of several in the state as the company continues to grow its presence across the region.

The location will open to the public on Monday.

HOUSTON – Murphy Oil Corp. on Wednesday reported first-quarter net income of $73 million and announced a new offshore oil discovery in Vietnam, along with a $100 million stock repurchase and strategic asset acquisition in the Gulf of Mexico.

The El Dorado-based energy company posted earnings of 50 cents per diluted share for the quarter ending March 31. Excluding discontinued operations and other one-time items, Murphy reported adjusted net income of $81 million, or 56 cents per share.

First-quarter production averaged 157,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, including 78,500 barrels of oil per day. The company reported adjusted EBITDA of $339 million.

Murphy also repurchased 3.6 million shares during the quarter, totaling $100 million. The company declared a quarterly dividend of 32.5 cents per share, or $1.30 on an annualized basis.

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Oil discovery in Vietnam

A major highlight for the quarter was an oil discovery at the Lac Da Hong-1X (Pink Camel) exploration well in Block 15-1/05 in the Cuu Long Basin offshore Vietnam. The well encountered 106 feet of net oil pay and achieved a flow rate of 2,500 barrels of oil per day. It is the second discovery in the region, following the Hai Su Vang (Golden Sea Lion) find.

Murphy’s subsidiary, Murphy Cuu Long Bac Oil Co., Ltd., operates the block with a 40% interest. PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corp. holds 35%, and SK Earthon Co., Ltd. holds 25%.

Asset acquisition and operational updates

During the quarter, Murphy acquired the BW Pioneer floating production storage and offloading vessel for $104 million. The vessel supports operations in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to deliver a two-year payback.

In onshore operations, Murphy delivered new wells in the Eagle Ford Shale and Tupper Montney regions. Offshore, the company brought its Mormont #4 well online in the Gulf and completed work on the Samurai #3 well early in the second quarter.

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In Canada, Murphy produced an average of 9,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, all oil. In Vietnam, construction continued on infrastructure for the Lac Da Vang (Golden Camel) project, which has now surpassed 1 million work hours without a lost time injury.

Guidance and capital spending

Murphy’s first-quarter capital expenditures totaled $403 million, including the FPSO acquisition. Full-year 2025 production is projected between 174,500 and 182,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with capital expenditures estimated at $1.135 billion to $1.285 billion.

Winter storm delays in the Gulf of Mexico affected some production timelines, placing output near the lower end of guidance. Second-quarter production is forecast between 177,000 and 185,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with 48% from oil.

Capital returns and outlook

Murphy has repaid 35% of its long-term debt, repurchased $550 million in stock, and increased its dividend by 30% since adopting a new capital strategy in 2022. The company plans to continue allocating at least 50% of adjusted free cash flow to shareholder returns through buybacks and dividends.

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Murphy will host its first-quarter earnings call on Thursday, May 8, at 9 a.m. EDT. The webcast will be available at ir.murphyoilcorp.com.

CAMDEN – The Camden Board of Aldermen will convene Monday night, May 6, to consider updates to the city’s electrical code and continue deliberations on an ordinance involving the Camden Airport Commission.

The meeting will begin with an invocation from Rev. Johnny L. Jackson, Associate Pastor at New Mt. Hebron Missionary Baptist Church. Following the pledge of allegiance and roll call, aldermen will review and vote on minutes from the April 8 regular meeting.

The board will then receive the financial report for April 2025 and open the floor for public participation.

Public Works Director Earl Porchia is scheduled to deliver the mayor’s report, which will include the annual update on department and division activities.

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Under old business, aldermen will hold a second reading of Ordinance No. 04-25. The ordinance, if passed, would permit an official of the Camden Airport Commission to enter into contracts with the City of Camden.

In new business, the council will introduce Ordinance No. 05-25, which proposes amending Section 9 of the Camden Code of Ordinances to adopt the 2020 National Electrical Code by reference. The amendment would revise Section 9-1 to reflect current electrical standards.

The meeting will conclude with discussion of other business and formal adjournment.

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