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News Reporting
Williamson County commissioners vote no on explanatory plaque for Confederate statue
Nick Brothers, Hill Country News, November 2017
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GEORGETOWN — Williamson County commissioners voted 4-1 to not take action on applying for a explanatory history plaque that would be placed next to a statue of a Confederate soldier near the county courthouse at their Nov. 14 meeting.
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The plaque, if applied for to the nonpartisan Texas Historical Commission, would likely have detailed the role the state of Texas played in the Civil War and mention slavery and the Jim Crow era. The words would have been determined by state historians, and the commissioners court would have needed to approve the final version.
Cedar Park officials discuss potential stormwater drainage program
Nick Brothers, Hill Country News, November 2017
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For years, some Cedar Park residents have dealt with flooding and inadequate drainage in their neighborhoods, and have been told by the city there wasn’t money for fixing it. Now, city staff may have found a solution, and it wouldn’t raise taxes or incur a fee on residents, said Sam Roberts, assistant city manager.
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In a town hall meeting at Riviera Springs Monday Nov. 6, city staff held an information session laying out how a reallocation of a portion of the city’s sales tax revenue could be dedicated to a stormwater drainage and maintenance program. Doing so would mean no fee or additional tax implications for Cedar Park residents.
New Law to Allow Concealed Handguns at Public Colleges, Government Buildings
Nick Brothers, The Free Weekly March 2017
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A new law allows Arkansans to apply for enhanced permits to carry concealed handguns on college campuses, government buildings and bars, despite opposition from university leadership.
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Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed HB 1249 into law March 23. The law allows an expansion to concealed carry permits that allows individuals with eight hours of active-shooter training to carry firearms on public colleges, government buildings and bars.
Protesters Call for Stopping Diamond Pipeline
Nick Brothers, The Free Weekly December 2016
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A crowd of more than 50 people gathered in downtown Fayetteville to protest the construction of a $900 million crude oil pipeline that will go from Cushing Okla. through Arkansas to Memphis, Tenn. Saturday, Dec. 10.
The group, Arkansas Water Guardians, are a grass roots organization that formed in opposition to the Texas-based company Plains All American LP Diamond Pipeline, which started construction in late 2016. Through outreach, awareness and direct legal action, the group aims to stop the pipeline.
Meet KPSQ 97.3, Fayetteville’s New Community Radio Station
Nick Brothers, The Free Weekly September 2016
After several years of chasing the dream of one day operating a non-commercial community-sourced radio station in Fayetteville, a few locals can officially announce that station is on-air.
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KPSQ 97.3 FM is now broadcasting local and syndicated national programming from the Chancellor Hotel in downtown Fayetteville. Eclectic music DJ shows, local music, news commentary and more are in the lineup, with more shows on the way.
City Council Passes Civil Rights Protection Ordinance
Nick Brothers, The Free Weekly June 2015
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The Fayetteville City Council voted 6-2 to pass the Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance Tuesday night after several hours of public discussion. The law will not take effect unless voters approve the measure in September.
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In a nutshell, the ordinance, if passed, will provide recourse for citizens who have been fired or denied employment or housing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Finding a Better Process: UA Functional Foods Researchers Work to Improve Food Processing
Nick Brothers, Lemke Newsroom November 2012
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As health food standards gain popularity, companies are eager to get the maximum benefits in their foods, and UA Food Science department researchers are finding better methods to retain health-promoting compounds in processed foods, a UA researcher said.
Luke Howard, professor of food science, leads the Functional Foods lab in an aim to study how health compounds are lost in processing, and then seeks to improve nutritional content food, with the knowledge of what is lost in the process.
UA Science Lab Combines New Technologies with Everyday Uses
Lemke Newsroom October 2012
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Students and professors in the UA Mobile, Pervasive and Sensor Systems Lab are developing technologies that will assist people in their daily lives.
Projects in progress include a smartphone device that can tell if a person has the flu, a glove that controls lights from across the room and a mobile emergency notification system that will be deployed in Fayetteville this fall.
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UA Nursing Students Learn from Patient Mannequin
Nick Brothers, Lemke Newsroom October 2012
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In their first semester of widespread use in the new UA Epley Center for Health Education, breathing, bleeding and talking simulation mannequins allow for prospective nurses to learn and engage in a realistic and “consequence-free” environment.