News

A gynecologist accused of taking photographs of one of his patients is to make a court appearance today.   68 year old Dr. Paul Becton, Junior of Paragould faces five counts of video voyeurism and will appear in Greene County Circuit Court today.  The Sun Newspaper reports an investigation started April first after the patient went to the police.  The woman told police that she went to the office for an exam.  The woman claimed that Dr.

A tribute concert to Arkansas Music Legend Levon Helm is being held tomorrow night at The Forum in Downtown Jonesboro.  Member Station KASU is hosting the concert, which is being performed by the Lockhouse Orchestra of Batesville, and special guests Gary Gazaway and Charlie Chalmers.  One very special guest will be in attendance tomorrow night.  A childhood friend of Levon Helm, who was mentioned in the song "The Weight" by The Band, will be in attendance tomorrow night.  KASU's Mike Doyle has this report.

Every vote will be an important one in November’s election.  That was the message that was delivered to members of the Political Animals Club in Jonesboro.  This is especially true in Northeast Arkansas, which appears to be changing its political stance.  For many years, northeast Arkansas joined the state in voting majority Democratic.  Over the past several years, that is changing as the state has voted for more Republican candidates.  Republican Strategist Clint Reed, Talk Business Editor Roby Brock, and Hendrix College Professor Jay Barth spoke about the important role northeast Arkansa

Monroe Street, in front of The Forum in Downtown Jonesboro, will be transformed into a public gathering place.  This day-long Pop Up in Jonesboro will show what that area of downtown could look like permanently.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves tells more in this report.  

The Jonesboro Police Department needs your help in locating a missing girl.  Aireanna Roberts, white female, 17 years of age was last seen on May 24, 2014.  She was seen getting into a small green SUV at McDonald’s Restaurant on Johnson Ave.  Aireanna was wearing khakis and a blue and red Sonic shirt. 

If you know Aireanna Roberts whereabouts or have information you are urged to contact the Jonesboro Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division at (870) 935-6649 or Crimestoppers at (870) 935-STOP.

(Courtesy of the Arkansas State Highway and  Transportation Department)

Preliminary work on Highway 64 will require moving lane closures in Crittenden County, according to Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) officials.

Crews will perform pavement testing on Highway 64. The work will extend from the Cross County line to Highway 147. The work will reduce traffic to one lane, alternately closing the eastbound and westbound lanes and shoulders.

(Courtesy of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department)

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) reminds drivers to visit IDriveArkansas.com before traveling over the Memorial Day weekend.

Extensive highway improvements continue in the state. With those improvements come work zones. To aid in your holiday travel, AHTD has been working hard to open as many lanes as possible. Still, travelers will likely face work zones and possible delays due to increased traffic volume.

Gay marriages are off for the time being in Arkansas after a ruling from the Arkansas Supreme Court. County clerks around the state say they will wait for further clarification from the courts about gay marriage.  The Arkansas Supreme Court handed down a decision yesterday that refused to put a hold on Judge Chris Piazza's ruling that the state's gay-marriage ban was unconstitutional.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves talks with Craighead County Clerk Kade Holliday about yesterday's ruling. 

45RPM is a feature-length, independent film shot in the state of Arkansas.  Paragould native Juli Jackson is the writer, producer, and director of 45RPM.  The film has been screened at festivals across the country, and it will be shown for the first time in Paragould this Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Collins Theatre as part of this weekend’s Arts and Music in downtown Paragould.  Jackson spoke with KASU’s Marty Scarbrough about this film which was inspired by Arkansas’ musical heritage.

KASU Radio invites all to come “Take a Load Off” on Saturday, May 31 at a tribute concert beginning at 7 p.m. in the Forum, 115 E. Monroe in Jonesboro, honoring Arkansas native Levon Helm, a two-time Grammy award winning artist, widely known as the drummer for The Band.  

KASU will present a special Bluegrass Monday concert this Monday night.  Feller and Hill & the Bluegrass Buckaroos is one of the top new bluegrass bands in the country.  Their song “The Government Blues” is currently #2 on the Bluegrass Today radio airplay chart.  The band features outstanding vocal harmonies, a big influence from classic country music, and incredible bluegrass pickin’.  Feller and Hill & the Bluegrass Buckaroos will perform Monday night, May 12, at 7:00 at the Collins Theatre, 120 West Emerson Street in Paragould.  Doors open at 6:00, seating is first-come, first-s

As work continues on the restoration of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home in Dyess, members of the Cash family got to see first-hand how the project looks so far.  KASU’s Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

One local non-profit organization is fighting child sexual abuse in northeast Arkansas.  The Northeast Arkansas Children's Advocacy Center serves nine counties in the region and assists local enforcement in the prosecution of crimes against children.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves provides this update with Executive Director Kristi Nichols.

Blood cancer is the second leading cause of all cancer deaths in the United States.  Many of  those who are affected by cancers--such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma--need bone marrow transplants to have save their life.  The process for finding bone marrow matches involves the swab of a cheek.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves speaks with Delete Blood Cancer volunteer Colin Hall in this interview about the process and why it is critical in the fight against blood cancer.

Amnesty International chapters in Arkansas and Mississippi are growing, due to the efforts of a Jonesboro High School Senior.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves talks with Hytham Alhindi about what got him interested in Amnesty International, his work in both states, and a statewide meeting in Little Rock on Saturday, April 12. 

The 7th Annual Health and Fitness Expo takes place this weekend at the ASU Convocation Center in Jonesboro.  It is presented by the St. Bernards Medical Group and is free.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

More information on the expo can be found here.

Stephen Koch, host of Arkansongs heard on KASU, is the author of the new book “Louis Jordan: Son of Arkansas, Father of R & B.”  KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with Koch about Jordan, who was a huge influence on many musicians, yet many people today, even Arkansans, do not know about Jordan or his music.

While the number of people who smoke in Arkansas continues to decrease, Arkansas' rates are still higher than the national average.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report. 

Arkansas State University's Department of English and Philosophy presents the 20th Annual Delta Symposium at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.  The event starts Wednesday, April 2nd and concludes on April 5th.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has details on this year's Symposium.

It can be a sad site to see…an empty building that used to house a bustling business, an empty parking lot that was once full of customers. It is the vacant big box store, or a business that has relocated to a more desirable location.  When those buildings become empty, what happens next, and how can cities address the problem?  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

More information can be found here.

Arkansas State University invites the public to attend a Moot Court competition that will be held Friday and Saturday at Wilson Hall on the ASU-Jonesboro campus.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves tells more in this report.

The Kays House on the A-State Campus in Jonesboro is one of six properties that could be nominated for placement on the National Register for Historic Places.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

Every year, traditional and non-traditional students not only choose where to go to college to pursue their chosen degree, but they also must choose how to pay for college.  Arkansas State University is part of a growing list of universities that are participating in a financial education program for students to help students understand about student loans.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

More information on this program can be found by clicking here.

You typically would not put “space aliens” and “opera” in the same sentence, but those two worlds will collide as the ASU Opera Theatre presents “Help, Help, The Globolinks!” Thursday, March 13, and Friday, March 14, at 7:30 each night in the Drama Theatre of the Fowler Center at ASU-Jonesboro.  KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with Marika Kyriakos, director of the ASU Opera Theatre, about this unique operatic work and its upcoming presentation at ASU.

Alabama-based Peco Foods is brining a $165 million poultry operation to Clay and Randolph counties.  That will mean at least 1,000 new jobs are coming to the area, and officials say this announcement could have a ripple effect.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more on the announcement that was made in Little Rock.