THE SPECTACLE OF IT ALL A CHILLING SITE, A GRATEFUL HEART

This April issue of Arkansas Money & Politics went to press the week after the March 31 tornado touched down in west Little Rock and shot across the river to do more damage.

These days, especially, it’s not unusual to see images of devastating weather events splashed across the TV, and most Arkansans are familiar with what it’s like to ride out a tornado or experience a close call with one.

But witnessing in person the destructive path of that storm in Central Arkansas was chilling.

It’s a miracle more people weren’t killed. In a hilly, heavily wooded city like Little Rock, one can only imagine what the death toll could’ve been if that twister had dropped 100 years ago or more. No weather apps, no community sirens, no live reports from storm spotters on the scene.

Five Arkansans lost their lives on March 31, not to mention the scores of others killed across the South and Midwest. The trail of destruction left behind in Arkansas, and also across the South in recent weeks, would suggest many more fatalities. Ironically, AMP already had planned a story in this issue on tornado season in Arkansas and its impact on insurance rates. Little did any of us realize just how timely it would become. refined by civilization, or inherently good and poisoned by it? The answer, as it usually does, lies somewhere in the murky middle (if not entirely in Paul’s epistle to the Romans).

And as Solomon wrote in Proverbs, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”

Like the laboring mule, a carrot often is required to keep us on the right track, and sometimes the carrot isn’t enough. The world is a tawdry mistress, all right, but at least we have the stars, necessarily visible as a beacon for which to aspire, anyway.

By Heather Baker

To all the first responders called into action — ER workers, police, fire and rescue, Entergy and utility company crews — you have our gratitude.

Aviation is the focus of this issue. We’ll visit the Delta to talk with a couple of the state’s prominent crop dusters, visit Lockheed Martin’s Camden Operations, hear from Arkansas aviation legend Joe Jett and Dassault Aviation lead man on the ground in Little Rock.

And we’ve got the Hogs, from a look at Eric Musselman’s potential 2023-24 roster to the rise of Razorback softball.

Thank you for reading. The team at AY Media Group works hard to make our publications valuable to you. We know you have other options, and we’re grateful you’ve joined us on our quest to shine a positive light on Arkansas businesses and business leaders.

Please share all your questions, comments and story ideas with me at HBaker@ARMoneyandPolitics.com.