The Latest News & Weather from the ACCESS-ARKLA News Room…
UNION COUNTY, Ark. — The burn ban for Union County, Ark. has been lifted.
The federal workplace safety regulator has fined $156,700 to a General Dynamics facility in Hampton following an explosion there last year that killed one employee and injured two others.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website , the three employees “were inserting smoke composition material into aluminum pyrotechnic vessels when an explosion occurred” just after 8 a.m. on July 3, 2024.
General Dynamics operates a military munitions factory in 880,000 square feet of space just outside of Camden, where it manufactures weapons such as the Hydra-70 rocket and the Hellfire and Javelin missiles.
OSHA opened an investigation the same day, and issued 12 citations against the company for violations of federal worker safety regulations earlier this year. Eight of those 12 resulted in a $16,131 fine each, near the maximum. The other four resulted in $6,913 fines, each.
General Dynamics is contesting OSHA’s findings, according to the website. A spokesperson for General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems did not return a phone call requesting comment. An individual at the Little Rock OSHA office said the agency did not discuss open or closed cases, and that any additional information would require a FOIA request.
The notes included with one of the citations indicated that OSHA believed General Dynamics had not been updating operating procedures to reflect “current operating practice.”
L3Harris Technologies has broken ground on four new solid rocket motor production facilities at its site in Camden, Arkansas. The company, which designs and manufactures aerospace and defense systems, partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to invest $215.6 million into this expansion. This new development includes a 60,000-square-foot facility that will centralize production, increasing efficiency by reducing transportation distances for key components. The expansion also includes new propellant processing buildings and a dedicated mixer building to support the growing demand for tactical and strategic missile capabilities.
The new facilities will incorporate new technologies, including modern equipment and updated manufacturing processes, to support an increase in solid rocket motor production. The project is part of a broader $215.6 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Production Act Title III program, which aims to strengthen the domestic manufacturing of rocket propulsion systems.
EL DORADO, Ark. (KTVE/KARD) — An’Tionette Jamerson and her stepsister got into a domestic dispute. The dispute became violent when the stepsister pepper sprayed her and her kids, which led to the neighbor calling the police once she noticed the commotion. The name of the stepsister was not revealed to KTVE/KARD.
KNOE TV WEATHER with Chief Meteorologist Marcus Walter
Wednesday will bring afternoon and evening rain showers and severe weather, as a cold front approaches the region. Temperatures will reach the upper 80s on Wednesday, with strong gusty wind. Thursday will bring more rain showers and severe storms, as temperatures reach the upper 80s. Friday will bring partly cloudy conditions with temperatures reaching the upper 80s. Saturday will bring rain showers and severe storms as a cold front sweeps across the region. Temperatures on Saturday will reach the low 80s. Sunday will bring increasing sunshine and relatively cool conditions, with temperatures reaching the mid 60s. Monday will bring sunshine and temperatures in the mid 60s, as high pressure builds across the region. Tuesday will bring sunshine and temperatures in the upper 60s.
Shreveport NWS Forecast
Wednesday
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Some of the storms could be severe. High near 85. South wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tonight
Showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 1am and 4am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4am. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. Low around 68. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Thursday
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Some of the storms could be severe. High near 83. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thursday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Saturday
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 78. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Saturday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday
A 20 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 42.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 70.
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