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
Thursday will bring partly cloudy conditions with afternoon rain showers and severe storms. Temperatures will reach the mid and upper 80s.
Shreveport NWS Forecast
Today
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tonight
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 10 mph.
Friday
A chance of showers between 7am and 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1am. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday
Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. High near 77. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Saturday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 67.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 71.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 43.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 75.
.