Arkansas gets overlooked sometimes, but not on Monday, when the state was smack-dab in the middle of the national solar eclipse spectacle.
Residents of Little Rock didn't have to travel to get to the path of totality, unless they wanted to gain a particularly optimal vantage point, such as Pinnacle Mountain.
As for me, I crossed the river and ultimately joined a group in the Argenta Plaza, where we gawked as an eerie twilight fell during the middle of the day. Instinctively nervous about looking directly at the sun, even through those glasses, I took to studying the horizon as the light changed.
The traffic-snarling crowds some had feared didn't materialize, at least not here. Little Rock also will be in the path of totality during the 2045 total solar eclipse! I'll see you there.
The city of Little Rock has a new chief financial officer. Nicholas Sarpy's first day was in late March.
He replaces Sara Lenehan, who retired last year after leading the Finance Department since 2008.
Sarpy comes to Little Rock from the city of Waco, Texas, where he served as director of finance/chief financial officer. More details on his work experience as well as his pay can be found here.
Little Rock City Attorney Tom Carpenter has opined that Central Arkansas Water lacks the legal authority for its merger with the Wrightsville wastewater treatment system.
Central Arkansas Water's general counsel disagrees.
Carpenter's stance is significant because the Little Rock Board of Directors has been asked to allow the city's municipal wastewater authority to assist Central Arkansas Water with the operations of the Wrightsville system even though it is outside the city limits.
That's all for this week. Some more local stories are below.
