Arkansas

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Storm Prediction Center has issued a new tornado watch through 5 a.m. for a large area of Missouri. Local Missouri counties included in the watch are the following: Barry, Barton, Benton, Camden, Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Hickory, Jasper, Laclede, Lawrence, Maries, McDonald, Miller, Newton, Polk, Pulaski, St. Clair, Stone, Vernon and Webster. Arkansas counties included in a tornado watch that is effective until 6 a.m. include Carroll County, Washington County, Benton County and Madison County.

ARKANSAS -- Unemployment rose in Arkansas for the month of June. The state's Department of Workforce Services released the Arkansas' unemployment figures for June. Unemployment in that state rose three-tenths of point to 8.1% from 7.8 % in May. That increase triples the national increase for the same time. Nationally, unemployment increased one-tenth of a percentage point to 9.2% from 9.1% in May. Statewide, government jobs accounted for almost 93% of increase in people unemployed.

Arkansas officials say it will cost around $10-million to clean up all of the snow from the last round of winter weather. Last year, the highway department spent nearly $12-million--an amount they say could easily be surpassed if another storm rolls through. The budget only allots $5 million for road clearance.   Any more than that and they have to pull money from their road repair fund.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The ground shook in Arkansas this weekend. Federal officials have verified a small earthquake struck Rose Bud Saturday afternoon.  The U.S. Geological Survey reports a 2.2 quake was registered. So far, there have been no reports of damage or injuries. Geologists say earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.5 and 3.0 are the smallest felt by humans.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Early voting in Arkansas is set to begin Monday. The ballots are for the May 22 primary and non-partisan judicial elections.  With a handful of heated legislative primaries included across Arkansas, the secretary of state Mark Martin believes about 30% of Arkansas' 1.5 million voters will take part in this month's primary.

VAN BUREN -- Family and friends gathered to say goodbye to an Arkansas teen who was found murdered. Funeral services were Saturday for Angela Allen, 16, of Van Buren. Allen had been missing since February 10th until her body was found in a plastic barrel in Sebastian County. Lloyd Jones has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder in the teen's death. Police suspect the two first connected online on a social networking site, then met in person.

The U.S. Geological Survey is installing two more seismic monitors in north-central Arkansas to measure a swarm of earthquakes.  There have been more than 750 earthquakes in the past 6 months, including at least 8 small quakes on Monday.  Scientists aren't sure if the earthquakes are occurring naturally or are a result of fluid injections by oil and gas drilling companies.

MARBLE FALLS, Ark., --  The 50 people left homeless by the fire that destroyed the Overlook Apartments complex in Marble Falls, Arkansas, Wednesday night need help. While the Red Cross and donations have met their shelter and clothing needs, the victims could still use incidentals such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, denture tablets, and shampoo are welcome, according to the apartment complex owner.        If you would like to donate, please call 870-743-4062.

BOONE COUNTY, Ark., -- A scary ride home for some school kids in Boone County, Arkansas on Friday. Troopers say the driver of a school bus pulled into the path of another vehicle, causing that driver to smash into the back of the bus. The car was badly damaged; there was minor damage to the bus. There were 20 kids onboard at the time, but no one was hurt.

MARSHALL, Ark. -- Investigators are trying to determine what sparked a fire at a restaurant erly Monday.  The 911 call came in just before 4 a.m. at the Sunset Restaurant.  The building is a total loss.

TODAY 70s/80s Variable clouds; scattered storms developing, some severe. TONIGHT 60s Storms likely.  Severe weather is likely along with very heavy rain. TUESDAY 70s Storms ending west-to-east. 12-hour forecast 24-hour forecast 7-Day Forecast Pollen Count Satellite & Radar Almanac Good afternoon!

SALEVSILLE, Ark. -- Two adults and five juveniles were arrested this weekend after Sheriff's Deputies responded to a complaint of underage drinking at a residence on Salesville. At approximately 12:03 AM on May 18 th , Deputy Rockie Morrell was dispatched to 42 Farmer's Circle in Salesville on the complaint.  Upon his arrival, Deputy Morrell noticed numerous people standing in the garage.  Some of these people fled inside the house and others fled out the back door when they saw the deputy.  Other deputies soon arrived to assist.

                  TONIGHT Low 60s Cloudy, scattered showers along with some fog FRIDAY Near 80° Mostly Cloudy with scattered showers for our eastern counties SATURDAY Upper 80s Partly Cloudy and much warmer 12-hour forecast 24-hour forecast Satellite & Radar ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Running its streak of consecutive overall league titles to seven, the No. 5 University of Arkansas men's track and field team won the 2013 SEC Outdoor Championships this weekend in Columbia, Mo. With the help of five SEC event titles - all won Sunday - the Razorbacks finished the meet with 152.5 points to complete the program's second-consecutive SEC Triple Crown. The win also marks the 18 th SEC outdoor team title in program history, and third in a row for Arkansas.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Four football players will not return to the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football program for the 2013 season. Backup senior quarterback Brandon Mitchell, junior wide receiver Keante Minor, sophomore defensive back Dafonta Lowe and senior defensive end Austin Flynn decided to transfer from the program. "After concluding post-spring meetings with every member of our team, Austin Flynn, Defonta Lowe, Keante Minor and Brandon Mitchell have been granted their release from the University of Arkansas football program," said Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema in a statement released Monday.  "Through meetings with these student-athletes, a determination was made that it would be mutually beneficial for them to pursue their goals elsewhere.

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. -- The autistic teenager missing in the Ozark National Forest since Thursday evening, 18 year old Jay Hobson Greer, Jr. of Lone Rock, was located at approximately 7:00 PM this evening by a search crew with the United States Forestry Service.   Greer was found in a heavily wooded and rugged area approximately 2 1/2 miles from where his abandoned vehicle had been discovered this morning on Brush Creek Road...

Since we've had a lot of questions about Arkansas snows in April and/or May, here are some statistics worked up by Brian Smith, one of our senior forecasters. For Arkansas: Latest accumulating snow:  0.2 inch at Corning on April 24, 1910 Latest snow:  Trace at Fayetteville, Gravette, and Harrison on April 30, 1903 For Little Rock: Latest accumulating snow:  0.8 inch on March 30, 1987 Latest snow:  Trace on April 19, 1983 We've gotten e-mail messages and seen comments online about people saying they had seen accumulating snow at various places in Arkansas in May.  While it's important to remember that weather records are taken from official observing stations only, the dates and years that people have said they saw snow in Arkansas in May would have been virtually impossible.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The U.S. Marshals Service is helping with the search for a murder suspect who may be in the Springfield area.  Samuel Douglas is charged for the murder of Xavier Woods, 20, in North Little Rock, Ark.  Woods was shot at a service station on April 1. Douglas, 19, is black, about 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds.  He has several tattoos, including Antion on his left hand, Tator and Lil Mike on his left forearm, RIL on his right hand,...

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- Besides producing an instantly addictive drug, methamphetamine labs are time bombs that can kill with fumes and flames.  A first-of-its-kind drug lab was recently discovered here in northwest Arkansas. What was fizzing and foaming in the motel room along U.S. 62 was a first for Eureka Springs and the rest of Arkansas. “The door opened and there, in full view, was a K-2 lab - in a fruit jar,” said Police Chief Earl Hyatt. With the cooperation of a would-be customer, Eureka Springs police busted a man they describe as a known distributor of K-2, who'd got out of over-the-counter retail sales and into home-made drugs.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. -- A three-week investigation may have solved up to 10 burglary and theft cases on both sides of the Arkansas-Missouri border.  Two people, Darrell Allen and Tracy Matthews, are charged in Carroll County with one of the burglaries and could be charged with more. On April 7, Carroll County Sgt. Daniel Klatt responded to a residential house fire at 665 CR 2415.  The house belongs to Terry and Vivian Thornton.  The investigation determined several items were stolen from the house before the fire.