A tick bite in the backyard could cost you steak for life

The tick that can take red meat off the dinner table for the rest of your life is no bigger than a sesame seed, and it lives in the same yards, pastures and trailheads where north central Arkansans spend their summers. Confirmed and probable cases of alpha-gal syndrome in Arkansas jumped from 70 in 2023…

ByChris FultonMay 22, 20260Comments

Events Government Health News

Sanders launches statewide maternal care campaign through Arkansas Health Units

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Arkansas Department of Health launched a statewide campaign May 6 to connect pregnant women and new mothers with care available at local Arkansas Health Units. The "Claim Your Care" campaign aims to help women find prenatal and postpartum services, nutrition support, breastfeeding resources and immunizations through 92 health units…

ByChris FultonMay 8, 20260Comments

Crime Events Feature Government Health News

Arkansas reviewed 327 child abuse investigations after legislative demand. It found systemic failures at every level.

An outside review of 327 Arkansas child abuse investigations found children who were never seen by investigators, safety assessments that were never completed and cases closed against the state's own recommendation, according to documents obtained by the Mountain Home Observer. The review, conducted in November 2025 by the nonprofit Evident Change at the request of…

ByChris FultonApril 14, 20260Comments

Events Feature Government News People

Arkansas lawmakers killed child welfare reforms designed to prevent cases like the ones in Baxter and Marion County

In Marion County, mandated reporters told the state about a 10-year-old girl living in dangerous conditions on County Road 8054. The Department of Human Services knew. The child was sexually abused. In Baxter County, 29 reports to the child abuse hotline over 11 years described a boy being locked in a bathroom, starved and tortured.…

ByChris FultonApril 7, 20260Comments

Events Feature Government Health News

State orders Briarcliff to fix water system violations as City’s claims about operator don’t add up

The Arkansas Department of Health has issued a formal enforcement action against Briarcliff Waterworks for operating without a licensed water operator and failing to submit required safety testing for months, documents obtained by The Mountain Home Observer show. The administrative order, signed March 23 by ADH Engineering Section Director Lance Jones, cites 16 violations spanning…

ByChris FultonApril 6, 20260Comments

Business Events Health News People

Baxter Health Cline Emergency Center recognized for excellence in stroke patient care by Arkansas Department of Health

Baxter Health Cline Emergency Center is proud to announce that it has been recognized by the Arkansas Department of Health for its exceptional stroke patient care. The hospital achieved the Diamond recognition for its outstanding performance based on the Arkansas Stroke Registry data covering patient discharges between July 2023 and June 2024. The Diamond Award…

ByChris FultonApril 29, 20250Comments

Events Feature Government Health News People

U.S. measles cases surge to 712 in 2025, Arkansas reports new outbreak

Arkansas health officials have confirmed a second pediatric measles case in an unvaccinated child from Faulkner County, part of a nationwide surge that has seen 712 confirmed cases across 25 states in the first quarter of 2025. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) reported that both cases involve unvaccinated children who were exposed during out-of-state…

ByChris FultonApril 14, 20250Comments

Government News

Fire at wastewater treatment plant results in leak at Bull Shoals Lake

The Arkansas Department of Health has sent out a warning to notify residents to avoid a portion of Bull Shoals reservoir after partially treated wastewater leaked into the lake from the Sugarloaf wastewater treatment plant. The leak, which was discovered on April 26, is still active. The Sugarloaf wastewater treatment plant is located near Bull…

ByChris FultonMay 5, 20230Comments

Local Mountain Home, AR News