News in brief

Justices stay ruling

in dicamba ban case

The Arkansas Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the decisions of two circuit judges, in Mississippi and Phillips counties, to exempt certain farmers from the state's ban on dicamba.

The attorney general's office had asked the court to put a halt to the rulings until appeals could be heard.

Groups of farmers filed lawsuits earlier this month against the state Plant Board's ban on using dicamba between April 16 and Oct. 31. Circuit Judges Tonya Alexander in Mississippi County and Christopher Morledge in Phillips County granted the farmers' requests for temporary restraining orders during hearings without the participation of the attorney general's office.

In Clay County last week, Circuit Judge Randy Philhours issued a similar ruling, but that case hasn't come before the Supreme Court. In Jonesboro, Circuit Judge Melissa Bristow Richardson rejected other farmers' request for an injunction after a hearing that included state attorneys.

The Supreme Court also declined Wednesday to reverse its earlier ruling that, for now, doesn't allow six farmers in a Pulaski County circuit case to be exempt from the ban.

-- Stephen Steed

Tyson plant remains

idle after fire, leak

A Tyson Foods plant in Dawson, Ga., remains idle one week after a fire and reported ammonia leak forced evacuations from the plant and about 40 nearby homes on April 18.

Springdale-based Tyson is investigating the cause and cleaning up the wreckage, a spokesman said Wednesday.

"We're still assessing the damage and working to understand what will be required of the business," the spokesman said in an email.

Over the weekend, Tyson notified its full-time workers that they will be paid for a full three weeks of work ending May 5. Wednesday's email said the workers may be called in to help clean the plant or for other projects.

Details on when the plant will be operational were not disclosed by Tyson.

-- Nathan Owens

State index edges up

0.37 to end 402.29

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, gained 0.37 to 402.29 Wednesday.

"Equity market sentiment continues to battle against the specter of rising interest rates as the U.S. Treasury 10-year yield closed above 3 percent," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.

Total volume for the index was 17.1 million shares.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.

Business on 04/26/2018

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