5 lawmen's names put on memorial
WASHINGTON -- The names of five Arkansas lawmen were recently added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Fayetteville police officer Stephen Carr was shot and killed Dec. 7 while sitting behind the wheel of his patrol car outside the police station.
Stone County sheriff's office Sgt. Michael Stephen Sr. was shot and killed on July 18 while responding to a domestic disturbance.
In addition to Carr and Stephen, 305 fallen officers were memorialized during a video ceremony Wednesday.
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Normally, tens of thousands of people travel to Washington for the annual candlelight ceremony. Because of the coronavirus, organizers scrapped their normal plans, opting for an online ceremony instead.
Organizers identified the other Arkansans as Ollie Edward Mitts, a game warden who died on June 9, 1937, after being shot by someone who had violated state fishing laws; and Cleveland County Deputy Sheriffs George W. Rogers and Ulyss Baldwin. The two men were shot and killed on Aug. 14, 1925, while searching for an escapee from the Cleveland County Convict Farm.
In a speech on the Senate floor last week, U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said law enforcement officers are "selfless public servants who courageously face danger head on."
After stating the names of the five fallen Arkansans, Boozman said: "We will remember forever them as heroes."
Ex-Trump aide praises governor
Sarah Huckabee Sanders gave high marks Thursday to Gov. Asa Hutchinson for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I think Asa's done a very good job here in Arkansas. I think he's been a strong leader in a very difficult time and made sure that they were making the best decisions possible for our state and our community," she said.
She also praised the leadership of Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. for his coronavirus response.
Sanders made her comments as she discussed plans for the Arkansas 30 Day Fund, which will give forgivable loans to struggling Arkansas small businesses.
In addition to launching a new nonprofit, Sanders is writing a memoir titled Speaking for Myself: Faith, Freedom, and the Fight of Our Lives Inside the Trump White House.
It is scheduled to be published Sept. 8.
It's been almost a year since she left the West Wing and returned to Arkansas.
Asked whether she's made any decisions about running for governor in 2022, Sanders said: "I'm still focused on helping people in 2020, and I think it'd be premature to do anything until that election cycle is over."
Cotton stance on China story focus
Wall Street Journal Executive Editor Gerald F. Seib wrote an opinion piece Monday about U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., calling him "the loudest voice in attacking China's behavior amid the coronavirus pandemic."
The piece, titled "Tom Cotton Has a China Coronavirus Attack Plan," was based, in part, on an interview with Cotton.
"More Americans than ever, like more Asians than ever, recognize that China is a pariah state, and we ought to treat them like a pariah state," the Dardanelle native said.
Among other things, Cotton would spend billions of dollars to "build up joint military capabilities with allies in the region," Seib wrote.
Cotton also wants to see greater arms sales to Taiwan, Seib said, noting "Beijing's leaders have made clear that arming Taiwan is a bright red line for them."
Seib portrayed Cotton's strategy as broad, expensive and potentially risky, saying it "begs the question of whether demonizing China will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Does treating China as a mortal enemy reflect a new reality, or does it create that reality at a time when a more benign course is still possible?"
Noting Cotton's close ties to President Donald Trump, Seib said Cotton's plan may be a "sign of where the [China] policy debate is heading."
Cotton appears to have liked the story. His office emailed a copy of the piece to reporters, shortly after it was published.
Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (501) 908-5204 or flockwood@arkansasonline.com. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Washington bureau? It's available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.
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