The extension of health insurance coverage in Arkansas for children from poor families, "ARKids 1st," is part of 23 health-related programs to be funded by the new law that increased taxes on cigarettes and other forms of tobacco and is estimated to generate about an additional $86 million annually.

The tax increase took effect on March 1. It now will increase the eligibility limit for enrollment in 1st ARKids "200% of the federal poverty level to 250% of the federal level, which will allow an additional 8,000 children to be eligible for coverage.

This certainly will help working families in these difficult economic times by providing health insurance for their children.

One requirement for a child to qualify for "ARKids 1st is to be without insurance for at least 6 months before entering the program.

The expansion of children in the program will increase state and federal costs for the program to $20 million for the 2010 fiscal year and $33 million for fiscal year 2011.

The Department of Human Services must obtain federal approval to extend the coverage which could take three months to six months.

"ARKids 1st A" is the regular Medicaid coverage program for children from low-income families. More than 260,000 children in Arkansas are covered by this program. Household income must not be more than the federal poverty limit.

Nearly 80,000 children are already insured through "ARKids 1st B" which is another program that requires co-payments and is for families with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty limit.

Another 69,000 thousand children in Arkansas don't have insurance, including 23,000 within the federal poverty limits, according to the organization Advocates for Children and Families of Arkansas.

The "1st ARKids" was created in 1997 by Governor Mike Huckabee, and has reduced by half the number of uninsured children in Arkansas.

Filed 18 de Julio, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Most categories of violent crime dropped dramatically in Little Rock in 2008. Property crimes were down less so but still significant, according to statistics released earlier this week by the FBI.

With the exception of forcible rape that increased 7.3% in 2008, all major categories of crime in Little Rock were down more than in all of the United States.

Nationally, violent crime fell 2.5% last year compared to 2007 and property crimes fell by 1.6% over the same period.

In Little Rock, violent crime fell 21% in general. The categories of violent crime, in addition to the forcible rape, including murder, robbery and aggravated assault.

Homicides were down almost 22%, burglaries by almost 20% and aggravated assaults nearly 24%, all compared with the year 2007, the report says.

Stodola and police officials gave credit to the achievements of several initiatives launched by the police chief of Little Rock, Stuart Thomas.

These initiatives include 6 mobile officers assigned to each of the three divisions (police stations) center, northwest and southwest, and in addition to patrols assigned, each division must meet hundreds of other calls.

These units can assist with the worst problems in each division that is now identified using increasingly sophisticated analysis of crime which has allowed to anticipate the areas where crimes occur.

The department has also focused efforts on certain crimes. An operation called "Silent Night" focuses largely on monitoring the areas with the most thefts, shootings, calls and complaints about services or drugs. Operation Phoenix is another initiative focusing on crimes against property.

"These initiatives are paying off," said Thomas.

The department also has added police officers at a time when the city is going through a tight budget by the fall in tax revenues and increased demand for services. Twenty new police officers graduated Friday, June 5 in Little Rock ..

Filed 29 de Junio, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Michel Leidermann

On Sunday, May 3, at Little Rock's River Market, the traditional fiesta Cinco de Mayo was celebrated. The eleventh annual event was organized by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Central Arkansas.

Though the bad weather prevented many spectators from coming out, not this nor the swine flu that is affecting the country discouraged Mexicans and non-Mexicans, of whom the majority were young people, who enjoyed the typical delicious foods, the folkloric dances of Reflejos Mexicanos, the music of Mariachi America and dancing to the rhythm of Banda Fascinación.

Some 1,500 people filled the two covered pavilions of the River Market and sponsors of the event were pleased by the interest people exhibited in gathering information from the different kiosks.

Several dignitaries were present for the occasion. The consul of Mexico in Arkansas, Andres Chao, greeted the audience and reminded them that the consulate was open to help all fellow countrymen, especially if they had a problem with the swine flu that is affecting the country and the Aztec world in particular.

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, said the city was gaining an international dimension thanks to the growth of its Latino community, to whose members he assured respect and support from municipal authorities. The deputy chief of police in Little Rock, Charles Corbin, also said his department was to protect all residents regardless of their immigration status and noted the desire to hire more Latino officers, as they had done with the two officers who accompanied them on stage: Lisa Hernandez (Chihuahua) and Julio Gil (Mexico City).

Funds raised at the event, will award college scholarships for Latino students of central Arkansas. In 2008, Little Rock LULAC gave 10 scholarships totaling $ 26,000.

Filed 12 de Mayo, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Michel Leidermann

Bill SB 799 by Senator Joyce Elliott, called "Expanding access to postsecondary education in 2009" which had been approved by the Education Committee of the Senate of Arkansas on Wednesday, March 25, failed to pass in the full Senate.

At its plenary session on Monday 30, the proposal was defeated in a vote of 13 senators in favor and 21 against (18 votes needed to pass a bill in the Senate).

After an hour of passionate debate for and against, the idea prevailed that the "illegals" have no right to receive a benefit of higher education in Arkansas, and if they can and want to continue studying at colleges and universities, they should do so by paying the full fare and not the state tuition which is cheaper.

Senator Elliott said she was disappointed but not defeated. The rules allow the Senate to "erase" the first ballot and submit it again a second time. Elliott said she would do that and continue to work to get the necessary votes for approval of this second attempt.

In her argument, Elliot said that undocumented youth who live in Arkansas are not leaving the state and that senators should decide between leaving these students without access to higher education or helping them find a profession that helps the economic development of Arkansas.

For his part, University of Arkansas in Fayetteville Chancellor David Gearhart, said that the bill improves the future of children in Arkansas in general. He said that Latinos are hardworking people and they deserve a chance. Without them the new Northwest Arkansas' campus would not have been built (the University is looking at ways to financially help 19 undocumented students who cannot pay out-of-state tuition).

To read the full article in Spanish, go to No pasa proyecto de ley en Arkansas para matricula estatal a universitarios indocumentados

Filed 6 de Abril, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Spanish learned in the family since childhood can convert into college credit if earned through a program in which nearly 3,000 universities nationwide participate.

The "College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) allows students to obtain up to 12 college credits as approved by the College Board, with successful completion of the exam.

Since 1967, from the start of the program, more than 6 million CLEP exams have been administered throughout the country, according to the organization.

In addition to gaining credit, the organization cites the time and money saved by not having to take language courses which are generally a requirement by many universities.

The exam is taken on computer and last approximately 90 minutes. The test assesses the ability to understand both written and spoken Spanish.

The cost of the exam is $60, and in some cases it is also necessary to pay an additional of $15 charge for administrative costs.

For more information on exams, in addition to the list of the 2900 participating universities in the "College-Level Examination Program, please call 1-800-257-9558 or visit the College Board website.

(The full article is available in Spanish at El Latino)

Filed 25 de Marzo, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Many of the Latinos who began arriving in Little Rock in the early 80s, decided to settle in the southwest area (neighborhood basically south of Asher Avenue), because they realized it was a quiet area and housing prices were reasonable.

Thus, from the 90s when the area's white population was 78% of the total, it has fallen by 2000 to 48%, being replaced by black residents who arrived in the 80s, along with the arrival of new Latino residents, who have quadrupled their presence in this area in only a few years.

A large number of Latinos are poor, and share their lives in humble trailers in various trailer parks, while others with more resources, live in apartments in several residential complexes in the same Southwest area.

Crime has also increased in the southwest zone sometimes focusing on taking advantage of Latinos, but it is still not as serious as that which existed 10 years ago when there was a large presence of gangs in the area, with frequent shootings, prostitution, and much drug trafficking.

Continue reading "Little Rock's Southwest side grows" »

Filed 1 de Marzo, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (1)

On February 6, Arkansas' Mexican consulate, Andres Chao, went to Dallas, Texas, to participate in the signing of the Local Agreement for Repatriation of Mexican Nationals between migration authorities (Immigration and Customs Enforcemen, ICE) and the consuls of the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock, Dallas and Kansas City, which covers the state of Oklahoma.

Mexican consuls from Little Rock, Dallas and Kansas City and ICE representative.

Mexican consulates in North Texas, Arkansas and Kansas signed an agreement to reaffirm security measures for the deportation of women, children and those with disabilities from the Texas border.

In 2008, 367,000 aliens were deported, an increase of 25% over 2007.

Continue reading "ICE and Mexican consulates sign repatriation agreement" »

Filed 22 de Febrero, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Undocumented Mexican immigrant, Adriana Torres Flores, 40, was left without food, water or access to a bathroom during her confinement for 4 days from March 6 to 10, in the empty Springdale court's building during the winter.

The attorney Roy Petty, said his client Torres may now stay in Arkansas to care for her sick daughter.

The accused appeared on Wednesday at an immigration court in Memphis, Tennessee, and stated that her daughter Cristina, aged 10, has a gastrointestinal disease and will probably die without receiving regular medical care at Children's Hospital in Little Rock.

She pointed out that this level of care may not be available in Mexico. The woman, from the state of Zacatecas and her husband, Cruz Torres, came to the United States 19 years ago and have lived in Springdale for 11 years. She has five children, four born in the U.S. who are citizens and one born in Mexico.

Petty argued to the court that he could prove that deportation would be a hardship for Cristina, the youngest of the five children, a U.S. citizen, and therefore the court granted his client a permanent residence visa.

Filed 30 de Enero, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Educational Television Network in Arkansas, AETN continues on Sunday January 25 with its series of programs "EL LATINO" in Spanish. This Sunday in the program we will talk about some services that Catholic Charities and the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, offer to Latino children to better prepare and start their lives and studies.

"EL LATINO" is broadcast throughout Arkansas on the fourth Sunday of each month at 10 pm.

The program's moderator is, like always, Michel Leidermann, director of the weekly Spanish-language newspaper EL LATINO and commentator on radio station KABF 88.3 FM.

Previous programs of EL LATINO 2008 are available online.

Filed 20 de Enero, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

The Mexican Government, through the Ministry of the Interior and the consular network in the U.S., reported the start of the winter season of "Paisano 2008."

The Paisano program aims to guide and support Mexicans who reside in the U.S. and visit Mexico during the holidays.

Until January 9,

Until next January 9, the Consulate General of Mexico in Little Rock will disseminate the necessary information for Mexican tourists and foreigners to enter Mexico without mishap.

The consular office recommended that all persons who plan to travel in the coming days to Mexico to obtain the "Winter Guide 2008" which provides information about goods and products that visitors can take into the country.

Each year thousands of Mexicans living in the U.S. travel to their Mexican villages to spend the holidays with their families.

Little Rock Mexican Consulate
3500 S. University Ave. Little Rock, AR 72204
Tel: (501) 372-6933, Fax: (501) 372-6109
Email: consulmexlir@sbcglobal.net
Web page: http://portal.sre.gob.mx/littlerock, o http://www.paisano.gob.mx/

Filed 6 de Diciembre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Michel Leidermann

LITTLE ROCK — A recent report unveiled that 375 public schools in Arkansas did not achieve the goals set by law in the "No Child Left Behind Act.".

According to results released on Friday, October 31, there was an increase in the number of schools in Arkansas that failed to meet the targets set by law and because of low scores of its students in math and reading and writing on state exams, now face sanctions ranging from student transfers to other schools, until their closures.

Three hundred seventy-five public schools, out of a total of 1087 in the state, were classified as needing to improve their performance on the basis of results of examinations of Reference (Benchmark) and end-of-course, according to notes taken in the most recent round of exams taken last spring.

Last year 325 schools were in need of improvements, 50 less than this year.

Filed 22 de Noviembre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

LITTLE ROCK — On October 14, the Chief of Police of North Little Rock, Danny Bradle, was invited to appear on the weekly radio show La Pantera on 1440 AM, together with the Little Rock Mexican Consul.

North Little Rock Police Chief, Danny Bradle, joins Little Rock Mexican Consul Andres Chao on La Pantera radio program.

This particular program was intended to send the message that the Latino community can trust the police and invited the listeners to report when they are victims of a crime or if they witness some crime, regardless of their immigration status.

Little Rock police like that of North Little Rock have assured the Consul, Andres Chao, that they need the cooperation of the Latino community to be able to apprehend individual offenders.

In addition to calling to report crimes, complaint forms in Spanish are available on the home page of El Latino (www.ellatinoarkansas.com) in the list under Formularios/Forms.

Filed 25 de Octubre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)