Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to the Little Rock Letter. I am your host, Reid, and I am over the moon to congratulate you on your latest achievement: surviving False Fall, the month formerly known as September.
If you’re new here, LRL exists to tie community to geography — this land is rich in stories and lore, from the news of the day to the oddities of yesteryear. We’re all lucky to call it home. This newsletter aims to explain why.
Thanks and welcome.
THREE STORIES YOU SHOULD KNOW
County’s data center rules vetoed. Judge Barry Hyde said the rules go too far and expose the county to lawsuits. The Quorum Court is expected to override the veto. Arkansas Times.
Mayor releases 4-year plan. Mayor Frank Scott Jr. released “Little Rock 2030: Forward Together,” his vision for the next 4 years. He released the plan a month before his reelection bid against B.J. Wyrick. Read the plan.
Unexploded munitions stalling Burns Park plans. Plans to relocate the St. Joseph Center of Arkansas to Burns Park are stalled due to potentially unexploded munitions from Camp Robinson. LR Soirée.
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ONE STORY YOU DIDN’T KNOW
In all likelihood, it was a takeoff as routine as any other. At 5:55 a.m. on March 31st, 1960, Captain Herbert Aldridge, First Lieutenant Thomas Smoak, Lieutenant Colonel Reynolds S. Watson, and Kenneth E. Brose departed from Jacksonville en route to Shreveport in a C-130 cargo plane.
The next few minutes are somewhat lost to history, but there’s speculation the crew made an ill-advised and extreme left turn that the plane couldn’t handle, wherein it began to disintegrate and fall apart.
In Hillcrest, chunks of debris, some still on fire and many weighing hundreds of pounds, began falling into yards as the day began. The nose of the plane landed in Alsopp Park. A pilot (Thomas Smoak, the only survivor) parachuted to the backyard of what is now 510 Martin St. If you know who lives there — let them know. An ejection seat landed in the Pulaski Heights Middle School soccer field. Two residents were killed by debris, including Alta Clark, who lived at 211 Colonial Ct., a property that is now for sale.
All told, the crash accounted for $4M in damages. Converted to 2026 dollars, that amounts to a whopping $45.2M dollars today. For reference, the city of Little Rock budgeted $47.9M in 2026 for Community Services, which includes parks and rec, youth and family programs, housing and neighborhood programs, the zoo, municipal golf courses, and more. Explore the budget here.
Though unverified, the Butler Center (God bless them) has video they believe to be of the wreckage’s aftermath. Do you see houses you recognize?
Click the image to watch the video. Courtesy of the Butler Center at the Central Arkansas Library System.
WHAT’S NEXT?: MARKHAM ROAD DIET
Talk is turning to action. After years of planning, I’m happy to let you know the Markham road diet plan is underway. Right now, the city is in the process of acquiring the land it needs to complete the project, with the goal of completing that process by the end of 2026. Then, ARDOT will (allegedly) authorize construction bids in early 2027 to do the following:
Reduce Markham from 4 lanes to 3, 1 lane for each direction plus a turn lane between Cedar and Pearl.
Improve (and dear God, hopefully widen) sidewalks, update infrastructure to meet ADA compliance, and add safer crossings.
Rebuild the Markham/Kavanaugh intersection in Stifft Station.
While exciting, keep in mind this project has been brewing since 2019. There’s every reason to believe it will get done, but treat all timelines and dates mentioned with a grain of salt. Perhaps a whole shaker.
I must give credit to the estimable Joe Jacobs, owner of ArkansasOutside.com, who wrote about the plan in July. Joe deserves all of your eyeballs, follows, and attention.
Until next week,
Reid