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Tribal advocates keep up legal pressure for fair political maps; 12-member jury sworn in for Trump's historic criminal trial; the importance of healthcare decision planning; and a debt dilemma: poll shows how many people wrestle with college costs.

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Civil rights activists say a court ruling could end the right to protest in three southern states, a federal judge lets January 6th lawsuits proceed against former President Trump, and police arrest dozens at a Columbia University Gaza protest.

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Rural Wyoming needs more vocational teachers to sustain its workforce pipeline, Ohio environmental advocates fear harm from a proposal to open 40-thousand forest acres to fracking and rural communities build bike trail systems to promote nature, boost the economy.

Spotlight Shines on School Breakfast Programs

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Monday, February 29, 2016   

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – More than 60 percent of Arkansas children qualify for free or reduced-price lunch at school, and there's an effort underway to provide them with breakfast as well.

The Food Research and Action Center's School Breakfast Scorecard for the 2014-2015 school year shows Arkansas has made a lot of progress in increasing the number of low-income students eating breakfast at school, moving up from 10th to seventh in the nation.

Nancy Conley, communications director for the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, says research shows children who eat breakfast perform better in school.

"They have fewer tardies, they have fewer behavior problems, it's easier for them to focus on their schoolwork, and better health outcomes," she points out.

The governor's office has teamed up with the Hunger Alliance, the state Education Department and the Arkansas No Kid Hungry campaign to make March School Breakfast Month in an effort to get more schools to participate.

Several programs are being put in place in Arkansas schools to boost the number of children starting the day with a meal including Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab and Go and Second Chance Breakfast.

Conley says for many children, eating at school is the only time they can count on a meal.

"Kind of a long time between lunch one day and lunch the next or breakfast the next,” she stresses. “So there are a lot of kids that really in nutritional crisis were it not for the school meals."

There are approximately 290,000 - Arkansas students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals.





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