Ryan Caststeel Joins Stone Bank as Legal Officer
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Stone Bank has announced that Ryan Caststeel has joined the bank as legal officer.
Caststeel previously served as an associate with Hopkins Caststeel attorneys in Little Rock. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, graduating summa cum laude, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Central Arkansas. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Caststeel has been recognized as a Mid-South Rising Star by Super Lawyers® for more than a decade. He was also named one of Little Rock’s Best Lawyers by Little Rock Soirée magazine.
In his new role with Stone Bank, Caststeel will provide legal guidance and support across the organization.
Arkansas’ tick season appears worse than usual, public health vet says by Ainsley Platt School is out, the temperature is high and the sun isn’t setting until well into the evening. In other words, it’s peak tick season in Arkansas.
While ticks are found year-round in the Natural State, their numbers peak in the summer and early fall. The arachnids are found all over the country, and their bites can transmit illnesses. Data from the Centers for Disease Control indicate 2026 is a bad year for the tick bite-avoidant nationwide.
The same is shaping up to be true in Arkansas.
“Anecdotally, just from seeing things on my own pets and hearing from people, I do feel like the season may be worse than normal,” said Arkansas’ state public health veterinarian Dr. Laura Rothfeldt.
Arkansas is one of the hotspots for a debilitating tickborne illness known as alpha gal syndrome. Alpha gal is an allergy to an enzyme found in red meat, which in turn can be found in everything from hamburger meat to gelatin medication capsules. Those who develop the allergy can have delayed reactions — sometimes by hours — to anything containing the enzyme. Symptoms can vary in severity, ranging from swollen lips and hives to anaphylactic shock.
Humans can develop the alpha-gal allergy after being bitten by a lone star tick, which is abundant in Arkansas. Unlike most other tickborne illnesses found in Arkansas, there is no cure for the allergy, which develops as a result of an immune reaction to the alpha-gal enzyme when it enters the bloodstream.
Arkansas became the first state to require labs to report suspected cases of alpha-gal syndrome to the state health department in 2023, Rothfeldt said.
The Arkansas Department of Health has received reports of 3,005 suspected cases so far this year of alpha-gal, which means a patient’s blood work tested positive for the antibody created when the alpha-gal enzyme enters the bloodstream.
In order for a case to be confirmed, additional investigation is required by the department. Rothfeldt emphasized that not everyone who tests positive will end up experiencing the allergy symptoms alpha-gal syndrome can induce.
“Out of those people that have an elevated antibody level, many of those people do not show allergy to that,” Rothfeldt said.
Ainsley Platt covers the environment, energy and other topics as a reporter for the Arkansas Advocate.
Source: Arkansas Advocate
Community support builds for Shellam Flake Planetarium seat campaign UA Little Rock Community support continues to grow for the return of the Shellam Flake Planetarium at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Since launching the planetarium seat sponsorship program this spring, alumni, friends, and community partners have sponsored 26 seats, generating $65,000 to provide long-term support for the planetarium’s maintenance and future enhancements.
“We’re encouraged by the enthusiasm we’ve seen so far,” said Lloyd Webre, director of development for the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. “Every sponsorship represents someone who believes in creating opportunities for students and our community to experience science in a hands-on, inspiring way. We’re grateful to everyone who has stepped forward to ensure the Shellam Flake Planetarium is a UA Little Rock staple for generations to come.” Provost Ann Bain became the program’s first supporter, sponsoring two seats in honor of her grandchildren, Sadie and Henry.
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate curiosity and discovery than by supporting a space like the planetarium,” Bain said. “Knowing Sadie and Henry will have a connection to this experience, and that so many other children will be inspired here, makes this especially meaningful.”