After a distinguished 16-year tenure, Kermit Channell, the director of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, is retiring at the end of August. J.R. Howard, a former director of the lab, will step in as acting director. Channell's career began in 1987 at the state Medical Examiner's Office. Following a brief hiatus, he returned in 1990 as a forensic serologist and later spearheaded the creation of the state's first forensic DNA section in 1996. In 2005, he became the scientific operations director for the crime lab, a position he held for two years before assuming the directorship. Channell's retirement comes as the lab faces significant infrastructural challenges, including capacity limitations and outdated systems, as highlighted by a recent assessment from the Smith Group consulting firm. The report indicated the current facility in west Little Rock offers no viable options for expansion or renovation, citing persistent issues with aging mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, insufficient structural capacity, and inflexible spaces.