Business

Empowering literacy through technology

Maria does well in geometry and is involved in my school’s robotics club, working with her peers on a robotic arm. She is, however, up against a big problem: Maria…

Amazon planning major distribution center at Little Rock Port Authority

Central Arkansas will be home to another major investment from online retail giant Amazon, local economic officials revealed Tuesday (April 15). Early Tuesday, Little Rock Port Authority officials approved a…

J.B. Hunt 1Q revenue, earnings dip, but beat estimates

Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. posted declines in earnings and revenue in the first quarter but narrowly beat analyst expectations of larger declines. After-hours trading showed the company’s…

ABB has ‘future proofed’ Fort Smith electric motor production

While it has had a decline in employment from the days when it was Baldor’s corporate headquarters, the ABB operation in Fort Smith remains the global base of the company’s…

Gov. Sanders seeks ban on SNAP junk food purchases

Gov. Sarah Sanders has asked for a waiver from the Trump administration barring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients from using their benefits to purchase candy, soft drinks, and other…

First Community Bank hires Cassandra Huff

First Community Bank has hired Cassandra Huff as vice president, commercial loan officer in the dealer direct program. In her new role, Huff will be responsible for lending and managing…

White River Bancshares posts record first-quarter earnings

Fayetteville-based White River Bancshares Co., the holding company for Signature Bank of Arkansas, posted a 416.4% earnings increase in the first quarter as loan growth contributed to a rise in…

UADA: Arkansas crop damage exceeds $78 million in April flood

Heavy rain and storms from April 2-5 resulted in at least $78.93 million in crop-related flood damage in Arkansas, with most of the total in the eastern part of the…

Jim and Susan von Gremp give $100,000 to UA scholarship

University of Arkansas alumnus Jim von Gremp and his wife, Susan, recently contributed $100,000 to the Land of Opportunity Scholarship campaign. The gift establishes the Jim and Susan von Gremp…

Grant to help UA boost data science workforce

The Arkansas Department of Higher Education awarded $750,000 to the University of Arkansas to help increase the number of data science certificates and degrees throughout the state. Karl Schubert, managing…

NRF reports that March retail sales rose 4.75%

Consumers spent 4.75% more on retail purchases in March compared to a year ago. Total sales excluded autos and fuel and were compiled by Affinity Solutions for the National Retail…

Trade wars ‘likely to extend’ US freight recession

Recent reports suggest the announced and threatened tariffs may have boosted near-term shipping and import numbers, but may eventually lengthen the U.S. freight recession and reduce spending on trucks and…

Owner of Irish Maid Donuts in Fort Smith ready to sell

A Fort Smith institution is looking to change hands. The owner of Irish Maid Donuts posted April 7 on social media that she is ready to sell the business that…

$77 million Ridge Athletics Center breaks ground

Construction on the most expensive public works project in the history of the city of Jonesboro has started. Ground was broken Friday (April 11) on the $77 million multisport complex…

UALR names Karabacak as dean of Donaghey College of STEM

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Monday (April 14) named Dr. Tansel Karabacak as dean of the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (DCSTEM), effective July…

Arvest Bank announces regional leadership changes

Craig Rivaldo, regional executive for Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank, will retire later this year after 37 years with the bank, the bank announced Monday (April 14). His retirement results in executive…

The Supply Side: Consumers reduce spending on spring fashion

Despite initial optimism, consumers polled by McKinsey & Company indicate they plan to spend less on discretionary categories like clothes and shoes over the next three months. Only 14% said…

NWACC approves Bentonville campus master plan

NorthWest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees recently approved a campus master plan as a guide for the next five to 20 years of growth and expansion for its Bentonville…

Connections: Cobblestone Farms to host key fundraiser in September

Fayetteville-based Cobblestone Farms plans to host more than 250 attendees at its Cultivating Community fundraiser at 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Barn at the Springs in Springdale. According to…

Bentonville land at Walton-backed health care campus sells for $18 million

More than 50 acres of pastureland along Interstate 49 in Bentonville has a new owner after a transaction worth $18.51 million. The purchase price equals $364,777 per acre. Bentonville-based AWSOM…

Marine Glisovic promoted to director at Electric Cooperatives

New World Screwworm arrives in the U.S.

Lakeport Plantation Museum to host ‘The Mississippi River in American Memory’ event

Average weekly wages rise in the Fort Smith region