Business

Municipal League chief: Issue 3 would give cities tools to recruit

Issue 3, a ballot measure legislators referred to voters for this November’s election, would give cities in Arkansas the same ability to form development districts that cities in surrounding states…

Electrical substation manufacturer locating in North Little Rock

CEP USA Inc., a manufacturer of prefabricated electrical substations, has located its first U.S. manufacturing facility in North Little Rock. The company is investing nearly $1 million in the facility…

Arkansas remains top three cotton producer despite declining acres

Despite declining acres, Arkansas remains one of the top three cotton producing states and will continue that trend through 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics…

A-State launches non-traditional student scholarship fund

Arkansas adults who have historically faced financial hardships in pursuing a college education or workforce training may be eligible for a new, privately funded Arkansas State University System Educational Scholarship…

CHI St. Vincent announces matching $5 million gift for cardiac center

CHI St. Vincent announced Tuesday (May 19) a new $5 million matching gift from Boots and Alan Warrick in support of the upcoming Anthony Center for Advanced Cardiac Care at…

Fort Smith schools boss touts charter school plan; building named after Gooden

A charter school primarily for military families connected to the foreign pilot training center at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith could open its doors as early as…

Pratt & Whitney to invest $4.7 million In Springdale plant

Pratt & Whitney recently invested $4.7 million into a 7,000-square-foot expansion at its Springdale plant as part of a more than $100 million project to increase the maintenance, repair and…

Rogers attorney named to the Inner Circle of Advocates

Sach Oliver, CEO of Oliver Law Firm in Rogers, has been named to The Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only organization limited to the top 100 plaintiff trial lawyers in…

March job numbers trend lower in most Arkansas metros

A “slowing trend” in Arkansas job growth was evident in Tuesday’s federal report showing that only three of the seven metro areas in or connected to Arkansas posted year-over-year job…

Arkansas real estate is ripe for pickin’

For the last several years, I have been anticipating the current situation in commercial housing investments: a wave of mortgages approaching balloon-payment maturity after originating during the low interest-rate environment…

Legislation would provide grants to improve HBCU facilities

A bill in Congress would direct the U.S. Department of Education to award grants to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to cover the cost of renovations, repairs and construction…

Philander Smith University receives $3.9 million Windgate grant

Philander Smith University has received a $3.9 million grant from the Windgate Foundation to expand student access and strengthen long-term scholarship support through the creation of a new endowed scholarship…

Fort Smith School Board approves $15 million bond package for construction

In a narrow vote, the Fort Smith Public School Board on Monday (May 18) approved a $15 million bond package to support work that includes an estimated $5.4 million in…

Walmart expected to post 8% first fiscal quarter net income gain

Bentonville-based Walmart is likely to grow net income at a faster pace than revenue in its first quarter for fiscal 2027, according to analysts. The consensus estimate among analysts who…

SWEPCO Foundation gives $500,000 for University of Arkansas scholarship

The foundation of Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO), a utility of Columbus, Ohio-based American Electric Power, said Monday (May 18) that it will give $500,000 to the University of Arkansas…

Rice plants and Venus flytraps have unexpectedly similar defense systems

A routine observation by a scientist may have led to a significant discovery about plant defense systems. Using a faint smell to lure caterpillars into a trap, rice plants kill…

Sebastian County trail, park work continues; officials seek ‘great natural environment’

As the Sebastian County Director of Parks and Golf, Jay Randolph is confident that if you build and sustain a robust trail system that connects cities and other locations in…

Change-of-government elections, grant requests on Fort Smith Board agenda

History could be made Tuesday (May 19) as the Fort Smith Board of Directors consider ordinances that would place a change-of-government question before city voters. The options are to place…

Executive Summary: Positive attitude, doing the right thing important to Jeter

Editor’s note: The Fort Smith Metro Daily News Executive Summary series is focused on looking under the title, so to speak, of a business, government, and non-profit executive in the…

Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: A new ARCOM dean, a BHC Insurance promotion, and a debris bag

Following are recent news brief items from the Fort Smith metro. ARCOM Dean Dr. Christopher Loyke has been hired as dean of the Fort Smith-based Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine…