Marshals Museum update on The City Wire Show

Funds raised for the U.S. Marshals Museum to be built in downtown Fort Smith total a little less than $10 million, with construction on the national museum possibly beginning after a little more than $30 million is raised.

So said Jim Dunn, executive director of the U.S. Marshal Museum, during an interview for the upcoming The City Wire Show.

However, Dunn stressed that the more than $30 million construction trigger would require several factors — to include financing and the quality of cash pledges.

In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. The cost to build the 50,000-square-foot museum — including exhibit work — is estimated as high as $50 million.

Dunn said during Thursday’s taping of The City Wire Show that the funds raised to date do not include any expected money from sales of a U.S. Marshals Commemorative Coin.

The coin is scheduled to be minted in 2014 to coincide with the 225th anniversary of the establishment of the Marshals Service. Up to $5 million from coin sales is to fund “the preservation, maintenance, and display of artifacts and documents” at the Marshals Museum. Revenue from coin sales will also go to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Law Enforcement Museum, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Dunn said the museum staff are working toward a more formal update within the “next few weeks” of fundraising progress and activities.

U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., is also featured on the upcoming show. Boozman explains why he believes the Farm Bill now under consideration in the Senate is bad for Arkansas farmers. He also talks about his support for the study of a new port on the Arkansas River in the Fort Smith region, and why he is concerned about U.S. intelligence leaks allegedly coming from the Obama White House.

THE CITY WIRE SHOW
The City Wire Show, which appears Saturday and Sunday mornings in the two markets, will include a recap of major events, updates and details on ongoing issues, updates on newsmakers and discussion of arts & entertainment action.

The show, officially titled “5NEWS Presents: The City Wire,” will air Saturday mornings at 8 .m. on KXNW-TV 34, which is channel 20 for Cox cable customers in Northwest Arkansas and channel 8 for Cox cable customers in the Fort Smith area. The show will air Sunday mornings at 6 a.m. on KFSM-TV 5. The show will also air at 4 p.m., on June 17.

5NEWS Anchor Daren Bobb and The City Wire managing editor Michael Tilley are hosts for the show.