Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: ACME input now online, UAFS students receive SURF grants
Following are news brief items from the Fort Smith metro.
ACME Property Planning
The city of Fort Smith, working with Des Moines, Iowa-based RDG Planning and Design, have launched a website to gather community input about the future of property once owned by ACME Brick.
The Fort Smith Board of Directors approved the $2.288 million purchase of 111.31 acres formerly utilized by ACME Brick Company in October 2023. Plans at the time were to use the property for flood mitigation and park amenities such as trails and bike paths. Officials with RDG have outlined design and use principles, based on direction from the board and city staff, for the property. More than 100 people attended a recent open house as part of the community input process.
“To ensure continued community involvement, the City of Fort Smith worked with RDG Planning & Design, the consultant leading the master planning effort, to launch an interactive project website using Social Pinpoint,” noted a statement from the city. “The platform is designed to closely replicate the open house experience, allowing residents who were unable to attend in person to review project information and submit feedback online.”
Link here to access the interactive website.
Assistance Grants
Three Fort Smith metro groups are set to receive money from the Community Assistance Grant Program. Gov. Sarah Sanders and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission recently announced recipients of the program designed to help fill funding gaps for projects that provide services to crime victims, reduce poverty, promote self-sufficiency, and revitalize communities.
The Arkansas Legislative Council recently approved a $15 million allocation from the program to eligible applicants. Applications opened on May 19, 2025 and closed July 31, 2025. In total, 553 applicants requested more than $319 million in total. 40 organizations were selected from those applicants. The funding will be dispersed in January.
Following are recipients in the Fort Smith metro.
• Morgan Nick Foundation, Crawford County: $282,902
• Hamilton Center for Child Advocacy, Sebastian County: $315,000
• 12th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Sebastian County: $105,786
UAFS SURF Grant Awards
Five students from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith were recently awarded Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grants by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.
The designation was the third-highest total awarded to an Arkansas university, behind the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and it was the most ever received by UAFS, according to a UAFS press release.
“Student research can be found at the center of the UAFS mission,” said Taylor Martinez, director of research and sponsored programs. “These hands-on research opportunities enhance our students’ preparation for their future, whether that’s in the workforce or graduate education, through critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills.”
SURF focuses on continuing the development of undergraduate academic research at Arkansas’ public and private institutions of higher education and providing funding to encourage students to conduct in-depth research projects in specific fields of study under the tutelage of a tenured or full-time faculty member. Students are expected to present their research, providing them with additional hands-on experience.
Following are the five students, their mentors and project title.
Willow McFerran, senior biology major (STEM)
Mentor: Dr. Chris Pierret
Project Title: Impact of a bioblitz on an individual’s perception of community and nature
Isaac Teague, senior biology major (STEM)
Mentor: Dr. Jason Ortega
Project Title: Microplastic Abundance and Variation within Non-Web Building Spiders: Dolomedidae and Lycosidae
Rawan Yasin, senior biology major (STEM)
Mentor: Dr. Sandya Baviskar
Project Title: Aggregation or Segregation: Exploring the Interactions Between Co-Occurring Species of Dictyostelids from Arkansas River Valley
Shelby Zink, senior biology major (STEM)
Mentor: Dr. Jason Ortega
Project Title: Investigating Microplastic Pollution Patterns in Web-Using Arachnids (Araneidae and Tetragnathidae)
Lane Metcalf, senior history major with teacher licensure (Non-STEM)
Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Shure
Project Title: Teacher Perspectives on Effective Interventions and Therapies for Students with Diverse Support Needs
Babb Chairmanship
The board of directors of Costa Mesa, Calif.-based El Pollo Loco has elected Douglas Babb as board chair. He has been on the board since 2018.
Prior to joining the board, Babb worked for seven years as CEO of Cooper Clinic in Fort Smith, and was executive vice president, chief administrative and legal officer, and secretary of Fort Smith-based Beverly Enterprises, Inc., a national nursing home and healthcare services. Prior to that, Babb was senior vice president and chief of staff and senior vice president, merchandise business unit for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. from 1995 to 2000.
Babb also was board chair of the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith.
El Pollo Loco, which opened its first restaurant in 1980, has more than 4,000 employees and has more than 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, and Utah, with additional locations in development.
Cherokee Nation Communication
Brandon Scott has been named the chief communications officer for the Tahlequah, Okla-based Cherokee Nation. Scott is responsible for all communications and public relations across Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses.
“Brandon is a trusted advisor and professional across Cherokee Nation government and all of our entities, including Cherokee Nation Businesses,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “His elevation to this position reflects the fact that well-coordinated communication across all entities is vital to the success of CNB, and therefore vital to the success of Cherokee Nation and vital to the interests of the Cherokee people.”
Scott brings more than a decade of tribal communications experience to the new role. He most recently was Cherokee Nation’s vice president of enterprise communications. Scott is an Oklahoma native who also previously worked as executive editor of the Cherokee Phoenix. He has worked with the tribe in various roles since 2012.
The Cherokee Nation is the federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law. Cherokee Nation Businesses is the tribally owned holding company of the largest Indian Nation in the United States. The Cherokee Nation and its businesses employ 14,500 people.