Year: 2026

David Wayne Smith

David Wayne Smith of Muldrow, Oklahoma, passed away Friday, April 17, 2026, at his home. He was born on March 16, 1970, in Dallas, Texas, to Larry Michael Smith, Sr….

Tommy Byrd

Thomas Dean Byrd of Charleston, Arkansas, died Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He was born on April 17, 1959, in Ozark, Arkansas, to the…

{“obituaryText”:”Jewel Henryetta Gipson, beloved mother, grandmother, and family matriarch, passed away peacefully on April 22, 2026 at the age of 75, after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. She…

Beth Chitwood-Carter

Faye Elizabeth Chitwood Carter, who resided near Paris, Arkansas, passed away Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Paris. She was born on May 19, 1948, in Stigler, Oklahoma, to the late…

Jeff L. McRorey

Jeffrey L. McRorey who resided in Lavaca, Arkansas, passed away Sunday, April 26, 2026. He was 66 years old. He was preceded in death by his parents and a grandson,…

Nyia Toua Xiong

Nyia Toua Xiong, 84, of Scranton, Arkansas passed away Monday, March 9, 2026. He was born on September 6, 1941, in Nanyon, Loas, to the late Chaileng Xiong and Poua…

Gerald Frederick Ottmer

Captain Gerald Frederick Ottmer, age 97 of Fort Smith, AR went home to be with the Lord on April 22, 2026. He was born August 4, 1928, in Lakewood, NJ,…

Arvest fund hits milestone, bank launches fundraiser

The Arvest Opportunity Fund, a non-bank subsidiary of Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank, recently provided its 1,000th business loan. The bank also recently kicked off its annual Million Meals campaign, a two-month…

UA reaches a new record in research expenditures

The University of Arkansas has set a new record of $252.9 million in research expenditures in 2025, an increase of more than $90 million in four years. UA Chancellor Charles…

Arkansas Rural Electric Cooperative Caucus formed

For the first time, Arkansas lawmakers have made the move to form the Arkansas Rural Electric Cooperative Caucus (ARECC), advocating for the interests of local cooperative consumer-members across the Natural…

Heartland Forward appoints John Bailey as first AI fellow

Heartland Forward, a Bentonville-based think-and-do tank, said Monday (April 27) that John Bailey, a nationally recognized leader on technology and public policy, will be the organization’s first artificial intelligence (AI)…

Government change process to be reviewed by Fort Smith board

The legal process to change through a citizen vote the city’s form of government is on the April 28 agenda of the Fort Smith Board of Directors. Directors Christina Catsavis…

The Compass Report: Economic activity moderates in Arkansas metro areas

The fourth quarter of 2025 saw a decline, or moderation, in economic activity in the four Arkansas metro areas covered in The Compass Report. Higher unemployment numbers and less construction…

Leading on health care solutions

In Arkansas and across the heartland, we are used to solving problems together. That instinct — to step up for our neighbors, to find practical solutions and to work together…

Connections: Tyson Foods appoints chief accounting officer

Springdale-based meat producer Tyson Foods Inc. has named Phillip Thomas as its new chief accounting officer and controller effective April 6. He replaces Lori Bondar, who is stepping down and…

Northside senior softball player Aaliyah Hamilton puts in the work to become better

Aaliyah Hamilton is proud to proclaim she’s the first one to arrive to softball practice and the last to leave. But the Northside senior continues utilizing her work ethic away…

Spencer Fane to merge with Conner & Winters

Kansas City, Mo.-based Spencer Fane will combine with Tulsa, Okla-based Conner & Winters LLP. The merger, effective July 1, will result in Spencer Fane having its first Arkansas office, as…

Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: ArcBest to issue dividend, Leadership Crawford County goes to the farm

Following are recent news brief items from the Fort Smith metro. ArcBest Dividend The board of directors at Fort Smith-based ArcBest have declared a quarterly cash dividend of 12 cents…

Arkansas lawmakers near fiscal session end, set aside $300 million for superproject

With a little drama but some mystery, Arkansas lawmakers have pushed through week 3 of their biennial fiscal session business to land a $6.7 billion balanced budget that looks mostly…

Joint Budget advances school separation measure

The Joint Budget Committee Thursday (April 23) advanced an amendment to an appropriations bill that the sponsor said is needed for four isolated schools to detach from their existing districts….