Year: 2026

Ian Trip Mark Bennett

Ian Trip Mark Bennett, 19, of Fort Smith, passed away Friday, March 27, 2026 in Muldrow. He was born February 20, 2007 in Fort Smith. He was a service tech…

Harvey Raymond Pankonien

Harvey Pankonien, 96, of Mulberry, previously of Van Buren, passed away Monday, April 6, 2026 at his home. He was born February 11, 1930 in Wausau, Wisconsin to the late…

John Joe Macias

John Joe Macias, 56, of Alma, passed away Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at his home. He was born May 19, 1969 in Hayward, California to the late Jesse and Mary…

Jimmy Don Evans

Jimmy Don Evans, 83, of Van Buren, went to be with the Lord Thursday, April 9, 2026 at his home. He was born March 29, 1943 in Mulberry. He served…

Judy Darlene Kirkham

Judy Darlene Kirkham, 69, of Mansfield, Arkansas passed away Wednesday, April 1, 2026 in Greenwood. She was born June 28, 1956 in Dyer, Arkansas to Lillard and Georgia (Bratton) Berna….

NRF: Tax refunds help lift retail sales 6.59% in March

Retail sales rose 6.59% in March from a year ago, as consumers received larger-than-usual state and federal tax refunds that offset higher gasoline prices, according to the National Retail Federation’s…

Fort Smith Regional Airport traffic ticks higher in the first quarter

March enplanements at the Fort Smith Regional Airport were below that of March 2025, with airport traffic in the first quarter of 2026 slightly above that in the same period…

Shepherd confirmed as federal judge in Arkansas’ Western District

John Thomas Shepherd of El Dorado has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be a U.S. District judge in the Western District of Arkansas, according to the offices of…

Central States CEO Jim Sliker to transition from role, Kurt Weaver named successor

Jim Sliker, CEO of Tontitown-based manufacturing company Central States Inc., will transition to company chairman, and Kurt Weaver will become its CEO, effective June 1. Central States said Tuesday (April…

Harvest Group in Rogers acquires Austin, Texas-based Cartograph

Rogers-based retail sales agency Harvest Group said Tuesday (April 14) that it has acquired Cartograph, an Austin, Texas-based Amazon agency known for its performance marketing capabilities and support for emerging…

Educators express confidence 3rd graders are ready for new reading requirement

Three years into the implementation of the LEARNS Act, Arkansas educators are bracing for a new reading proficiency requirement that takes effect this year and will determine which third graders…

Arkansas Health Care Association graduates first class of nurses

The Arkansas Health Care Association (AHCA) announced the graduation of the first class of the AHCA School of Nursing. During graduation ceremonies at three locations across the state, 66 Practical…

Kevin Wilcutt Memorial Garden opened at WBU

The Kevin Wilcutt Memorial Garden has been completed at Williams Baptist University. Construction of the 6,400 square foot garden was funded by a $130,000 donation from Tekla Research and the Wilcutt family….

BRTC’s gunsmithing program receives national designation

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has selected Black River Technical College (BRTC) to be one of four affiliated colleges in the United States to offer “short-term gunsmithing courses to aspiring…

ESPN Arkansas acquires 93.7 frequency, KISR to move to 93.1 FM

KISR 93.7, the Fort Smith-based radio station long known for unique promotional events and coverage of the Fort Smith metro, is being sold to Pearson Broadcasting Group. The 93.7 FM…

Arkansas lithium potential still strong, but market conditions shifting

Officials working to develop Arkansas’ fledgling lithium industry provided an overview Monday (April 13) of where the potential for lithium development stands in the wake of shifting public policy and…

SREG finds successful formula in South Yard, Drake Farms and more

Fayetteville-based Specialized Real Estate Group (SREG) expects to invest more than $1 billion over 15 years to develop Drake Farms, a 125-acre mixed-use residential and commercial neighborhood in north Fayetteville…

The Supply Side: Private brand sales growth expected to continue in 2026

Private brand growth has been steady since 2021 by providing a lower-cost alternative to consumers responding to inflation. Private brand unit share of consumer packaged goods (CPG) was 22.1% in…

Parker to step away from ACHE leadership post

Kyle Parker, the first president and CEO of the Fort Smith-based Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE), is transitioning out of the top leadership post effective June 30 and will…

Audit begins with Parrot Island Waterpark management firm

Accounting firm Forvis Mazars has begun its audit of American Resort Management’s (ARM) finances related to the operation of Parrot Island Waterpark. The waterpark, jointly owned by Sebastian County and…