Year: 2026

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…

Bruce Kane Sanders Sr.

Bruce Kane Sanders Sr. age 80, passed away on May 13, 2026, at his home in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He was born on March 29, 1946, to Clinton Neal (Johnson)…

Nilo Alberto Acosta

Nilo Alberto Acosta was born on September 8, 1943, in Tampa, Florida, to Maria “Nuni” Antonia Acosta and Alberto Manuel Acosta. He is lovingly survived by his devoted wife, Penny…

Salvador Verduzco Melgoza

Salvador Verduzco Melgoza passed on May 10, 2026, at the age of 60, having been born on April 24, 1966, and residing in Fort Smith, Arkansas. No services are scheduled…

Roger Yates

Roger Yates passed on May 13, 2026, at the age of 75; born March 20, 1951, in Marshall, AR to Joseph Yates and Marie (Baker) Yates. Roger was retired from…

Venoma Marie Foster

Venoma Marie Foster, 94, of Fort Smith, passed away peacefully on May 16, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. Born on August 18, 1931, in Roseville, Venoma lived…

Mary J. Lynn

Mary J. Lynn passed away peacefully on May 16, 2026, at the age of 85 surrounded by her family. Born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Mary was the youngest…

Jean Baldwin

Neta-Jean Baldwin of Alma, Arkansas, passed away on May 6, 2026, at the age of 86. Neta-Jean was born on Mother’s Day, May 14, 1939, in Kansas City, Missouri, to…

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…

Kimberly “Joni” Cox

Kimberly “Joni” Cox, 64, of Cameron, Oklahoma passed on Friday, May 15, 2026 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was born July 5, 1961 in Fort Smith, Arkansas to R.G. and Sharon…

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…

When 2 Northwest Arkansas towns right-sized their maps

Two years ago, two city councils in Northwest Arkansas did something that city councils almost never do. They voluntarily gave up land to a neighbor. Rogers gave up the Scissortail…

Southside senior track Rhett Moss qualifies for state meet, ready for college

Rhett Moss already knew he was heading to the Class 6A state track meet in the 3,200-meter run. On April 30, Moss, a senior at Southside High School in Fort…