Author: George Jared

George Jared

Jonesboro sales tax collections rebound in September

The city of Jonesboro sales tax and use collections rebounded in September and it remains on pace to break its all-time record for at least the seventh year in a…

Historic low water levels on Mississippi River stymie commercial barge traffic in Arkansas

Commercial barge traffic on the Arkansas River has been shuttered due to the Mississippi River’s historic low water levels, Port of Little Rock Executive Director Bryan Day told Talk Business…

Chinese-owned Syngenta ordered to sell its ag land in Arkansas

Syngenta, a company owned by the Chinese government, will be forced to sell 160 acres of agricultural land it owns in Craighead County, Gov. Sarah Sanders said Tuesday (Oct. 17)….

Drone use expanding in Arkansas agriculture industry

Satellite images and those captured by drones are aiding farmers in new ways. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is adapting to ensure that it will be able to…

Farmland owned by foreigners may be significantly underreported

Chinese investors have been interested in farmland near several U.S. military bases and many in the federal government think a better system of tracking farmland owned by foreigners needs to…

Sen. Boozman said new Farm Bill to pass around end of year

The $1.5 trillion Farm Bill expired on Oct. 1, but U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., believes that a new bill will be passed by the end of the year or…

Arkansas net farm income drops by $1 billion in 2023

Net farm income has dropped dramatically in Arkansas in 2023. The Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center projects that net farm income in Arkansas is down about $1 billion…

Lexicon invests in its workforce

Patrick Schueck wasn’t sure if he wanted to go into the family business. His father, Tom, founded Lexicon Construction and Fabrication more than 55 years ago. Tom was a ‘hard…

Jonesboro Police Department receives $80,000 grant for body cameras

Mayor Harold Copenhaver said the city of Jonesboro has been awarded $80,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice for body-worn police cameras. “The body-camera program has been successful in providing…

International avian influenza summit to be held in Arkansas

The International Avian Influenza Summit will bring hundreds of poultry industry professionals together for two days in October to address the global challenges of avian influenza. The summit aims to…

I-55 bridge in Memphis to shut down this week for construction work

Motorists in the mid-South will only have one bridge option crossing the Mississippi River this weekend. The Tennessee Department of Transportation contract crews will be closing the I-55 Mississippi River…

Williams Baptist University break ground on Startup Chapel

Williams Baptist University recently broke ground on renovations to the Startup Chapel. The university also announced the creation of WBU’s Center for Healthy Families. “Startup Chapel is the one element…

Mississippi River levels continue to drop; barge rates continue to rise

Weeks of little to no rain are compounding barge problems on the Mississippi River, and the drought-like conditions that have dried up the river’s tributary system throughout the upper and…

Group works to support, expand Arkansas’ podcast market

Many business owners faced unique challenges trying to reconnect with existing customers and reaching out to new ones as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in 2020. Schools were shuttered for months,…

Clay County bucks national and state cotton growing trends in 2023

Cotton acreage dropped across the country this growing season and throughout much of Arkansas, there are some farmers in the state that decided to grow it anyway. They may now…

Federal government shutdown would hurt farmers and consumers

A government shutdown is only a few days away and there could be myriad unintended consequences, and some that will impact farmers and consumers, according to Ryan Loy, extension economist…

Researchers test nanotechnology concept against herbicide ‘drift’

One of the most controversial issues in Arkansas agriculture is the use of the herbicide dicamba. It is one of the few herbicides that is still effective against pigweed, a…

Grooms reflects on his years with Downtown Playhouse in Pocahontas

When Kelly Grooms drove past the Downtown Playhouse in Pocahontas one night a few weeks ago he noticed several cars in the parking lot. The cast and set design crew…

Arkansas Scottish Festival and Scotsfest slated for October

The 43rd annual Arkansas Scottish Festival and Scotsfest are slated to be held Oct. 27-29 on the Lyon College campus in Batesville. The Arkansas Scottish Festival began in 1979 as…

GTL Americas hires contractor for $3.5 billion industrial project near Pine Bluff

A company that intends to produce 1.7 million gallons of environmentally-friendlier motor fuel has selected a contractor to build a massive facility 13 miles north of Pine Bluff in Jefferson…