Author: Michael Tilley

Michael Tilley

Riff Raff: Water, money, and lawyers

It’s safe to say a majority of frustration with a water rate hike for Fort Smith residents and tens of thousands of residents in nearby cities is the size of…

Job numbers up but May jobless rates rise in most Arkansas metros

The four largest Arkansas-based metro areas posted year-over-year net job growth in May with Northwest Arkansas posting the largest percentage increase at 2.5%. Central Arkansas – Little Rock, North Little…

‘Bedrock’ units to train F-35 pilots in Fort Smith are activated

Military units activated during World War II to train pilots for operations in Africa and the Aleutian Islands in what was then the U.S. Territory of Alaska were reactivated Tuesday…

U.S. Supreme Court grants Trump partial win in immunity question

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday (July 1) ruled that former President Donald Trump does not have total immunity, but would have the “presumption” of immunity for any official acts…

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: Tourism tax revenue up more than 7% through April

Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax revenue between January and April was $8.11 million, up 7.4% compared with the $7.547 million in the same period of 2023. Revenue in each of the…

Biden: Trump ‘decimated the economy’; Trump: Biden has ‘destroyed America’

For 90 minutes on Thursday (June 27), President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump stood within a few feet of each other on a debate stage in Atlanta but…

Feds award $25 million grant for I-49 segment in the Fort Smith metro

The almost 14-mile segment of Interstate 49 to be built in Crawford and Sebastian counties between I-40 in Alma and Highway 22 in Barling has received a $25 million federal…

Pope County casino license awarded to Cherokee Nation Entertainment

Here we go again. The Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) on Thursday (June 27) issued the casino license in Pope County to Cherokee Nation Entertainment. The action follows several legal moves…

Norris Group owner renews plan to redevelop former Fianna Hills Country Club

The Fianna Hills Country Club saga takes yet another turn in a more than 10-year uncertain history for the iconic Fort Smith facility. The latest has club owner Brooks Norris…

Booming Business: Fort Smith’s self-storage surge reflects growing demand

Stuff. We have a lot of it. The two-car garage is so full that it’s a barely-one-car garage. The attic is packed, and so is what was once the guest…

‘Remarkable growth’ noted in Arkansas’ construction sector to begin 2024

Info in The Compass Report for the first quarter of 2024 suggests that Arkansas’ construction sector could be “a major Arkansas business story,” according to economist Greg Kaza. His view…

Pope County Quorum Court votes against support letter for Gulfside Casino

The Pope County Quorum Court on Thursday (June 6) voted against a letter of support for a $405 million casino plan presented by the Gulfside Casino Partnership. The rejection adds…

Fort Smith metro home sales up almost 9% through April

Fort Smith metro home sales were unchanged in the first four months of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023, but the value of home sales in the period…

Fort Smith Board again tables military overlay district; attorney notes ‘due process’ concerns

A Fort Smith attorney suggests that a legal battle could result if the city continues down the path of adopting a military overlay district without addressing “due process” and property…

Fort Smith film fest receives record number of entrants for 2024 event

The Fort Smith International Film Festival has received a record 541 submissions for this year’s event, well above the high of 452 films for the 2023 event. Festival submissions come…

Riff Raff: Opaque transparency

One might think dissolution of a public organization that has since 1997 been a key actor in the development of Chaffee Crossing – the most impactful growth area of the…

Gulfside makes new Pope County casino pitch

The Gulfside Casino Partnership is hoping its broad $405 million plan for a Pope County casino will be enough to get a resolution of support from the county’s Quorum Court….

Arkansas Waterways Commission officials say the agency ‘needs to be recognized’

Arkansas Waterways Commission officials are concerned about the “small staff of two” getting lost in an organizational shuffle, but are optimistic that state leaders understand the need to protect a…

U.S. House bill includes $70 million for pilot training center in Fort Smith

Funding efforts for the next U.S. fiscal year are already underway. At least $70 million could be used to build an academic training base at Ebbing Air National Guard Base…

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: 2% tourism tax up, other data moderates

Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax revenue between January and February was $3.4 million, up 8.7% compared with $3.129 million in the same period of 2023. Revenue in each of the first…