Author: Michael Tilley

Michael Tilley

Fort Smith sales tax revenue almost flat in first half of 2019

Fort Smith’s share of the 1% Sebastian County tax reached $8.51 million in the first six reporting months of the year, up 0.57% compared with the same period in 2018….

Baptist Health to open new urgent care center in Fort Smith, add up to 15 jobs

Little Rock-based Baptist Health plans to invest at least $800,000 and create up to 15 jobs in opening a new urgent care center in Fort Smith. The 3,300-square-foot center will…

Court filing seeks to vacate FOIA ruling against the city of Fort Smith

The city of Fort Smith on Tuesday (Aug. 6) filed a letter with Sebastian County Circuit Court Judge Michael Fitzhugh to follow an Arkansas Supreme Court ruling that reversed Judge…

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: Tourism tax up more than 5% in first four months of 2019

January-April hospitality tax collections among 17 cities surveyed for the Arkansas Tourism Ticker were up 3.9% compared with the same period in 2018, and the state’s 2% tourism tax revenue…

New UAFS chief touts better branding, ‘first choice’ goal, and transparency

She describes her first few weeks on the job as a “time of discovery.” Part of that discovery, said University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Chancellor Dr. Terisa Riley, includes…

Officials in Fort Smith metro open to the idea of solar power

A growing number of Arkansas cities, counties and school districts are moving toward solar to handle all or a portion of their electricity demand. None of those are in the…

Enplanements up 4% out of Fort Smith in the first half of 2019

Traffic out of the Fort Smith Regional Airport – up almost 5% in June – is on track to post a fourth year of consecutive gains after a sudden drop…

Terry appointed to Fort Smith District Court, Magness to run for Circuit Court post

The latest judicial news in the Fort Smith area has Fort Smith Public School Board member Greg Magness running for a Sebastian County Circuit Judge post, and banker and attorney…

Fort Smith metro tourism officials hopeful for good 2019 despite record flooding

The Fort Smith-Van Buren tourism sector is off to a better start in 2019 following a flat 2018, with tourism officials optimistic that historic flooding in late May and early…

School work, weather-damage repair could push building permit values to record level

Building activity in Fort Smith got off to a horrible start in 2019. But for good reasons – new school construction – and not so good reasons – tornado and…

Arkansas Supreme Court says Fort Smith board emails did not violate FOIA

The Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled Fort Smith city directors did not violate the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) when they used emails to discuss an issue. Thursday’s (June…

CBID members to consider ‘Ambassador’ plan to address safety concerns

Members of the Central Business Improvement District Commission agreed Tuesday (June 18) to gather information on a possible “Ambassador” program to address a growing concern about the safety of those…

Wally Bailey resigns as Fort Smith’s planning chief after more than 41 years

Wally Bailey, who has worked under six Fort Smith city administrators, is retiring as the city’s director of planning to pursue an opportunity that will not be as “all consuming.”…

‘Tolerance’ loses to ‘asking for trouble’ in AETN decision to not air controversial Arthur episode

Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) Executive Director Courtney Pledger at first believed airing a controversial episode of the cartoon series “Arthur” would present a lesson in tolerance. But the AETN…

Fort Smith chamber working to coordinate flood response efforts

Coordinating through various means of communication and communicating how best to coordinate people, resources, information, and needs was the focus of two meetings of more than 50 Fort Smith area…

Historic flooding to close I-540 and Midland bridge, Fort Smith schools ‘suspend’ classes

Current flows on the Arkansas River will result in closure of the Interstate 540 bridge between Van Buren and Fort Smith and the U.S. 64 (Midland) bridge between Van Buren…

Record flooding could close Arkansas River port operations for many months

The port of Fort Smith is underwater. Port operations in Van Buren are either underwater or will be by Sunday (May 26). The port of Little Rock is likely to…

USA Truck Board Chair Robert Peiser has died

Robert Peiser, one of the architects of the financial turnaround of Van Buren-based USA Truck, has died, the company announced Friday (May 24). He was 70. Peiser joined the USA…

ACHE hires president, CEO Parker to focus on ‘big picture’ work

Brian Kim has been hired as president of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE), a move geared to allow CEO Kyle Parker time to focus on “big picture projects”…

Sound Room in downtown Fort Smith to become the ‘Majestic’

Rebranding and repurposing of the Sound Room in downtown Fort Smith, a property once owned by the late Bill Neumeier, is underway. Investors in the project, which will become the…

Author: Michael Tilley

Tina Alvey Dale

Wesley Brown