Author: Michael Tilley

Riff Raff: A note about David

A specific item is why most attend a voting or study meeting of the Fort Smith Board of Directors. A zoning change. Proposed policy opposition. Or support. A not-in-my-back-yard issue….

Fast 15: Derek Stout

It was not a giant leap for Derek Stout to enter construction. Even at a young age, he said he appreciated how things are built. Before he was 10 years…

Jasmine Smith was connected to the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith before graduating high school. A Mansfield native, she participated in the Western Arkansas Technical Center program through UAFS…

Denny Altes charged with abuse of public trust

Former Arkansas legislator Denny Altes, who is a Republican candidate for Sebastian County Judge, has been charged with one count of abuse of public trust, a class C felony. A…

FCRA to consider ideas making property offers more transparent

Members of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (FCRA) may in the near future consider ideas that alter the process by which property offers are known to the authority even if…

Zoning approval allows construction to begin on $50 million Fort Smith residential project

The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (May 3) approved zoning for an estimated $50 million residential development that developer Mark Rouse said will be unique to the city…

Arkansas’ available tax revenue surplus just under $1 billion

Arkansas’ net available fiscal year-to-date revenue surplus is $987.9 million thanks in large part to record business and individual income tax payments in April. The fiscal year (July 2021 to…

Roe reversal would trigger Arkansas’ anti-abortion law; Biden says all privacy rights now in jeopardy

Arkansas Republican political leaders praised a likely U.S. Supreme Court decision ending abortion rights while decrying the leak of the court’s draft opinion. The state’s Democratic Party chair said taking…

Women business owners: Be persistent, find mentors, be vulnerable

Advice from women business owners offered Thursday (April 28) during a panel discussion in Fort Smith included being “vulnerable” and being “your own advocate” to push beyond the rejections that…

ArcBest posts record quarterly net income, boosts quarterly dividend

Record quarterly net income, driven in part by a more than 20% increase in a key billing measure, has Fort Smith-based ArcBest rewarding shareholders with a $75 million share buyback…

USA Truck beats estimates with record quarterly income, revenue

USA Truck blew past consensus estimates on first quarter net income and revenue as the shipping and logistics company set another quarterly record on both metrics. Net income of $13.111…

Fort Smith police chief pitches aggressive plan to raise salaries by almost 24%

Fort Smith Police Chief Danny Baker proposes using proceeds from a sales tax plan to boost all salaries by 23.87% and begin adding five officers a year beginning in 2028….

First quarter financials expected to be good for ArcBest, USA Truck

Analysts with Stephens Inc. believe other equity market watchers are underestimating the first-quarter financial numbers Fort Smith-based ArcBest and Van Buren-based USA Truck will report later this week. They also…

Geopolitics, regulations cause energy execs to be ‘cautious’ about energy sector rebound

An oil and gas exec with a decade or two of experience is likely more cautious than excited about the recent rise in energy prices – especially those who manage…

Former Pizza Hut deal the largest Sebastian County transaction in March

A former Pizza Hut location at 7600 Rogers Ave. in Fort Smith sold March 1 for $2.028 million to the family of longtime Fort Smith homebuilder Ronald Rouse. 7600 Rogers…

Arkansas medical marijuana sales post slight decline in March report

Arkansas medical marijuana sales totaled $24.1 million in March, down 0.73% based on sales tax revenue. The state’s 38 licensed dispensaries sold 4,166 pounds in March, according to figures from…

Arkansas jobless rate remains at record low of 3.1% in March report

Arkansas’ jobless rate was unchanged at 3.1% in March despite more than 5,200 job gains since February, and the broad Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector accounted for almost 45% of…

Arkansas River tonnage up 10% in the first quarter, barge demand high

Tonnage on the Arkansas River in the first quarter of 2.706 million tons was up 10% compared with the same period in 2021. Traffic may have been more robust if…

Business, tourism sector in Fort Smith metro sees big rebound in 2021

The Fort Smith metro business and travel sector in 2021 saw a big rebound from the COVID-19 crash in 2020, with hospitality tax revenue in Fort Smith and Van Buren…

Gov. Hutchinson gets booster shot; announces departure of Arkansas’ health chief

In addition to a public showing of support for getting the second COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced that Arkansas Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero will soon…