Author: Michael Tilley

Michael Tilley

Hearing set in alleged FOIA violation by the City of Fort Smith

Sebastian County Circuit Court Judge Dianna Hewitt Ladd has scheduled a hearing Thursday (May 22) that could provide some clarity about who knew what prior to the botched attempt by…

Arkoma mayor says city denied ‘productive discussion’ about sewer rates, unpaid balance

Arkoma Mayor Joshua Johnson is pushing back against claims by City of Fort Smith officials that the town is unable to pay for water and sewer services. He alleges that…

Fort Smith metro Education and Health Services sector jobs up almost 5%

Four of the six largest job categories in the Fort Smith metro had year-over-year job gains in March, with the Education and Health Services category posting the most new jobs…

Hearing sought in FOIA lawsuit against the City of Fort Smith

Fort Smith attorney Joey McCutchen is seeking an expedited hearing in his Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the City of Fort Smith and Acting Fort Smith City Administrator Jeff…

Fort Smith population up 0.7% in 2024, Van Buren up 1.35%

Fort Smith’s population in 2024 rose 0.7% compared with 2023, and is up 1.5% compared with 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of Fort Smith metro cities in Arkansas…

‘More pages’ likely in failed effort to hire Fort Smith internal auditor

Acting Fort Smith City Administrator Jeff Dingman has decided on a “progressive discipline” action against Chief Human Resources Officer Rick Lolley, but fallout related to the attempt to hire an…

Congress approves $141 million for foreign pilot training center in Fort Smith

Work to complete new facilities at the foreign pilot training center at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith is set to receive $141 million following Congressional approval of…

Arkansas River tonnage down more than 15%, tariff impact cited

Tariffs implemented and proposed by the Trump Administration are a big part of why Arkansas River tonnage is down more than 15% in the first four months of 2025, according…

Another lawsuit likely in Crawford County library saga

The Crawford County Public Library System saga continues to be expensive for the county. A lawsuit may soon be filed that alleges the violation of a separation agreement with former…

Fort Smith Regional Airport commissioners discuss effort to find a new director

The Fort Smith Regional Airport Commission hopes to have a director hired within six months, but a focus on finding “character and integrity” in a person to help lead the…

Mercy Fort Smith set to open parts of $186 million expansion

Fort Smith may arguably be the third-largest city in Arkansas and center of the state’s third-largest metro area, but the Mercy Fort Smith hospital emergency room is the busiest in…

Arkansas tax revenue down 15.5% in April, down 9.2% from budget forecast

An income tax extension for those in storm-damaged areas and income tax payments made prior to April were primarily responsible for a 15.5% decline in Arkansas tax revenue in April….

Panel discussion focuses on impact of foreign pilot training center in Fort Smith

“There’s no chance they’ll bring that mission to Fort Smith.” That was the first thought Col. Jay “Evil” Spohn had when asked to review sites for a planned new foreign…

First National Bank of Fort Smith installs ‘solar garden’ at branch bank

An almost completed “solar garden” adjacent to the First National Bank of Fort Smith Phoenix bank branch in Fort Smith is also a pause point with just under $1 million…

First quarter Fort Smith Regional Airport traffic down almost 2%

March traffic out of the Fort Smith Regional Airport was up slightly compared with March 2024, but traffic numbers for the first quarter of the year are down almost 2%…

Fort Smith sales tax plan resolution may not be enough to quell opposition

Despite a proposed resolution from the Fort Smith Board of Directors to revisit sales tax allocations for police funding and the street tax program, a group opposing the tax may…

Fort Smith human resources director retains job after internal auditor mishap

The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (April 29) did not fire Rick Lolley, the city’s human resources director. Lolley was on the hot seat following a failed attempt…

Most Arkansas job growth in March in central, Northwest metros

Six of the seven metro areas in or connected to Arkansas had jobless rate increases in March compared with March 2024, with five of the seven posting year-over-year job gains….