Author: Michael Tilley

Michael Tilley

Home sales down more than 17% in Fort Smith metro through August

Higher interest rates continue to reduce home sales activity in the Fort Smith metro. There were 2,219 homes sold in the Fort Smith metro between January and August, down 17.4%…

Fort Chaffee upgraded to Level 1 training site; one of just five nationwide

Almost 30 years after it was feared Fort Chaffee would be permanently closed as a military facility, the base near Fort Smith is now just one of five among more…

Arkansas unemployed numbers up in August, jobless rate ticks higher to 2.7%

An increase in the number of jobless between July and August was partially responsible for Arkansas’ jobless rate rising from 2.6% in July to 2.7% in August. But the rate…

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: Job numbers rise, 2% tourism tax sets new record

Arkansas’ tourism industry continues to show robust gains in the first half of 2023 even when compared to a record-setting 2022. The sector posted record employment of 131,800 in May,…

ArcBest holds anniversary event for Fort Smith employees, free concert set for October

Fort Smith-based ArcBest held a 100-year anniversary event Thursday (Sept. 14) night with local employees. The event was held at the ArcBest Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention…

Gov. Sanders signs FOIA bill, says she is not finished with ‘government efficiency’

A vastly different bill amending the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) than what she initially wanted has been signed by Gov. Sarah Sanders. The Arkansas House and Senate approved this…

Narrow FOIA bill approved in Senate and House committees

A significantly pared-back revision to proposed changes with Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) sailed Wednesday (Sept. 13) through Arkansas Senate and House committees. Gov. Sarah Sanders initially wanted a…

Consensus elusive on changes to Arkansas’ FOIA; lengthy Senate hearing ends without a vote (Updated)

Editor’s Note: This story is updated to reflect that a bill was filed late Tuesday (Sept. 12) in the Senate that removed many key objections raised by Freedom of Information…

Proposed changes to Arkansas FOIA slowed as legislators negotiate with Governor’s office

An effort to push through significant changes to Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act floundered Monday (Sept. 11) as some legislators appeared to balk at Republican Gov. Sarah Sanders’ plan to…

Gov. Sanders: Tax cuts, tax credits, and FOIA changes on tap for Special Session

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders on Friday (Sept. 8) called for a Special Session to begin Monday in which tax cuts, a tax credit to an estimated 1 million Arkansans, and…

Proposed bill would limit documents available under Arkansas Freedom of Information Act

Arkansas legislators may soon consider legislation that would significantly limit the information Arkansans can obtain through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) about the deliberations of officials at state agencies,…

UAFS new student enrollment up almost 7%, total enrollment up 2.5%

Preliminary numbers show enrollment at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith totaled 5,521, up 2.5% compared with the same period in fall 2022. Enrollment of first time students totaled…

Lawsuit filed against Arkansas State Police about Gov. Sanders’ travel info

Little Rock attorney and political blogger Matt Campbell has filed a lawsuit against the Arkansas State Police (ASP) claiming the state law enforcement agency is not complying with record requests…

ArcBest reports gains in per day shipments, better revenue

Third and fourth quarter financial results will not be as healthy as they were in what was a record-setting 2022, but officials with Fort Smith-based ArcBest say market realities are…

Medical marijuana sales up 4.6% for the year, prices becoming ‘more competitive’

Arkansas’ medical marijuana sales totaled $164.6 million in the first seven months of 2023, up 4.64% compared with the same period in 2022, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance…

Fort Smith metro home sales down 16.2% through June

There were 1,641 homes sold in the Fort Smith metro between January and June, down 16.2% compared with the same period in 2022. The value of the sales was down…

State of the State Mid-Year 2023: Arkansas’ steel industry to bolster overall manufacturing sector

Editor’s note: The State of the State series provides reports twice a year on Arkansas’ key economic sectors. The series publishes stories to begin a year and stories in July/August…

Arkansas’ July jobless rate remains at a record low of 2.6%

Year-over-year job gains Arkansas during July outpaced labor force growth which helped keep the state’s jobless rate at a record low of 2.6%, and was well below the 3.3% in…

Fort Smith airport traffic declines through July; runway work to be complete in September

Fort Smith Regional Airport enplanements totaled 34,456 between January and July, down 2.7% compared with the same period in 2022. Reduced flight frequency by American Airlines is one reason for…

State of the State Mid-Year 2023: U.S., Arkansas economies to be pressured but won’t falter