Author: Michael Tilley

Michael Tilley

Arkansas’ jobless rate dips to 4.4%, tourism sector continues to post most job losses

Arkansas had 18,549 fewer employed in March compared to March 2020, with 60% of the job losses coming from the state’s hard hit tourism sector, according to Friday’s (April 16)…

Propak owner acquires Gottlieb, Sigler properties in downtown Fort Smith

Fort Smith-based businessman Steve Clark has expanded his downtown Fort Smith property footprint with an estimated $4 million planned investment in two properties adjacent to the Propak Corp. headquarters building…

Gov. Hutchinson: J&J pause no reason to delay getting a vaccine; state in a race against next surge

A pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is no reason to not get a vaccine, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday (April 13), adding that the…

‘Military judgment,’ not politics, likely to guide FMS site location decision

Former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and a defense industry lobbyist with ties to Fort Smith believe a decision to locate a pilot training center for the U.S. military’s…

Gov. Hutchinson: Reducing vaccine ‘resistance,’ reaching minority groups part of state focus

Arkansas health officials are focused on boosting vaccine numbers ahead of any rise in COVID-19 variants, getting more vaccines to minority groups, and overcoming vaccine “resistance,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said…

Riff Raff: Garage sale guidance

Editor’s note: This essay was first published Jan. 23, 2005. It is posted again to provide some guidance as the weather warms and we begin to emerge from our pandemic…

Arkansas tax revenue surplus near $550 million; year-to-date collections up 7.5%

Tax revenue through the first nine months of Arkansas’ fiscal year is up 7.5%, and the fiscal year-to-date revenue surplus – “net available revenue” collected beyond what was estimated –…

Walmart not likely to see major shortages from Suez Canal issue, but retail inventories will be stressed

While the recent Suez Canal blockage grabbed headlines for several days, it merely adds more pressure to a global supply chain problem that hit almost every global economic sector after…

Garrett Lewis to leave KFSM after 20 years as chief meteorologist

Longtime weatherman and television personality Garrett Lewis announced Tuesday (March 30) plans to leave his job as chief meteorologist at CBS affiliate KFSM-TV. His forecasted last day forecasting is July…

Statewide mask mandate lifted; vaccine eligibility expanded to Arkansans 16 and older

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (March 30) lifted the statewide mask mandate even as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged governors to not lift such restrictions….

Home sales pace slows in Fort Smith metro home to begin 2021

The number of homes sold in the Fort Smith metro rose by less than 6% in the first two months of 2021, but the value of the sales was up…

Pandemic economics: Changed consumer, workplace patterns will be part of post-pandemic world

Editor’s note: This is the final of four stories in a series about the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas. Link here for the first story, link here…

COVID-19 vaccine now eligible to another 1.2 million Arkansans

With around 10% of Arkansans being fully vaccinated and a push by the Biden administration to open vaccine access, Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (March 16) expanded eligibility an estimated…

A pandemic year: Early optimism fades with grim realities, mask politics, and job losses

Editor’s note: This is the first of four stories in a series about the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas. There were 64 deaths in Arkansas during the…

Gov. Hutchinson notes ‘incredible’ work of healthcare workers on 1-year anniversary of COVID in the state

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday (March 11) he and First Lady Susan Hutchinson will plant an oak seedling on the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion grounds to recognize “lives lost during this…

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: Tourism industry ends 2020 with significant losses

Arkansas’ travel and tourism industry, which was enjoying more than a decade of growth, posted double-digit percentage declines in key categories in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit…

Antioch sees 143% increase in food demand in 2020

Fort Smith area sales tax revenue during 2020 points to a resilient consumer during the COVID-19 pandemic-induced economic downturn, but food distribution numbers from Antioch for Youth and Family shows…

State expands vaccine eligibility; UK virus variant detected in Arkansas

With more than 1 million vaccines received in Arkansas and more than 650,000 Arkansans receiving at least one dose, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday (March 2) he is expanding vaccine…

Vaccine eligibility expanded in Arkansas; active COVID-19 cases continue to decline

Noting “broad swaths of progress” in distributing vaccines in the state, Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (Feb. 23) announced that those 65 to 69 in age are now eligible to…

Decision delayed on foreign pilot training center; 188th officials clarify MOA uses

A decision on where in the United States to locate a pilot training center for the military’s Foreign Military Sales program has been indefinitely delayed because of the U.S. presidential…