Author: Michael Tilley

Michael Tilley

Robert Powell, USA Truck co-founder, has died

Robert Powell, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot, an officer of what was then Arkansas Best Corp., and co-founder of Van Buren-based USA Truck, has died. He was 87. In 1983…

Arkansas health chief urges vaccines, mask use for children

Arkansas Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero said Wednesday (Oct. 6) that a “statistically significant” increase in children getting COVID-19 and having serious illness should “dispel some of the myths…

ArcBest acquires truckload brokerage firm in a $235 million all-cash deal

Fort Smith-based ArcBest has signed a deal to acquire Chicago-based MoLo Solutions, a truckload freight brokerage firm, in a cash deal of at least $235 million. The deal will place…

Mars Petcare to again expand Fort Smith plant, add 140 jobs

Mars Petcare is again expanding its Fort Smith operation with a $117 million investment over two phases that are estimated to add 140 jobs. The Fort Smith Board of Directors…

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: State’s 2% tourism ticker up 60% through June

Arkansas’ tourism economy shows clear signs of recovery from business shutdowns in 2020, and gains above a robust sector in 2019. The state’s 2% tourism tax between January and June…

Gov. Hutchinson rules out vaccine mandates for school children; new COVID cases projected to decline

Arkansas will not mandate COVID-19 vaccines for school children when a vaccine becomes available for those under the age of 12, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday (Sept. 21). The governor…

Gov. Hutchinson clarifies opposition to vaccine mandates; COVID deaths top 7,300

In his 200th press briefing since the pandemic began in Arkansas and on a day in which 36 more COVID-19 deaths were reported, Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (Sept. 14)…

Military medical team to arrive in Arkansas; school mask policies reduce COVID cases

With new COVID-19 cases and deaths continuing to rise, measures taken by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to respond now include bringing a 20-person military “medical team” to the University of Arkansas…

Development on former Fianna Hills golf course property is tabled

A left turn lane could be a problem, which is why the Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (Sept. 7) tabled a master land use plan change for a…

Hytrol to add jobs in Fort Smith, Jonesboro operations

Jonesboro-based Hytrol Conveyor Co. said Thursday (Sept. 2) it plans to hire another 100 workers at its Fort Smith manufacturing plant to operate a new product line. The expansion would…

Post Labor Day COVID surge likely; hospitals working to add ICU beds and staff

Some COVID-19 numbers have moved lower in recent weeks, but Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Arkansas Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero worry about a post-Labor Day surge that could push…

Downtown Fort Smith building to be renovated into a residence

Gary and Dusty Duke have bought the building at 1115 Garrison Ave. and plan to renovate the historic structure on the east end of the avenue into a residence. The…

ICU bed use hits ‘unprecedented’ level; deaths projected to surpass 7,000 by Aug. 30

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the state had as of Tuesday (Aug. 24) reached an “unprecedented” point at which the state’s ICU bed capacity is full. His announcement comes on the…

Tonnage dips on the Arkansas River, ‘rebound’ expected by one port operator

Tonnage shipped on the Arkansas River between January and July is down 2% compared with the same period of 2020, with one port operator blaming some of the decline on…

Average home sale price up 26.3% in the Fort Smith metro

The average home sale price in the Fort Smith metro in the first six months of 2021 was $189,697, up 26.3% compared to the same period in 2020. The highest…

Lawsuit filed that seeks to block state law that prohibits mask mandates

As he had promised, and just a few weeks before public schools begin a new year, attorney Tom Mars on Tuesday (Aug. 3) filed a lawsuit in the Pulaski County…

‘High demand’ pushes quarterly income up more than 200% at ArcBest

There’s good money in moving stuff from point A to point B. Fort Smith-based ArcBest posted a more than 200% increase in adjusted net income in the second quarter, with…

First half 2021 income up 123.7% at USA Truck; revenue up 31.1%

A national and global supply chain facing far more demand than capacity to deliver has helped Van Buren-based USA Truck turn the corner on what was a financially tough 2020….

Fort Smith Director calls for city to not implement animal ordinance

Fort Smith City Director Lavon Morton said at board study session Tuesday (July 27) he would rather the city develop a collaborative program with city partners to promote spaying and…

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: Recovery comes into view, hotels still lag

The state’s tourism sector showed clear signs of recovery in the first four months of 2021, but the comparisons were up against the first two months of COVID-19 shutdown in…