Author: Michael Tilley

Doubling down

This continued effort by a few members of the Fort Smith Board of Directors to micromanage city operations is troublesome, puzzling and frustrating. Let’s recap. The Fort Smith Board over…

Arkansas Policy Foundation Renews Tax Cut Call

Emboldened by Republican control of the Arkansas Legislature for the first time in almost 140 years, the Arkansas Policy Foundation (APF) is renewing its call for tax cuts that could reduce state collections by $88.5 million.

Thank you, Raymond

This week we are to remember the military men and women who served this country — especially those who saw combat and those for whom combat was the last thing…

USA Truck Takes Move To Prevent Hostile Takeover

Financially troubled USA Truck on Thursday (Nov. 8) announced a “stockholders’ rights plan” that seemingly protects the company from a hostile takeover following a rapid share-price decline that has seen price levels well below any point in the company’s publicly-held history.

All thanked up

In this month containing the Thanksgiving holiday, folks on Facebook have taken to listing something each day for which they are thankful. Of the few friends on my little page,…

Metro Jobless Rates Decline Across Arkansas In September

All of the eight metro areas in or connected to Arkansas had jobless rate declines in September compared to August, and were all down compared to September 2011.

Crazy luck

Doyle Webb wishes “good luck” to three legislative candidates who have said slavery was a “blessing in disguise,” all Muslims should be deported, that if slavery were really bad Jesus…

Education questions

Money, balance and priorities may be the three key take-aways from a series on Arkansas' higher education system. With a recently concluded series of stories, The City Wire reviewed the…

Hit men

During a recent Friday evening event in Northwest Arkansas, a Republican legislator from the area walked up to another Republican legislator. This fella from Northwest Arkansas looked at me-the-media-hack and…

Boozman: Hogs Will ‘Live To Fight Another Day’

U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., talked Tuesday (Oct. 2) about highway funding, the national debt, taxes, medical marijuana and one of the key issues now facing many Arkansans — the 1-4 start to the Razorback football season.

Billy, Jeff and Chuck

Billy, the old friend from the college days at Arkansas Tech University, called again this week. He typically calls after a few beers on a Sunday afternoon, but wasn’t able…

Most Arkansas-based Stock Prices Up In 2012

Share prices improved during the first nine months of 2012 for nine of the 15 publicly-held companies based in Arkansas, with the two retailers who serve different ends of the demographic spectrum posting impressive gains.

Yoakam’s Pears

Dwight Yoakam reached out to various pop culture influences, including the Beatles, to craft his newest album, “3 Pears.” Influences are not a surprise for this fan of Yoakam who…

It’s your fault

The thing that pisses me off more and more with each election cycle is not the BS we hear from politicians or political groups, it’s the folks who allow the…

That terrible day

The many memorials this week were as painfully sobering as they were respectfully appropriate. It has been one year since that day. What fell from the sky one year ago…

Deal Pending On Sale Of Fort Smith Whirlpool Plant

There is some uncertainty about a deal being final, but Whirlpool Corp. officials say they have sold the more than 2 million square-foot plant in Fort Smith, but the new buyer is not a company that will directly bring production and jobs back to the plant.