Author: Roby Brock

Roby Brock

Merger costs drop Home BancShares Q2 profits

It costs a lot to buy a big bank, and even if it’s a “Happy” acquisition, the move can take a toll. Home BancShares, parent company of Centennial Bank, reported…

Simmons First Q2 net income slides on merger-related expenses

Simmons First National Corp. reported second quarter net income of $27.5 million Thursday (July 21) compared to $74.9 million one year ago. Diluted earnings per share were 21 cents for…

Recreational marijuana petition finds widespread support, tests new signature collection process

Under new laws passed by the Arkansas Legislature in recent years, many political observers expected greater difficulty in collecting ballot petition signatures. But Responsible Growth Arkansas collected more than 193,000…

ASU System President discusses HSU future, new Jonesboro chancellor

It’s been a busy few weeks for Arkansas State University System President Dr. Charles “Chuck” Welch. The ASU leader recently announced plans for the troubled Henderson State University campus and…

Leaders reflect on Jimmie Lou Fisher

Two Arkansas politicos who worked closely with the late Jimmie Lou Fisher, Arkansas’ longtime state treasurer, reflected on her contributions to state politics. Dr. Chuck Welch, ASU System President, worked…

Construction begins on 1 million square foot industrial storage space at LR Port

State and local economic officials on Thursday (July 14) joined Bluestem Partners of Kansas City and Bailey Construction for the groundbreaking of a one million square foot industrial storage space…

State Chamber chief estimates two job openings for every unemployed person in Arkansas

Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Randy Zook has been working to resolve the state’s labor dilemma with all the tools he can muster. With baby boomers retiring…

Budget chair says guardrails in place for accelerated tax cuts

State Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe, says he’s comfortable accelerating tax cuts the governor wants to speed up with a $1.6 billion surplus on hand and money in a state rainy…

LR Port elects Bobby Brown as chairman

The Little Rock Port Authority board of directors elected Bobby Brown as chair of the board. His term will run from July 2022 through June 2023. Brown was first appointed…

U.S. Rep. French Hill focused on inflation-reducing efforts

U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, is juggling many of his Congressional duties, but finding solutions to reduce inflation may be the most urgent priority for the four-term representative. A…

Broadband CEO: Arkansas far ahead of other states with expansion investments

Alan Morse, CEO of Jonesboro-based Ritter Communications, a regional telecom and broadband provider, said Arkansas is well ahead of surrounding states when it comes to investing in high-speed Internet fiber…

St. Louis Fed names Matuschka Lindo Briggs as regional executive in Little Rock

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis on Tuesday (June 21) named Matuschka Lindo Briggs as vice president and regional executive for the Little Rock Branch, which serves the majority…

Banker: Feds must use interest rate hikes to contain inflation

Davy Carter has a pretty good seat to gauge the local, state and national economies. From his perch as Northeast Arkansas regional president for Centennial Bank and as a director…

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Natalie James on guns, reproductive rights, and living wage

Natalie James, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, expressed a wide variety of opinions in her first Talk Business & Politics interview since winning on primary election night. She defeated…

Jones: ‘All of us want safe communities’

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Jones, who cruised to victory on primary election night, said he will listen to all voices in the debate over safer schools – from gun access…

Griffin: Schools, sensitive targets need ‘hardened’ protection

In the wake of the Uvalde school shooting, Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, the GOP nominee for Attorney General, said he wants more answers about the incident. But he said more…

Lockheed Martin, Airbus to locate new aerospace facility in western Arkansas, if contract awarded

If Lockheed Martin and Airbus win a U.S. Air Force award for an aerial refueling system, the two companies plan to locate the manufacturing facility for the project in western…

Keet family, Kelley Group, partners buy Breckenridge Village, plan revamp

KBK-Breck, LLC, purchased the local shopping center known as Breckenridge Village in west Little Rock and plan a multi-million dollar redevelopment, according to a press release made public on Monday…

Broadband study leader talks price tag, remote delivery

Lou McAlister has been traveling Arkansas for months and he knows a thing or two about who has broadband, who needs broadband, and how hard it will be to deliver…

Clark Contractors hires CFO, two additional managers

Clark Contractors has hired Chris Shepard as Chief Financial Officer. In addition, the company added Travis Henry as safety director and Daniel Hunt as senior project manager. Shepard will manage…