by - June 1, 2026 6:09 pm
Fort Smith metro building permit numbers down in May
Building activity in the Fort Smith metro area was stronger in May but declined from the same time in 2025. Permit values in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled…
Author: Tina Alvey Dale
by - May 7, 2026 1:52 pm
Fort Smith metro building permit values down 2.1% through April
Building activity in the Fort Smith metro area declined in April compared with the same period in 2025. Permit values in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled $13.084 million…
by - May 4, 2026 10:20 am
Fast 15: Buster Dean Vanhooser
Buster Vanhooser has always felt a need for speed. At 24, Vanhooser is among the youngest franchise owners in K1 Speed history. He led the launch and growth of K1…
by - May 4, 2026 9:00 am
Fast 15: Christina Grace Long
Christina Long did not set out to become one of Arkansas’ most recognized sports journalists. She set off for college intent on a future in photography. By her mid-20s, she…
by - May 4, 2026 8:50 am
Fast 15: Javier Hernandez
Javier Hernandez, a Rogers native, is building a career centered on connecting people and strengthening communities in the rapidly growing region he loves. Hernandez works with businesses, nonprofits and local…
by - May 4, 2026 8:40 am
Fast 15: Sarah Henderson
Sarah Henderson has moved quickly into a leadership role at one of Northwest Arkansas’ most visible business organizations, where she oversees operations and public affairs. Henderson, a Bentonville native, stepped…
by - May 4, 2026 8:30 am
Fast 15: Maddie Hardwick
Maddie Hardwick’s path into higher education was not carefully mapped, but her impact on students and colleagues at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith has been anything but accidental….
by - April 8, 2026 1:37 pm
Fort Smith building permit values up almost 14% through March
Building activity in the Fort Smith metro area showed growth in March. Permit values in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled $33.287 million in March, 24.6% higher than $26.723…
by - April 4, 2026 12:28 pm
Marshals Museum visitor numbers up more than 5% in 2025
The U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith grew steadily in 2025, leaving administrators feeling positive about the years to come. Admission for calendar year 2024 was approximately 45,300. In 2025,…
by - March 27, 2026 8:26 am
Fort Smith, Van Buren hospitality tax revenues decline in 2025
Hospitality tax revenues in the Fort Smith metro were down in 2025 compared with 2024, but tourism officials are optimistic a downward trend will not continue through this year. Fort…
by - March 24, 2026 11:31 am
Fort Smith auditor’s early work includes crafting a policies and procedures plan
Amanda Strange recently marked six months as the city of Fort Smith’s internal auditor, learning the challenges of the position, making a plan, and getting down to work as one…
by - March 23, 2026 12:59 pm
Tankersley, Fort Smith tourism officials creating worker relief fund
Discussions on the economy have dominated gatherings, social media and public discussions for months, maybe years. There is frequent discussion on social media forums about the cost of gas, groceries…
by - March 5, 2026 11:48 am
Fort Smith building permit values up 85% in February
Building activity in the Fort Smith metro area rebounded in February. Permit values in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled $25.078 million in February, 81.6% higher than $1.81 million…
by - February 20, 2026 11:15 am
Community center, public safety focus of Van Buren sales tax proposal
Van Buren voters are headed to the polls to decide on whether to fund major capital projects with proposed 0.5% sales tax. Election day is March 3, but early voting…
by - February 19, 2026 12:47 pm
Fort Smith, Van Buren building permit numbers decline in January
Building activity in the Fort Smith region took a dip as calendars rolled into 2026. Permit values in Fort Smith and Van Buren totaled $16.437 million in January, 48.9% below…
by - February 4, 2026 11:50 am
2025 Fort Smith sales tax down less than 1%, up in fourth quarter
December 2025 sales tax receipts lagged slightly behind years past, but Fort Smith city officials remain optimistic. Part of the optimism is founded in tax revenue showing gains in the…
by - January 29, 2026 5:53 pm
Next Step close to breaking ground on $6.1 million ‘neighborhood’
The Next Step in Fort Smith, a homeless support services nonprofit focused for more than 20 years on providing temporary housing, is making strides in getting their next step ready…
by - January 21, 2026 2:35 pm
Commercial work drives Fort Smith building permits higher in 2025
Fort Smith building activity, as measured by permit values, rebounded in 2025 following a year that saw an almost 50% decline. Permit values in the city totaled $251.11 million in…
by - January 19, 2026 11:41 am
Van Buren building permit numbers down in 2025, multifamily numbers up
Van Buren posted a more than 13% decline in building permit values in 2025 compared with 2024, but the city had a big increase in duplex and apartment construction starts…
by - January 13, 2026 3:09 pm
Fort Smith metro building permit numbers up more than 4% in 2025
Building permit values in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled at least $282.576 million in 2025, up 4.2% compared with 2024. Greenwood, which averaged $1.097 million in monthly permit…