Author: Tina Alvey Dale

Tina Alvey Dale

Fort Smith police chief seeks money for a training center

The Fort Smith Police Department is asking for $1.25 million from the city’s general fund to renovate the former Crane Kia property on U.S. Highway 71 into a training center….

Law prohibits the wearing of political-advocacy apparel in voting centers

Electioneering is prohibited 100 feet from the door of every voting center in Arkansas and this includes wearing campaign shirts, hats, or any other apparel with images or words that…

Court filing seeks to prevent Crawford County library from paying legal fees

Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Crawford County regarding the county’s library system and the First Amendment have asked the courts to make clear that the county cannot make threats to…

WATEP works with courts to help with employment, skills assistance

A new employment program – the Western Arkansas Transitional Employment Program (WATEP) – began Monday (Oct. 28) in Fort Smith to help people in difficult situations learn the skills needed…

Fort Smith director recall election could cost more than $15,000

Calls for a recall of Fort Smith city directors include petition tables set up around town. A recall election could cost more than $15,000 and the soonest one could be…

Fort Smith sales tax revenue declines in September report

Fort Smith sales tax revenue continues the flat path it has traveled most of the year, dipping slightly more in September. The September sales tax report shows the city’s share…

Fort Smith Chamber has raised $1.2 million for economic development fund

The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce has for 137 years worked to lead the region in economic development and they aren’t slowing down, according to Eddie Lee Herndon, chairman…

NIH director tours ACHE research facility; praises the ‘academic freedom’

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli expressed her excitement at work and research being conducted by the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education during a tour of its…

Fort Smith street and bridges funding projected to decline in next five years

The five year capital improvement plan (CIP) for Fort Smith streets, bridges and associated drainage program calls for a decline in spending annually. The plan, presented to the Fort Smith…

Lawsuit alleges Denali of creating ‘overwhelming fumes’ in Fort Smith metro

A Fort Smith business owner has had enough of an offensive smell permeating the Fort Smith metro. On Friday (Oct. 18) River City Bistro owner Bruce Spinas filed a lawsuit…

Fort Smith Board objects to waterpark funding in Parks and Recreation budget

Fort Smith City Directors disapproved of a five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) presented by the Parks and Recreation Department at a board of directors study session Tuesday night (Oct. 15)….

No recent progress on dissolution of Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority

Four months after Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (FCRA) officials and its beneficiaries agreed on steps to be taken before work on dissolution of the trust can begin, nothing has been…

DEQ commits to monitoring Denali use of Crawford County lagoon

The Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment is monitoring cleanout of a lagoon in Crawford County that has caused Fort Smith area residents…

Five applicants seek legal job with Fort Smith Public School District

Five attorneys have thrown their hat into the ring for the chance to be Fort Smith Public School’s in-house legal counsel. As of Oct. 14, six applied for the position,…

Panelists note manufacturing operation benefits in Fort Smith metro

Low cost of living and location make Western Arkansas and the Fort Smith metro area a good fit for manufacturing, but the big draw is the sense of community in…

Barling to help pay for water system master plan

The Barling Board of Directors agreed Thursday (Oct. 10) during a special called meeting to contribute 20% of the cost of a water system master plan to support ongoing future…

Greenwood ready to expand trails, ‘next step’ to develop master plan

Thanks to a $200,000 Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) grant, 3.5 more miles of trails could be paved in Greenwood by the end of the year, according to Casey Craig,…

Fort Smith metro building permit values down more than 50% through September

Building activity in the Fort Smith metro in September was above the same period in 2023, but the year still is coming in well under that of the record-breaking 2023…

Peak Center flooding investigation remains at a standstill

There is no update in the Peak Innovation Center flooding investigation a month after the Fort Smith Public School Board approved hiring a law firm to pursue potential lawsuits related…

Judge rules against Crawford County Library’s ‘social section’ censorship

U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes III ruled against Crawford County in a First Amendment lawsuit regarding the removal and relocation of books largely because of objections from citizens to LGBTQ…