Author: Tina Alvey Dale

Tina Alvey Dale

Fort Smith metro building permit values up 65.4% in March

Fort Smith, Greenwood and Van Buren had a combined $32.871 million in building permits in March, up 65.4% from the $19.879 million issued by the cities in March 2021. The…

Fort Smith superintendent pay increase percentage higher than certified staff

When Dr. Terry Morawski’s contract as superintendent for Fort Smith Public Schools was recently extended, his contracted salary was set at 14.47% higher than his salary approved Dec. 30, 2020….

Communication, consent decree some of top items from Future Fort Smith group

The Future Fort Smith Committee presented their Top 10 list to the Fort Smith Board of Directors and said the committee intends to focus on increased promotion and communication of…

Second year set for Levitt AMP Fort Smith Music Series

The Levitt AMP Fort Smith Music Series will return to Fort Smith May 12 thanks to a grant from the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation. 64.6 Downtown received the grant…

New contract, pay approved for Fort Smith Public School superintendent

The Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education voted to extend the superintendent contract for Dr. Terry Morawski by two years at a called board meeting Monday (March 28). The…

Peak Innovation Center in Fort Smith opens to students

The opening of Fort Smith Public School’s Peak Innovation Center finally opened for students Monday (March 28). Numerous “construction challenges” delayed the opening, which was expected in August, but when…

Fort Smith sales tax revenue up almost 9% in February report

Sales tax revenue for the city of Fort Smith continues to come in above budget, but the 2022 trend is somewhat off the pace of late 2021. The February sales…

Fort Smith Convention Center posts $1.19 million loss in 2021

The Fort Smith Convention Center operated at a loss again in 2021 thanks in some part to the late 2021 COVID resurgence, but an official with the relatively new third-party…

Submissions from Russia, Ukraine part of Fort Smith International Film Festival

With submissions open for less than two months, the Fort Smith International Film Festival is proving it is an international film festival. As of March 24, 183 entries have been…

Fort Smith director, mayor election packets available, filing deadline May 26

The Fort Smith mayor and the three at-large city directors positions are up for election this year. City of Fort Smith candidate election packets for the mayor and directors 5,…

GOP Sebastian County Judge candidates share views at forum

Republican candidates for county judge in Sebastian County had differing opinions on whether partisan politics had a place in county offices when they faced off during a candidate forum for…

First National donates $500,000 to Boys and Girls Club as part of bank’s 150th anniversary

First National Bank of Fort Smith celebrated its sesquicentennial anniversary Thursday (March 17) with an announcement that it is donating $500,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Fort Smith…

Fort Smith Mayor McGill says city’s future is ‘very promising’

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fort Smith experienced record growth where all segments of the city contributed, Fort Smith Mayor George McGill said during his State of the…

Fort Smith Board approves airport support, sales tax advisory committee

The Fort Smith Board of Directors approved a resolution Tuesday night (March 15) that pledges $100,000 for the purpose of getting a second airline service into the Fort Smith Regional…

Downtown Fort Smith assessment plan moves forward

The Fort Smith Central Business Improvement District (CBID) has garnered enough signatures to move forward with plans for a property assessment to fund operation, maintenance and repair and improvements within…

Naming policy approved by the Fort Smith School Board

The Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education approved a new policy that would mostly prohibit naming district buildings, facilities or structures for anyone living at the time of its…

ARDOT plans to have viable options for downtown Fort Smith truck traffic by year end

Many might believe a new bridge across the Arkansas River from Oklahoma into Fort Smith could alleviate congestion and truck traffic in downtown Fort Smith, but the answer is not…

Historic Wilhauf home in Van Buren to soon open to the public

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith’s Wilhauf House in Van Buren is near completion and university officials believe it will open to the public in April. The re-opening of…

Plan for Fort Smith sales tax advisory committee moves forward

The Fort Smith Board of Directors unofficially agreed on the basics of a sales tax advisory committee during a board study session Tuesday night (March 8) after much discussion and listening…

‘We need unity’ noted during discussion at Fort Smith Better Communities event

Consensus among panel speakers at the Better Communities town hall Tuesday (March 8) was that Fort Smith is a good community and making it a great community includes improving cooperation…