Business

Cotton prices surge as drought impacts other cotton growing states

Northeast Arkansas has gone more than a week with little to no rain and cotton farmers are taking advantage. For the week ending May 15, Arkansas cotton was 53% planted,…

Medical marijuana product sales up 1.1% in April

Medical marijuana patients spent $24 million in April at the state’s 38 dispensaries to obtain 4,213 pounds, up from the 4,166 pounds sold in March. Hot Springs is home to…

Heifer International HQ sold to health education group for dental, veterinary schools

Lyon College plans to open Arkansas’ first dental and veterinary schools at Heifer International’s Little Rock headquarters, which is being sold to a private health care company based in Little…

Several Fort Smith school board candidates miss financial report deadline

Only four of the 13 Fort Smith Public School Board candidates filed their required “campaign contribution and expenditure report” by the May 17 deadline, according to documents provided by the…

Considine, Thompson promoted to VP positions at Entergy Arkansas

Entergy Arkansas officials announced the promotion of Michael Considine and Ventrell Thompson to vice president positions. Considine has been named vice president of Reliability, a new role within the organization…

J&S Italian Villa in Hot Springs gets new owners, upgrades

Jeannie and Saddiq Mir have purchased J&S Italian Villa in Hot Springs and the couple have plans to improve the interior and menu. The restaurant is located at 4332 Central…

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…

At NEA regional forum, leaders discuss growth strategies, airport study

Housing, retail sector growth, quality of life, commercial air service, workforce development and retention are among the issues civic and business leaders in Northeast Arkansas have identified as issues that…

First Security opens second branch in Fort Smith, has plans for a third

Searcy-based First Security Bancorp is formally opening its second Fort Smith branch on Thursday (May 19), with preliminary plans to open a third area branch in Chaffee Crossing in 2024….

AAA: Summer travel ‘will be on fire,’ over $4 per gallon gas in all states

U.S. travel volume this Memorial Day weekend is expected to rise by 8% to 39.2 million, from last year, as fuel prices continue to increase before the unofficial start to…

Walmart continues to change its membership subscription plan

Walmart was behind the pack when finally deciding to launch its Walmart+ subscription membership program in June 2021. Amazon’s Prime subscription was launched in early 2005 growing to 200 million…

Arkansas River tonnage up 1.9% through April; internal shipments up almost 46%

Commercial tonnage shipped on the Arkansas River in the first four months of 2022 was 3.515 million tons, up 1.9% thanks to a 45.8% rise in shipments between ports on…

U.S. retail sales rise 8.2% year-over-year in April

The U.S Census Bureau reported overall retail sales in April were up 0.9% seasonally adjusted from March and up 8.2% year over year. Sales were up 1.4% month over month…

Close the deal on real estate investing

From stocks to bonds and even Bitcoin, there are endless options of where to put our money. But there’s one investment that’s proven: real estate. So, why are more Arkansans…

State official hopes for more time to ‘explore’ options to save St. Scholastica

Stacy Hurst and Ken Kupchick want more time to explore options in an effort to save the historic St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith from a June 1 demolition date….

Growing UAMS division relocates to Springdale

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently relocated its Office of Community Health & Research from Fayetteville to Springdale. The fast-growing division moved from its previous location on…

Avian influenza spreading through poultry nationwide; Arkansas farmers brace for impacts

A flu that is nearly 100% lethal to poultry is spreading across the U.S. Thirty-four states have had confirmed cases of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza, according to the U.S….

Michael Malone to retire from Texarkana Chamber

The Texarkana USA Regional Chamber of Commerce announced Monday (May 16) the retirement of Michael Malone, president and CEO. Malone has served the Texarkana Chamber since February 2016. During his…

Urban forestry groups to train in NEA

Urban forestry professionals from across the country to train in Jonesboro and Trumann this week. Urban and community forestry professionals from across the Southeastern U.S. will converge in Jonesboro this…

Grid operators release mixed reports to meet summer electricity demand

Regional transmission organizations operating in Arkansas recently released projections for electricity generation this summer, and one expects insufficient resources to cover peak demand. Carmel, Ind.-based Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)…