Business

Fort Smith metro home sales up almost 4% through April

There were 1,010 homes sold in the Fort Smith metro between January and April, up 3.8% compared with the same period in 2025. The gain is up against a 2025…

Bjarke Ingels Group to plan, design 422,000-square-foot university in Bentonville

The Walton family said Thursday (June 11) that Copenhagen, Denmark-based BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group has been selected to plan and design a new university for the site of the former Walmart Home…

Retail sales rose 7.19% in May despite inflation, tariff costs

Retail sales rose 7.19% in May, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), better than the 5.73% gain in April. For the first five months of 2026, retail sales rose…

Northwest Arkansas Council hires regional workforce program director

The Northwest Arkansas Council has hired David Giesige as the founding executive director of a new regional workforce program designed to connect employers, educators and community partners around workforce needs….

Leadership Banking Series returns to A-State

The annual Arkansas State University Leadership in Banking Series is set to return for the 2026-27 year. The six monthly sessions bring banking professionals from across the region together to…

U.S. Marshals Museum matching campaign tops $5 million

Little Rock residents Pat and Jim Wallis have pledged $500,000 to support the U.S. Marshals Museum’s “New Frontier of Giving” matching campaign. The campaign, first announced in March, was created…

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: 2% tourism tax revenue up more than 9% early 2026

Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax revenue rose more than 9% in the first two months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The tax set a new February record…

Higher energy prices push May price index up 4.2%

Pushed primarily by higher energy prices, inflation roared back in May, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all consumers rising 4.2% in the last year. It was the biggest…

Another Sam’s Club exec exits the company

Diana Marshall, chief experience officer for Sam’s Club, is leaving Walmart after a 20-year career with the retail giant. Marshall is the third executive vice president to exit since John…

The Supply Side: Walmart continues to expand its beauty business

The sale of beauty products is already a huge business at Walmart, with the retailer garnering roughly 20% of the estimated $107 billion industry sales annually, according to analysts at…

Blondin named interim president of Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

Dr. Jo Alice Blondin, who has a history of academic leadership in the Fort Smith metro, has been named interim president of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE). She…

UAMS receives $7 million grant from Windgate Foundation for scholarships

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) received a $7 million grant from the Windgate Foundation. The grant will provide $1 million in funding for 15 full tuition scholarships…

Fort Smith Board hears new plan for Bass Reeves Legacy Loop project

The Bass Reeves Legacy Loop in Fort Smith is, possibly, back in the works, but with a significantly modified plan that meets new criteria following changes by the Trump administration….

Outcomes ABA opens clinic in Hoxie

Families in Lawrence County and across Northeast Arkansas will soon have access to specialized autism services closer to home as Outcomes ABA prepares to open its new clinic in Hoxie….

Governor makes appointments to boards and commissions

Dr. Terisa Riley, chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, was one of seven appointed by Gov. Sarah Sanders to the Criminal Justice Institute Advisory Board. The advisory…

ScaleUp Accelerator focuses on intimacy, impact of program

In April, nine high-growth companies were selected to participate in Endeavor Heartland’s ScaleUp Accelerator, a regional program designed to help established businesses navigate their next stage of growth. Backed by…

Insurance agency to expand to Northwest Arkansas

American Safeguard Insurance, a Conway-based independent insurance agency, said it will open a Springdale office, its first in Northwest Arkansas. Tracy Finn has joined the agency as regional vice president…

Car-Mart lenders extend financial commitments deadline; shares hit 52-week low

Rogers-based America’s Car-Mart Inc. received lender approval for a five-day extension to meet various financial and reporting obligations, according to a June 5 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange…

Marine Glisovic promoted to director at Electric Cooperatives

Marine Glisovic has been promoted to director of corporate communications for Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC) and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI). She joined the cooperatives in 2024 as a…

New World Screwworm arrives in the U.S.

The New World Screwworm has arrived in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the detection of the lethal…