Business

State might tax canceled student loan debt

Arkansas is one of seven states in which canceled student loan debt may be treated as taxable income, but whether it is, student loan forgiveness is expected to create a…

Jobless rates decline in all Arkansas metro areas in August report

Jobless rates in all eight metro areas within or including parts of Arkansas were down compared with August 2021, and all areas posted year-over-year job gains. The largest job growth…

Black River Technical College receives Governor’s Award for Performance Excellence

Black River Technical College in Pocahontas has been awarded the Governor’s Award for Performance Excellence, an award received from participation in the Governor’s Quality Award Program offered by the Arkansas…

AG Rutledge sues Biden administration over student loan debt forgiveness

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced Thursday (Sept. 29) a lawsuit against President Joe Biden, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and the U.S. Department of Education. The lawsuit claims they…

Citizens Bank SVP Sandy Starnes awarded inaugural ABA Emerging Leader Award

Sandy Starnes, senior vice president and director of marketing, at Citizens Bank is a recipient of the inaugural ABA Emerging Leader Award with the American Bankers Association. This new award…

Namida Lab starts sales of at-home breast health test

Fayetteville-based Namida Lab recently released an at-home breast health assessment that uses teardrops to identify protein biomarkers related to breast abnormalities. According to a news release, Auria is a first-of-its-kind…

SWEPCO looks to buy up to 2,400 megawatts in wind, solar farms

Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO), a utility of Columbus, Ohio-based American Electric Power (AEP), wants to purchase up to 1,900 megawatts of wind resources and up to 500 megawatts of…

Museum of Discovery wins international award

The Museum of Discovery has won the 2022 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award for Resilience from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), an international organization of more…

UA Little Rock part of $660,000 Department of Defense grant to research mob behavior

Dr. Nitin Agarwal of UA Little Rock and Dr. Samer Al-Khateeb of Creighton University have received a $660,407 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)/Air Force Office of Scientific…

Retailers boost employment ahead of the holiday cycle

Retailers have already started hiring for the upcoming holiday season in hopes it will be busy and bountiful despite the slowing economy. The National Retail Federation expects the sector will hire…

Arkansas tech firm has patent on helping banks share loan risks

A tech product patented by an Arkansas company is helping smaller community banks connect with each other to share the risks of larger loans. Little Rock-based BankLabs holds the patent…

Stephens Inc. hires two directors in Health and Life Sciences group

Stephens Inc. announced Wednesday (Sept. 28) it has hired Matt Dormer and Chris Cooley in its Investment Banking division as Managing Directors to focus on Health and Life Sciences. Dormer…

Former hotel property sale the top Sebastian County deal in August

The $1.2 million sale of a former hotel site on Waldron Road in Fort Smith was the top Sebastian County property transaction in August, according to info from the office…

Ritter Communications receives $3.8 million grant to upgrade broadband in Tennessee

Ritter Communications has been awarded a $3.8 million grant from the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund – American Rescue Plan (TEBF-ARP) to bring high-speed 100% fiber internet services to communities in…

Arkansas Children’s Hospital hires new chief nursing officer

Arkansas Children’s Hospital has hired veteran nurse leader Kris Maddalena, MSN, BSN, as its senior vice president and chief nursing officer. Maddalena brings more than 15 years of nursing leadership…

Banking income declines in 2Q

According to a recent Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) report, federally insured commercial banks and savings institutions saw net income decline by 8.5% to $64.4 billion in the second quarter….

Modeling estimates $984 million in Arkansas marijuana sales by 2027, tax gain of more than $260 million

Arkansas voter approval in November of adult use (recreational) marijuana could add $2.4 billion to the state’s economy over five full years of implementation, and add up to 6,400 jobs…

Tyson Foods announces high-level exec moves

Tyson Foods Chief Financial Officer Stewart Glendinning will become the company’s group president over prepared foods, succeeding Noelle O’Mara, who left the job on Sept. 23. A Tyson great-grandson will…

SWEPCO customers to again see electricity bills increase

Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) announced Tuesday (Sept. 27) a rate hike for its Arkansas customers that will increase their bills by about $12 per month amid the rising cost…

Ruling: Fort Smith does not have to reinstall flag display

Though the city of Fort Smith must keep flags and brass plaques that were formerly part of the Flags over Fort Smith display in the Riverfront Park, the display does…