Business

Arkansas Medicaid worked as designed in pandemic, faces challenges coming out of emergency

I’ve read a lot of columns recently that begin with the phrase, “If there’s one hard lesson we’ve learned from the pandemic ….” Well, this is not one of those…

Delta Symposium returns to in-person format

Musical history in the South, lynching, ghost stories, folklore, and many other topics will be broached during the Delta Symposium that will be in-person on the Arkansas State University campus…

Gov. Hutchinson gets booster shot; announces departure of Arkansas’ health chief

In addition to a public showing of support for getting the second COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced that Arkansas Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero will soon…

Northwest Arkansas remains No. 21 on metro list, Little Rock and Fort Smith gain spots

Bentonville think tank Heartland Forward released Tuesday (April 5) the 2021 edition of its annual Most Dynamic Metropolitans report that shows the Northwest Arkansas metro remained at No. 21 from…

Skyline Report: E-commerce growth, Walmart HQ driving activity

The commercial vacancy rate in Northwest Arkansas fell to 8.3% in the second half of 2021 amid strong demand for warehouse space, according to a new real estate report. Walmart’s…

St. Bernards Health Expo returns

Northeast Arkansas’ largest annual event dedicated to community health and wellness, the St. Bernards Medical Group Health Expo, is slated to return Saturday (April 9) to First National Bank Arena…

Westrock Coffee to launch initial public offering at estimated $10 per share

Arkansas will soon have another publicly traded company in its borders. Led by former Alltel CEO Scott Ford, Westrock Coffee Holdings LLC announced Monday (April 4) it would go public…

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…

Efforts ongoing to restore, protect waterfowl areas

Waterfowl and deer hunters descend on the Arkansas Delta each year filling local business coffers to the brim. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said an estimated 100,000 waterfowl hunters visit the Natural…

U.S. Steel’s Big River Steel first in North America to achieve ResponsibleSteel certification

U.S. Steel announced Monday (April 4) that its Big River Steel mill in Osceola has become the first-ever ResponsibleSteel site certified in North America. BRS received the site certification after…

Arkansas’ year-to-date sales tax revenue up 13.2%, surplus tops $450 million

Broad gains in consumer spending helped push Arkansas’ year-to-date (July 2021 to March 2022) tax revenue up 7.6%, with sales tax revenue in March up 33.2% compared with March 2021….

J.B. Hunt CEO earns nearly 3% raise in 2021; company announces carbon cut effort

John Roberts III, president and CEO of Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., received a 2.7% salary increase and total compensation of $8.8 million in 2021, according to the…

UA hires Mike Malone for economic development role

The University of Arkansas announced Monday (April 4) that Mike Malone is the school’s new vice chancellor for economic development. Malone is vice president of community and corporate affairs for Runway…

Jim Smith takes leadership job with cannabis company

In August of 2020, late on a Friday afternoon, Rogers attorney Jim Smith got a phone call from Alex Gray, an attorney in Little Rock. Gray wanted to hire Smith,…

New Clinton School dean to build on success with academic programs, continued partnerships

Dr. Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, the new dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, is no stranger to politics, political science or public service. Approaching her first…

Trex CEO says fulfilled promises sealed $400 million project in Arkansas

When recycled deck manufacturer Trex Co. decided to locate its $400 million campus in the Little Rock Port last year, it was the culmination of an 18-month rigorous site selection…

Shopping center deal is top recent transaction in Craighead County

Ken Yarbrough made the most significant residential and commercial property transfer in Craighead County, from Feb. 15 through March 15, according to the Craighead County Assessor’s office. He spent $3.15…

Bankers managing investments, involvement amid rising rate environment

The banking and financial sectors, like nearly every other financial sector, face unpredictable headwinds during 2022. Volatile supply chain issues, waning COVID-19, inflation, and war in Europe will have an…

As Northwest Arkansas Mall in Fayetteville turns 50, regional malls fight to remain relevant

Richard Nixon was U.S. President when the Northwest Arkansas Mall opened in March 1972. Consumers were paying between 40 to 60 cents per gallon of gasoline, equal to $2.40 with…

Preferred Family Healthcare admits to Medicaid fraud, to pay $8 million

Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH), the Springfield, Mo.-based company involved in a broad fraud scheme in Arkansas, will pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government…