Business

FNBC forms deposit leadership team

FNBC has formed a Deposit Leadership Team to better position the bank for future growth and expansion, it said Wednesday (March 31). The team of four has a depth of…

U.S. Easter spending expected to be $21.6 billion

Consumers are spending for Easter at a record average of $179.70, according to the National Retail Federation. The annual survey with Prosper Insights & Analytics found 79% of Americans will…

Two Northeast Arkansas counties still leading state in COVID-19 cases

Gov. Asa Hutchinson eliminated the mask mandate on Tuesday (March 30) and dropped the age to qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine to 16 years old. The changes come as cases…

Garrett Lewis to leave KFSM after 20 years as chief meteorologist

Longtime weatherman and television personality Garrett Lewis announced Tuesday (March 30) plans to leave his job as chief meteorologist at CBS affiliate KFSM-TV. His forecasted last day forecasting is July…

Walmart to hold virtual shareholder events again this year

Retail giant Walmart said Tuesday (March 30) it would hold its annual shareholder meeting virtually on June 2 at 10:30 a.m. A link to the meeting will be available on…

Broadband improvement district measure clears House, heads to Senate

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed something that economic developers and those who live in rural areas in Arkansas already knew: access to broadband internet in many parts of the state is…

Statewide mask mandate lifted; vaccine eligibility expanded to Arkansans 16 and older

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (March 30) lifted the statewide mask mandate even as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged governors to not lift such restrictions….

Arvest Bank promotes 2 in Fayetteville

Fayetteville-based Arvest Bank announced two new vice presidents on Tuesday (March 30) — Frank Lewis and Ray Dyches. Lewis has nearly 30 years of industry experience and is currently a…

Tyson Foods, United Way partner to help nonprofits with paid internships

Tyson Foods is partnering with the United Way of Northwest Arkansas and United Way of Fort Smith Area for the third year to provide full-time college students with paid summer…

Gasoline, crude oil prices rise; China refined more oil than U.S.

U.S. gasoline prices have been rising since reaching a multiyear low of $1.77 per gallon in late April 2020 because of higher crude oil prices and higher wholesale gasoline margins,…

Mask mandate to stay in place at Fort Smith Public Schools

With Gov. Asa Hutchinson expected to soon lift the statewide mask mandate in effect as part of COVID-19 precautions, Fort Smith Public Schools has decided to leave their mandate in…

Arkansas Senate passes transgender medical restrictions; House clears child custody change

The Arkansas General Assembly was plenty busy on Monday (March 29) after a late-week hiatus for Spring Break. State lawmakers returned to the capitol early Monday morning to first consider…

First Security Bank promotes five in Jonesboro

First Security Bank in Jonesboro has made five promotions, including Dana Watkins to senior vice president and Seth Williams to vice president. Kathy Gardner, Alex Beasley and Will Edwards also…

Sales tax revenue in Fort Smith continues to beat budget estimates

When it comes to sales tax revenue, 2021 has started off strong. The February sales tax report shows that both the city’s share of the 1% Sebastian County sales tax…

COVID-19 doesn’t thwart Yellow Rocket Concepts’ downtown Bentonville restaurant plans

Northwest Arkansas restaurant owner Ricky Cortés told the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal recently that Bentonville restaurant Azul Tequila was planning a second Mexican restaurant in the city at 111 N….

Northwest Arkansas mortgage refinances soar 83% in 2020

The Northwest Arkansas housing market ended 2020 on a high note, a trend that also helped boost mortgage refinancing. According to a new report from Attom Data Solutions, lenders issued…

Arkansas lawmakers approve governor’s 60-day extension of pandemic emergency order

Gov. Asa Hutchinson asked lawmakers Monday (March 29) to approve his 60-day extension of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, and they agreed but not without lengthy debate. On a voice vote…

The Supply Side: Sam’s Club focused on growing private brand

Private brands are essential in retail and warehouse clubs. Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand is worth about $75 billion, arguably one of the largest private labels in the country in terms…

On the real estate horizon

Over the past 12 months, everything changed, for everyone. “Business as usual” no longer applied, and as the shock began to subside last summer, the question started seeping into conversations….

Arkansas’ February jobless rate falls to 4.5%, but job numbers decline

Arkansas’ jobless rate in February was 4.5%, down from 4.6% in January and below the 3.8% in February 2020. The slight decline in Arkansas’ jobless rate in February was the…