Business

Group buys land for West Little Rock commercial park

Village at BC LLC closed a $3.25 million purchase on Dec. 1 on a 60-acre land tract near the intersection of Col. Glenn Road and Interstate 430 in west Little…

Construction site revealed for Alice Walton-backed Whole Health Institute in Bentonville

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art announced Monday (Dec. 14) plans for the construction of a building for the Whole Health Institute, a nonprofit created to make a transformative approach to…

Murphy USA acquires convenience store chain QuickChek in $645 million deal

El Dorado-based Murphy USA announced an agreement to acquire QuickChek Corp. of New Jersey in an all-cash transaction for $645 million. Founded in 1967 as an extension of Durling Farms,…

Convenience store, Dairy Queen top commercial real estate deals

Nomads Pit Stop Inc. made the most significant residential and commercial property transfer in Craighead County Oct. 15 through Nov. 15, according to the Craighead County Assessor’s Office. The company…

Bank OZK CEO George Gleason gives guided tour of new HQ, talks art and banking climate

The new five-story west Little Rock headquarters of Bank OZK is a magnificent addition of modern architecture for Arkansas. However, it houses more than deposits and loans – it’s the…

State seeks to engage 5,125 students at home, but not in class during pandemic

More than 5,000 at-home Arkansas public school students have been identified as either not enrolled in virtual classes or enrolled but not logging in. In response, the state Division of…

Microwave process could improve rice yield, add millions in profits

Microwave technology may offer a faster drying system for rice than conventional heated-air drying systems and could significantly increase profitability, said Griffiths Atungulu, associate professor of food processing and post-harvest…

Sweat family of McCaskill named Arkansas Farm Family of the Year

Chris and Denise Sweat of McCaskill (Hempstead County) are the 2020 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. The honor was announced last week during a virtual event honoring the county…

Steve Goode named executive director of Arkansas Grocers and Retail Merchants Association

The Arkansas Grocers and Retail Merchants Association has selected Steve Goode to serve as its Executive Director. Goode brings 36 years of experience in retail business to the association. He…

UA Little Rock waives application fees to encourage more students to apply

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has waived its student application fee and initiated other efforts to ease the financial burden for incoming college students and their families. UA…

BSR REIT exits Beaumont, Texas market with $44 million sale of property

Little Rock-based BSR Real Estate Investment Trust announced Thursday (Dec. 9) it sold West End Lodge located in Beaumont, Texas, built in 2010 and comprising of 360 apartment units, for…

COVID-19 deaths in Arkansas set a new daily record

The Arkansas Department of Health on Friday (Dec. 11) reported 55 confirmed and probable deaths from COVID-19, a new daily record. There were also 54 new hospital admissions reported Friday,…

Petroleum refining capacity, distillate inventories decline

U.S. petroleum refining capacity has decreased to its lowest level since 2016 as U.S. distillate inventories have fallen to their previous five-year average (2015-19), according to the U.S. Energy Information…

Gov. Hutchinson extends health emergency to Dec. 31, again calls on Arkansans to wear masks, follow health guidelines

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday (Dec. 10) used his first primetime television address while in the state’s top office to essentially repeat pleas for Arkansans to wear masks, follow other…

J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center to open Friday

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will open the 32,000-square-foot J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center on Friday (Dec. 11) after raising more than $14 million in private…

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute adds UA’s Matt Waller to board of directors

Arkansas nonprofit Winthrop Rockefeller Institute announced the appointment Thursday (Dec. 10) of Dr. Matt Waller to its board of directors. The three-year term begins Jan. 1, 2021. Waller has served…

Nettleton students become 1st in state to talk with astronauts inside International Space Station

Nettleton School District STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) students did something Thursday (Dec. 10) that no one in Arkansas has ever done – talked directly to astronauts inside…

Fort Smith hospitals prepped to receive COVID-19 vaccines

With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expected to approve the first of the COVID-19 vaccines perhaps as early as this weekend, Arkansas could receive its first shipment of…

Tyson Foods hires Dr. Claudia Coplein as its first chief medical officer

Tyson Foods has selected Dr. Claudia Coplein to fill the newly created role of chief medical officer for the meat giant amid its efforts to focus on safeguarding employee health…

Arkansas’ PBM law unanimously upheld by U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of an Arkansas law on a controversial pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) statute on Thursday (Dec. 10). The 19-page decision from the nation’s high…