Business

Chinese soybean imports plummet

Tariffs, low commodity prices, historic rains, spiraling input costs, and a lack of an updated Farm Bill have left many row crop producers in the doldrums, and some have decided…

Connections: Retail innovation week scheduled in September

About 1,000 people are expected to attend Retail Innovation Week from Sept. 15-18 in Bentonville. The week will bring together leaders in retail, consumer packaged goods (CPG), technology and investing…

Al Roker talks weather, family and climate issues

Television weather personality Al Roker, a fixture on NBC’s “Today Show” for decades, said his passion for a weather show for children is driven in part by his work to…

Donna Easley endows scholarship for veterinary students

A $50,000 gift from longtime animal welfare advocate Donna Easley will help support Arkansas residents pursuing veterinary education at Arkansas State University. The Donna K. Easley Small Animal Practice Support…

Building permit issued for Bass Pro Shops store in Fort Smith

A $20 million building permit has been issued by the City of Fort Smith for construction of the Bass Pro Shops in the city. There is no word from the…

2 restaurants part of Johnson development

High Street Real Estate & Development recently broke ground on $55 million The Warehouse District, a 6-acre mixed-use development in Johnson that will include two new restaurant concepts. Some of…

Savannah Sandage named a Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow

Arkansas State University alumna Savannah Sandage, a Batesville native and recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a bachelor’s degree in world languages and cultures, has been selected…

Heartland Forward poll: Respondents unsure how to use AI professionally

More than half of respondents in a new Heartland Forward poll reported having a limited understanding of how to use artificial intelligence (AI) professionally. A growing number of respondents expect…

NRF: Retail sales rise 4.4% in May from year ago

Retail sales tracked by Affinity Solutions for the National Retail Federation (NRF) Retail Monitor were up 0.49% in May compared with April, and were up 4.4% compared with May 2024….

U.S. Marshals Museum lays off employees

The U.S. Marshals Museum recently laid off employees as part of “difficult choices” to respond to a downturn in visitors, according to Benjamin Johnson, museum president and CEO. Johnson said…

Data shows food stamp spending shifts, with Walmart having the most share

As food prices remain high in 2025, the pinch on consumers, particularly those who receive food stamps — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — tightens, as proposed federal cuts…

Brian Emison returns to First Community Bank

First Community Bank has rehired Brian Emison as senior vice president, retail deposit officer. In this role, Emison will focus on deposit growth, with an emphasis on technical applications and…

Ecological Design Group collaborates with 37 North

Bentonville-based 37 North Expeditions and Ecological Design Group (EDG), a landscape architecture and civil engineering firm with offices in Little Rock, Rogers and Wynne, have partnered, allowing EDG to offer…

Thea Foundation receives $7.9 million from Windgate Foundation

The Thea Foundation has received a $7.5 million endowment and $400,000 bridge grant from the Windgate Foundation. It is the largest investment in Thea Foundation’s history. Housed and managed by…

‘Energy & Environment’ plan set for a Fort Smith board vote

Lowering energy use in public facilities, enhancing curbside recycling, and tree planting are some areas city residents support in an energy and environment plan, according to Joshua Robertson, Fort Smith’s…

Southern Tenant Farmers Museum lands $1.2 million grant

The Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council (ANCRC) will provide the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum (STFM), an Arkansas State University Heritage Site, with a $1.272 million grant needed to complete…

Executive Summary: McReynolds works to ‘stay aware’ of what’s going on around her

Editor’s note: The Fort Smith Metro Daily News Executive Summary series is focused on looking under the title, so to speak, of a business, government, and non-profit executive in the…

Arkansas Advocates chief analyzes Medicaid, SNAP cuts

Keesa Smith-Brantley, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, one of several organizations sounding alarms over Congressional cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or…

Jamie Jones sworn in as president of Arkansas Bar Association

Jamie Jones was sworn in as president of the Arkansas Bar Association on Friday (June 13) during the association’s annual meeting at Oaklawn Resort in Hot Springs. She is a…

Economics Arkansas adds six to board of directors

At its quarterly board meeting, the Economics Arkansas board of directors voted to appoint six new members to its roster. Those elected began a three-year term beginning June 1, 2025….