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Fort Smith Regional Airport traffic trends lower in May
Fort Smith Regional Airport enplanements reversed course in May with a more than 2% decline, with traffic numbers out of the airport in the first five months of 2026 essentially…
Tourism / Heritage
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Tyson Family Foundation to give $500,000 for NWA Pride Weekend
Northwest Arkansas Equality Inc. in Fayetteville will receive $500,000 from the Tyson Family Foundation to be a presenting sponsor of NWA Pride Weekend through 2030. The 22nd NWA Pride is…
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Experience Fayetteville releases marketing, sales plan to public
Experience Fayetteville, the tourism marketing agency for the city of Fayetteville, said Monday (June 15) that it will release its first public marketing and sales plan, combining into a single…
by - June 13, 2026 1:41 pm
Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: ArcBest goes electric, Baptist Health nurse receives national award
Following are recent news brief items from the Fort Smith metro. ArcBest Tesla Trucks Fort Smith-based ArcBest, through its ABF Freight subsidiary, has purchased to Class 8 Tesla semi trucks….
by - June 13, 2026 8:37 am
Kevin Costner advocates for national parks during Congressional hearing in Hot Springs
Just outside of Hot Springs National Park, a field hearing was held Friday (June 12) by members of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources who heard testimony and advocacy for…
by - June 12, 2026 5:37 am
The 9th annual Juneteenth celebration slated for Jonesboro
KLEK 102.5 FM General Manager LaGanzie Kale told Talk Business & Politics the radio station is set to host the 9th annual Juneteenth celebration in Jonesboro. It’s a weeklong community…
by - June 10, 2026 3:38 pm
U.S. Marshals Museum matching campaign tops $5 million
Little Rock residents Pat and Jim Wallis have pledged $500,000 to support the U.S. Marshals Museum’s “New Frontier of Giving” matching campaign. The campaign, first announced in March, was created…
by - June 10, 2026 3:10 pm
Arkansas Tourism Ticker: 2% tourism tax revenue up more than 9% early 2026
Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax revenue rose more than 9% in the first two months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The tax set a new February record…
by - June 9, 2026 8:45 pm
Fort Smith Board hears new plan for Bass Reeves Legacy Loop project
The Bass Reeves Legacy Loop in Fort Smith is, possibly, back in the works, but with a significantly modified plan that meets new criteria following changes by the Trump administration….
by - June 8, 2026 9:54 pm
Lakeport Plantation Museum to host ‘The Mississippi River in American Memory’ event
The Lakeport Plantation Museum (LPM), located in Lake Village, is hosting its first Mississippi River symposium this fall. The event, “The Mississippi in American Memory,” will be held on Oct….
by - June 7, 2026 12:20 pm
Connections: Northwest Arkansas leaders to participate in UCA program
The University of Central Arkansas Center for Community and Economic Development has selected 25 Northwest Arkansas leaders to participate in the Community Development Pipeline program from spring 2026 to fall…
by - June 4, 2026 12:53 pm
Blk Elk selected for Mountainfilm Festival
Fayetteville-based production studio Blk Elk was recently named a finalist at the 2026 Mountainfilm Festival, one of the most prestigious outdoor and documentary film festivals in the United States. The…
by - June 4, 2026 12:00 pm
Tearing down (and building back) that wall
I recently heard the news about 36 sections of the Berlin Wall coming to Blytheville as part of the National Cold War Center’s permanent exhibit space. It’s a fantastic addition…
by - June 2, 2026 7:03 pm
XNA remains on growth trajectory, names new CFO
Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) in Benton County is exceeding its enplanement expectations this year and has appointed a new chief financial officer. Enplanements comprise passengers flying out. Tim O’Donnell, chief financial officer, is…
by - June 1, 2026 5:57 pm
Delta Arts Festival slated for this weekend in Newport
The 17th Annual Delta Arts Festival will return to downtown Newport on Friday (June 5) and Saturday (June 6), bringing together one of the largest celebrations of art, music and…
by - June 1, 2026 4:21 pm
Crystal Bridges opens 114,000-square-foot expansion this weekend
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville will open to the public its 114,000-square-foot expansion on Saturday (June 6) and Sunday (June 7). The project, designed by Safdie Architects,…
by - May 31, 2026 1:14 pm
History of ‘Rainbow Girls’ in Fort Smith includes accomplishments, pain
In the mid-1940s, 10 years before the Civil Rights movement began, oppression and racism were rife across the south. For a group of 12 young black women in Fort Smith,…
by - May 31, 2026 10:16 am
Westerman touts transportation funding, defense economy, outdoors act
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, said he will host a field hearing in Hot Springs during the second week in June to collect testimony for the Great American Outdoors…
by - May 28, 2026 10:26 pm
Audit committee reviews draft report of Parrot Island Waterpark financial procedures
There were recommendations on different reporting methods and potential changes in how financial and other metrics are reported, but an almost two-hour review of a draft report on Parrot Island…
by - May 22, 2026 12:46 pm
Tourism jobs growth leads Fort Smith metro job sectors in March
Amid overall job losses in the Fort Smith metro during March, the Education & Health Services and Leisure & Hospitality (tourism) sectors posted job gains compared with March 2025, according…