Fort Smith

Billy says make it pretty

Billy, the old friend from the college days at Arkansas Tech University, called this week to get an update on a previous conversation. He’d traveled into Fort Smith a few…

Job approvals differ for Beebe, Pryor, Legislature

Gov. Mike Beebe (D) remains immensely popular with Arkansas voters who give his job performance a supermajority thumbs-up. The Arkansas legislature and U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., remain in positive…

Guests go 5×5 at Center for Art and Education gala

No one left empty-handed from the Center for Art and Education’s 5 x 5 gala on Saturday (Feb. 23) evening. Guests of the fourth annual “Artisans Squared” event all took…

Lawmakers hope Beebe gets Medicaid answers (Updated)

House Speaker Davy Carter, R-Cabot, says fellow legislators are seeking answers on federal Medicaid flexibility from Gov. Mike Beebe’s Friday afternoon meeting with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen…

Tea Party Meeting In Opposition to Tax Payers Dollars used to build luxury free housing

Monday the 25th at 6 p.m. at Creekmore Park's Recreation Center. The Tea Party is holding an information Seminar on the City of Fort Smith's proposed use of Tax Payers…

Veterans, abortions and steel

By the end of our 6th week in session, the Governor signed over 140 bills into law. 76 of those bills originated in the House. Over 450 bills have been filed in…

VIC expands Arkansas venture fund

Calvin Goforth, CEO and founder of Fayetteville-based VIC Technology Venture Development, announced the formation of the VIC Investor Network, a new fund designed to accelerate and expand technology venture development…

Post-recession GDP gains miss Fort Smith metro

Of the eight metro areas within or connected to Arkansas, only the Fort Smith area saw a GDP decrease in 2011 compared to the beginning of the recession in 2008….

Arkansans like ‘superproject,’ mixed on campus gun law

A new Talk Business-Hendrix College survey finds that support for a $125 million bond issue for the state’s first superproject is popular, and legislation to allow faculty members on college…

Home Show helps ‘fill orders’ in a tough market

Dave Hughes is convinced that the Home Show and home parades conducted by the Greater Fort Smith Association of Home Builders are business generators for the region’s residential home market….

Benefit Bank gifts $300,000 to UAFS nursing program

Benefit Bank of Fort Smith has provided two gifts totaling $300,000 to the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, with university officials saying the gifts will have a positive impact…

Arkansas awarded $42 million Medicaid grant

Arkansas has been awarded a $42 million State State Innovation Model grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to assist with its Payment Improvement Initiative efforts. The…

Gosack to city staff: Follow reporting channels

Employees not following proper reporting channels resulted in Thursday morning mass e-mail to more than 900 e-mail addresses by Ray Gosack, the Fort Smith city administrator. In the e-mail, Gosack…

Poll: Arkansans for abortion limits, Medicaid expansion

The latest Talk Business-Hendrix College survey of Arkansas voters tested a battery of questions related to abortion, Medicaid, guns, a steel mill superproject and Arkansas political figures. During the next…

Wal-Mart earnings top estimates but forecast weakens

Wall Street eyes were staring at Wal-Mart Thursday morning (Feb. 21) looking for any morsel of insight into the health of the overall economy as the retailer recently leaked a…

Court dismisses sex-bias class action against Wal-Mart

Female workers at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in Tennessee and four other southern states will not be allowed to pursue sex- discrimination claims against the retailer through a class action, or…

Tyson Foods looks to value-added for more profits

The notion of adding value to a raw commodity product is not new. But it’s core to Tyson Foods’ efforts to push profits higher in the next three years, according…

City, county officials dispute aquatics park promises

Fort Smith officials expressed disappointment Wednesday after Sebastian County Quorum Court members voted against $820,000 in additional funding for the Ben Geren Aquatic Center in exchange for the city of…