Fort Smith

Watkins hired as Fort Smith prosecuting attorney

Rita Howard Watkins began as the new city prosecutor for the city of Fort Smith on Oct. 31. As prosecutor, Watkins will advocate on behalf of the city in district…

Bonus payment for some Fort Smith Public School teachers to hit Dec. 15

Some veteran Fort Smith Public Schools teachers will receive a one-time bonus payment that was approved in May with the updated teacher raise and salary schedule on Dec. 15, according…

Fort Smith Directors Martin, Settle re-elected; Catsavis defeats Director Dawson

Two Fort Smith City Directors – Neal Martin and Kevin Settle – kept their seat while one challenger bested an incumbent Director Robyn Dawson with 60% of the vote in…

Reps. Boyd, Richardson win legislative races to represent Fort Smith metro

Rep. Justin Boyd will end his fourth term in the Arkansas House of Representatives by moving to the other end of the Capitol to represent much of Fort Smith as…

64.6 Downtown, UAFS partner on Invest Fort Smith event

64.6 Downtown will partner with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Center for Economic Development and The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) to host the fifth…

Rheem to add 100 jobs at Fort Smith plant

Rheem, which produced its first unit in Fort Smith in August 1970, is investing another $20 million into the Fort Smith plant in an expansion that will add an estimated…

2 technicians place 1st in ATA national competition

Technicians for Doggett Freightliner of Arkansas, which has multiple locations across the state, and Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc. recently received first place at stations in a national skills competition. Jesse…

Free dental care available to veterans with Operation Stand Down

Operation Stand Down is coming to Fort Smith, allowing veterans to receive free dental care just in time for Veterans Day. It’s part of a program that began 10 years…

Marijuana cultivation license in jeopardy for River Valley Relief after court ruling

The future of the River Valley Relief (RVR) marijuana cultivation center in Fort Smith is uncertain following a Pulaski County Circuit Court ruling Thursday (Nov. 3) that said state officials…

Fort Smith Regional Airport enplanements up more than 38% through September

The passenger traffic trend continues to improve at the Fort Smith Regional Airport with enplanements through September up more than 38% compared with the same period in 2021. September traffic…

Economic growth, quality of life topics at House District 49 candidate forum

Both candidates for the Arkansas House of Representatives District 49 seat, which represents the north side of Fort Smith, believe the district is key to economic development in the area,…

Fort Smith metro building permits top $400 million through October

Folks continue to hammer in the Fort Smith metro. Greenwood, Van Buren and Fort Smith building permits totaled $413.469 million through the first 10 months of the year, up 44.7%…

Fort Smith Board approves city seal and logo; hears protest from LGBTQ+ citizens

Approval of a new official seal and logo for the city of Fort Smith, and a town hall protest against City Director Robyn Dawson were part of the Fort Smith…

Downtown Fort Smith improvement plan gets the green light

A long-awaited plan by the Fort Smith Central Business Improvement District (CBID) to raise revenue and implement plans designed to improve the look and safety of downtown Fort Smith is…

ArcBest third quarter net income up almost 40%; year-to-date income up more than 76%

ArcBest is shipping and managing the shipment of more stuff and getting paid more to do both. It’s why the Fort Smith-based company is on track to post record revenue…

Money approved, but no date known yet for extra payment to some Fort Smith teachers

A one-time bonus payment to veteran teachers that was approved in May with the updated teacher raise and salary scheduled has been approved by the Arkansas Department of Education, but…

Fort Smith’s share of countywide tax up 11.3% in September report

Fort Smith’s sales tax revenue continues to be strong. The city’s portion of the Sebastian County sales tax totaled $2.019 million in September, up 11.31% compared with September 2021. September’s…

Fort Smith Director-at-Large, Position 7: Q&A with Jackson Goodwin and Director Neal Martin

Fort Smith City Director Neal Martin will face challenger Jackson Goodwin for the position of Director-at-large Position 7 seat on the Fort Smith Board of Directors in the Nov. 8…

State’s business HOF announces class of 2023

The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Board announced Wednesday (Oct. 26) the 2023 class of inductees for…

House District 50 candidates discuss wages, taxes, job growth policies

All three candidates for the Arkansas House of Representatives District 50 seat believe the key to success for the state, the region and Fort Smith is the ability to work…