Fort Smith

Justify the A-10 lobby

In this effort to reverse a decision to remove A-10 war planes now attached to the Fort Smith-based 188th Fighter Wing, much has been made of the unwillingness or inability…

Sea Bass with Barbie dolls challenge Wal-Mart in China

Shelves stacked to the ceiling with low-price hot sauce, Barbie dolls, and noodles stand near tanks where shoppers can fish out live sea bass for dinner. Welcome to RT-Mart, China’s…

Fort Smith Library open house draws large crowd

A cloudy Sunday afternoon was a perfect day to come inside and enjoy hot chocolate, popcorn, hot apple cider and crafts at the Fort Smith Public Library’s 10th Annual Holiday…

A cab driver’s smirk

I was riding in a taxicab last Tuesday night in Manhattan after seeing the Broadway musical "Wicked." My wife, her sister, and a friend were riding in the back seat,…

More than 13,000 wreaths placed at Fort Smith National Cemetery

A cloudy, cool morning did not stop family members and the public from coming out to the Fort Smith National Cemetery on Saturday (Dec. 8) to place 13,876 wreaths on grave…

Chambers rescues Decatur State Bank (updated)

On Friday (Dec. 7) Chambers Bank, largely owned by veteran banker John Chambers of Danville, purchased Peterson Holding Company and 100% of Decatur State Bank. "The regulators have said they…

Kennedy Secret Service Agent shares story

Harrowing. Heroic. Historic. Those were the words event organizer Philip Merry used to describe Special Agent Clint Hill’s incredible story as he welcomed him to the stage Friday night (Dec….

American Airlines pilots back new contract

American Airlines pilots approved their first new contract since 2003, securing the labor savings sought by parent AMR Corp. and giving a possible boost to US Airways Group Inc.’s push…

Moore named a vice president for UA System

Dr. Michael Moore, senior vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, has been named vice president for academic affairs at the University of…

U.S. payrolls rise more than forecast, jobless rate falls

Payrolls rose more than anticipated and the jobless rate fell to an almost four-year low in November, indicating the labor market withstood the impact of superstorm Sandy. The unemployment rate…

Local turkey operations to benefit from USDA turkey purchases

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it will buy up to $35 million of turkey products for federal food nutrition assistance programs, including food banks in an effort to help…

Tyson disputes findings on chlorine gas accident in 2011

A language barrier is being blamed for the June 2011 chemical accident at Tyson Foods' Berry Street chicken processing plant in Springdale. Tyson Foods disputes the findings of a federal…

Fort Smith city website receives high national ranking

In an academic and performance-based study involving prestigious universities and specialists in e-governance, the City of Fort Smith ranked 10 among each 50 states largest and second largest cities. Fort…

Officials respond to manufacturing rebound talk

News on Thursday (Dec. 6) that Apple plans to shift $100 million in spending to build Mac computers in the U.S. added energy to a nascent belief that American manufacturing…

Americans in mood to spend at start of holiday

Consumer confidence held close to a seven-month high last week as the holiday-shopping season put more Americans in the mood to spend, and claims for unemployment benefits declined. The Bloomberg…

Sparks Regional part of Arkansas trauma system

Sparks Regional Medical Center is now a member of the network of hospitals participating in Arkansas’ statewide trauma system. Sparks is among 19 Arkansas hospitals designated as a Level III…

Tusk to Tail: Bret Bielema is a walking football party

Hiring a new football coach is always interesting. Did Arkansas find the next Nick Saban, or did we get Houston Nutt’s playbook combined with Bobby Petrino’s ego and libido? Read…

Marshals Museum CEO ready for national campaign

With around $9.8 million in cash and pledges, Jim Dunn says the U.S. Marshals Museum fundraising effort is “starting to meet with some success,” and is optimistic a soon-to-be launched…

Will the cows come home? Part 1

Can we rebuild the beef cow herd? That was the question posed to me by a producer in response to my recent article suggesting that two years of drought liquidation,…