by - June 3, 2015 8:14 pm
As good as it gets
Imagine living in a place where you live within easy walking or bicycling distance to a university where you can take in first rate plays and musical performances; or a…
Guest Commentary
by The City Wire staff - June 1, 2015 7:04 pm
The Mayor and the vision thing
The irrelevance of the office of mayor in Fort Smith is a structural deficiency that needs to be corrected. Under our current form of government the mayor’s function is designed…
by The City Wire staff - May 31, 2015 2:48 pm
It’s time to let Iraq die
In a previous post, I outlined the tortured history of Iraq in which I noted Iraq is an artificial nation with deep divisions that was held together Saddam Hussein’s brutality….
by The City Wire staff - May 29, 2015 8:30 am
Immigration and the 2016 election cycle
On Tuesday (May 26), a panel of judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled against the request to lift the hold on President Obama’s…
by The City Wire staff - May 17, 2015 10:05 am
Hillary: A problematic messenger
Despite all the advantages Hillary Clinton has going for her in the upcoming 2016 presidential elections cycle, she does have some vulnerabilities and challenges that could at best diminish the…
by The City Wire staff - May 15, 2015 5:18 pm
A focus on heritage tourism
Not long ago, I was in Hot Springs as the Arkansas Arts Council named the 2015 Arkansas Living Treasure recipient. It’s a big deal. This year’s honoree was Lorrie Popow,…
by The City Wire staff - May 11, 2015 4:03 pm
Vision and the mayoral platform
Where there is no vision, the people perish, at least that is one translation of Proverbs 29:18. Although I have no ecclesiastical or apostolic authority to change the Bible, I…
by The City Wire staff - May 10, 2015 8:27 pm
No ‘team’ in Cotton (Updated)
Editor’s note: This essay has been edited to reflect that Sen. Cotton did indeed address the media following his lone “No” vote, and that Sen. Cotton called out the other…
by The City Wire staff - May 10, 2015 7:44 pm
A different approach to education
One of the best-kept secrets in Fort Smith is a non-traditional approach to learning created by Italian physician, Dr. Maria Montessori, in the early 20th century. Educational goals for students…
by The City Wire staff - May 5, 2015 6:49 pm
Highway heartburn
Speaking recently at the Arkansas Trucking Association’s Annual Business meeting in Hot Springs, Gov. Asa Hutchinson dropped a few names or positions of names likely to be on the working…
by The City Wire staff - May 3, 2015 4:10 pm
The argument for trail money
As you may be aware, Fort Smith voters will go to the polls on May 12. The ballot will include renewal of the 1% sales tax that for the last…
by The City Wire staff - May 3, 2015 4:00 pm
A third political party can’t win
I want to address why we have had historically a two party dominant political system this country. Note that I wrote “dominant” here, as there have been and are today…
by The City Wire staff - April 30, 2015 7:19 pm
Revising the ‘good place to die’ pitch
A recent commentary by me suggesting that we make Fort Smith a place that caters to the retirement crowd was not well received by all. My tagline, “Fort Smith is…
by The City Wire staff - April 27, 2015 7:31 pm
Kudos for Arkansas Auditor Andrea Lea
I’ve been thinking that someone ought to say some nice things about Andrea Lea, our Republican Auditor of State from Russellville. She’s done much over the years but is easy…
by The City Wire staff - April 26, 2015 5:30 pm
Grading the new Governor
While the 90th General Assembly finally ended this past week, Gov. Asa Hutchinson quietly celebrated his 100th day as Arkansas’ 46th Governor. He appears this month on the cover of…
by The City Wire staff - April 21, 2015 10:59 am
Fort Smith: A great place for all
The Fort Smith area, as noted in a recent commentary, has many great attributes for retirees, but Fort Smith also is a great place to live for families and community…
by The City Wire staff - April 19, 2015 7:21 pm
Another view of the ‘Hanging Judge’ heritage
Fort Smith embraced selling its frontier heritage to tourists in 1955 when Mayor H. R. “Happy” Hestand appointed Judge Paul Wolfe to lead a committee to restore the Parker courtroom…
by The City Wire staff - April 19, 2015 7:05 pm
Fort Smith: A great place to die
I recently had an “Aha!” moment. I’ve worried about the Greater Fort Smith Region’s lack of economic growth, the loss of our youth to other cities and states in order…
by The City Wire staff - April 15, 2015 7:26 pm
A nice bump for Gov. Hutchinson
The latest poll out from Talk Business & Politics, Hendrix College and Impact Management Group give Gov. Asa Hutchinson a significant 11% jump to a 63% approval rating. The 11%…
by The City Wire staff - April 13, 2015 3:33 pm
More to do for the Arkansas Legislature
The 90th Generally Assembly has ended, at least the part of it that occurred in the regular session. There’s probably not a more unique feeling in the world. It’s just…