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Arkansas’ jobless rate reaches record low of 3% in March

A more than 5% decline in the number of unemployed helped push Arkansas’ jobless rate to a new record low of 3% in March, and better than the 3.1% in…

Rural health providers prep for post-COVID Medicaid roll reduction

Arkansas rural health care providers are preparing for an uncertain future as the Department of Human Services begins disenrolling thousands of Medicaid recipients for the first time since the start…

Walmart’s top execs earn a cumulative $123 million in recent fiscal year

Walmart’s top six executives earned a cumulative $123.116 million for the fiscal year that ended Feb. 1, up 54% compared with the previous fiscal year. That figure included $2.029 million…

Bank OZK Q1 earnings set record

Bank OZK announced Thursday (April 20) that net income for the first quarter of 2023 was a record $165.9 million, a 29.5% increase from $128 million for the first quarter…

First quarter net income, revenue post big gains for Home BancShares

Thanks in large part to higher interest rates, Conway-based Home BancShares posted an almost 60% net income gain in the first quarter compared with the same quarter in 2022. Per…

UAMS awarded $15 million for postpartum care study

A research team at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been approved for a five-year, $15 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to…

Supply chain leaders and innovators gather at Plug & Play event in Bentonville

More than 200 people who work in the retail supply chain gathered in Bentonville on Wednesday (April 19) for the 2023 Supply Chain Trends and Expo event to discuss the…

UA System Trustees debate merits of University of Phoenix acquisition

The University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees on Wednesday (April 19) heard almost three hours of discussion about ongoing efforts to buy the University of Phoenix (UofP). The meeting…

‘Deep work’ ongoing to establish foreign pilot training center in Fort Smith

With Fort Smith chosen for a foreign pilot training center, members of Arkansas’ Congressional delegation are pushing to secure funding, commitments, and relationships from and with the U.S. Air Force…

UA Little Rock names Colin Crawford new dean of William H. Bowen School of Law

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock named Colin Crawford as the next dean of the William H. Bowen School of Law, effective July 1, 2023. “I am pleased to…

Walmart to debut renewable energy engine in trucking fleet

Walmart will soon use its first compressed natural gas engine in its private trucking fleet as the retailer works toward zero emissions in its massive transportation operations by 2040. Cummins…

Walmart uses debt market to raise nearly $5 billion in capital

Walmart has returned to the debt market to raise about $5 billion in capital that will be used for general purposes, the company said. The retail giant is selling notes…

J.B. Hunt 1Q revenue, earnings fall

Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. posted declines in earnings and revenue amid weaker freight volumes or revenues per load across its business segments, excluding Dedicated Contract Services. The…

Walmart to sell Bonobos for $75 million

Walmart will sell the upscale men’s fashion retailer Bonobos for a reported $75 million to Express Inc. and brand management firm WHP Global, as it continues to unwind the online…

Regional airport in Northeast Arkansas being studied; public encouraged to participate

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Arkansas Division of Aeronautics are conducting a study as to whether a regional airport needs to be built somewhere in a 19-county area in…

Asa Hutchinson to formally launch Presidential bid April 26 in Bentonville

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will officially announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination for U.S. President on April 26 in Bentonville. The event will be on the square in…

U.S. retail sales up 2.9% from a year ago in March report

U.S. retail sales were down 1% from February, but up 2.9% year over year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Sales slid more than the consensus estimate on a month-over-month…

State agencies respond to Governor’s early executive orders

On her first two days in office in January, Gov. Sarah Sanders issued a number of executive orders for state agencies to provide reports to her within 30, 60 or…

Residential mortgage executives discuss challenges, current market conditions

After last year’s turmoil, much has been written about what 2023 holds for the mortgage market. As the calendar flips to Q2, it’s worth reflecting on the critical lessons learned…

Gov. Sanders: Medicaid special session ‘certainly possible’

Gov. Sarah Sanders reflected on her first legislative session and the nearly 100 days of her administration in a wide-ranging interview on Sunday’s (April 16) Capitol View and Talk Business…