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More personnel, investment expected with expanded FMS mission at Ebbing

Efforts to expand the foreign pilot training mission at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith took a critical step forward with completion of an environmental review that would…

Hendrix College launches work experience into curriculum

All incoming Hendrix College students will spend a junior year semester in the work world as part of their degree program through the new ‘Via Hendrix’ program announced April 17….

Simmons First sees year-over-year profits grow

Simmons First National Corp., parent company of Simmons Bank, posted higher first quarter income and profits from a year ago as the Pine Bluff-based financial giant saw loan growth and…

Arkansas metro job numbers revised, most areas see job gains in January

Major jobs data revisions with the seven metro areas in or connected to Arkansas show lower historic nonfarm job numbers in the major metro areas. The January report shows continued…

Tenaris to invest $11.7 million in Hickman plant

Tenaris, a metal tubular manufacturing facility, will invest $11.7 million in its Hickman operations, located in Mississippi County. The company, based in Luxembourg, announced that the money will be used…

Report: Women in rural Arkansas face significant financial challenges

A new report released Wednesday (April 15) says women living in rural parts of Arkansas are struggling with more economic insecurity and a lack of financial literacy compared to those…

National Cold War Center receives $1 million from Pattern Energy

The National Cold War Center (NCWC) announced Wednesday (April 15) a $1 million donation from Pattern Energy in support of the center’s capital campaign and the development of America’s official…

J.B. Hunt Q1 earnings jump 20%, revenue up over 4%

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., a Lowell-based transportation services provider, posted a double-digit earnings increase and a single-digit revenue increase in the first quarter amid signs of a freight market…

Quarterly net income up 2.6% for Home BancShares, revenue rises

Officials with Conway-based Home BancShares touted “disciplined cost management” and “diversified mix of revenue streams” in a first quarter that saw net income and revenue rise more than 2% over…

Hold on Franklin County prison plan viewed with ‘guarded optimism’ by one opponent

The push by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders to build a large state prison in Franklin County may be on the back burner, but Adam Watson said those who oppose the…

NRF: Tax refunds help lift retail sales 6.59% in March

Retail sales rose 6.59% in March from a year ago, as consumers received larger-than-usual state and federal tax refunds that offset higher gasoline prices, according to the National Retail Federation’s…

Shepherd confirmed as federal judge in Arkansas’ Western District

John Thomas Shepherd of El Dorado has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be a U.S. District judge in the Western District of Arkansas, according to the offices of…

Educators express confidence 3rd graders are ready for new reading requirement

Three years into the implementation of the LEARNS Act, Arkansas educators are bracing for a new reading proficiency requirement that takes effect this year and will determine which third graders…

Arkansas lithium potential still strong, but market conditions shifting

Officials working to develop Arkansas’ fledgling lithium industry provided an overview Monday (April 13) of where the potential for lithium development stands in the wake of shifting public policy and…

Parker to step away from ACHE leadership post

Kyle Parker, the first president and CEO of the Fort Smith-based Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE), is transitioning out of the top leadership post effective June 30 and will…

Westerman, House Armed Services chair visit Highland Industrial Park

Ten days ago, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, brought the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., to south Arkansas for a tour of…

Walmart CFO bullish on e-commerce growth, Marketplace potential

Walmart’s e-commerce business has become a meaningful contributor to the retailer’s growth, now comprising roughly 20% of the company’s revenue. Last year, Walmart’s e-commerce sales exceeded $150 billion, with 27%…

Arkansas River commercial tonnage down in the 2026 first quarter

Declines in the major categories of products shipped on the Arkansas River pushed commercial tonnage down more than 2% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period…

Governor wants to cut corporate taxes, open to prison reform ideas

Gov. Sarah Sanders said she hopes to cut not only personal income taxes by 0.2% in a special session, but corporate income taxes in similar fashion. In a wide-ranging interview…

Retail imports slow, Walmart CFO talks war-related uncertainty, tariffs

U.S. retail cargo imports in February totaled 1.95 million containers, down 7.5% from January, and excluding data from the Port of New York. Container cargo was down 4.2% year over…