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Arkansas peanut crop could set yield records in 2023

Southern blight was an issue for Arkansas peanut growers this year but if projections hold, it will be the best harvest in a decade. The peanut crop got off to…

The Supply Side: Navigating the omnichannel transition in the grocery industry

While mass retailers like Walmart and specialty retailers like Ulta Beauty have worked to become omnichannel by offering a unified shopping experience that bridges digital and physical commerce, the traditional…

ARDOT posts traffic plan for the April 2024 solar eclipse

An estimated 2 million people will drive in and around Arkansas on April 8, 2024, to see the total solar eclipse. Such movement will result in an estimated 700,000 extra…

Poultry production increased in Arkansas during 2023

Poultry producers and consumers experienced myriad problems in 2022 that led to higher prices and shortages in some instances. This year much of the market stabilized and it led to…

U.S. Steel to be acquired in $14 billion deal

U.S. Steel, which owns Big River Steel and other operations in Northeast Arkansas, is being acquired by Tokyo-based Nippon Steel Corp. in a $14.1 billion deal, the companies announced Monday…

UA economist sees ‘soft landing’ for economy as a strong possibility

Mervin Jebaraj, economist with the University of Arkansas Walton College of Business, offers a gymnastics analogy for the Federal Reserve Bank’s handling of the tumultuous economy. Observers have wondered if…

First building on Walmart’s new Bentonville campus opens Jan. 12

The Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness will open Jan. 12 at 1400 S.E. Fifth St. in Bentonville. A company spokeswoman confirmed the date on Thursday (Dec. 14). The fitness…

Senate Public Health Chair wants more focus on physician shortage

State Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, wants a stronger state focus on a physician shortage issue that she says threatens the health of rural Arkansans. Irvin, who chairs the Senate…

AAA: holiday travel to rise 2.2%, remain below 2019 levels

The second-highest number of Americans are expected to travel over the holidays amid the lowest gas prices in nearly a year, according to AAA. Over the holidays, 115.2 million people…

The Supply Side: Retailers adapt strategies to address holiday shopping trends

With holiday shopping well underway, retailers large and small continue to wrestle with shipping options, return policies and overcoming cart abandonment from online shoppers. A new survey from shipping platform…

Judge orders TRO in Corrections Board lawsuit, AG sues panel over FOIA violations

A tension-filled week of accusations, legal wranglings and political drama between Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Attorney General Tim Griffin and the state Board of Corrections ended with more acrimony and…

The Compass Report: Economic resiliency continues in Arkansas’ top metro areas

Resilience in most key economic factors resulted in Arkansas and the state’s four top metro areas continuing positive trends, with broad job gains being a primary growth driver, according to…

Arkansas Board of Corrections suspends Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri (Updated)

When Arkansas Board of Corrections (BOC) Chair Benny Magness said the situation between the board and Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri was “untenable,” he meant it. The Board on Thursday (Dec….

Craig Harper to retire after 31 years with J.B. Hunt

Craig Harper, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer for J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., will retire after 31 years with the Lowell-based carrier, according to a Thursday (Dec. 14)…

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza detected in wild geese populations in Craighead County

Poultry producers and hunters in Northeast Arkansas are being warned that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPIA) bird flu has now been detected in wild geese populations, according to the…

NRF: Retail sales up in November, consumer in ‘good shape’

The Retail Monitor Report for November – excluding automobile sales, restaurant and gas station receipts – shows retail sales were up 0.73% from October, and up 4.17% year over year….

ACHI report says not enough residencies for med school grads

Arkansas needs more doctors, but there haven’t been enough residency positions for new medical school graduates in the past three years, a study by the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement…

Solar generation is projected to rise by 39% in 2024 from 2023

Combined U.S. solar and wind electricity generation are expected to surpass coal-fired generation for the first time in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Solar and wind…

Survey: A quarter would change schools with education freedom accounts

A quarter of registered voters in Arkansas with K-12 students living in their homes said they would change their children’s learning environment if provided state funding for non-public school options….

Dassault Falcon to expand in Little Rock; investing $100 million, adding 800 new jobs

French jet manufacturer Dassault Falcon announced Tuesday (Dec. 12) it will expand its Little Rock facility with a $100 million investment expected to create 800 new jobs. The jet completion…