News on the Wire

Bank deposits dip across the state

Consumers across the state pulled $267 million out of Arkansas banks this past year, as deposits among the 1,442 bank branches declined by 0.5% from a year ago, according to…

Beebe critical of Congress over federal budget debate

While federal lawmakers wrestle with resolutions to keep the national government funded, state leaders are making contingency plans for furloughs and delays. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration has…

Personal income up in Arkansas, lags U.S. average

The value of personal incomes in Arkansas was $106.347 billion in the second quarter of 2013, up 2.1% compared to the second quarter but below the 2.69% year-over-year increase in…

Pinnacle Car Service niche provider for retail, suppliers

When Jeff Wright worked at Sam’s Club more than eight years ago, he traveled frequently to larger cities where Hummer stretch limos were a popular car and limo service solution….

Knight ratchets up takeover bid for USA Truck

Knight Transportation on Monday (Sept. 30) turned up the heat in what is clearly a hostile takeover attempt of Van Buren-based USA Truck. Officials with Phoenix, Ariz.-based Knight announced they…

Wal-Mart asks consumers for ‘Buy American’ pledge

Wal-Mart continues to talk up its “Made in America” initiative that it says will create more middle class jobs. After its own commitment to source an additional $50 billion in…

Lobbyist, legislator opine on teacher insurance crisis

The chairman of the House Education Committee and the head of the state’s school administrators say that ongoing discussions are winnowing choices for how to handle a crisis in the…

U.S. farm policy could soon revert to 1949 rules

Mired in a debate to keep the government’s lights on, Congressional inaction on agricultural policy could lead to real pain for farmers and consumers. While leaders in Congress push towards…

NWA sees housing construction boomlet

Builders across Benton and Washington counties have been slinging their hammers to a steady pace through eight months of this year with new construction permits rising 49% in August when…

Community input: Economy top threat facing Fort Smith

The public got its first glimpse at the results from the city's Future Fort Smith Community Forum series and "Meetings-in-a-Box" on Thursday (Sept. 26) at the River Park events building….

Fort Smith officials open to idea of large bike rally

A thousand motorcycles rumbling down Fort Smith’s Garrison Avenue and delivering millions of dollars in economic impact is not unreasonable, says one motorcycle enthusiast – and city officials say they…

Pew: 15% of American adults remain offline

In a world that has never been more connected through technology and the internet, there is still roughly 15% of American adults who are not plugged into the World Wide…

Officials, experts gather for Connecting Arkansas conference

State business, education and policy leaders are meeting at the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock to discuss strategies for deploying more broadband throughout Arkansas. The Connecting Arkansas Internet Conference, spearheaded…

Interstate 540 work on track, six bridges demolished

It has been a little less than nine months since Interstate 540 through Fort Smith and Van Buren was reduced to one lane in both directions, causing traffic nightmares not…

USA Truck faces another takeover attempt (Updated II)

Van Buren-based USA Truck faces a second takeover attempt in less than two years, with Knight Transportation on Thursday morning going public with a $9 per share bid as part…

No clear consensus emerging on teacher insurance issue

A consensus exists to solve the teacher insurance crisis, but a consensus solution has far from materialized. Lawmakers and public school stakeholders have been holding non-stop meetings and conversations all…

Local supplier offers ‘SnappDown’ pallet displays

When customers wheel their carts through Wal-Mart, checking their lists and making sure they have everything they need, the average customer is probably not aware of display design or neatness….

Wal-Mart supplier hopefuls featured in web-reality series

Over the next five weeks, 20 finalists in Wal-Mart’s “Get on the Shelf” campaign will promote their product on the retailer’s website, a page borrowed from the popular reality television…

General aviation growing in Northwest Arkansas

When a company needs to move a few people around, for brief trips, and it has the resources, nothing beats a small airplane and general aviation airports to service them….

HMA begins review of deal with Community Health

The newly seated Board of Directors at Health Management Associates said Wednesday (Sept. 25) that it will seek a second opinion on a previously announced plan to sell the hospital…