News on the Wire

U.S. auto sales remain strong (Updated)

Arkansans are doing their part to spur on auto sales in 2012. Through the first half of this year there were 58,494 new auto registrations logged with the Arkansas Office…

Wal-Mart, Target seek expansion in Canada

BLOOMBERG — Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plan to hire tens of thousands of workers in Canada over the next two years, increasing pressure on domestic retailers from Sears…

State ends fiscal year with $145.6 million surplus

Arkansas ends its fiscal year with a $145.6 million surplus from gross revenues totaling $5.924 billion, or 4.4% higher than fiscal year 2011 and 2.2% above forecast. June also marked…

275 members of 188th deploy to Afghanistan

Approximately 275 Airmen with the Fort Smith-based 188th Fighter Wing deployed on Monday (July 2) for Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Airmen will be deployed approximately three…

Launch event held for automated trash petition

Supporters of automated solid waste collection met at Sweet Bay by Creekmore Park on Monday (July 2) to sign the petition for a November ballot initiative that would move Fort…

Fort Smith sewer rates to decline

Fort Smith officials announced Monday (July 2) that the sewer rate will decline 12 cents per ccf per month beginning in July — or a little more than $14 a…

Not everyone celebrating Wal-Mart’s 50th anniversary

Wal-Mart has come a long way since Sam Walton opened store No.1 in Rogers exactly 50 years ago Monday (July 2). No one dreamed at the time the venture would…

U.S. manufacturing contracted in June

BLOOMBERG — Manufacturing in the U.S. unexpectedly shrank in June for the first time since the economy emerged from the recession three years ago, indicating a mainstay of the expansion…

Beebe ‘inclined’ to expand Medicaid program

Gov. Mike Beebe said Monday that he’s “inclined” to expand the state’s Medicaid program under a provision in the federal law that was ruled constitutional last week. Beebe argued that…

Beebe talks about trade trip to France

Gov. Mike Beebe’s week-long trade mission to France should result in expansions of existing French firms doing business in Arkansas and could result in research collaborations for food safety and…

NWACC moving forward with presidential search

BENTONVILLE—An agreement between Northwest Arkansas Community College and the Association of Community College Trustees for the ACCT to provide presidential search consultation services is in the process of being finalized….

Whirlpool workers: ‘Glad it’s finally over’

Fred Denney and Pete Galvan say Whirlpool officials are “cheap bastards.” And that was after they were given a few chances to soften their opinion. Whirlpool announced Oct. 27, 2011,…

Burn bans expected to slow fireworks sales

Burn bans don’t usually affect fireworks sales much but when it gets so hot and dry that setting off personal fireworks gets prohibited, that’s when firework stand owners start to…

Conference focuses on human trafficking in Arkansas

BENTONVILLE – Legislators, community leaders and concerned citizens filled Peterson Auditorium at NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville on Thursday (June 28) for Arkansas’ first Legislative Summit on Human Trafficking….

Natural gas summit set for trucking industry

Officials with Fort Smith-based Arkansas Best Corp. plan to attend what the American Trucking Associations says is the “first-ever summit dedicated to exploring the full range of issues related to…

Elected leaders comment on health care ruling

Following Thursday’s (June 28) ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that upheld President Barack Obama’s health-care plan, Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe said his job is to implement a system that…

Hospital execs like court decision; retailers unhappy

The hospital industry in Arkansas approves of the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding most of President Barack Obama’s health-care plan, but the national trade associations representing retailers — including Wal-Mart…

Supreme Court upholds health-care law (Updated)

BLOOMBERG — The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the core of President Barack Obama’s health-care overhaul, giving him an election-year triumph and preserving a law that would expand insurance to millions…

Veterans, recycling part of S.A. Concepts model

Springdale-based S.A. Concepts has a business model built around sustainability. They retrofit big rigs with AeroSmart trailer skirting panels made from recycled aluminum trailers that in turn increase fuel efficiency…

Fitzpatrick left Whirlpool before it left her

Tamara Fitzpatrick feels like she’s losing a friend. More than a friend, really. A family member. The former Whirlpool employee grew up with the Fort Smith plant a central part…