News on the Wire

2009 GDP down in Fort Smith area

The Little Rock area was the only Arkansas metro to see a GDP increase between 2008-2009, according to figures released Wednesday (Feb. 23) by the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis….

Air Guard opens $8.3 million building at Fort Smith base

The top Arkansas military brass was in Fort Smith at the 188th Fighter Wing base on Wednesday (Feb. 23) to formally open a more than $8.3 million support building that…

Middle East turmoil could push pump prices to $4 a gallon

Middle East unrest could lift local pump prices as to as high as $4 a gallon by the summer as international crude oil futures continue to advance unabated, energy experts…

Womack says ‘gut-check’ votes coming

Editor’s note: Roby Brock, with our content partner Talk Business, wrote this report. He can be reached at [email protected] U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, was right in the middle of…

Airport director praises response to winter weather

story by Aric Mitchell [email protected] With the recent spate of winter storms, the Fort Smith Regional Airport staff has been working overtime to keep flights coming and going, but not…

Sen. Pryor convenes roundtable on jobs, innovation

U.S. Sen.Mark Pryor, D-Ark., convened a roundtable of 30 business leaders from Arkansas to discuss changes to federal laws and regulations that could lead to innovation and new jobs. "One…

Study suggests Fort Smith water rate increases in 2011, 2012

Catching up is hard to do. Such was part of the message Tuesday (Feb. 22) during the Fort Smith Board of Directors study session as Ted Kelly presented options to…

A question for every SEC basketball team

story by Gary Brown, president of College Sports Matchups (CSM is a content partner with The City Wire) [email protected] Southeastern Conference basketball has entered the final stretch of conference play…

Wal-Mart earnings up 14%; same-store sales disappoint

Wal-Mart sales in its U.S. division were up a scant 0.1% during fiscal year 2010, a possible sign that the American consumer remains hesitant to spend. For the year, the…

ABF seeks appeal in Teamsters, YRC suit

Fort Smith-based ABF filed Friday (Feb. 18) an appeal as part of its effort to sue YRC and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for violations of a wage agreement. The…

Senate panel approves tax cut bills (Updated)

Editor’s note: Roby Brock, with our content partner Talk Business, wrote this report. He can be reached at [email protected] As expected, a Senate tax panel passed three tax cutting proposals…

Economic impact of Wakarusa debated

story by Connie Las Schneider The economic impact of Wakarusa 2010 came under close scrutiny by Franklin County officials in recent months. The four day mega-music and camping Festival brought 15,000…

Arkansas Senate Report: Tax cuts and prison reform

Editor’s note: Arkansas Sen. Jake Files, R-Fort Smith, provided the following commentary on the previous week of the 88th Arkansas General Assembly. Things are finally hitting stride in Little Rock…

Arkansas House Report: Tax cuts highlight a busy week

Editor’s note: Rep. Leslee Milam-Post, D-Ozark, provided the following commentary on the previous week of the 88th Arkansas General Assembly. I have not only found a respect and admiration for…

UAFS golfers face tough field in annual Lions Classic

Editor’s note: Story by Jonathan Gipson, sports information director for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. University of Arkansas at Fort Smith golf coach Mark Curlett looked at the…

Citizens gather to discuss 1% prepared food tax

Editor’s note: The first version of this story referred to the city’s $40 million general fund budget as an operating budget. The error has been corrected. About 50 attended a…

No bubble seen in area housing inventory increase

The consensus among at least three people with a hand in the real estate market is that an almost 16% annual increase in the number of homes for sale in…

Windstream, Car-Mart see quarterly earnings slip

Little Rock-based Windstream Corp. and Bentonville-based America’s Car Mart both saw a slip in quarterly earnings. WINDSTREAM Windstream saw it’s fourth quarter and full year earnings slip, primarily due to…

Arkansas Speaker’s road plan seeks trucker support

Arkansas House Speaker Robert Moore said he will file a bill to increase taxes to pay for road repairs in Arkansas and will support a second proposal to give voters…

Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce formed

Just in time for the season to hike, canoe and other outdoor adventures, a group of businesses along the 150-mile Buffalo National River in Arkansas have formed a chamber of…