News on the Wire

Tyson Foods names new CEO, COO

The board of Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc. has named Donnie Smith the new CEO and Jim Lochner the new chief operating officer, according to a statement the company issued Thursday…

A&P, Convention Center merger one step closer

Chalk up another step toward the effort to consolidate the Fort Smith Advertising and Promotion Commission and the Fort Smith Convention Center. The Fort Smith Convention Center Commission on Wednesday…

Fort Smith Classic hands out checks, talks future sustainability

Support for Fort Smith area charities and long-term support for a PGA Tour event that helps raise money for the charities were part of a Wednesday (Nov. 18) meeting of…

September not a good month for area hotels

Hospitality tax collections in Fort Smith declined more than 25% in September 2009 compared to September 2008, with the continued slowdown in corporate travel blamed for most of the decline….

UAFS Lion Rifles beat the Razorback shooters

story and photo submitted by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Friday the 13th proved very lucky for Lion Rifles, the air rifle club team at the University of…

UAFS basketball Lions win D-II season opener

Editor’s note: Story by Jonathan Gipson, sports information director for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. It was one for the record books. Junior Josh Simmons scored a…

Chamber leads effort to place 12,000 wreaths at Fort Smith National Cemetery

Editor’s note: The following is a press release issued Tuesday afternoon by the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce. On Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 citizens of the Greater Fort…

First Bank Corp. donates $500,000 to U.S. Marshals Museum

Fort Smith-based First Bank Corp. announced Tuesday a gift of $500,000 to the U.S. Marshals Museum, which pushes the museum over the $5 million mark in its $50 million fundraising…

Van Buren nixes 2010 pay raises, proposes $11.3 million budget

story by Marla Cantrell [email protected] It will again be tight in 2010 for Van Buren, which is something Mayor Bob Freeman expected and planned for. At Monday night’s City Council…

Arkansas Lottery sales could exceed estimates

Projections for lottery sales in Arkansas were set liberally during the legislative debate at $400 million, and that number was scoffed at by skeptics. But could lottery sales in Arkansas…

New company offers Ozark Forest, Buffalo River tours

story submitted by Jill Rohrbach, a travel writer with the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism If you like hiking, but don’t know where to go, don’t like deciphering guidebooks,…

Charities to get $190,000 from Celebrity Classic

The Celebrity Classic announced Monday (Nov. 16) it will distribute $190,000 to eight charities, raising to $2.2 million the event has provided to charities since 1992. Check presentations are planned…

Arkansas Realtors Association reports gains in housing market

Finally. September home sales in Crawford, Franklin and Sebastian counties totaled 174, up 1.7% over September 2008 sales, according to Monday’s (Nov. 16) report from the Arkansas Realtors Association. It…

Sparks receives federal telemedicine grant

Sparks Health System will get more than 27% of a $1.78 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program. According to a statement from the six members…

UAFS to induct seven into first Lions Hall Of Fame

Editor’s note: Story by Jonathan Gipson, sports information director for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Something old, something new. As the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith…

Basketball Lions to make official NCAA Division II debut

Editor’s note: Story by Jonathan Gipson, sports information director for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. After playing two exhibition games against NCAA Division I opponents, the University…

Area home sales see big October gains

October saw huge gains in the number of homes sold in Crawford and Sebastian counties, but a Realtor suggests the regional real estate market is not yet in full recovery….

Mitsubishi deal to boost Chaffee prospects; help Crawford County

story by Marla Cantrell [email protected] Getting an agreement from Mitsubishi Power Systems America to come to Fort Chaffee is a lot like getting engaged. You’re 99 percent sure the wedding…

Sparks sale bittersweet, an ‘economic reality’

The sale of Sparks Health System to an out-of-state healthcare company is unfortunate, but reflects an economic reality of the medical sector and the Sparks board should be praised for…

Area foreclosure activity jumps in October

Thanks to foreclosure jumps in Leflore and Sebastian counties, foreclosure activity in the Fort Smith metro area was up 118.3% in October, with foreclosures nationwide up 19%, according to information…