News on the Wire

Regional home sales down more than 20%

The real estate market continues to struggle in the Fort Smith region, with February home sales dipping almost 30% in Crawford County and down more than 16% in Sebastian County….

U.S. Internet advertising sees 2008 growth; Fort Smith no exception

Internet advertising revenue pushed past $23 billion in 2008 despite the difficult economy, according to a report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Total internet advertising revenue in 2008…

First quarter tough on Arkansas stocks (updated)

Editor’s note: This post has been updated to correct the stock prices for Tyson Foods. Few of the publicly held companies based in Arkansas saw their stock price improve in…

Booneville lands small manufacturing operation

American Spirit Wear announced Tuesday (Mar. 31) it will locate a new production facility and about 30 jobs in Booneville. ASW is a wholesale supplier of jackets for sports, hunting and…

Fort Smith a finalist in All-American City Award program

Fort Smith is a finalist in the 2009 All-America City Award program sponsored by the National Civic League. The 32 finalist cities will compete June 17-19 in Tampa for the…

Business district tax credit bill survives committee vote, heads to House

Rep. Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort Smith, has reported to The City Wire that HB 1060 made it out of committee and will face a vote tomorrow (April 1) in the House…

AOG gets approval to lower summer gas rates

The Arkansas Public Service Commission has approved a request by Arkansas-Oklahoma Gas Corp. to lower rates beginning April 1. Fort Smith-based AOG estimated the rate cut would lower the average…

Fort Smith health care forum canceled

Fort Smith Mayor Ray Baker has called off a health care forum planned for today (Mar. 31) at 7 p.m. at the Fort Smith Convention Center. The Mayor, then citing…

Gov. Beebe opposes business district improvement bill

Gov. Mike Beebe will not support a bill (HB 1060) to provide tax credits to renovation and new construction in central business improvement districts. Sponsored by Rep. Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort…

More details released on sale of Sparks Hospital

Following the announcement that Sparks Health System is being sold to Alpharetta, Ga.-based Jackson Healthcare, The City Wire was granted an interview with Jackson Hospital Affiliates President Gary Bell, Sparks…

Sparks Health System to be sold to Georgia company

The Sparks Health System Board of Directors announced today (Mar. 30) that the hospital system is being purchased by Alpharetta, Ga.-based Jackson Healthcare. Terms of the deal were not disclosed….

Downtown improvement bill stuck in committee, gathering support

There is a full-court press underway around Arkansas to get HB 1060 out of a legislative committee and to the desk of Gov. Mike Beebe. Sponsored by Rep. Tracy Pennartz,…

Wells, Pyle, Pennartz among busy area legislators

If judging solely by the number of bills filed and the number of bills enacted into law, the Fort Smith area has at least three legislators on track to record…

Special report from Greenwood High School: Population growth cramps school space

Editor’s note: The City Wire invited journalism students from Greenwood High School to obtain real-world reporting experience by researching, writing and contributing stories to The City Wire. The following story…

Verizon exec talks Little Rock jobs, sign changes

Steve Smith, the Verizon head of the Little Rock corporate campus that once was home to Alltel Corp. commits to retain around 1,300 jobs in central Arkansas and teases that…

Ratcliff health center to get stimulus money

The River Valley Primary Care Services facility in Ratcliff (Franklin County) will receive $171,806 from the more than $3.09 million granted to Arkansas community health centers from the federal stimulus…

Wal-Mart to move optical lab jobs to Fayetteville

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. officials said Friday they will close an optical lab in Ohio and move some of the jobs to Fayetteville and Crawfordsville, Ind. The optical lab in Lockbourne,…

Weekly business news includes chamber search, jobless report

The City Wire economic review for the week of Mar. 23 – March 27: REGIONAL/STATE• The executive committee of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce interviewed five candidates for…

Most area banks see net income declines in 2008

Although many banks based in the Fort Smith area saw declines in 2008 net income, the financial health of regional banks continues to be stable relative to their counterparts in…

AOG seeks to lower monthly rates

An action sought by Fort Smith-based Arkansas-Oklahoma Gas Corp. would lower the average residential summer natural gas bill by $1.74, and the average small commercial summer gas bill by $11.93….