Opinion

On Covidism

It is said that travel broadens one’s horizons and I believe that is true in virtually every instance. There is always something that can be learned from getting out from…

Let’s get physical: Resolving to invest in health at the individual and community levels

Just before the pandemic started in March 2020, I made one very poor decision ― getting rid of a large, infrequently used desk — and one excellent decision — purchasing…

Why donating time, blood or money to the Red Cross matters

On the night of Dec. 10, Harold Clayton stepped outside his apartment in Leachville, Arkansas to stare at the unusual flickering of lighting filling the night sky. From inside the…

The year ahead

It’s hard to believe 2021 is almost over. With as long as 2020 was, this year just flew by. There is so much happening here in Northwest Arkansas that it…

The biggest non-event ever

Do you remember the devastating Dec. 3, 1990, earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone? You know, the one that claimed thousands of lives, destroyed billions of dollars of infrastructure…

7 de-stressors when you hit a mental wall

In the coming weeks, the pressures of the holiday season, financial decisions, and end-of-year responsibilities can all lead you to crash into a mental wall. You can’t make decisions. You…

Riff Raff: Private votes on the public’s business

Here we go again with the city of Fort Smith and its inability and/or unwillingness to conduct the public’s business in public. City directors and administrators come and go, but…

Full STEAM ahead

We are inundated with data. So the first business question we typically ask is a hard science question: What am I looking at here? And to answer that question requires…

The importance of data in business

Commercial lenders are in the business of making loans to businesses. In order to make loans, we review a great deal of data. Having worked in commercial lending at Arvest…

Health care providers have an extra ball to juggle: patients’ unmet social needs

My first job after graduating college was as a reporter for a newspaper in a rural Arkansas town. A few months into my tenure, the editor graciously but perhaps unwisely…

NWA office sector returning to ‘normal’

After a challenging 2020 and early 2021, in which the economy of Northwest Arkansas shed 17,000 jobs, the region has made a remarkable comeback over the last two quarters, gaining…

Strategies to restructure and ‘future-proof’ your supply chain

Much like the mental fortitude needed to make it through yet another Zoom call, the global supply chain in 2021 has tested the resilience of the Walmart supplier community. Shipping…

What you should know about monoclonal antibodies in the fight against COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, medical providers are discovering new tools to battle the deadly virus. One of these tools is monoclonal antibodies, also known as mAbs. The U.S. Food and…

Small purchases can energize entrepreneurship in Arkansas

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us how vital and vulnerable America’s small businesses are. But, fortunately, small changes in how and where we buy goods can energize entrepreneurship throughout Arkansas…

The senior living industry will never be the same

Our senior living industry has been due for a change, and small-home models like the Green House Cottages represent the epitome of progressive nursing home care right now. The Green…

Riff Raff: No public, no problem

The who-drew-the-map? game a few folks have played with Sebastian County Quorum Court redistricting is disturbing, disappointing and would be comically clumsy if transparency weren’t such an important part of…

Shop local on Small Business Saturday

It hasn’t been an easy couple of years for Arkansas’ small businesses, beginning with the pandemic and continuing with the resulting labor shortage and breaks in the supply chain. But…

A conversation on perspective

There’s an improv exercise I love called Fortunately/Unfortunately. A handful of people stand in a circle and move a storyline forward by adding information as players alternate between fortunately and…

The self-appointed, unofficial hypeman of Hall High

Growing up in the smaller town of Russellville, Friday Night Football was exactly as big a deal as you think it was. I didn’t like a lot about high school….

Medicaid providers have investment options to entice workers

One of the many unanticipated consequences of COVID-19 has been its destabilizing effect on the medical community. Battling the pandemic has dramatically accelerated the pace at which doctors, nurses and…