Opinion

Fort Smith is part of the American flag ‘sojourn’

It is right, fitting, and proper to talk about Arkansas and specifically Fort Smith as part of the Flag Sojourn 250, the journey of a single American flag to every…

Arkansas will not yield: Defending our farmers against Oklahoma AG’s overreach

For two decades, Oklahoma Attorneys General have pursued a misguided lawsuit against Arkansas-based poultry companies operating in the Illinois River Watershed. This litigation, originally filed in 2005, has morphed into…

Removing red tape

For as long as I’ve served in the Arkansas Legislature, I’ve taken pride in our state’s reputation for tackling difficult challenges through a conservative lens. Whether the issue is strengthening…

Tough as steel

We’ve written plenty about the booming steel industry in Northeast Arkansas — an industry that is about to become a more dominant part of the state’s economy. Nucor Steel, which…

A call to fellow Arkansas employers

Last month, at the Arkansas Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference in Bentonville, I joined leaders from Ingeborg Initiatives, Excel by Eight and Arkansans for Improving Maternal Health to…

Health care is the future for NWA developers

Commercial real estate development and construction in Northwest Arkansas is “remarkably healthy,” according to the most recent Arvest Skyline Report released in late September. The proliferation of buildings under construction…

Crypto loophole threatens Arkansas farmers

Farms are more than land. They’re places where livelihoods are built and what rural Arkansas economies depend on. For those in Howard, Sevier, and Little River County, access to credit…

Smarter contracts needed for measurable student outcomes

Lawn care, meal delivery subscriptions, cell phone plans—every day, we enter into dozens of contracts. While some are more formal than others, the most successful agreements share two key ingredients:…

Support Main Street this holiday season

Black Friday sales have likely been hitting your inbox before you got your kids’ Halloween costumes put away. But big box stores aren’t the only place to find a good…

The interview: What both sides get wrong

In the supplier world — especially here in Bentonville, where the stakes are high and Walmart and Sam’s Club partnerships move fast — interviews aren’t just about filling a role….

Most maternal deaths are preventable

Arkansas has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the United States. This problem isn’t limited to our state — the system is failing mothers across the country, especially…

Talk Business & Politics editorial: Transparency about a ‘Transparency Dashboard’

Let us be among the first to publicly applaud the Fort Smith Public School District’s new effort to provide more district information through a “Transparency Dashboard” that can be found…

Diverse NEA economy drives commercial growth

We are very fortunate to live and work in Northeast Arkansas. The commercial construction landscape is enjoying some of the strongest growth I’ve ever seen, with numerous new construction projects…

Navigating tension between teams

Recently, I was working with an organization that had developed some interdepartmental tension. The people in both departments were exceptionally talented and deeply passionate about the mission of their company….

The business case for doing good

Will Arkansas nonprofits weather what is being called the “perfect storm” of financial and operational challenges? Absolutely. But they will need community support to do it. Like nearly every industry,…

Collaboration is key to NWA’s housing future

Five years ago, the Walton Family Foundation’s original Our Housing Future report warned of an impending housing crisis in Northwest Arkansas. In 2025, those warnings have become reality. While our…

Cut tariff risk by tightening import practices

The global supply chain is more complicated than ever. Federal agencies are paying closer attention to how goods enter the United States, and tariff levels in certain sectors continue to…

Leverage is no substitute for long-term discipline

Clients trust their financial advising team to offer guidance tailored to their needs and goals. That team can also provide a critical historical perspective when clients are considering different investment…

Planning ahead can help city officials avoid ‘rebate’ surprises

Shelby Woods, arguably the best marketing mind to ever pitch a campaign in Arkansas, liked to say, “The name of the game is information and the one with the most,…