Opinion

John Troutt Jr., a defender of public information

The passing of former Jonesboro Sun editor and publisher John Troutt Jr. recently put me in a reflective mood, not just about the near quarter century I spent in his…

Be in the driver’s seat

I began working for Arvest Bank in high school, so I can attest to many changes in the banking world during my career, as well as offer some helpful observations…

Talk Business & Politics editorial: Where are the hats?

Since 1994, just two people have served as Bentonville’s mayor: Terry Coberly (1994-2006) and Bob McCaslin, who announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election this fall. A lot…

You snooze, you lose

Arkansas law has a number of hurdles to maneuver in order to establish an enforceable mechanic’s and materialman’s lien in the construction industry, many of which must be satisfied well…

Riff Raff: What kind of monsters are we?

A new Pew Research Center survey suggests that 68% of us have “news fatigue.” It’s 77% with Republicans and 61% with Democrats. The survey results are great news for Republicans,…

Culture, economics and Hot Springs

Tourism plays an important role in Arkansas’ economy. Total travel expenditures exceeded $8.2 billion last year, according to a preliminary state Department of Parks and Tourism report that estimates nearly…

Two solutions to doctor shortages

Arkansas has a physician shortage, especially in rural areas. Several trends are driving this shortage. One reason is the increased number of Arkansans who have access to health care through…

Talk Business & Politics editorial: Before you eat that cake …

A tried and arguably true maxim in politics is things are never as bad or as good as you believe them to be. Such is the case with Monday’s (June 4) U.S….

Handicapping Northeast Arkansas politics

We can’t help it, but those of us who follow sports generally, or follow one team particularly, like to think we can predict the outcome of the next contest by…

A smart region ecosystem

As the chase for Amazon’s second headquarter location revealed, cities and regions are increasingly expected to have connected and integrated infrastructure to handle modern corporations’ and citizens’ demands. Businesses and…

Riff Raff: Shawshank shareholders soiree

Folks in Bentonville are prepping for the June 1 Walmart shareholders meeting. We at Talk Business & Politics may or may not have acquired a draft agenda of the big…

15 lessons

I believe life has a way of turning out the way it is supposed to. “What is” is what’s supposed to be, otherwise it wouldn’t be. I never put myself…

Millennials changing workplaces for the better

I have read article after article about how each previous generation views the work ethics of Millennials in a poor light, which has been the case with every new generation….

Help us help you

Times are good, and Northwest Arkansas is hot. Everybody is jumping into real estate — again — and it’s up to the Realtors to educate owners how to best get…

Cities have bold infrastructure plans: Where is Congress?

Across the nation, our infrastructure is in a deep state of decay. The American Society of Civil Engineers has given America’s infrastructure a D+. Local municipalities and their citizens have…

Politics and land-use planning in Craighead County

Maybe it’s the weather. A chilly and rainy April didn’t seem at all like the prelude to our usual hot, steamy election-year month of May in Arkansas, filled with equally…

Riff Raff: Pelican state pot, monument madness, and identification politics

One of the grow sites for medical marijuana in Louisiana is LSU. No joke. Won’t be ready this year, but 2019 tailgating in Baton Rouge could be a gold and…

Steel in cotton country

In Mississippi County, it has always been about the geography. The land and river determine our economics, our lifestyles and our history. First there was a great hardwood forest, full…

Riff Raff: A fortunate son

Editor’s note: This essay was first posted May 10, 2009. Happy Mother’s Day! –––––––––––––––– A lot has changed in Mom’s world. The world in 1949, the year of her birth,…

Talk Business & Politics editorial: The millage is a must

There was no Internet. The Berlin Wall stood. Saddam Hussein was an ally. Walmart was not yet a global retailer and there were no supercenters. American manufacturing dominated the world….