People & Business in the news

Arkansas Best announces dividend

Fort Smith-based Arkansas Best Corp. will issue a quarterly cash dividend of 3 cents on Nov. 23 to shareholders of record on Nov. 9. The transportation holding company is scheduled…

Fort Smith United Way kicks off campaign

The United Way of Fort Smith has announced the results of the Pacesetter Segment of the 2010 Campaign. According to the United Way, 22 organizations participated in this first phase…

Timmons moves to new job at UAFS

Dr. Rebecca Timmons of Fort Smith has been named director of assessment and accountability at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, effective Dec. 1. Her duties will include developing…

Morris named ATU-Ozark associate director of advising and retention

Megan Morris has been selected for the position of associate director of advising and retention in the office of Student Services at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus. Morris is a 2005…

Rotary District Governor to visit Fort Smith

Wallace Williams, the district governor of Rotary International, will be in Fort Smith on Wednesday (Oct. 6) to speak during the noon meeting of the Fort Smith Rotary Club. His…

ATU-Ozark to offer customized workforce training

Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus and the Professional Development Institute of Arkansas Tech University have partnered to provide customized training to several area industries. The industries helped through this training include…

Harmon joins UAFS as marketing and communications director

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith has hired Jeff Harmon as director of marketing and communications. He will begin in the job Oct. 18. Harmon will direct the efforts…

FSPD to receive federal funds for two police officers

The Fort Smith Police Department will receive $351,984 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to support the employment of two police officers. …

Arvest reaches $1 billion new mortgage loan mark

Lowell-based Arvest Bank announced Thursday (Sept. 30) that for the eighth consecutive year, Arvest Mortgage Company has originated more than $1 billion in new mortgage loans. “This year’s activity has…

UAFS police officer completes training academy

Jeremy Smith of Lavaca, a member of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Police Department, recently completed a 12-week basic police training course at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training…

Three area people make list of gubernatorial appointments

Three area people were among the 54 appointments and reappointments to state boards and commissions announced Monday (Sept. 27) by Gov. Mike Beebe. Ginger Fenter, of Fort Smith, was appointed…

ATU-Ozark, Charleston partner on adult education center

Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus and the Charleston Public School District have partnered to open an adult education office in Charleston. It will be the first adult education office south Franklin…

Southside teacher a Teacher of the Year finalist

Oretha Faye Ferguson, a 10th-grade English teacher at Southside High School in Fort Smith, is one of 14 teachers have been named regional finalists for the 2011 Arkansas Teacher of…

Fort Smith Housing Authority named Agency of the Year

The Arkansas Chapter of the National Association of Housing and Rehabilitation has named the Fort Smith Housing Authority the Agency of the Year. In the 2009-10 fiscal year, the FSHA…

ABF on InformationWeek 500 list — again

ABF Freight System has been cited as an innovator in information technology (IT) by InformationWeek magazine, which lists ABF on the 2010 InformationWeek 500. This marks the fifth consecutive year…

Fort Smith Realtor named Arkansas Realtor of the Year

The Arkansas Realtors Association has named Fort Smith Realtor Glee Cosner its Arkansas Realtor-of-the-Year. The announcement was made Tuesday night (Sept. 14) during the association’s 86th Annual Convention in Rogers….

EMT/Paramedic students at ATU-Ozark earn 100% pass rate

Recent Graduates of the EMT/Paramedic Program at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus received a 100% pass rate on their National Register of Emergency Medical Technicians Exam, according to a statement from…

O.K. Foods to use new poultry slaughter system

Fort Smith-based O.K. Foods Inc. announced Thursday (Sept. 9) it will move to a new system of killing chickens at its processing plants in Fort Smith and Heavener, Okla. The…

Fort Smith Blues Festival a Top 100 event

Fort Smith’s Riverfront Blues Festival was named one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association. Each year the ABA compiles a list of the…

2010 Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame inductees named

Kris Allen, Lisa Blount, Jim “Moose” Brown, Barbara Fairchild, Albert King, George Newbern, Mark Sallings, Jerry McKinnis and Charles Pierce will be inducted as the 2010 class in the Arkansas…