Political News

Fort Smith mayor remains in hospital

Fort Smith Mayor Ray Baker remains a patient at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, recovering from a serious infection. Dr. Cole Goodman, a Fort Smith City Director and physician at…

Internet access part of U.S. Senate hearing in Little Rock

Broadband access in rural areas was one of the items discussed during the first Arkansas field hearing of the U.S Senate Agriculture committee. U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., was named…

Money woes darken Arkansas’ 211 system; Vendors left on hold

story by Marla Cantrell All that’s left of the Arkansas 211 call center is an automated message announcing the number is no longer in service. The United Way program that…

Lincoln votes to open debate on Senate health care bill (Updated)

U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., said Saturday (Nov. 21) she will would vote to open debate on the U.S. Senate’s version of health care legislation expected to cost about $1…

Beer follows BBQ to Cedarville

story and photo by Marla Cantrell Sit down for this one. You can now buy beer in Cedarville. That’s right, BEER. In the small, conservative northern Crawford County town of…

Fort Smith to maintain I-540/Rogers Avenue interchange

Who do we believe about poor maintenance and appearance of the Interstate 540 and Rogers Avenue interchange in Fort Smith — the city of Fort Smith or Arkansas highway officials?…

A&P, Convention Center merger one step closer

Chalk up another step toward the effort to consolidate the Fort Smith Advertising and Promotion Commission and the Fort Smith Convention Center. The Fort Smith Convention Center Commission on Wednesday…

Van Buren nixes 2010 pay raises, proposes $11.3 million budget

story by Marla Cantrell [email protected] It will again be tight in 2010 for Van Buren, which is something Mayor Bob Freeman expected and planned for. At Monday night’s City Council…

Arkansas Lottery sales could exceed estimates

Projections for lottery sales in Arkansas were set liberally during the legislative debate at $400 million, and that number was scoffed at by skeptics. But could lottery sales in Arkansas…

Sickness leads to Van Buren Veterans Day parade

story by Marla Cantrell [email protected] There might not be a Veterans Day parade in downtown Van Buren if Les Thomas, Jr.’s dad hadn’t gotten sick eight years ago. But he…

West End Park operation headed for board vote

The Fort Smith Board of Directors could decide Nov. 17 on a proposal to operate The Park at West End — an “iconic” park that features an historic Ferris Wheel…

2010 Arkansas House proceedings to go live

TalkBusiness.net has reported that the management committee of the Arkansas House of Representatives has approved live Internet streaming of all House proceedings and committee meetings by the start of the…

Van Buren A&P approves 2010 media budget

story by Marla Cantrell [email protected] The Van Buren Advertising and Promotion Commission approved a $179,050 media plan for 2010 media at Wednesday’s monthly meeting. The media budget, up $12,855 over…

Arkansas’ arcane liquor laws stir opportunity and opposition

Editor’s note: The following story was written for TBQ magazine, a quarterly publication produced by Little Rock-based journalist Roby Brock. Link here for more information about the magazine and its…

Report shows federal stimulus spending in Arkansas

As of Sept. 30, 2009, Arkansas has been awarded $1.1 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Of that amount, $322.8 million has been received and $112.5 million…

Altes Sanitation to lose residential contract in Fort Smith

The Fort Smith Department of Sanitation will gear up to provide trash service to about 4,700 households in south Fort Smith who now have their trash picked up by Altes…

Fort Smith director: New insurance plan could cover Convention Center shortfall

Fort Smith City Director Gary Campbell is proposing that the city can solve its future and certain convention center deficit by using the Arkansas Municipal Health Benefit plan to cover…

Arkansas tax revenue falls in October (Updated)

The decline in Arkansas tax collections moderated somewhat in October, with the year-to-date dip moving from 7.2% in September to 7.3% in October. Total Arkansas tax collections for the first…

Obama, Congress viewed unfavorably by Arkansans

Part of what is dragging down the favorable ratings of U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., are the unfavorable ratings of Pres. Barack Obama. Obama’s favorable rating in Arkansas has declined…

Sen. Lincoln sees declining poll numbers

The poll numbers continue to slip for U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D.-Ark. Lincoln faces a tough election cycle in 2010. Several Republicans have stepped up to the challenge, including Stanley…