Fort Smith

$30 million movie studio project at Chaffee Crossing on hold

The land announced in December 2021 as the site for what was to be a $30 million movie studio at Chaffee Crossing is up for sale again, but plans for…

Fowl language focus of upcoming Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting

The Fort Smith Board of Directors agreed during a study session Tuesday night (June 27) to put a proposed fowl amendment that would make the maximum number of chickens or…

Top 10 Sebastian County property deals in May top $6.5 million

Nine of the top 10 Sebastian County property sales in May were home sales, but the largest transaction was a $1.55 million sale of a corrugated box production plant and…

Search begins for company to investigate flooding at Peak Innovation Center

The Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education is looking for a company to investigate the causes of and remedies for flooding at the FSPS Peak Innovation Center. The search…

Fort Smith seeks $20 million grant for Towson Avenue water line work

The city of Fort Smith is asking to apply for a $20 million grant through the Department of Defense (DOD) to fund water line work along about four miles of…

UAFS approved to join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith is set to join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, making it the first Arkansas university to be a full member of the Kansas…

Fort Smith’s share of county tax up more than 8% through May

Fort Smith sales tax revenues in May once again came in higher than this time last year and higher than expected, with the city’s share of the Sebastian County tax…

Investigation approved for Peak Innovation Center construction, flooding issues

The Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education voted during a special called meeting Wednesday (June 21) to have an independent third-party investigation into drainage failures at the Peak Innovation…

Work continues on new Owens Corning plant; could open later this year

Owens Corning on June 13 received its fourth building permit in the past two years at its new facility at 5401 Excelsior Drive. The recent permit issued by the city…

Crawford County approves $60,000 for legal fees related to library lawsuits

The Crawford County Quorum Court has approved a $60,000 appropriation for anticipated legal costs to defend against two lawsuits alleging unconstitutional library censorship. If the amount is spent, it would…

Fort Smith School Board reviews Peak Center flooding report; elects new officers

A drainage assessment on what might have caused at least the last two flood incidents at Fort Smith Public Schools’ Peak Innovation Center recommends abandoning below slab drainage pipes along…

Fort Smith School Board president resigns; cites health reasons

The president of the Fort Smith Public School Boards unexpectedly resigned her board position Monday (June 19) , effective immediately. The school board will discuss options of filling the vacancy…

Westphal family donates riverfront land for planned Fort Kids Children’s Museum

A children’s museum may grace Fort Smith’s ever growing landscape by the Arkansas River in the next few years. Costs for a planned 20,000-square foot facility are unknown, as is…

Teamsters set to vote on ABF labor agreement; contract details published

International Brotherhood of Teamsters members who work for ABF Freight are set to vote on a new five-year labor agreement that includes an immediate per hour raise of $3.50, and…

Future of Deer Trails golf course, residential development remains uncertain

The Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Board of Trustees tabled further discussion of Deer Trails Golf Course for another month in order to give all parties another chance to negotiate a…

Trail, parks groups commit $250,000 to connect trails in Fort Smith

Friends of Recreational Trails (FORT) in partnership with Park Partners of Fort Smith announced a $250,000 commitment to the Maybranch Trail at the Fort Smith Parks and Recreation Commission meeting…

Energy usage, efficiency plan adopted by Fort Smith Board of Directors

The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (June 13) unanimously approved a resolution adopting the Fort Smith Energy Master Plan, including centralization of energy usage tracking and projects for efficiency…

ATU-Ozark cardiac class moving to ACHE Research Institute

The cardiac sonography program offered through Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus will move to the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education Research Institute Health and Wellness Center beginning July 1. “We are…

The Compass Report: Arkansas, metro area economies ‘robust’ to begin 2023

Arkansas’ four top metro areas are healthy with “robust” and “stable” job growth a common factor in the regions, according to the first quarter 2023 The Compass Report. Job numbers…

$75.5 million in legislation for foreign pilot training center in Fort Smith

The expensive effort to create a foreign military pilot training center in Fort Smith may have $75.5 million – if not more – in the next federal fiscal year to…