Fort Smith

Fort Smith sales tax revenue down through May

Fort Smith sales tax collections were down again in May with revenues staying below budget for the year. The May sales tax report shows the city’s share of the 1%…

Boys Shelter expansion one of top Sebastian County property deals in April

Commercial space, residential property and an expansion for the Fort Smith Boys Shelter were the top property transactions in Sebastian County during April, according to the office of Sebastian County…

Communication key to connecting generations in a family business

Two family business consultants shared the five essential steps to building a family enterprise mindset with attendees at a breakfast seminar hosted Tuesday (June 25) by the University of Arkansas…

Norris Group owner renews plan to redevelop former Fianna Hills Country Club

The Fianna Hills Country Club saga takes yet another turn in a more than 10-year uncertain history for the iconic Fort Smith facility. The latest has club owner Brooks Norris…

Desire to get rid of stuff pushed doctor to launch ShopXchange

When Dr. Wanda Vaughn told her family of the brilliant idea she had for creating a safe way for people to get rid of unwanted items in their home while…

Nabholz Corp. acquires Van Buren company

Arkansas multi-service contractor Nabholz Corp. recently bolstered its infrastructure division with the acquisition of excavation contractor Brother’s Construction of Van Buren from Todd and Terry Mooney. The financial terms of…

Booming Business: Fort Smith’s self-storage surge reflects growing demand

Stuff. We have a lot of it. The two-car garage is so full that it’s a barely-one-car garage. The attic is packed, and so is what was once the guest…

Arvest Bank completes 14th year of Million Meals initiative

Arvest Bank’s 14th annual Million Meals campaign raised $170,856 to benefit over 34 food partners in Northwest Arkansas and the Fort Smith metro. The Fayetteville-based company shared the details in…

CBID discusses concerns with downtown Fort Smith programs, projects

The Fort Smith Central Business Improvement District (CBID) Commission is reevaluating programs it instated with the help of an assessment on property in the district. The Fort Smith Board of…

Fort Smith man sentenced to prison on weapons, fraud charges

Neil Mehta, who attempted to evade federal authorities after a raid on his Fort Smith home in early 2023, has been sentenced on weapons and tax charges to 57 months…

Fort Smith Public Schools’ Peak Center remains open and busy during the summer

School may be out for the summer, but the halls of Fort Smith Public School District’s Peak Innovation Center are busy with children and teenagers exploring different career paths, according…

Fort Smith Board approves military overlay district, Parrot Island tax reimbursement plan

The Fort Smith Board of Directors passed an ordinance during its regular meeting Tuesday (June 19) that amends the 2019 Unified Development Ordinance and creates what has been a controversial…

Fort Smith CVB moving out of Miss Laura’s; former brothel to remain as historic site

The Fort Smith Visitors Center is leaving Miss Laura’s for its own dedicated space on Garrison Avenue. For 32 years, the visitor’s center has been located inside Miss Laura’s Social…

The Compass Report: Job data shows mixed results, but overall economy healthy

Overall job growth in Arkansas was “robust” in the first quarter of 2024, but a rise in the number of unemployed and manufacturing job losses indicates a resilient economy with…

Retail, residential planned for Ward-Garrison Building in downtown Fort Smith

An historic hotel in Fort Smith – commonly known as the Ward-Garrison Building, could be redesigned into retail and residential space following its purchase on online auction Wednesday (June 12)….

Fort Smith officials seek more citizen input on Safe Fort Smith ‘road map’

The City of Fort Smith is working on a road map to make city streets safer and needs public input to make certain all problems are adequately addressed. Funding for…

ABB, ATU-Ozark work together on workforce development

ABB Ozark and Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus recently launched a career readiness pilot program as a collaborative workforce development initiative for Franklin County and the surrounding region. Program participants have…

Towson Avenue overlay work to begin in early July

The Arkansas Department of Transportation is expected to begin resurfacing Highway 71B (Towson Avenue) in Fort Smith in early July. The project had been scheduled for June but was delayed…

ATU-Ozark, Van Buren schools partner on automation tech classes

Arkansas Tech University-Ozark and the Van Buren Public School District have partnered to give Van Buren High School students the opportunity to study automation technology and gain college credits. VBHS…

Inaugural Fort Smith food truck festival set for June 22

Fort Smith foodies will be in for a treat during the inaugural Fort Smith Food Truck Festival on June 22. The event is presented by the Fort Smith Downtown Business…