Regions

SWEPCO Foundation gives $500,000 for University of Arkansas scholarship

The foundation of Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO), a utility of Columbus, Ohio-based American Electric Power, said Monday (May 18) that it will give $500,000 to the University of Arkansas…

Rice plants and Venus flytraps have unexpectedly similar defense systems

A routine observation by a scientist may have led to a significant discovery about plant defense systems. Using a faint smell to lure caterpillars into a trap, rice plants kill…

Sebastian County trail, park work continues; officials seek ‘great natural environment’

As the Sebastian County Director of Parks and Golf, Jay Randolph is confident that if you build and sustain a robust trail system that connects cities and other locations in…

Change-of-government elections, grant requests on Fort Smith Board agenda

History could be made Tuesday (May 19) as the Fort Smith Board of Directors consider ordinances that would place a change-of-government question before city voters. The options are to place…

Executive Summary: Positive attitude, doing the right thing important to Jeter

Editor’s note: The Fort Smith Metro Daily News Executive Summary series is focused on looking under the title, so to speak, of a business, government, and non-profit executive in the…

Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: A new ARCOM dean, a BHC Insurance promotion, and a debris bag

Following are recent news brief items from the Fort Smith metro. ARCOM Dean Dr. Christopher Loyke has been hired as dean of the Fort Smith-based Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine…

Congress for the New Urbanism speaker touts the technology of playgrounds

Scholar and sociologist Eric Klinenberg stressed the importance of the spaces and places where people meet and interact as a new concept for infrastructure that cities often prioritize less in…

Fort Smith airport traffic up in April, $13.5 million in work may begin in June

Commercial traffic out of the Fort Smith Regional Airport was up 1.36% in April, and is up less than 1% in the first four months of 2026 compared with the…

The Berlin Wall arrives in Blytheville for National Cold War Center

The largest section of the Berlin Wall housed outside of Germany now resides in Northeast Arkansas. The National Cold War Center (NCWC) in Blytheville has acquired 36 original segments of…

Barling has top metro percentage population growth in 2025 Census report

Among Fort Smith metro cities with a population of more than 5,000, Barling had the highest percentage growth of 13.8% between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2025, according to…

Circle K stores, Chick-fil-A among top first-quarter Sebastian County property deals

Convenience stores, a Chick-fil-A store, and apartments were the top Sebastian County property transactions in the first quarter of 2026, with the combined sale price of the three deals topping…

The Supply Side: Report suggests physical stores key to retail growth

There was a time when it was uncertain if retailers would continue to build physical locations for consumers to visit. But brick-and-mortar stores are now viewed as assets even as…

Crystal Bridges founder Alice Walton to discuss museum expansion

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art said Thursday (May 14) that it will kick off its expansion opening celebrations on May 29 with a conversation featuring founder Alice Walton, board…

Gowan Milling to expand operations in Blytheville

Gowan Milling will expand its existing manufacturing facility in Blytheville. The company is investing more than $8.7 million as part of the expansion and expects to create 34 new jobs…

Census Bureau: Centerton remains state’s fastest-growing city

The state’s three fastest-growing cities are in Northwest Arkansas, with Centerton continuing to grow the fastest, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Northwest Arkansas also has some of the nation’s…

Ken Lewis graduates with college degree after 53 years

Ken Lewis crossed the stage and grasped his diploma at Williams Baptist University commencement exercises on May 9. In doing so, he concluded a 53-year journey. Lewis, a Walnut Ridge…

Legacy Bank rebrands, seeks state charter

Legacy National Bank of Springdale announced plans to become a state-chartered, Federal Reserve member bank effective by June 30, pending approval from the Arkansas State Bank Department and the Federal…

Jonesboro mayor gives state of the city address

Jonesboro’s population is rapidly approaching 100,000 residents in the city and many infrastructure projects are planned or underway to meet these needs, Mayor Harold Copnehaver told Talk Business & Politics. He recently spoke at…

Fort Smith board reviews first quarter finances, fund balances

The city of Fort Smith’s finances are on good footing to begin 2026, with general fund revenue up 2.13% and general fund expenses down 17.1%, according to figures provided by…