Regions

Air quality improves in Northwest Arkansas, Fort Smith metro

Residents might breathe easier knowing the Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith metros have some of the cleanest air in the United States, a new report shows. Nonprofit American Lung Association…

Several Fort Smith school board candidates miss financial report deadline

Only four of the 13 Fort Smith Public School Board candidates filed their required “campaign contribution and expenditure report” by the May 17 deadline, according to documents provided by the…

Considine, Thompson promoted to VP positions at Entergy Arkansas

Entergy Arkansas officials announced the promotion of Michael Considine and Ventrell Thompson to vice president positions. Considine has been named vice president of Reliability, a new role within the organization…

J&S Italian Villa in Hot Springs gets new owners, upgrades

Jeannie and Saddiq Mir have purchased J&S Italian Villa in Hot Springs and the couple have plans to improve the interior and menu. The restaurant is located at 4332 Central…

Lockheed Martin, Airbus to locate new aerospace facility in western Arkansas, if contract awarded

If Lockheed Martin and Airbus win a U.S. Air Force award for an aerial refueling system, the two companies plan to locate the manufacturing facility for the project in western…

At NEA regional forum, leaders discuss growth strategies, airport study

Housing, retail sector growth, quality of life, commercial air service, workforce development and retention are among the issues civic and business leaders in Northeast Arkansas have identified as issues that…

First Security opens second branch in Fort Smith, has plans for a third

Searcy-based First Security Bancorp is formally opening its second Fort Smith branch on Thursday (May 19), with preliminary plans to open a third area branch in Chaffee Crossing in 2024….

Walmart continues to change its membership subscription plan

Walmart was behind the pack when finally deciding to launch its Walmart+ subscription membership program in June 2021. Amazon’s Prime subscription was launched in early 2005 growing to 200 million…

Arkansas River tonnage up 1.9% through April; internal shipments up almost 46%

Commercial tonnage shipped on the Arkansas River in the first four months of 2022 was 3.515 million tons, up 1.9% thanks to a 45.8% rise in shipments between ports on…

Fayetteville development earns state’s first Fitwel recognition

A new mixed-use project of Fayetteville developer Specialized Real Estate Group (SREG) recently received a three-star rating from Fitwel, a certification system embraced by developers and workplace strategists as part…

Fort Smith utility payment assistance expanded; bike share program approved

The Fort Smith Board of Directors approved an ordinance at its regular meeting Tuesday (May 17) that will better aid lower income households who qualify for the city’s Project Concern…

State official hopes for more time to ‘explore’ options to save St. Scholastica

Stacy Hurst and Ken Kupchick want more time to explore options in an effort to save the historic St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith from a June 1 demolition date….

Growing UAMS division relocates to Springdale

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently relocated its Office of Community Health & Research from Fayetteville to Springdale. The fast-growing division moved from its previous location on…

Avian influenza spreading through poultry nationwide; Arkansas farmers brace for impacts

A flu that is nearly 100% lethal to poultry is spreading across the U.S. Thirty-four states have had confirmed cases of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza, according to the U.S….

Urban forestry groups to train in NEA

Urban forestry professionals from across the country to train in Jonesboro and Trumann this week. Urban and community forestry professionals from across the Southeastern U.S. will converge in Jonesboro this…

Service calls to Fort Smith Fire Department set record in 2021

With the COVID-19 pandemic still in full swing, 2021 was another challenging year for the Fort Smith Fire Department, including 2021 being the busiest year for service calls to the…

Fayetteville company signs distribution deal with Lowe’s

The successes are beginning to pile up for entrepreneur Colton Knittig and his Fayetteville-based company Grillight. Knittig says his company, which makes barbecue tools and accessories, has secured a national…

Walmart quarterly income drops almost 25%; labor costs up 30%

Inflation in the supply chain, higher-than-expected inventory, and a 30% rise in wage costs helped derail Walmart’s first-quarter net income to 74 cents per share after a 56-cent downward adjustment…

Keet family, Kelley Group, partners buy Breckenridge Village, plan revamp

KBK-Breck, LLC, purchased the local shopping center known as Breckenridge Village in west Little Rock and plan a multi-million dollar redevelopment, according to a press release made public on Monday…

Fort Smith school board candidates discuss student prep, teacher pay

Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education candidates on Monday (May 16) touted the need for educational alternatives so all students could be given the best opportunity for success after…