Tag: Government & Politics

Hook, Line and Thinker

Don Tyson’s billfishing passion has spawned creativity and conservation.

Firms Pondering IPOs Must be Wary of SOX

Companies that aren?t even publicly traded yet are paying dearly for accounting reform.

OT Rules Change Little (Editorial)

The impact of new Department of Labor rules concerning overtime is difficult to predict.

Russellville Bancshares Gets Approval for Arkansas State Bancshares Buy

Liberty Bancshares of Jonesboro and Russellville Bancshares of Russellville recently received regulatory approval to purchase Arkansas State Bancshares, which operates the $170 million Arkansas State Bank of Siloam Springs.

Arkansas Housing Starts Lag Seven-state Region

In the first quarter of 2004, Arkansas fell 4.1 percent behind the U.S. average in percent change in housing permits. Arkansas showed 9.5 percent change for the quarter.

Licensing Board Cracks Down On Residential Violations

Seven contractor violations from Washington and Benton counties are slated for Oct. 20 hearings.

Expo Entices Decision Makers

About 4,000 people attended the ninth annual Northwest Arkansas Business Expo on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 in Springdale.

Recruitment Tool Tightens Up

Land scarcity and costs in Northwest Arkansas are causing significant shrinkage in public industrial park space, local economic development leaders said.

Reality Check Starts Rebounds (John Harrison Newman Commentary)

John Harrison Newman writes about the benefits of facing one’s fears head on in business and in life.

Wal-Mart Plans Supercenters for California

We hear Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville has a plan to invade big-box bashing California with Supercenters.

Learning, Listening Spirit Shared by 2004 Honorees

Nearly every person profiled in the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s 2004 list of 40-under-40 honorees shared the same trait ? a desire to continue learning.

TIF Districts Can Be Useful Finance Tool (Commentary by Chad M. Avery)

Tax increment financing involves the use of Tax Increment Financing Districts (“TIF districts”).

The Press and Economic Development (Editorial)

State officials want to cloak negotiations with business prospects in secrecy, while newspapers carry the responsibility of reporting what’s going on in their coverage area.

Arkansas? 4Q Real Personal Income Grows 3.1 Percent

For the fourth quarter of 2003, Arkansas was third out of seven regional states in real personal income growth, outpaced by Mississippi and Tennessee.

Northwest Arkansas Still Drives State Economy

Northwest Arkansas continues to drive the state?s economy with low unemployment, an influx of new residents and a continued construction boom.

Fort Smith Rounds Up Spirit of Cooperation

Tom Manskey, president of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, says victories such as the May re-roping of Graphic Packaging Corp. are happening because groups in the city are working together like a posse possessed.

Fort Town Gets ‘OK’ For Private Business

The Arkansas River Valley boasts eight of the 49 largest privately held companies in the six-county area. With their combined $1.24 billion in 2003 revenue, those firms bring in more money than the largest private concerns in any other area city.

Rogers Chamber Wins ACCE Award

The Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce won the American Chamber of Commerce Executives 2003 Award for Communications Excellence for its annual tourism and relocation guide.

Conservation Program Deadline Approaches

The sign-up deadline for the United States Department of Agriculture Conservation Security Program is July 30.

Richardson Suit Impact Hard to Predict

The Nolan Richardson federal discrimination lawsuit against the University of Arkansas may make for splashy headlines, but win or lose, may not have any long-term impact.

Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: ‘Oceanscape’ playground work begins, Mercy stroke program renewed

Walmart likely to tap insiders for expected leadership changes

Dan Wright re-elected Arkansas Farm Bureau president

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: Tourism tax numbers down through August, job numbers up