Spotlight
Promoting Energy Innovation with AAEA Director Lauren Waldrip
Waldrip is executive director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association in Little Rock.
Rates for homeowners’ insurance in Arkansas have gone through the roof in 2024, mirroring a national trend as insurance companies try to keep pace with rising property damage claims caused by more severe weather and increasing costs.
Nelson told Whispers she has stepped back from day-to-day operations at Seal for the residency at A-State, where she will serve as a resource for the faculty and the university’s leadership team.
Facing a lack of internet access in rural Arkansas, electric cooperatives had the existing infrastructure and interest in customer satisfaction to lead the charge in broadband deployment.
Todd Jacobs Named COO of Summit Utilities (Super Mover)
Jacobs previously was the senior vice president for growth and strategy at Black Hills Energy. read more >
Agriculture & Poultry / Banking & Finance / Construction / Energy / Government & Politics / Industry
Arkansas Solar Industry Braces for Major Shift Under New Net-Metering Rules
After Sept. 30, the state’s rules for utility credits on newly interconnected solar-power systems will change. Credits will fall to about four-tenths of what existing system owners receive, and new restrictions will also go into effect. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Antwan Phillips on Navigating Law, Community Impact & Little Rock’s Future
Phillips, a Little Rock native, has practiced law for more than a decade at Wright Lindsey Jennings, where he is a partner. read more >
Agriculture & Poultry / Banking & Finance / Business Services / Government & Politics / Industry / Legal / Manufacturing / Real Estate
Painted Red: Foreign Ownership Claims in Arkansas Disputed
Recent allegations of illegal foreign ownership of commercial properties proved unfounded in two prominent cases, triggering criticism of the state’s process for enforcing a 2023 law meant to halt Chinese stakes in Arkansas real estate. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Agriculture & Poultry / Construction / Education / Energy / Government & Politics / Health Care / Industry / Manufacturing / Transportation
Chief Workforce Officer Mike Rogers on Skills and Industry Needs
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Rogers as the state’s first chief workforce officer last year. read more >
Agriculture & Poultry / Banking & Finance / Construction / Education / Energy / Government & Politics / Health Care / Industry / Manufacturing / Public Companies / Tourism / Transportation
Pulaski County Schools Partner with Companies to Launch Workforce Prep Programs
About 11,000 students at 11 area high schools are set to get industry introductions, job shadowing and internship possibilities and curriculum guidance from more than 80 partner companies in the Academies of Central Arkansas program. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
ACRE at UCA Scales Back Full-Time Research, Prioritizes Student Researchers
After facing donor challenges that left the program with less funding, the center will no longer employ full-time researchers. read more >
Northwest Arkansas Healthcare Struggles to Keep Pace with Population Growth
Health care officials say the strain on northwest Arkansas’ workforce is improving, but the area’s continuing growth will keep the demand for medical workers from slowing down any time soon. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Banking & Finance / Energy / Government & Politics / Industry / Manufacturing / Public Companies / Real Estate
Royalty Pains: Arkansas Rights Owners Call Lithium Offer Too Low
Five big players in south Arkansas’ emerging lithium industry are proposing a royalty rate for mineral rights owners, but they may have to dig a little deeper. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Agriculture & Poultry / Banking & Finance / Construction / Education / Energy / Government & Politics / Health Care / Industry / Manufacturing / Real Estate / Restaurants & Food / Retail / Tourism / Transportation
A Researched Approach (Hunter Field Editor’s Note)
We can think more deeply about the connections between higher learning and private industry. read more >
by Hunter Field -
Banking & Finance / Business Services / Education / Government & Politics / Industry / Investments / Media & Marketing / Nonprofits / Restaurants & Food / Retail / Small Business / Tourism
Arkansas Launches ARise Program to Boost Startup Survival Rates
Participants in ARise will receive a variety of continued services for free, including startup consulting and coaching, capital access navigation, a subject matter expert network, industry connections and access to entrepreneurial resources. read more >
by Chloe McGehee -
Batesville Chamber Works to Build Child Care Options
The chamber’s plan seems to be working. Between 2019 and June 2023, child care slots in Independence County grew by 168%, helping to address an issue that had stifled economic growth in the area. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Banking & Finance / Construction / Industry / Investments / Media & Marketing / Public Companies / Real Estate / Restaurants & Food / Retail / Small Business / Tourism
Blue Crane Land Purchases Spark Bella Vista Hopes
It may be a few months until Blue Crane announces what it plans to do with the property it bought in Bella Vista earlier this year, but city leaders believe the Walton heirs’ interest is a sign its time has come. read more >
by Marty Cook -
After $110M Sale, Pine Bluff Paper Mill Takes Stock
Brazilian pulp and paper giant Suzano has a vision for the mill it is acquiring in Pine Bluff, but precisely what that is poses “the $64,000 question,” Arkansas forestry expert Matthew Pelkki says. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Agriculture & Poultry / Education / Government & Politics / Health Care / Industry / Real Estate / Retail / Tourism
Regnat Populus? (Hunter Field Editor’s Note)
Arkansas’ ballot initiative process is a mess, but striking the right balance isn’t easy. read more >
by Hunter Field -
Arkansas Hemp Farmers Struggle in ‘Overhyped’ Market
The number of licensed processors, who turn hemp flowers into cannabidiol (CBD) oil or hemp stalks and seeds into industrial-use fiber and feed, dropped from 35 in 2019 to four this year. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Searcy Businessman to Face Fraud Charges in Trial This Month
Steve Merritt stands accused of enlisting friends and his brother in a nearly $10 million Ponzi-like scheme involving his agricultural and construction equipment dealership. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Agriculture & Poultry / Construction / Energy / Government & Politics / Industry / Manufacturing / Transportation
The Impact of Arkansas’ Waterways (Cassandra Caldwell Commentary)
Arkansas’ five commercially navigable rivers are vital to businesses across the state and nation. read more >
by Cassandra Caldwell -
Agriculture & Poultry / Industry / Manufacturing / Public Companies / Restaurants & Food / Small Business / Transportation
Arkansas’ Cold Storage Industry Heating Up
Major players are dominating the cold storage market nationally, but Arkansas still has plenty of room for local businesses to thrive. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Rep. Brian Evans on the Future of Logistics
Evans is president and CEO of L&L Freight Services Inc. of Cabot. read more >
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