Leo Orpin

After a year in the barrel, spirit makers in Arkansas welcome tasters and tours. read more >

The COVID lady has greater appreciation for the coronavirus after surviving her own bout with the disease. read more >

The year 2020 hasn’t gone according to plan for anyone, least of all small-business owners in Arkansas. read more >

Misty Orpin is handing off her latest baby, the pandemic news and data site arkansascovid.com, which she birthed on her laptop and raised to indispensability. read more >

ArkansasCOVID.com, a startup news and data project built to prominence during the pandemic by Misty Orpin, is transferring its operations to the journalism program at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. read more >

Leo Orpin, the co-owner of Black Apple in downtown Springdale, said he and his co-owners resisted the urge to reopen the business in phases until July when Black Apple, the state’s only cidery, opened its back patio. read more >

Outdoor drinks and dining have become commonplace in American downtowns, a trend pioneered in Arkansas by Little Rock, which initiated the River Market Entertainment District last summer. read more >

Five years after hard cider manufacturer Black Apple Crossing was founded in downtown Springdale, it’s now legal — well, even more legal — to manufacture hard cider in Arkansas. read more >