Wal-Mart Worries in Northwest Arkansas and Has the State Jobless Rate Peaked? in This Week’s Arkansas Business

Arkansas Business is on the racks and the InterWebs now! Let’s take a look-see, shall we? Gulp! Wal-Mart’s home office job cuts and a slow exodus of vendors — along with whispers about decentralized operations — has northwest Arkansans seeking new economic development engines for the region. Is this as bad as it gets? Arkansas’ [...]

On the Air: Catch Us on 103.7 the Buzz As We Ruin Your Sunday Morning!

The rumors are true! Catch myself, David Kinkade and Jason Tolbert doing our damnedest to ruin Blake Rutherford‘s “Arkansas Sunday Edition” talk-show-for-your-radio-box programme from 7-9 a.m. Sunday. We’ll talk politics of course, once Blake and RJ Hawk get the sports chat out of their system. Related The boss, Jeff Hankins, is on “Arkansas Week” at [...]

The Hitler Video Meme Goes Local, Takes on Conway’s Cash Reserve Shortfall

A YouTube user named Highdollarrecords has posted the video above, another entry in the long-running Hitler video remix meme. This one hits close to home, parodying the recent cash reserves shortfall by the city of Conway. These videos are usually pretty funny (the million remixes notwithstanding), but I wonder what Conway Mayor Tab Townsell thinks [...]

We’re So Jealous! Follow These Arkansans at #SXSWI

So this is happening. The opening day of the South by Southwest Festival’s Interactive conference — coupled with pre-order day of the Apple iPad — make today, Friday March 12th, perhaps the geekiest day of the year! And you certainly don’t want to miss out on that, do you? Of course you don’t! Fortunately, we’ve [...]

Arkansas Business Investigates Disciplinary Inconsistencies at the Arkansas Medical Board

I’m really not an impartial observer here, but this week’s edition of Arkansas Business has to be one of the strongest I’ve seen in 10 years working as the paper’s Internet Editor. And the centerpiece of this edition is Mark Friedman’s in-depth look at the Arkansas Medical Board’s inconsistent track record of disciplinary action. We [...]

Meet Up With Me at the Rally! Little Rock Marathon Events Happen Today, Sunday

Sunday morning: The 2010 running of the Little Rock Marathon. I’ll be out early with my wife Laura (above), who’s running her first half marathon. Ed, Tom and Meredith tell us to expect a cool morning, possibly overcast. But Laura’s ready, whatever the weather. Runners take off at 8 a.m. at the Clinton Presidential Center, [...]

Jeff Hankins: Bill Halter Is Enemy No. 1 for Business Community

Arkansas Business Publisher Jeff Hankins, writing in Monday’s editions, contemplates the onslaught of campaign donation solicitations the Arkansas business community will endure this tumultuous election season and assesses the all-important U.S. Senate race. No predictions on the ultimate outcome, but it’s a good perspective on what business leaders will be thinking when kicking the tires [...]

DeMillo, Thompson, LT on the Senate Race Tonight on ‘Arkansas Week’

Tonight, we’re back in the “Arkansas Week” rotation, along with Andrew DeMillo of the Associated Press and Doug Thompson of The Morning News. Too bad there’s absolutely no political news to talk about! Check that. We did spend an inordinate amount of time of some obscure, podunk, no-count U.S. Senate race that no one is [...]

Blanche Lincoln and Bill Halter: TV Spot to Head-to-Head, Round 1

U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., the embattled incumbent not only facing a line of wanna-be GOP challengers but also a primary fight with Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, has finally gotten around to releasing her first TV ad, about two days after Halter debuted his 30 sec spot. I suppose Lincoln’s spot is no goofier than [...]

Bill Halter’s Having the Best Week Ever. And It’s Only Tuesday

Not to be overly effusive or anything, but damned if the first going-on-48-hours of Bill Halter’s U.S. Senate candidacy hasn’t been downright flawless. Let’s consider the two solid days of media coverage he’s getting. Let’s consider that slick TV ad he unveils tonight. Let’s marvel at how he spends 15 minutes with the press saying [...]