Arkansas Business articles from January 2009

Arkansas Business archives from January 2009

Lower gas prices may mean fewer road repairs.(Legislative Preview)
January 5, 2009... DESPITE THE STATE LEGISlature's move last year to raise the severance tax, the slide in natural gas prices means tax collections are likely to be lower than first estimated. And that likely means fewer road improvements throughout Arkansas. ...

Higher Ed chief: end 'arms race': wants lawmakers to lower cap on college-funded aid.(Legislative Preview)
January 5, 2009... JIM PURCELL, DIRECTOR OF THE ARKansas Department of Higher Education, who has been on the job just a year, is about to get his first experience with the state's General Assembly. He has one major goal: persuade the Legislature to reduce the...

Securities agency seeks more power: regulation of annuities goal of draft proposal.(Legislative Preview)
January 5, 2009... THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF plaint the Arkansas Securities department receives is one it has no authority to investigate: buyer's remorse among people who buy annuities. One complaint came from a couple in their 70s who listened to an...

Line forms here.(Whispers)
January 5, 2009... A supplier and a contractor on the 80-unit Riviera Condominiums project in Little Rock have filed liens for unpaid goods and services associated with the $15 million redevelopment. Arkansas Water Products LLC of Little Rock claims $27,381...

Clinics close.(Whispers)
January 5, 2009... Despite high hopes, retail health care clinics aren't performing as well as expected. RediClinic, a Houston retail medical provider, cited underperformance when it recently closed its 15 clinics inside Wal-Mart stores, including two...

Branch buy & more.(Whispers)
January 5, 2009... A tenant turned owner in a $3.37 million transaction in Conway. First State Bank bought its namesake commercial center at 1475 Hogan Road, a project that includes its first branch location. Johnny Allison, chairman and CEO of Home...

Sign of the times.(Whispers)(National Bank of Arkansas in North Little Rock's case against Panther Mountain Land Development LLC)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... A 79-acre residential development in northwest Pulaski County is in play after a $1.6 million foreclosure suit. North Little Rock's National Bank of Arkansas claims Panther Mountain Land Development LLC, led by Barry and Donna Kellerman,...

Searching for equity.(Whispers)
January 5, 2009... The list of companies owed money by Equity Media Holdings Corp. of Little Rock continues to grow. Now Bank of Little Rock has made a claim. The bank loaned the ailing broadcaster $1 million in April, with four Federal Communications...

The tower of power.(Whispers)
January 5, 2009... How much insurance can one carry on a transmission tower? In the case of the KATV-TV, Channel 7, tower in Redfield that collapsed a year ago, it's more than $4 million. OneBeacon America Insurance Co. of Boston insured the tower, and...

Banks by the numbers.(Whispers)
January 5, 2009... After dropping like flies throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the number of thrifts in Arkansas has stabilized at six--a number unchanged in five years. But bank charters are a different matter. Arkansas started 2008 with 150...

Movie makeover.(Whispers)(movie theater renovation)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... You may have heard that the languishing movie theater in Lakewood Village in North Little Rock was scheduled for a makeover in the fall. Though it clearly missed that appointment, your Whispers staff has learned that the long overdue...

Survivors.(Editorial)
January 5, 2009... ONE OF THE LITTLE ROCK television stations has been touting its own newscast in a promotion that, unfortunately, includes a clip of a news anchor asking how Arkansas banks will survive the current economic crisis. It makes those of us in...

Best wishes for a better year.(Editorial)
January 5, 2009... WE'VE BEEN BOMBARDED for some time now by gloomy predictions about 2009. It wasn't bad enough that 2008 saw Wall Street close out its worst year since 1931. No, things are going to get worse, we're told. A Zogby/Times Square New Year's Eve...

[Cartoon].(Editorial)(Cartoon)
January 5, 2009... I NEED THIS ONE IN A SMALL AND THIS ONE IN AN EXTRA LARGE! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

What to know for 2009.(On Marketing)
January 5, 2009... WHILE FINALIZING NEW Year's resolutions during this recession, business executives need to be particularly resolute. When the economy is shrinking (as I suspect it will continue to until the latter half of 2009, when I expect a big...

Managing your mind.(Commentary)
January 5, 2009... RECESSIONS CAN BE TIMES OF great opportunity for companies. Those companies that market aggressively through downturns grab market share and develop competitive momentum that propels them for years. Many of our biggest and best-known...

Comfort purchase.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
January 5, 2009... Construction of a 90-room Comfort Suites in west Little Rock is in motion after a $1.27 million land deal. KDV Inc., led by Kantilal Patel, bought the 2.96-acre site at the southwest corner of the Shackleford Crossing project. The seller is...

Acreage Buy I.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
January 5, 2009... Nearly 32 acres in the Little Rock Port Industrial Park tipped the scales at $1.24 million. Novus Arkansas LLC of St. Charles, Mo., purchased the land between Sloane Drive and Lindsey Road from Kansas City Life Insurance Co. Kansas...

Acreage Buy II.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... More than 66 acres in North Little Rock changed hands in a $500,000 sale. George and Cynthia Glover acquired land at Interstate 440 and U.S. Highway 70 from the heirs of Pearl Lee Smith. The deal is financed with a $507,729 loan from...

Church sale.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
January 5, 2009... A Maumelle church is under new ownership after a $225,000 transaction. Lake Point Church of Christ bought the 2 Lake Pointe Drive property from Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church. The deal is funded with a five-year loan of $25,000...

Convenient deal.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... A Delta convenience store in south Little Rock drew a $200,000 deal. Mustafa Al Maqleh and Wefa Twitia purchased the 3600 Asher Ave. project from Bashar Gani. The 0.18-acre development was acquired for $150,000 in December 2007 from...

Palisades home.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
January 5, 2009... A 4,362-SF home in Little Rock's Palisades neighborhood rang up a $1 million transaction. Glenn and Janet Davis bought the house from Peggy Simpson. The residence previously was tied to a March 2002 mortgage of $361,000 held by Bank of...

PV house.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... A 4,493-SF home in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood of west Little Rock sold for $715,000. Barton and Carol Corley acquired the house from Thomas and Jennifer Burnett. The residence previously was linked with a February 2006 mortgage...

Warehouse mortgage.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
January 5, 2009... A 50,288-SF warehouse in east Little Rock was used to secure a $1 million funding agreement. Pfeifer Family Ltd., led by Gene Pfeifer, obtained the three-year loan from Twin City Bank of North Little Rock. The limited partnership...

Episcopal Collegiate's Lower School project weighs in at $17.7 million.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Episcopal Collegiate's Lower School project weighs in at $17.7 million. The 74,000-SF facility at 1701 Cantrell Road in Little Rock is scheduled for completion in August 2009. CDI Contractors LLC of Little...

Graphic funding.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
January 5, 2009... An enterprise in downtown Little Rock is backed with a $671,766 financial package. The Kenneth Dale Wilcox Revocable Trust received the three-year loan from Bank of Little Rock. The 1.9-acre Arkansas Graphics development at 800 S....

Cantina loan.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(luanita's Cantina)(One Bank and Trust)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... A restaurant in downtown Little Rock was refinanced with a $649,268 mortgage. Albatross LLC, led by Lisa McNeir, got the three-year loan from One Bank & Trust of Little Rock. luanita's Cantina at 1304 Main St. and a half-acre parking...

HealthScope benefits buys foresight TPA of El Paso.(HEALTH CARE)
January 5, 2009... HealthSeope Benefits Inc. of Little Rock has bought Foresight TPA of El Paso, Texas. Access Plans USA Inc., parent company of Foresight, said it sold the subsidiary to HealthScope, a health management firm, in a deal that closed Dec. 31....

Swepco applies to rebuild station at ashdown.(ENERGY)
January 5, 2009... Southwestern Electric Power Co. of Shreveport, which wants to increase electric rates and continues to build a new power plant at Fulton, filed plans last week to rebuild its Patterson Station at Ashdown, a project that would cost about $12.4...

Oil, gas prospector declares bankruptcy.(ENERGY)(Ausam Energy Corp.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Ausam Energy Corp., whose subsidiary, Noram Resources Inc., operates in the Sugar Grove Prospect in Sugar Grove (Logan County), has filed voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company, which filed petitions with U.S. Bankruptcy Court in...

November Arkansas Realtors Association housing market.(Inside Business)
January 5, 2009... November Arkansas Realtors Association Housing Market Most Units Sold in November County Nov. '08 Nov. '07 % Change 1 Pulaski 244 390 -37.44% 2 Benton ...

Parkhurst's new publishing house releases first title.(In Full View)
January 5, 2009... TED PARKHURST, WHO SOLD AUGUST House Inc. in 2005, has returned to the book-publishing business with Parkhurst Brothers Inc. Publishers of Little Rock. "The ravages of family illness and the recent economy convinced me that I needed to go...

Jay Bradford named insurance commissioner.(INSURANCE)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Former state Sen. Jay Bradford of Pine Bluff will become the next commissioner of the Arkansas Insurance Department on Jan. 15, Gov. Mike Beebe's office said last week. For the past two years, Bradford has been director of the division of...

Association execs form insurance buying group.(INSURANCE)
January 5, 2009... The Arkansas Society of Association Executives has formed a separate nonprofit organization that will operate a statewide health insurance purchasing group that could provide competitively priced coverage to almost 500,000 employees. ...

Johnelle hunt sells more J.B, hunt stock.(Public Company Reports)
January 5, 2009... Johnelle D. Hunt, widow of J.B. Hunt, the founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc,, has sold more stock in the trucking company. According to filings with the Securities & Exchange Commision, Hunt, the company's largest shareholder,...

Arkansas stocks in 2008.(Inside Business)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Arkansas Stocks in 2008 Dec. 31 closing prices compared with Jan. 2 opening prices Acxiom Corp. (ACXM) -30.74% A.E.R.T. (AERT) -77.03% America's Car-Mart (CRMT) ...

Harrison's 1929 Hotel Seville marks $3 million renovation.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Another major project in Harrison is complete. In April, a $25 million patient tower at the North Arkansas Regional Medical Center opened; on Oct. 24 a $3.75 million transformation of Regions Plaza into the new...

Davis Construction finalist for Contractor of the Year.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
January 5, 2009... L.E. Davis Construction of Harrison has been named one of 12 finalists for Contractor of the Year by Equipment World magazine. John Duke of J.A. Riggs Tractor Co. in Little Rock nominated Davis Construction, which traces its history in...

Fort Smith Baking Co. has closed operations after less than a year in business, leaving 50 people out of work.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... Fort Smith Baking Co. has closed operations after less than a year in business, leaving 50 people out of work. The company, part of publicly traded Flowers Foods of Thomasville, Ga., opened in May to produce premium specialty breads that were...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched a $2.66 billion tender offer for all of the issued and outstanding shares, including American Depositary Shares, of Chile's leading supermarket, Distribucion y Servicio S.A. of Santiago.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched a $2.66 billion tender offer for all of the issued and outstanding shares, including American Depositary Shares, of Chile's leading supermarket, Distribucion y Servicio S.A. of Santiago. Holders of stock have...

The U.S. Census Bureau will host an open house at 10 a.m. Jan. 8 at the Virginia Bailey Conference Center at 1400 W. Markham St. to mark the opening of its new Little Rock office and kick off the beginning of the 2010 census.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... The U.S. Census Bureau will host an open house at 10 a.m. Jan. 8 at the Virginia Bailey Conference Center at 1400 W. Markham St. to mark the opening of its new Little Rock office and kick off the beginning of the 2010 census. The Little Rock...

The Statewide Conference on Nanotechnology in Health Care will be held Jan. 8-10 at the University of Arkansas Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain.(Business Briefs)(Conference news)
January 5, 2009... The Statewide Conference on Nanotechnology in Health Care will be held Jan. 8-10 at the University of Arkansas Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain. The conference is open to faculty and students throughout the state. Those...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and attorneys for the plaintiffs announced the settlement of 63 wage and hour class-action lawsuits that have been pending against the company for several years. Wal-Mart will pay out as much as $640 million to settle the...

Meritus Ventures and alt. Consulting will sponsor a one-day rural entrepreneur boot camp from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 6 at the Delta Rivers Nature Center at Pine Bluff.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... Meritus Ventures and alt. Consulting will sponsor a one-day rural entrepreneur boot camp from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 6 at the Delta Rivers Nature Center at Pine Bluff. The event is for those who own or manage a high-growth business or want to...

Celerit Solutions of Little Rock, a community bank technology services company, has signed an agreement to provide managed network services.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... Celerit Solutions of Little Rock, a community bank technology services company, has signed an agreement to provide managed network services to Planters & Merchants Bank of Gillett.

The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently received $20,000 from the Entergy Charitable Foundation, which gave out grants of more than $948,000 to organizations across the Entergy service territory.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently received $20,000 from the Entergy Charitable Foundation, which gave out grants of more than $948,000 to organizations across the Entergy service territory. The grants bring the total...

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has launched a new Web site--www.stlouisfed.org/timeline/default. cfm--to provide information about how the events of the current financial crisis have unfolded to date and the policy actions that have been...

Josie Fernandez, superintendent of Hot Springs National Park and an advocate of historic preservation, will be the speaker at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies' Legacies & Lunch at noon Jan. 7 at the Main Library.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... Josie Fernandez, superintendent of Hot Springs National Park and an advocate of historic preservation, will be the speaker at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies' Legacies & Lunch at noon Jan. 7 at the Main Library. The event is free and...

The Greater Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce and the Pine Bluff Entrepreneur Collaborative will hold an information session from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 21 to provide information on how small businesses can provide affordable health insurance benefits to their employees through the ARHealthNetworks program.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... The Greater Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce and the Pine Bluff Entrepreneur Collaborative will hold an information session from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 21 to provide information on how small businesses can provide affordable health insurance...

Three Arkansas companies--Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Murphy Oil Corp. and J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.--made Forbes magazine's latest list of the 400 Best Big Companies in America.(Business Briefs)
January 5, 2009... Three Arkansas companies--Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Murphy Oil Corp. and J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.--made Forbes magazine's latest list of the 400 Best Big Companies in America, which is based on such factors as sales and earnings growth,...

UAMS looks for restoration of state funding cuts.(Legislative Preview)(University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences)
January 5, 2009... IN THE UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE session, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will ask for the restoration of the nearly $5 million that was slashed from its budget for fiscal 2009, which ends on June 30. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Trauma system, AWP clarification on medical wish lists.(Legislative Preview)
January 5, 2009... THE ARKANSAS MEDICAL Society's top project is funding and establishing a trauma system, said Scott Smith, director of governmental affairs for the AMS. The estimated cost of a trauma system could be $35 million, he said. He said the...

Manufacturers want energy sales tax exemption.(Legislative Preview)
January 5, 2009... GOV. MIKE BEEBE HAS MADE a further reduction in the sales tax on groceries a centerpiece of his 2009 legislative wishlist, but manufacturers have another sales tax reduction in mind. The top priority in the 87th General Assembly for the...

Are you ready for card-check?(Commentary)
January 5, 2009... WITH THE INCOMING Congress and administration, significant changes to our country's labor and employment laws may be on their way. One of these is the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, which would fundamentally alter the way unions organize...

87th general assembly: Senate.(Legislative Preview)(Directory)
January 5, 2009... 87th General Assembly: Senate Political Legislator District Senority Party Sen. Denny Altes 13 22 Republican Sen. Gilbert Baker 30...

87th general assembly: House of Representatives.(Legislative Preview)(Directory)
January 5, 2009... 87th General Assembly: House of Representatives Political Legislator District Senority Party Rep. Bill Abernathy 22 31 Democrat Rep. Pam Adcock ...

Mystery follow-up.(Whispers)(case of Mystery Willis and Donnie Savage)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Remember when we told you about the lawsuit involving Mystery Willis and Donnie Savage, the former University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff police chief? Savage, of Pine Bluff, charged in the lawsuit that Willis, a former Little Rock real...

The rundown.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)
January 5, 2009... The November ratings book shows that the local CBS and ABC affiliates continue to duke it out for bragging rights during the evening newscasts. KATV-TV, Channel 7, scored the highest overall rating and share in the market for the 5 p.m. and 6...

Evening shade.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)
January 5, 2009... KATV's strongest showings came during the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts. At 5 p.m., the station, owned by Allbritton Communications Co., scored a 10.6 rating and 23.4 share, outpacing both KARK's 7.3 rating/16.1 share, KTHV's 6.9/15.3 and Fox16's...

Night cap.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... The contest for largest overall audience for the late news was fairly close, with KTHV only a fraction of a point ahead of KATV. The CBS affiliate's 10 p.m. newscast pulled down a 9.4 rating and 20.7 share to lead KATV's 8.9/19.5, KARK's 5/11.1...

From the publisher.
January 5, 2009... Cliff Lee became the first Arkansan ever to win the Cy Young Award, and for his sensational season pitching for the Cleveland Indians, Lee is our ArkansasSports360.com 2008 Sportsman of the Year. Jim Harris sat down with Benton's Lee for a look...

Sound the sirens: Twisters are a 'go'.(THE PLAYING FIELD)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Though the Arena Football League said Dec. 15 that it was suspending the 2009 season because of uncertainty in the financial sector, those plans for the indoor sport's major level will not interfere with Arena...

Changes in the roster.(THE PLAYING FIELD)(Bernard Morris )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... One problem with any minor league sport, be it the Arkansas Travelers or the Twisters, is the ever-changing rosters. The Twisters returned only one player last year from the previous season. This year, the team expects to have up to 10 players...

State should step up for war Memorial Stadium.(THE PLAYING FIELD)
January 5, 2009... The gradual improvements made around War Memorial Stadium in recent years are to be applauded. The new press box and the possibility of "skybox" seating running nearly the length of the west side of the Little Rock stadium will be much welcomed...

Speaking out.(THE PLAYING FIELD)
January 5, 2009... "With young guys, every day is a new day. Sometimes there was not a lot of carry over from day-to-day. Sometimes you had to re-teach day-to-day. Now, with so many players back, every day shouldn't be a new day any more." --Bobby Petrino...

WMS, Part II.(THE PLAYING FIELD)(college bowl game)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Here's a second thought, and don't laugh: Little Rock should explore a college bowl game. For one, it might stop the iconic sportswriter Jim Bailey for annually musing in his much-too-rare column about that ill-fated NAIA game, dubbed the...

Right place, right time for Russ Pennell.(THE PLAYING FIELD)
January 5, 2009... One Arkansas-connected coach lost his big-time football head coaching job in 2008 (Camden native Tommy Tuberville at Auburn), but another state-connected name gained one of the biggest jobs in college basketball, at least for the interim. ...

Casey Dick.(Penthouse & Outhouse)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If it's true for players Like it's said for coaches--that fans only remember your last game--then memories of the Razorbacks quarterback who has started 31 games the past four years will be wonderful. Coming off the...

DeAngelo Williams.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... The Wynne product, in his first season as a starter, helped the NFL's Carolina Panthers to the No. 2 seed in their conference with an outstanding season that established Williams as one of the league's best running backs. His 1,515 yards set a...

Houston nutt.(Penthouse & Outhouse)
January 5, 2009... The former Razorback coach shared SEC Coach of the Year honors after his first season at Ole Miss, turning the Rebels from an 0-8 team in the League under Ed Orgeron in 2007 to 5-3 this season. The 8-4 overall record also earned the Rebs a trip...

Auburn.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(Tommy Tuberville)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Tommy Tuberville, a 2008 inductee into the Arkansas Sports Haft of Fame, was run off by the ridiculous expectations of the Tigers' big-money boosters after his first losing season in nine years. A 13-0 mark and SEC championship in 2004 and...

Fine print.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(Sun Belt Conference)(Brief article)(Conference notes)
January 5, 2009... The Sun Belt Conference didn't bother to notice, or tell anybody else, that while the League had new partial tie-ins with bowl games, it required more than simple "bowl eligibility" for a post-season spot in any of the bowls. Hence, Arkansas...

Independence bowl.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Not that A-State deserved a bowl game after going 6-6, but the Shreveport bowl passed on the Red Wolves as an opponent for Louisiana Tech to choose Northern Illinois, also with a 6-6 record. Where no doubt just a handful of fans followed NIU to...

Giving credit where due on hogs' hoop reunion.(THE PLAYING FIELD)(Nolan Richardson)
January 5, 2009... Jeff Long deserves credit for reaching out to former Razorback coach Nolan Richardson and OK'ing an Arkansas-approved 15th anniversary celebration of the 1994 national championship. Long could have easily listened to a handful of influential...

AS360.com's quick glance at the league.(SEC BASKETBALL)
January 5, 2009... Oh where, oh where has the greatness of Southeastern Conference basketball gone? Remember when the League used to have multiple teams ranked in the national top 107 Remember when the SEC regularly put at Least one and sometimes two teams in the...

Online poll results.
January 5, 2009... ONLINE POLL RESULTS Which true freshman will make the greatest positive impact on the Hogs basketball team this season? * From 12/4/2008 to 12/11/2008 Rotnei Clark 21% Courtney Fortson ...

Arkansas better off without bowl game.(FROM THE HILL)
January 5, 2009... AT SOME POINT OVER THE PAST month Arkansas Razorback fans have no doubt lamented the fact the Hogs are not playing in a bowl game. They turned on the television during the holiday and longed to see the Razorbacks participating in the...

A comeback even Cy Young would applaud: his career on the Brink in '08, no-nonsense Cliff Lee dominates in Cleveland from start to finish.(ArkansasSports360.com: Sportsman of the Year)
January 5, 2009... CLIFF LEE WOULD PROBABLY rather be in duck blind or on his deer stand in this December morning, but instead he's sitting through a photo session in Little Rock. After he acquiesces suggestions of various pitching poses for the photographer...

The newsmakers: new coaches, one-time hog quarterbacks made the headlines in Arkansas sports in 2008.
January 5, 2009... LOOKING FOR THE TOP STORIES in Arkansas sports, at least after Cliff Lee's Cy Young Award winning season? Look no further than the coaching hires and the first seasons for those coaches at the state's major universities. But then there were...

Arena announcer knows the score with hogs.(BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE: John George)(Interview)
January 5, 2009... JOHN GEORGE'S CAREER AS A public-address announcer for Arkansas events started humbly enough. George was using a portable PA system before crowds of less than 500 at women's basketball games in Barnhill Arena when an opportunity to...

Fortson playing like veteran: point guard puts up numbers unrivaled in years at Fayetteville.(BASKETBALL: UA)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Courtney Fortson took a deep breath as he sank down into his seat on the Arkansas bench. He yanked off his white headband and let his shoulder-length dreadlocks fall free. Fortson needed a few minutes to relax at...

Young Britt is 'old school'.(UA NOTES)
January 5, 2009... Flashy just isn't MARCUS BRITT's style. Being vocal doesn't suit him much either. Still, the sophomore guard is finding ways to make memorable contributions for the Razorback basketball team this year. Through the Razorbacks' December...

Collen, razorbacks find gift in Kentuckian Ricketts.(Women)
January 5, 2009... CEIRA RICKETTS WAS NOT ALWAYS going to be an Arkansas Razorback. The 5-foot-9 product of Fairdale, Ky., had been tinder then-Louisville Coach Tom Collen's watchful eye since her eighth-grade year, and Louisville seemed to be her most likely...

Identity, roles must emerge.(CALLING THE HOGS)
January 5, 2009... I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR. The cold weather reminds us that the basketball season in full swing. As of this writing, my Celtics are on a run for the ages. People like to bash NBA players for not playing hard every night, but you can't that...