Arkansas Business articles from June 2003

Arkansas Business archives from June 2003

Title insurance industry rides mortgage wave: Arkansas revenue up 40 percent since 2000.
June 2, 2003... WITH MORTGAGE RATES AT THEIR LOWEST IN FOUR decades, a nationwide boom in home buying and refinancing has been a boon for related industries. A prime example is the title insurance industry, which insures lenders and home buyers against...

Crye-Leike has to build from scratch in Little Rock.(Crye-Leike Realtors )
June 2, 2003... HAROLD CRYE CONTINUES TO predict that his Crye-Leike Realtors Inc. of Memphis will dominate home sales in central Arkansas as early as 2004, but it's clear that the market has been a tough nut to crack. Having been unable to find an...

Short on details. (Whispers).(economic development plan for central Arkansas)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Your intrepid whispers staff tried to ferret out the skinny on "a major announcement concerning a new economic development initiative in central Arkansas" scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Monday. We came up with a little, but not much. It...

Scouting trip. (Whispers).(NBC planning reality show)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... NBC sent a team to Little Rock last week to audition local unknowns for another of those "reality" television shows. The show, slated for fall broadcast, allegedly would be "unlike anything else" in the reality-TV genre, but there was a...

Diesel fuels. (Whispers).(Pro Transportation sues Volvo Commercial Finance)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Remember Bob Fewell, the owner of a health insurance company that was forced into receivership? Well, another one of his companies, Pro Transportation Inc. of Little Rock, is in the news this time. Pro Transportation has filed suit in...

Proposed project. (Whispers).(Ashley Mountain Estates)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Remember the would-be residential development in northwest Pulaski County we told you about last week? Todd Ashley tells us he is still working on the proposed upscale project called Ashley Mountain Estates. Ashley is working on...

Not exactly. (Whispers).(Mike Sentell did not purchase McKay and Co.)
June 2, 2003... Think back to last week, when we told you about a lawsuit Mike Sentell filed against Community Bank of Cabot and its holding company? You might recall that complaint alluded to a several disputed loans, including one used to finance the...

Land buy. (Whispers).(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... A 19-acre piece of west Little Rock drew a $2 million sales price. Highway 10 Real Estate LLC, led by John Lessel, bought the land from the Dorothy S. Meuwly Living Trust. The property is on the north side of Hwy. 10 about a half-mile...

Acxiom bill. (Whispers).(company sues E-Marketing Technology over unpaid bill)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Aexiom Corp. of Little Rock says it was stiffed on a bill for $315,000. In March 2001, Acxiom sold E-Marketing Technology Inc. of Melbourne, Fla., its InfoBase direct marketing software product for $315,000, according to Acxiom's lawsuit...

Schuster's judgment. (Whispers).(Fraenkel Furniture receives judgment against Schuster's Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Fraenkel Furniture Co. Inc. of Baton Rouge, La., recently received a $67,000 judgment against Schuster's Inc. over an outstanding bill for furniture. Fraenkel's lawsuit was just one of several filed in the last year against Schuster's,...

Correction.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
June 2, 2003... Shareholders of Superior Financial Corp. of Little Rock held. their regular annual meeting on May 23 but, contrary to an incorrect report in the May 26 issue of Arkansas Business, approval of the announced acquisition by Arvest Banking Group of...

The tax cut.(federal taxes)(Editorial)
June 2, 2003... ONLY A MONTH AGO, OUT of his own mouth, President Bush argued that a $350 billion tax cut was much too small to stimulate the economy. But when that was the best he could get out of Congress, he signed with a flourish. Now, what can we...

Letter.(Letter to the Editor)
June 2, 2003... Tobacco Taxes A lot of contrasts in Mr. (Jeff) Hankins' commentary (Publisher's Note, Arkansas Business, May 12): 1. "I keep seeing chart after chart that shows how unhealthy Arkansans are compared with the rest of the country because...

Wal-Martians. (Editor's Note).(Wal-Mart's impact on American culture)
June 2, 2003... THE EXPOSURE OF JAYSON Blair, poster child for bad journalism, has made it acceptable to question the rightness of anything reported by the formerly sacrosanct New York Times. So let's talk about the article, generously reprinted on the front...

Arizona firm buys control of Springdale's Cannon. (Trucking & Transportation).(Arizona Diversified Equity, Cannon Express )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Bruce Jones, CEO of Cannon Express Inc., left the Springdale firm Thursday morning after control of the truckload carrier was sold on Wednesday by founders Dean and Rose Marie Cannon to a group called Arizona Diversified Equity LLC. John W....

Summit Bank reaches arena-naming deal. (Banking & Finance).(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Summit Bank has agreed to a tentative deal with the Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission for naming a new- 6,500-seat arena after the bank. The final name of the yet unfinished facility hasn't been decided. It will be part of...

Arkansas' business tax climate ranks 48th in nation. (In Full View).
June 2, 2003... ARKANSAS' BUSINESS TAX CLIMATE IS one of the worst in the nation, according to a recently released study by the Tax Foundation of Washington, D.C. Only California and Mississippi ranked worst. "An Arkansas Department of Economic...

Charles Black named CEO of HCB Bancshares. (Inside Business).(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Charles T. Black has been promoted from senior vice president to chief executive officer of HCB Bancshares Inc., the publicly traded holding company for Heartland Community Bank of Camden. He succeeds Cameron McKeel, who retired in February...

NBA buys building in West Little Rock. (Inside Business).(National Bank of Arkansas)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... The National Bank of Arkansas, a privately held community bank based in North Little Rock, is branching out across the Arkansas River. The bank has bought 1.7 acres at the corner of Bowman Road and Markham Street, and plans are in the works...

Canadians claim win in WTO lumber ruling. (Forestry).(World Trade Organization)
June 2, 2003... The World Trade Organization's long-awaited ruling on a Canadian challenge to U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber imports, which now make up about a third of the U.S. market, has both countries claiming victory. Although the ruling doesn't end...

Little Rock National Airport Passenger Enplanements.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Little Rock National Airport Passenger Enplanements Airline April 2003 April 2002 YTD 2003 American 11,079 19,357 30,496 Delta 7,964 16,744...

Fennel to build an Dickson Street. (NW Journal).(restaurateur Joe Fennel )
June 2, 2003... Restaurateur Joe Fennel plans to begin construction in August on a two-story building of at least 10,000 SF that will serve as a mixed-use development at the corner of Dickson Street and Campbell Avenue in Fayetteville. Fennel said, he...

Northwest Arkansas No. 3 on Forbes List. (NW Journal).(Best Small Places for Business and Careers)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Forbes magazine in May ranked northwest Arkansas as No. 3 on its list of "Best Small Places for Business and Careers." The magazine listed the area as "Fayetteville," but with a population of 322,000; the study obviously included...

Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. (Business Briefs).(lawsuit)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Henry Boerner of North Little Rock was awarded more than $19 million after a federal jury in Little Rock found that Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.'s cigarettes contributed to the death of Mary Jane Boerner, his wife. The verdict included $15...

Crater of Diamonds State Park. (Business Briefs).(adds water park)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... The Crater of Diamonds State Park at Murfreesboro will put a $1.3 million water park on the edge of the nation's only diamond field. The park will have two water slides and a large wading pool with geysers of water. The park is expected to open...

Beverly Enterprises Inc. (Business Briefs).(stockholder meeting)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Beverly Enterprises Inc. stockholders elected all nominees to the board of directors at its annual meeting, ratified the appointment of Ernst and Young LLP as independent auditors for 2003, and amended and re-approved the annual incentive plan....

Alltel Corp. (Business Briefs).(new advertising campaign)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Alltel Corp. of Little Rock has begun a new television, print, radio and outdoor advertising campaign to tout its commitment to service. The campaign will convey Alltel's pledge to "get it right or make it right" for customers. DDB Chicago...

ABF Freight System Inc. (Business Briefs).(employee relocation service)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... ABF Freight System Inc.'s new corporate relocation department has created an alternative to traditional moving services called ABF U-Pack Moving. With the service, a relocating employee packs and loads his belongings, and ABF provides the...

Arkansas Public Service Commission. (Business Briefs).(upgrades for Entergy nuclear plant)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Entergy's Arkansas Nuclear One plant at Russellville will make $235 million in upgrades in 2005. The Arkansas Public Service Commission ruling will allow Entergy to replace two steam generators and the Unit One reactor's vessel head. Arkansas...

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. (Business Briefs).(possible location for new Boeing assembly plant)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... The Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport is one of three Arkansas sites being offered to Boeing as possible locations for a 7E7 jetliner assembly plant, according to Airport Manager Kelly Johnson. Although Arkansas Economic Development...

Nissan Motor Co. (Business Briefs).(new assembly plant in Mississippi)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Nissan Motor Co.'s new $1.4 billion auto assembly plant at Canton, Miss., is turning out cars. The first vehicle off the assembly line at the 3.5 million-SF plant was a 2004 Nissan Quest minivan. The plant, which will make Titan full-size...

America's Car-Mart Inc. (Business Briefs).(new locations in Texas)
June 2, 2003... America's Car-Mart Inc. of Bentonville has opened new dealerships at Longview and Tyler, Texas. They mark the first new dealership openings since the company's current fiscal year began on May 1 and its fifth and sixth dealerships in Texas,...

Commerce Department. (Business Briefs).(decline in new manufacturing orders)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... The Commerce Department said orders to factories for big-ticket goods fell in April by 2.4 percent, the largest amount in seven months, suggesting that the manufacturing sector is the weakest link in the economy's ability to get back to full...

Chenal's Bretagne neighborhood shines.
June 2, 2003... BRETAGNE COURT WAS THE EIGHTH neighborhood to be developed in Deltic Timber Corp.'s Chenal Valley project in west Little Rock. It was envisioned as something of a smaller twin to the nearby Chenal Circle neighborhood, the first and perhaps...

Top real estate agencies combine for $1.7 billion in sales. (List Overview).
June 2, 2003... THE EXPECTED SHOW-STOPping figures for 2002 home sales didn't disappoint. The 10 largest residential firms in Arkansas combined for more than $1.7 billion worth of transactions for the year. That was a 13.3 percent increase over the top...

Arkansas business list: top-producing residential real estate agents. (Real Estate).
June 2, 2003... ARKANSAS BUSINESS LIST: TOP-PRODUCING RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS Ranked by 2002 sales volume over $5 million 2002 Dollar Volume Agent (in...

Arkansas business list: top real estate agencies. (Real Estate).
June 2, 2003... ARKANSAS BUSINESS LIST: TOP REAL ESTATE AGENCIES Ranked by 2002 sales volume Agency 2002 Main Office Volume Total (Phone, Fax) (in...

Builders plan 851 mid-priced homes in Centerton.
June 2, 2003... In the coming months, the once quiet community of Centerton will grow at the speed of sound. In the 2000 census, Centerton had 2,146 residents. The mayor of the Benton County hamlet, Ken Williams, estimates his town has grown to about...

Construction. (Movers & Shakers).(graduates from the University of Nabholz )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Mike Alsip of Concord has graduated from the University of Nabholz as a carpenter. Other graduates include Travis Barrow of Rosebud, Elmer Burks of North Little Rock, Timothy Mark Crider of Mt. Vernon, Larry Stevenson of Damascus and Bruce...

Education. (Movers & Shakers).(personnel changes at Harding University)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Rebecca L. Tubb of Sparta, Tenn., and L. Suzanne Holland Waller of Arlington, Texas, were elected to the Harding University board of trustees in Searcy. Tubb received her bachelor's degree in home economics in 1970 from Harding. Waller received...

Engineering. (Movers & Shakers).(Brock Johnson named president of Carver Engineers)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Brock Johnson has been promoted to president of Carver Engineers in Little Rock. Stephanie Woods, Kenneth Collins, Shada Roberts and Jonathan Storey have joined the firm as design engineers.

Environment. (Movers & Shakers).(Jada Gray accredited as a certified safety professional )
June 2, 2003... Jada Gray has been accredited as a certified safety professional by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. Gray is a field safety engineer at the Washington Demilitarization Co.'s safety department at the U.S. Army's Pine Bluff Chemical...

Financial services. (Movers & Shakers).(personnel changes)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Joel Cheatham has been elected president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas. Cheatham is vice president of real estate in the special banking group of Simmons First National Bank and senior vice president of the Simmons First...

Government. (Movers & Shakers).(Matt DeCample named press secretary for Arkansas Attorney General )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Matt DeCample has been named press secretary for Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe. DeCample currently works as a reporter for KATV-TV, Channel 7, in Little Rock.

Health care. (Movers & Shakers).(personnel changes and awards)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Dawn Waldron of Little Rock has been promoted to director of Donor Services for the Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation. Dr. Rosetta Shelby-Calvin was given the Service-in-Action award by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Share...

Legal. (Movers & Shakers).(personnel changes at the Arkansas Bar Association )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Randall S. Bueter of Wilson & Associates in Little Rock has been named to the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee by Arkansas Bar Association President-elect Thomas A. Daily. John L. Rush has been appointed to the Professional Ethics...

Stock Summary.
June 2, 2003... STOCK SUMMARY Arkansas Public Company Stocks 5/28/03 Weekly YTD 52-Week Close Change Change High Acxiom Corp. (ACXM) ...

Sexy south. (Outtakes).(new book Sex in the South: Unbuckling the Bible Belt)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... So you've got your HBO "Sex in the City" evening planned around Carrie and Miranda and Aidan and a few martini variations? Well, click off the clicker and curl up with something else because a Little Rock writer Friday had a hunch party in...

KABZ Buzzes Pine Bluff. (Outtakes).(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... The Pine Bluff Commercial is defending its hometown's virtue after KABZ-FM, 103.7 (The Buzz) buzzed Pine Bluff a couple of weeks ago.. During a segment, Buzz DJs sought call-ins for nominations for the "Armpit" of Arkansas, and Pine Bluff...

Comcast changes. (Outtakes).(new Spanish language programming)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Cable-TV provider Comcast has added new Spanish language and Hispanic-oriented programming. In late June, KLRA, a Univision affiliate, will be carried by Comcast for basic customers, while a new digital service package will include 10...

Stone Ward's 'Fusebox'. (Outtakes).(Andy Griebel joins Stone Ward)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Andy Griebel, a data marketing whiz, has joined Stone Ward. He'll serve as managing director of the firm's Fusebox division, which focuses on interactive/database marketing. Griebel replaces Bill Gangluff, who has jumped to law school at...

Wilkes & McHugh test new practice area in Arkansas: Florida firm known for suing nursing homes wades into class-action.
June 9, 2003... ANDY MCCUMBER OF TAMPA, FLA., HAS FACED the Wilkes & McHugh law firm as much as any lawyer in the firm's home state, and he thought he knew the founder Jim Wilkes' business plan pretty well. But when he learned that the firm's Little Rock...

UA puts fraternities back on right track.(University of Arkansas)
June 9, 2003... BLAME IF ON BLUTO BLUTARSKY. He was the "pledgemaster" played by John Belushi in the 1978 movie "Animal House." Through that immensely popular low-budget film, Belushi and his buds branded fraternities as bastions of beer drinking and bad...

DirecTV cracks down on signal pirates.
June 9, 2003... ON MAY 23, DIRECTV INC. OF EL Segundo, Calif., swooped down on federal court in Little Rock and filed 27 lawsuits against almost 100 people it believed intercepted its satellite television signal. The nation's largest satellite television...

Fewell part duex. (Whispers).(Volvo countersues Bob Fewell of Pro Transportation)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... It was just last week we told you that Bob Fewell, owner of Pro Transportation Inc. of Little Rock, had sued Volvo Trucks North America Inc. and Volvo Commercial Finance LLC of Greensboro, N.C., for allegedly using faulty engines in its trucks...

Head east. (Whispers).(Central Arkansas Area Agency on Aging purchases warehouse project)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A nonprofit group in Pulaski County intends to develop a new home after a $1.98 million deal. Central Arkansas Area Agency on Aging Inc., led by Elaine Eubank, bought a 3.3-acre warehouse project at 400 Shall St. in east Little Rock. ...

Crawford woes continue. (Whispers).(sports agent Elbert Crawford )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Remember we told you the former Little Rock sports agent Elbert Crawford recently sued the Sacramento Kings over ruining his sports agency business? Well, it seems Crawford is peeking over the 8 ball again. This time, the state...

Cabot expansion. (Whispers).(Coldwell Banker Advantage Realty)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A Little Rock-based residential realty firm has expanded to Lonoke County through acquisition. Coldwell Banker Advantage Realty, owned by Wayne and Paulette Richie, bought the Cabot office of Jacksonville-based Bart Gray Realty. Bob...

Rising sun. (Whispers).(Sun Motor Industrial sues Arkansas General Industries )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Sun Motor Industrial Co. Limited of Hong Kong said Arkansas General Industries Inc. of Bald Knob was sold to avoid paying a $540,000 bill. Sun, in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Little Rock, said it sold AGI $1.64 million worth...

Round 2. (Whispers).(author sues August House Publishers)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A contractual tiff between a writer and publisher is back in court after an earlier unsuccessful effort by the plaintiff. Mary Rose Worthen of Salem (Fulton County) accuses August House Publishers Inc. of Little Rock and its president, Ted...

Doctor's woes. (Whispers).(physician owes money to lawyers)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A Little Rock law firm said Dr. Thomas Jefferson still owes $23,800 in fees for bailing him out of hot water with the Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. Eubanks Welch Baker and Schulze LLP of Little Rock said it represented...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
June 9, 2003... The Arkansas Department of Economic Development has worked with companies that created more than 13,000 jobs in the past couple of years. The June 2 issue of Arkansas Business incorrectly reported that 1,300 jobs had been created.

Alliance for opportunity. .(formation of the Central Arkansas Economic Development Alliance)(Editorial)
June 9, 2003... THE FORMATION OF THE 11-county Central Arkansas Economic Development Alliance is something the area has long needed. We believe the region will benefit much more by cooperating than by each town competing for new businesses -- even...

Good choice. .(Robert Adcock Jr. for state bank commissioner)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
June 9, 2003... GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE MADE a good choice by naming Robert "Bunny" Adcock Jr. of Conway as the state bank commissioner. It's not easy replacing a man like former Gov. Frank White, who died May 21, but Adcock is the same kind of "people person"...

The library engine. (Publisher's Note).(impact of Bill Clinton library)
June 9, 2003... WHATEVER YOUR POLITICS, it's time to square off with the fact that the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Center is transforming Little Rock. Even diehard Republicans who own property downtown must live with the notion that Clinton,...

A process for success. (On Marketing).(strategic planning method)
June 9, 2003... WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT "strategic planning processes," you probably imagine binders, buzzwords and mind-numbing meetings. Words like "risky" and "courageous" don't exactly jump to mind. In this column, however, I'll share the story of one...

Mortgage lending.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Mortgage Lending January-March 2003 Mtg./dep. * Mtg.value Mortgage (millions) Volume BancorpSouth Bank + 47.92% $42.66 ...

Stonewall transaction. (Real Deals).(Stonewall Apartments sold)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A Jacksonville apartment project changed hands in a $3.7 million deal (about $29,800 per unit). Stonewall Homes LLC, led by John Kitterman, bought the 124-unit Stonewall Apartments complex at 1010 N. First St. The seller is Stonewall...

Office acquisition. (Real Deals).(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A 10,500-SF office building in west Little Rock rang up a $1 million deal. Smiley Family Ltd., led by Walter Smiley Jr., Walter Smiley III and Elizabeth Smiley, purchased the project at 11500 Fairview Road. The seller is McCarley/Irwin...

Industrial buy I. (Real Deals).(Burkhalter Leasing purchases industrial development)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A three-acre industrial development in North Little Rock is under new ownership after a $280,000 deal. Burkhalter Leasing LLC, led by John Burkhalter, acquired the Fox Construction Co. property at 26 Collins Industrial Place from E.J. and...

Industrial buy II. (Real Deals).(EHP Investments purchases industrial development)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A 3.9-acre industrial development in southwest Little Rock drew a $250,000 sales price. EHP Investments LLC, led by Robert East, bought the Wyatt Safety Supply project at 5601 Scott Hamilton Drive from James and Linda Wyatt. The Wyatts...

Bank branch. (Real Deals).(Home Bank of Arkansas purchases property)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... An undeveloped commercial site in southwest Little Rock rang up a $200,000 deal (about $6 per SF). Home Bank of Arkansas of Portland (Ashley County) purchased the 0.75-acre property near the northwest corner of Stagecoach and Baseline...

Chenal sale. (Real Deals).(Brief Article)(Public Notice)
June 9, 2003... A 5,230-SF home in west Little Rock's Chenal Valley neighborhood sold in a $925,000 transaction. Charles Freeman acquired the house from George and Kathy Wheatley and Erin Wheatley. The deal is financed with a five-year loan of...

Prospect purchase. (Real Deals).(Public Notice)
June 9, 2003... A 6,060-SF home in Little Rock's Prospect Terrace neighborhood tipped the scales at $675,000. Brett and Shawn Ironside bought the house from Samuel and Martha Sowell. The deal is backed with a 30year loan of $540,000 from Regions Mortgage...

Auto financing. (Real Deals).(Automotive Group Realty )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The owner of an auto dealership in southwest Little Rock landed a $150 million funding agreement. Automotive Group Realty LLC of Detroit obtained the loan from Toyota Motor Credit Corp. of Torrance, Calif. The limited liability company...

Church mortgage. (Real Deals).(Christ Lutheran Church )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A Little Rock congregation picked up a $925,000 financial package. Christ Lutheran Church received the five-year loan from Bank of the Ozarks. The church assembled the 14.5-acre property at 315 S. Hughes St. largely through two...

Multifamily loan. (Real Deals).(refinancing for apartment project)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A 28-unit apartment project in Maumelle was refinanced with a $616,368 mortgage. Maumelle Properties, led by Lundy Colvert, secured the five-year loan from Bank of the Ozarks. The 2.6-acre Pine Forest Apartment development at 301 Pine...

Executive funding. (Real Deals).(financing for Executive Building development )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The owner of a 26,000-SF office building in downtown Little 'Rock picked up a $550,000 financial package. Executive Partners .LLC, led by Graham Smith, Merlin Hagan, Mark Ross and Ben Rush, obtained the four-year loan from BancorpSouth Bank...

Regional development alliance is formed. (Economic).(Central Arkansas Economic Development Alliance )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The formation of the 11-county Central Arkansas Economic Development Alliance was announced June 2 by its chairman, Hugh McDonald, president of Entergy Arkansas. At a news conference held in Entergy offices in the TCBY Tower in downtown...

Camden developing business incubator. (Inside Business).(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Ground was broken recently for the Ouachita Valley Business & Technology Development Center, a small business incubator at Camden. The facility will be the center of the Adams Street Redevelopment project, which is funded by the...

'Bunny' Adcock named bank commissioner. (Banking & Finance).
June 9, 2003... Gov. Mike Huckabee has named Robert "Bunny" Adcock Jr. of Conway as the state's banking commissioner, replacing former Gov. Frank White, who died May 21. Adcock, 54, is vice chairman and member of the board of First State Bank of Conway....

Dental plan under investigation. (Insurance).(Benefit Plans of America Inc. is being investigated by the Arkansas Insurance Department)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Enrollees in Benefit Plans of America Inc. should immediately find new dental coverage, according to the state Insurance Department. The Insurance Department is investigating the company based in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and found it is operating...

4 insurance agents' licenses revoked. (Inside Business).(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The Arkansas Insurance Department has revoked four insurance agents' licenses for selling or being involved in the marketing of illegal health plans. The insurance licenses of agents Billy Dean Mullins of Conway and Cas-sondra Ann Kimble,...

"Wealthy-friendly" states.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... "Wealthy-Friendly" States Rank State Grade 1. Wyoming A+ 2. Alabama A+ 2. Nevada A+ 3. Tennessee A+ 4. Louisiana A 5. Washington A 6. Colorado A 7. Alaska...