Arkansas Business articles from June 2007

Arkansas Business archives from June 2007

Law firms slow to advertise: few in Arkansas following national trend toward marketing.(Law Firms)
June 4, 2007... IT'S BEEN 30 YEARS SINCE the U.S. Supreme Court declared that lawyers had a First Amendment right to advertise their services, but--with the notable exception of personal injury practices--law firm marketing is still in its infancy. That...

Fayetteville Shale testing state law.(gas exploration)
June 4, 2007... THE LUCRATIVE GAS EXPLORATION of the Fayetteville Shale Play has predictably led to more business for oil and gas lawyers in the state. It has also exposed some gaps in Arkansas law that confuse mineral rights and might someday surprise...

Private ownership means more options: and less scrutiny for Alltel as it pursues future growth.
June 4, 2007... ADVOCATES OF THE PROPOSED $27.5 BILLION buyout of Alltel Corp. portray the transaction as a deal that is simply too good to pass up. From an investor's standpoint, it's tough to argue with the $71.50 per share offer the company drummed up...

Smith Barney investigation.(Cheryl Ann Vickers accused for securities fraud)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... You may have heard about the firing of a Smith Barney stockbroker in its Little Rock office earlier this month. We're told the dismissal is linked with the alleged theft of at least $1.3 million from a client's account. So far, though,...

FOIA in action.(Whispers)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Thanks to an unusually prompt response to our request under the federal Freedom of Information Act, we can now bring you a few more details of the $432,000 worth of fines the Federal Insurance Deposit Corp. slapped on John Ed Chambers III of...

The other Wally's world.(Whispers)
June 4, 2007... The details are still a little sketchy, but an employee at the Tanglewood Shell Service Station at 7601 Cantrell confirmed that the longstanding pump has closed and will become yet another Walgreens. The anonymous employee said that last...

Residential retirement.(Marcelline Giroir Ltd. closing on July 1st)
June 4, 2007... A familiar name will be departing the ranks of Little Rock's residential realty firms. Marcelline Giroir Ltd. will be closing, effective July 1. The move marks the effective retirement of the firm's namesake owner. The company's...

Hog suits.(University of Arkansas was ordered to hire additional lawyer)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... The University of Arkansas' legal department is plenty busy these days. Chancellor John White recently told USA Today the school has been forced to hire an additional lawyer to handle all the Freedom of Information requests pouring in over...

Past time to end embargo.(Marion Berry visits Cuba for agricultural trade)(Editorial)
June 4, 2007... WITH REP. MARION BERRY visiting Cuba again last week, tt reminds us that it's time to let the trade embargo go. Long past time, actually. We've argued that for years. Arkansas' representatives have long seen the need to end the embargo and...

Did someone say gouging?(regulations for petroleum industry for reduction of prices)(Editorial)
June 4, 2007... FACT: GAS PRICES JUST BEFORE Memorial Day reached a record high. Fact: Oil company profits are at record levels. Fact: Consumers, though fussing mightily, continue to run down the highways in record numbers while, presumably, cutting...

Interesting item.(Editorial)
June 4, 2007... WHILE MUCH TALK CENTERS around the high price of gasoline, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel added fuel to the fire with a recent article that said ExxonMobil Corp., BP PLC and Chevron Corp. paid about $7 million in Wisconsin corporate income...

Nonstop news.(Publisher's Note)
June 4, 2007... THE PAST MONTH HAS BEEN one of the busiest ever for Arkansas business news. It's been fun to be in the daily business news business and see our staff provide instant coverage of the Alltel Corp. and Acxiom Corp. announcements, though it...

Fed transaction.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(federal office building financed by Lasalle Bank of Chicago)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... A federal office building in west Little Rock tipped the scales at $21 million. TRT Shackleford West Boulevard LLC of Denver bought the state FBI headquarters at 24 Shackleford West Blvd. The seller is Harris/Hathaway IV LLC, led by Mark...

Dream buy I.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions )(Dreamland Development LLC acquried Saddlebrook Stables financed by BancorpSouth Bank (Tupelo, Mississippi))(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... A 51.3-acre equestrian project in west Little Rock rang up a $1.2 million transaction. Dreamland Development LLC, led by Russell Huckaby and Jerome Atchley, acquired Saddlebrook Stables at 12110 Stagecoach Road. The seller is Saddle Brook...

Dream buy II.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Dreamland Development LLC acquired the property from 2610 Acres LLC financed by National Bank of Arkansas in North Little Rock)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... A 1.5-acre commercial property in southwest Little Rock drew an $800,000 sale. Dreamland Development LLC, led by Russell Huckaby and Jerome Atchley, acquired the property near the northeast corner of Otter Creek and Stagecoach roads. ...

Gemini acquisition.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Gemini of Arkansas LLC)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... A commercial project in North Little Rock is under new ownership after an $875,000 deal. Gemini of Arkansas LLC, led by Holly Smith, purchased the 1.57-acre project at 4007 Richards Road. The seller is Robian Inc., led by Jim Julian. ...

The former Holiday Inn Select at 201 S. Shackleford Road in west Little Rock is undergoing transformation into the 243-room Crowne Plaza.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
June 4, 2007... The former Holiday Inn Select at 201 S. Shackleford Road in west Little Rock is undergoing transformation into the 243-room Crowne Plaza. The $8.1 million exterior face-lift and interior remodeling project should be completed in July 2007. CDI...

Mini purchase.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Arkansas Mobile Barns Inc. acquired the property from Real Estate Holdings LLC)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... A warehouse property in North Little Rock changed hands in an $800,000 sale. A-Arkansas Mobile Barns Inc., led by David Gatzke, bought LeFevre Self Storage project at 8900 Faulkner Lake Road. The seller is Stellar Real Estate Holdings LLC,...

Acreage transaction.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Wayne and Shawnee Bruffett)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Nearly 200 acres in north Pulaski County sold for $726,000. Wayne and Shawnee Bruffett purchased the land west of Fortson Road along Bayou Meto from Reylance Inc., led by Lance Reynolds. The deal is backed with a five-year loan of $576,000...

Convenient sale.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Myers Ranch Inc. acquired the property from Pumps Food Mart Inc.)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... A convenience store in east Little Rock is under new ownership after a $340,000 deal. Myers Ranch Inc., led by John and Hyun Chun, bought the 1101 E. Roosevelt Road property. The seller is Pumps Food Mart Inc., led by David Newton. ...

McCulloch purchase.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
June 4, 2007... An industrial project in east Little Rock changed hands in a $285,000 transaction. McCulloch Investments LLC of Texarkana acquired the 1901 E. 17th St. property from Golden Flake Snack Foods Inc. of Birmingham, Ala. Golden Flake bought...

Prospect home.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(John and Anne Emerson purchasing the house from Edwin and Mary Levy)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... A 4,545-SF home in Little Rock's Prospect Terrace neighborhood rang up a $730,000 sale. John and Anne Emerson purchased the house from Edwin and Mary Levy. The deal is financed with a 30-year loan of $584,000 from Bank of Little Rock...

Belle River abode.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(R.B. Causey Jr. and his wife Lynn purchased the house from Sam Atkinson III and Marcia Atkinson)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... A 4,200-SF home in Maumelle's Belle River neighborhood sold for $570,000. R.B. Causey Jr. and his wife, Lynn, bought the house from Sam Atkinson III and Marcia Atkinson. The residence previously was tied to a July 2003 mortgage of...

Apartment refinance.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... The owner of a Little Rock apartment project picked up a $4.5 million financial package. Valley Heights Apartments Ltd. II, led by David Henry, obtained the 33-year bond issue from the Pulaski County Public Facilities Board. The...

Hino to expand auto parts plant at Marion.(MANUFACTURING)
June 4, 2007... Gov. Mike Beebe announced last week that Hino Motors Manufacturing USA will invest an additional $70 million to add equipment to its 400,000-SF Marion plant. Hino employs more than 600 people at the Marion plant, more than double the...

Windstream to buy CT Communications.(COMMUNICATIONS)
June 4, 2007... Windstream Corp., the wireline spinoff of Alltel Corp., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all the outstanding shares of CT Communications Inc. of Concord, N.C., for about $585 million. Little Rock-based Windstream will pay...

Alltel looks ahead to 700 MHz auction.(Inside Business)
June 4, 2007... Alltel Corp. outlined recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission for rules regarding the imminent auction of 700 MHz spectrum in a filing last week. Alltel offered four main proposals in the filing: * That the FCC should...

Shareholder wants to add 3 to Acxiom board.(TECHNOLOGY & COMPUTERS)
June 4, 2007... MMI Investments, Acxiom Corp.'s second largest shareholder, filed documents last week with the Securities & Exchange Commission saying it would nominate three directors to Acxiom's board. The move is part of MMI's previously stated...

Fleet Safety Equipment partners with Canadians.(MANUFACTURING)
June 4, 2007... Fleet Safety Equipment Inc. of North Little Rock has announced a new partnership with Canada's largest police supply company, Mega-Technical Holdings Ltd. Mega-Tech, formed in 1986 to provide products and services to the Canadian police...

Stephens conference set for June 6-7 in New York.(Public Reports)
June 4, 2007... Stephens Inc. will host its Spring Investment Conference June 6-7 at the New York Palace Hotel in New York. More than 100 companies will be making presentations during the two-day meeting. Breakout sessions will follow each presentation,...

PTSI announces stock repurchase program.(Public Reports)
June 4, 2007... P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc. has authorized the repurchase up to 600,000 shares of common stock from time to time during the next 12 months. Under the stock repurchase program, shares may be purchased in open market or privately...

Stephens Capital Partners invests in two companies.(BANKING & FINANCE)
June 4, 2007... Stephens Capital Partners LLC, the Little Rock merchant banking affiliate of investment banking firm Stephens Inc., has completed a pair of equity investments in Product Quest Manufacturing Inc. and Wear Me Apparel. Stephens Capital did...

Salary value index.(Inside Business)
June 4, 2007... Salary Value Index Most Favorable Cities Least Favorable Cities 1 New London, Conn. 1 New York 2 Huntsville, Ala. 2 San Francisco 3 Baltimore 3 Stamford, Conn. 4 Harrisburg, Pa. 4 San...

Deming: El Dorado promise paying off.(EDUCATION)
June 4, 2007... Claiborne Deming, president and CEO of Murphy Oil Corp., said the company's scholarship program for El Dorado high school students is already paying off. In January, the El Dorado publicly traded oil company announced it would give $50...

American Eagle at XNA adds direct flight to D.C.(TRANSPORTATION)
June 4, 2007... American Eagle, a regional affiliate of American Airlines, will add nonstop service between Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport at Highfill and Reagan Washington National Airport at Washington, D.C., beginning Sept. 5. American Eagle said...

Avoid later trouble with carefully drafted arbitration agreements.(A PUBLIC SERVICE OF DAVIDSON LAW FIRM)
June 4, 2007... A duo of recent Arkansas Supreme Court cases illustrate why it is important for contracts to clearly state the terms of arbitration. Failing to do so may cause a business to lose the protections afforded by both the Federal Arbitration Act...

Benningfield certified as LEED commissioner.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)(Chuck Benningfield)(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design )(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Chuck Benningfield, owner of McTab Inc. of Bentonville, recently gained certification as a "commissioner of buildings" from the University of Wisconsin School of Engineering. Benningfield, now a member of the Building Commissioning...

Marshals Museum gaining momentum.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
June 4, 2007... Sandi Sanders recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to advance one of Fort Smith's crowning achievements. Director of the U.S. Marshals Service National Museum project, Sanders spoke with Arkansas congressmen to update them on plans for...

$2.55 million project at MetroPark begun.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
June 4, 2007... Collins Haynes, though his Metro North Lot 12A LLC, has begun work on a $2.55 million project at MetroPark in Rogers. The project is on 1.78 acres at 701 Horsebarn Road. Plans call for a two-story, 21,500-SF office building that is similar...

Mississippi County buys building to keep 200 jobs.(NE Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
June 4, 2007... Mississippi County recently bought Creative Foods LLC's building for $1.2 million so 200 jobs would stay in Osceola. Mississippi County Judge Steve McGuire said the county offered to buy the food processor's building on the condition that...

Rice dealers' suit alleges seed mixing hurt market.(NE Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
June 4, 2007... A group of northeast Arkansas rice dealers have sued Bayer Cropscience LP of Germany for allegedly allowing genetically modified rice seeds to ruin the rice market. The group of rice dealers said Bayer was supposed to get approval from the...

Paragould firm to add 69 full-time employees.(NE Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
June 4, 2007... Anchor Packaging of St. Louis recently announced that it will expand its manufacturing operations in Paragould, adding 69 full-time positions. About 600 work for Anchor Packaging in Greene County. The company specializes in packaging for the...

Tyson Foods Inc. will lose its claim to being the world's largest protein maker and face increased competition after Brazil-based JBS Latin America's biggest beef producer, bought Greeley, Colo.-based Swift Foods for $1.4 billion.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... Tyson Foods Inc. will lose its claim to being the world's largest protein maker and face increased competition after Brazil-based JBS, Latin America's biggest beef producer, bought Greeley, Colo.-based Swift Foods for $1.4 billion. Swift is the...

A topping-out ceremony was held last week for Argenta Place in North Little Rock.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... A topping-out ceremony was held last week for Argenta Place in North Little Rock. The three-story, 24,000-SF building features five luxury condominiums and commercial office and retail space as well as an Irish restaurant and pub. It is...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been named one of the Top 10 U.S. Companies for Asian-Americans by Asian Enterprise magazine, the largest Asian-American small business-focused publication in the country.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been named one of the Top 10 U.S. Companies for Asian-Americans by Asian Enterprise magazine, the largest Asian-American small business-focused publication in the country. The magazine selected companies that foster the...

Tyson Foods Inc. has completed the sale of two poultry-processing plants at Ashland and Gadsden, Ala., and related support facilities to Koch Foods Inc. of Park Ridge, Ill.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... Tyson Foods Inc. has completed the sale of two poultry-processing plants at Ashland and Gadsden, Ala., and related support facilities to Koch Foods Inc. of Park Ridge, Ill. The sale also includes the company's Talladega feed mill, as well as...

The 17th annual Small Business Awards Luncheon will be held June 5 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... The 17th annual Small Business Awards Luncheon will be held June 5 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock. The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas event, which honors the state's winners of the U.S....

Wachovia Corp. of Charlotte, N.C., the nation's fourth-largest bank, is buying A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. for $6.8 billion in cash and stock in a deal to form the second-largest retail brokerage firm in the United States.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... Wachovia Corp. of Charlotte, N.C., the nation's fourth-largest bank, is buying A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. for $6.8 billion in cash and stock in a deal to form the second-largest retail brokerage firm in the United States. A.G. Edwards has 18...

Baldwin & Shell Construction Co. of Little Rock has been named Contractor of the Year for 2006 by the American Subcontractors Association.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... Baldwin & Shell Construction Co. of Little Rock has been named Contractor of the Year for 2006 by the American Subcontractors Association. The award goes to a contractor that exhibits fairness, professionalism and integrity in its relationships...

Susan F. "Susie" Smith has been promoted to senior executive vice president and chief operating officer at Metropolitan National Bank.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... Susan F. "Susie" Smith has been promoted to senior executive vice president and chief operating officer at Metropolitan National Bank. She will continue to oversee several of Metropolitan's divisions--including strategic planning, corporate...

Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies Inc. restarted its Springdale South extrusion plant last week after the plant was closed because of a dust explosion.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies Inc. restarted its Springdale South extrusion plant last week after the plant was closed because of a dust explosion. The Springdale facility is the largest of the company's three extrusion plants.

Entergy Arkansas' electricity rates will go up 12.6 percent on July 1 for its residential customers.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... Entergy Arkansas' electricity rates will go up 12.6 percent on July 1 for its residential customers. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered the increase to equalize the rates for the four states in Entergy's territory. Entergy...

A.M. Best Co. has assigned an improved financial strength rating of B (Fair) and an issuer credit rating of bb+ to QCA Health Plan Inc., which does business as. QualChoice.(Business Briefs)
June 4, 2007... A.M. Best Co. has assigned an improved financial strength rating of B (Fair) and an issuer credit rating of bb+ to QCA Health Plan Inc., which does business as. QualChoice. It has also assigned a ratings outlook, which indicates the potential...

Suicide lawyer takes on mental health providers.(Law Firms)
June 4, 2007... A TEXAS LAWYER WHO SPECIALIZES in suicide cases has brought his niche practice to Arkansas. Since 1988, Skip Simpson of the Dallas suburb of Frisco has been representing suicide and attempted suicide victims and their families in...

From Runnymede to the rule of law.(law students education)(Column)
June 4, 2007... AS A LAW STUDENT I HAD THE great fortune, as most lawyers in his state have had, to have been taught by the distinguished professor Robert A. Leflar. In our first year, he taught us torts, a foundation course for all law students. His Socratic...

Friday firm the largest in the state: little movement on list.(Friday Eldredge and Clark)(List)
June 4, 2007... THERE'S BEEN LITTLE MOVEMENT on the list of Arkansas largest law firms during the past year. As lawyers are prone to move around a bit, there's the usual loss of one or two lawyers or the gain of a couple, but that normal shifting resulted...

Largest law firms.(List Overview)
June 4, 2007... Largest Law Firms Ranked by licensed attorneys in Arkansas Firm Name No. of Address, Phone, Lawyers Fax, Web Site Hourly Fee Managing Partner(s) Other...

Drew Speed has been elected partner at BKD LLP in Little Rock.(ACCOUNTING)
June 4, 2007... Drew Speed has been elected partner at BKD LLP in Little Rock. Speed has been the firm's director of accounting and auditing for Arkansas and has more than 25 years of accounting and auditing experience. Andy Richards and Tracy Young have been...

Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield.(HEALTH CARE)(Dr. Kimberly Davis appointed)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Dr. Kimberly Davis of Jonesboro has been named regional medical director for Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield's southeast region in Pine Bluff. Davis previously was a hospital physician for Northeast Arkansas Medical Center in Jonesboro, an...

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.(HEALTH CARE )(Dr. Donald D. Simpson appointed)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Dr. Donald D. Simpson has been named chairman for the Department of Laboratory Sciences in the College of Health Related Professions at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences at Little Rock. He has served as interim director of the...

Dr. John Redman, pediatric urologist at Arkansas Children's Hospital and professor in the Department of Urology in the UAMS College of Medicine, was recently voted Doctor of the Year by Arkansas Children's Hospital physicians and staff.(HEALTH CARE)
June 4, 2007... Dr. John Redman, pediatric urologist at Arkansas Children's Hospital and professor in the Department of Urology in the UAMS College of Medicine, was recently voted Doctor of the Year by Arkansas Children's Hospital physicians and staff. The...

Mitchell Williams Selig Gates & Woodyard.(LAW)
June 4, 2007... Delena Y. Choong has joined Mitchell Williams Selig Gates & Woodyard of Little Rock as associate attorney to the firm's litigation group. Choong is a member of the Arkansas, Texas and Colorado Bar associations and specializes in general...

Matt Smith and Toney Brasuell have joined Wilson & Associates' Little Rock office as attorneys in the litigation department.(LAW)
June 4, 2007... Matt Smith and Toney Brasuell have joined Wilson & Associates' Little Rock office as attorneys in the litigation department. Smith's areas of practice include default and foreclosure. Brasuell's area of practice is foreclosure.

Boyd Metals Inc.(MANUFACTURING)
June 4, 2007... Jennifer Standridge has been promoted to corporate purchasing assistant at Boyd Metals Inc. in Fort Smith. Standridge started with the company in Fort Smith in 2001 as a receptionist.

Gary Blakeney, marketing director for Park Plaza at Little Rock, was presented with the Best Marketing Program Award by CBL & Associates Properties Inc.(MEDIA/MARKETING)
June 4, 2007... Gary Blakeney, marketing director for Park Plaza at Little Rock, was presented with the Best Marketing Program Award by CBL & Associates Properties Inc. Park Plaza's marketing team focused on the mall's 2006 renovation.

Janell Butler, deposit counselor at Arvest Bank, has been named Top Sales Professional of the Year by the Sales & Marketing Executives Association of Arkansas.(MEDIA/MARKETING)
June 4, 2007... Janell Butler, deposit counselor at Arvest Bank, has been named Top Sales Professional of the Year by the Sales & Marketing Executives Association of Arkansas. Jeff Beauchamp, president of Bedford Camera & Video, received Top Marketing...

Holly Byars, marketing manager for The Soderquist Center at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, recently earned her accreditation in Public Relations.(MEDIA/MARKETING)
June 4, 2007... Holly Byars, marketing manager for The Soderquist Center at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, recently earned her accreditation in Public Relations from the Public Relations Society of America.

Stock summary.
June 4, 2007... Stock Summary 5/3/2007 Weekly YTD Arkansas Public Company Stocks Close Change Change Acxiom Corp. (ACXM) 27.8 0.32% 7.99%...

Hog overkill.(Darrell Abbott killed on stage by an angry fan)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... The Razorback line was designed and so named by the late Darrell Abbott, the legendary former lead guitar player for the metal supergroup Pantera. Abbott's status in the rock world grew to mythic proportions after he was shot and killed...

Seven-digit deals.(Whispers)
June 4, 2007... Hungry for million-dollar transactions? We have a three-course offering. The biggest of the bunch is the $4.5 million sale of the Little Rock Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center at 5720 W. Markham St. LRock Properties LLC of...

Houston, another problem.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)(Houston Nutt )(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Houston Nutt and the soap opera at the University of Arkansas need more news coverage like a fish needs a bicycle. But the embattled Head Hog seems to have made it a top priority to clear his name and have his words be the final say-so as...

Philbin filler.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)(KTHV-TV 11 and its shows)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... We got word this week about some new plans for KTHV-TV, Channel 11 in time for the fall lineup. We previously told you about KWBF-TV, Channel 42's steal to air "Live With Regis & Kelly" at 9 a.m. beginning weekdays in September. Since the...

My oh Mangan.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)(Mangan Holcomb Partners of Little Rock)(Brief article)(Column)
June 4, 2007... We normally try to stray from reporting awards news, or else we'd end up with a column full of chest thumping from every advertising agency and media outlet in the state nearly every week. It is noteworthy, however, to mention the national,...

What's up, Ed?(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)(Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis & Retrieval )(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Next week the world's largest data system, the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis & Retrieval system, better known simply as EDGAR, will be making an announcement that it will be "modernizing its system." The new system, which will be...

Neurosurgeon's kickback trial set for June 25; Searcy doctor also target of whistleblower lawsuit.
June 11, 2007... DOCTORS WHO KNEW PATRICK Chan in Canada thought he was an excellent neurosurgeon. "Patrick is a very energetic, hard working, loyal [and] moral" surgeon, Dr. J. Max Findlay, head of the division of neurosurgery at the London Health Science...

Retailers face record number of recalls.
June 11, 2007... WHENEVER PETER PAN peanut butter returns to store shelves, Kim Eskew will likely pick up a jar. How much he'll order for his customers at Harps Foods isn't as certain. Eskew, executive vice president of the Springdale-based grocer,...

Energy company seeks Little Red's water for drilling.
June 11, 2007... A DRILLING COMPANY PLANS to tap directly into the Little Red River, a nationally renowned trout-fishing waterway, as part of its process to extract natural gas from the Fayetteville Shale Play. Chesapeake Energy Corp. of Oklahoma City, the...

Pharmacy delay.(Whispers)
June 11, 2007... Harding University at Searcy has delayed by a year the start of its pharmacist training program. President David Burks said starting in the fall of 2008, rather than this fall, will allow the new College of Pharmacy to open in a...

Bottom feeding.(Whispers)(Celebrity Homebuyers)(Brief article)
June 11, 2007... An out-of-state company raised some eyebrows by making low-ball offers for property in Cleburne County. Celebrity Homebuyers of Merrick, N.Y., made the unsolicited offers for rosters of homes listed for sale in the Heber Springs area. ...

Bank statistics.(Whispers)
June 11, 2007... Has the mad rush to bankify every intersection in Arkansas finally run out of steam? Oh, that would be too much to hope for. But there is this indicator: Only 14 new branches were opened statewide between Jan. 1 and May 31, according...

Not-so-speedy trial.(Whispers)(Brief article)
June 11, 2007... Little Rock tax attorney Barry Jewell, who said he was taken by surprise when a federal grand jury indicted him on five felony counts in April, will have plenty of time to prepare for his trial. Instead of starting next Monday, as...

Not in the bag.(Whispers)
June 11, 2007... Chanel Inc., the maker of high-dollar handbags and other accessories, is suing a Flippin woman for allegedly trying to sell counterfeits of its goods over the Internet. Maranda Jacobia, 27, said she didn't sell any purses through her Web...

Pizza lovers want to know.(Whispers)
June 11, 2007... Those who want to know why the U.S. Pizza Co. restaurant at 9300 N. Rodney Parham Road was closed for a few days last week can blame the pipes. "You can't make food with no water," said one U.S. Pizza official. The plumbing was...

Apologize for slavery? What's the point?(Editorial)
June 11, 2007... THAT WAS OUR INITIAL reaction in reading an Associated Press article in which Gov. Mike Beebe said he didn't know if an apology for slavery was needed. "I think Arkansas probably has as good a feel for folks working together as any...