Arkansas Business articles from June 2008

Arkansas Business archives from June 2008

Professionals latch onto LinkedIn: networking finds home online.(Public Relations Society of America)
June 2, 2008... ONCE A MONTH, NATALIE Ghidotti must organize a meeting for the Arkansas chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. For May, the speaker was Will Robinson, whom Ghidotti found while reading a Washingtonian Magazine story in which...

Equity Media searches for stability.
June 2, 2008... EQUITY MEDIA HOLDINGS CORE HAS A 10-year history of losing money, but that didn't stop insiders from raking in millions of dollars when the private venture converted to a public company last year. A lawsuit challenging alleged insider...

Fast-casual restaurants are on the rise.(Overview)
June 2, 2008... THE MOST OBVIOUS TREND revealed by 2007 restaurant revenue data is the movement of diners away from full-service restaurants to spend their increasingly precious dollars at so-called "fast-casual" establishments, a category that offers higher...

Bad research.(Whispers)
June 2, 2008... We've been telling you about the troubles at Research Solutions LLC of Little Rock, and now here's another piece of bad news: the drug testing company recently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. Research Solutions listed $7.2...

ANB ownership.(Whispers)(ANB Financial )(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Everyone knows a lot of people lost a lot of money in the collapse of ANB Financial of Bentonville. Great Southern Bank of Springfield wrote off nearly $35 million it had in a stock loan to ANB, and almost 650 depositors had $39.2 million...

Sale snubbed.(Whispers)
June 2, 2008... One ANB shareholder not mentioned in the company's annual report is I. Neal Ethridge of Springfield, a retired Archer Daniels Midland Co. exec. He had about 4 percent of the bank's stock and figures he lost about $20 million in the forced...

Making hay.(Whispers)
June 2, 2008... Johnny Allison told us it was coming, so we weren't terribly surprised to see a copy of an ad for Home BancShares Inc. of Conway with this fascinating headline: "Financially troubled companies make the news. Stable ones make the ads." ...

Grave business.(Whispers)(Gunn Funeral Home )(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... A Little Rock funeral home found itself in hot water after an embalmer allegedly handled funeral arrangements without a license. Gunn Funeral Home has appealed the decision by the Arkansas State Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors, which...

The lottery tax.(Editorial)
June 2, 2008... WE FIGURED LT. GOV. BILL Halter's plan to amend the state Constitution to allow a state lottery would make the Nov. 4 ballot. That still doesn't make us like it. Simply put, it's a bad bet. We've looked at this issue several times over the...

Toll on truckers.(Editorial)
June 2, 2008... SMALL TRUCKING OPERATIONS are finding it hard to stay on the road in today's economy. Arkansas has seen its share of truckers shut down their rigs, although solid figures cannot be had. Most of the problem stems from the rising cost of...

[Cartoon].(Editorial)(Cartoon)
June 2, 2008... ... AND HOUSE SALES ROSE SHARPLY IN MAY OH, EXCUSE ME, THAT'S HORSE SALES. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Tourist dollars.(Editor's Note)
June 2, 2008... THE MORITZ FAMILY -- SOON to be renamed Griswold, but I'll get to that--rented a campsite at the Hot Springs KOA on the Friday before Memorial Day. We had intended to go to Lake Catherine State Park, but it was booked up weeks in advance. A...

A challenging year for retail.(Commentary)
June 2, 2008... NATIONWIDE, THE SHOPPING center development market has entered a challenging period, with many players in the business facing difficulty. The collapse of the housing market, together with higher fuel and food prices, has placed a tremendous...

Dental acquisition.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... A 40,000-SF office building in east Little Rock tipped the scales at $1.82 million. Delta Dental Plan of Arkansas Inc., led by Ed Choate, bought the 7773 Sloane Drive project. The company will renovate the space and relocate provider...

Residential projects.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Two residential subdivisions in Sherwood are in motion after property transfers valued at a combined $1.9 million. Sherwood Development LLC, led by Byron McKimmey, Billy Morden, Steven Deere, Michael Marlar and Randy Wiggins, acquired the...

Nothing but word.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Nothing But Word Ministries Inc. acquires Wilson-Calhoun Funeral Home )(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... A former mortuary in southwest Little Rock sold for $363,000. Nothing But Word Ministries Inc., led by Victoria Atkins-Robinson and Roosevelt Lewis Sr., bought the Wilson-Calhoun Funeral Home at 9612 Geyer Springs Road. The sellers are...

Parkstone buy.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... A commercial project in North Little Rock changed hands in a $356,000 deal. Jerry and Karen Harrod purchased the 6 Parkstone Circle property from S&D Realty Corp., led by David Cone. The deal is financed with a five-year loan of...

Creative purchase.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... A commercial property in east Little Rock rang up a $280,000 sale. CreativeEngineering Consultants Corp., led by Bruce Winn, acquired the 1901 E. 17th St. project. The seller is McCulloch Investments LLC, led by Amos McCulloch Jr. The...

Chenal sale.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... A 5,019-SF home in west Little Rock's Chenal Circle neighborhood drew a $723,333 transaction. Scott and Denise Carle bought the house from Daniel Benson. The deal is funded with a 30-year loan of $417,000 from Bank of Little Rock Mortgage...

Ridge residence.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
June 2, 2008... A 5,025-SF home in The Ridge neighborhood in west Little Rock is under new ownership after a $660,000 deal. Stephen and Mary Hickman purchased the house through Sirva Relocation LLC of Chicago from Gregory and Jennifer Barnes. The deal...

Ridge point abode.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
June 2, 2008... A 3,930-SF home in west Little Rock's River Ridge Point sold for $500,000. Jose Romero acquired the house from E.W. and Tamara Moore. The deal is backed with a 20-year loan of $360,000 from Summit Bank of Arkadelphia. The residence...

Niksefat refinance.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... A retail project in Jacksonville was refinanced with a $1.7 million funding agreement. The Niksefat Family Trust, led by Salim and Faouzieh Niksefat, obtained the three-year loan from First Arkansas Bank & Trust of Jacksonville. The...

Construction mortgage.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
June 2, 2008... The owner of a 40-acre tract on the edge of Maumelle picked up an $870,000 financial package. Arkansas Construction & Excavation LLC, led by Kenneth Norman, received the one-year loan from Metropolitan National Bank of Little Rock. ...

P&H funding.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
June 2, 2008... A small office project in downtown Little Rock is backed with a $750,000 mortgage. P&H Investments LLC, led by John Perry and Robert Hester, got the five-year loan from Jonesboro's Liberty Bank of Arkansas. The 0.2-acre development at...

Office financing.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... The owner of an office project in downtown Little Rock landed a $713,000 refinancing deal. WER Holdings LLC, led by Terry Rasco, David Sargent, Eldon Bock, Aristo Brizzolara and John Greer, got the five-year loan from Pulaski Bank of New...

Duralor plans Springdale, HQ, to add 110 new jobs.(MANUFACTURING)
June 2, 2008... Duralor LLC, which makes coatings for cutting tools and machine parts, broke ground last week on its internationalheadquarters in the Springdale Technology Park, a move company officials said will create 110 jobs. The company said it will...

Ciber Inc. expanding office in Little Rock.(TECHNOLOGY & COMPUTERS)
June 2, 2008... Ciber Inc., an information technology company, announced last week the expansion of its Little Rock office to include a commercial division. Ciber's office at 1501 N. University provides state and local government entities with services...

New York fund takes 5% stake in Acxiom.(Inside Business)
June 2, 2008... A New York institutional investor that started buying Acxiom Corp. stock last fall has increased its ownership to 5.3 percent, according to a Securities & Exchange Commission disclosure. Glenhill Advisors LLC, formerly known as Krevlin...

Maumelle Co. told to stop promoting CDs.(Inside Business)
June 2, 2008... Three insurance agents and a Maumelle company at which they worked have been ordered to stop offering to sell certificates of deposit by claiming a higher yield than the buyer actually receives. The cease-and-desist order by Arkansas...

Stephens Group partners with technology co.(Inside Business)(Acute Technological Services LLC )
June 2, 2008... The Stephens Group LLC and Acute Technological Services LLC of Houston have completed a recapitalization deal that gives the Little Rock equity firm majority interest in the deepwater technology company, according to a news release. The...

Fueling change.(Inside Business)(Survey)
June 2, 2008... Fueling Change What changes are workers making because of the higher gasoline prices? Increasing carpooling or ridesharing 46% Driving a more fuel-efficient car 33% Telecommuting more frequently ...

Dillard's first-quarter earnings decline sharply, to $2.7 million.(Public Company Reports)(Financial report)
June 2, 2008... Dillard's Inc. said. first-quarter net income dropped to $2.7 million, or 4 cents a share, compared with $42.9 million, or 53 cents a share, a year ago. Wall Street analysts had projected Dillard's would earn 21 cents a share. Sales...

Zacks downgrades shares of Arkansas best to sell.(Public Company Reports)
June 2, 2008... Zacks.com, in its latest analyst interview, downgraded Arkansas Best Corp. Senior analyst Ann Heffron, who has a sell recommendation for Arkansas Best, had this to say: "Arkansas Best is a diversified transportation company...

Acxiom Corp.(Public Company Reports)
June 2, 2008... Acxiom Corp. declared a quarterly cash dividend of 6 cents a share payable on June 23 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 3.

Children's Hospital places 24th in U.S. news rankings.(HEALTH CARE)
June 2, 2008... Arkansas Children's Hospital ranks 24th in U.S. News & World Report's 2008 edition of America's Best Children's Hospitals. Online, the complete list is at www.usnews. com/pediatrics. It also will appear in the magazine's June 9 issue. This...

Eureka Springs Bank plans expansion, changes name.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 96-year-old Bank of Eureka Springs has changed its name to Cornerstone Bank, according to the current listing by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The name change is part of a strategy for the bank to...

Two $2.4 million hotels planned for Van Buren.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
June 2, 2008... Van Buren will be getting two new hotels soon, bringing the total number of rooms in the city to 355, a 37 percent increase from the 259 rooms available now. Rupe Building Co. of Tulsa is constructing a Sleep Inn. The 31,120-SF project is...

Mathias Properties gets loan to build Fayetteville project.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
June 2, 2008... Mathias Properties signed a $2.26 million loan from Arvest Bank for the development and construction of Phases I and II of The Shoppes at the Bluff on north Steele Boulevard in Fayetteville's CMN Business Park. MP Construction of...

Home BancShares Inc. of Conway has approved the combining of the Bank of Mountain View into Community Bank.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... Home BancShares Inc. of Conway has approved the combining of the Bank of Mountain View into Community Bank. This decision is based in part on the banking company's efforts to improve efficiency and the results of a study conducted for Home...

Equity Media Holdings Corp.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... Richard C. Rochon, a member of the board of Equity Media Holdings Corp., has been named chairman. He previously was chairman and CEO of Coconut Palm Acquisition Corp., Equity's predecessor company. Michael T. Flynn has resigned from the board...

The Heritage Co. of Sherwood, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on June 7.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... The Heritage Co. of Sherwood, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on June 7. The company that began in the home of Lee Keenihan, a single mom in Sherwood, in 1958, was a pioneer in the direct marketing industry. Heritage is now one of the...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will Webcast its annual shareholders' meeting on June 6 along with its same-day question-and-answer session with analysts and investors. The live webcast will be available at www.walmartstores. corn/investors. The meeting...

The Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock Auxiliary will host its 14th annual Team Scramble Golf Tournament on June 6 at the Championship Golf Course at Burns Park in North Little Rock.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... The Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock Auxiliary will host its 14th annual Team Scramble Golf Tournament on June 6 at the Championship Golf Course at Burns Park in North Little Rock. Registration fees are $260 per three- or...

Nominations are being sought for the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... Nominations are being sought for the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. The deadline for the nominations is July 1. The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas established the Business Hall of Fame in 1999 to recognize...

Barbara Cansler, store manager of JCPenney at Conway Towne Center, has been given the Chairman's Award, the company's highest honor for performance excellence.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... Barbara Cansler, store manager of JCPenney at Conway Towne Center, has been given the Chairman's Award, the company's highest honor for performance excellence. Only the top 15 percent of the top-performing stores and districts can qualify to...

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has been recognized by the Arkansas Trucking Association as the 2007 Corporate Fleet Safety Grand Champion.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has been recognized by the Arkansas Trucking Association as the 2007 Corporate Fleet Safety Grand Champion. Last year, J.B. Hunt drove 33 million miles in Arkansas and had only nine reportable accidents, all of...

Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas is accepting applications for grants ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 to fund health improvement programs in the state. The foundation awards about $1 million in grants annually to nonprofit or...

Five new stores have opened or will soon in McCain Mall in North Little Rock, which has more than 80 stores.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... Five new stores have opened or will soon in McCain Mall in North Little Rock, which has more than 80 stores. They are Aeropostale, Justice just for girls!, Kay Jewelers, Whitehall Jewelers and First Wok. Aeropostale, which targets 14- to...

Kelyniam Global Inc., a Little Rock engineering consulting firm, has completed its purchase of M2-Systems LLC of New Britain, Conn., according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.(Business Briefs)
June 2, 2008... Kelyniam Global Inc., a Little Rock engineering consulting firm, has completed its purchase of M2-Systems LLC of New Britain, Conn., according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. James Ketner, president and CEO, said the deal...

ZaZa: great salads and the chance to watch pizza-making.
June 2, 2008... ON ENTERING THE NEW ZaZa Fine Salad & Wood-Oven Pizza Co., we nearly stumbled into the gelato line, which has the tendency to blend into the salad line. However, we certainly won't argue with the point-of-sale--paying before you eat--which...

Human billboard dances, attracts restaurant customers.(Business Lunch Review)(Kevin Johnson)
June 2, 2008... KEVIN JOHNSON IS NORMALLY y. But strap a cardboard guitar his neck and he dances for all of Sherwood. Johnson, 27, is a "shaker"--someone hired to hold a sign and dance in front of businesses to attract customers. He works for Little...

New Greek.(Whispers)
June 2, 2008... A new Greek restaurant, Taziki's Greek Fare, is headed for the Cantrell Heights Shopping Center near Arkansas Rod & Reel around Aug. 1. Amy and Keith Richards (not that one) started Taziki's in Alabama and are now pursuing their first...

Correction.(Whispers)(Correction notice)
June 2, 2008... The name of Debbi Brawley, principal broker of Brawley & Associates Real Estate in Greers Ferry, was reported incorrectly in a New Business article in the Dec. 3, 2007, issue.

Gridiron competition.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)
June 2, 2008... Hooten's Arkansas Football has reigned supreme for 15 years as the only annual football preview for Arkansas. In its 16th season, Hooten's will face competition for the first time. Both ArkansasSports360.com--published by Arkansas Business...

Fuel efficiency.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)
June 2, 2008... It's cheap and it's close. The 2008 advertising campaign for Magic Springs & Crystal Falls in Hot Springs kicked off recently, and this year's theme emphasizes the money saved by visiting the in-state amusement park rather than vacationing...

From the publisher.(planning launch of www.ArkansasSports360.com )(Editorial)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... At this time a year ago, we were planning an August launch of ArkansasSports360.com with Editor Jim Harris, who was already blogging his "Playing Field" sports coverage on the Arkansas Business Web site. By mid-October, more than two months...

'Major' win for Shumate.(THE PLAYING FIELD)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: 'MAJOR' WIN FOR SHUMATE: Bryon Shumate of Fort Smith kicked off the state's "major" amateur championship season by winning the Maumelle Classic by one stroke May 4. It marked Shumate's first ASGA win since...

When will hoop coaches start robbing the cradle?(THE PLAYING FIELD)
June 2, 2008... As long as the Arkansas Razorbacks play basketball, there will never be a player that meant as much as Larry Batch to the 1979 Hogs... oh wait, that was Sidney Moncrief, not his junior high school teammate Larry Batch, who was part of the...

Speaking out.(THE PLAYING FIELD)(Quotation)
June 2, 2008... "He has that old-man strength that kind of threw me down." --New Orleans Hornets and former Arkansas Razorback guard Jannero Pargo on being flipped to the floor by Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks, told to the Dallas Morning News during...

Where was the love eight years ago?(THE PLAYING FIELD)
June 2, 2008... While Bonnie Richardson made national headlines, Antisha Anderson was quietly training behind the scenes. Richardson's story made a big splash recently when she won the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) 1A team title by herself....

Scott Norwood.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(University of Arkansas at Little Rock)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... The Ouachita Baptist University base-bar coach picked up a new job at UALR and also guided his Tigers to the school's first NCAA Division IT Cortege World Series. Before Norwood arrived, OBU couldn't manage 50 wins total in five seasons; he...

Darren McFadden.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(NFL Draft)(Atlanta Falcons)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... There are 35 million reasons, or so, to forgo your senior year in college when you're 6-foot-2, 210 pounds and run about 4.3 seconds in the 4D-yard dash. When Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, the third pick in the recent NFL Draft, signed...

Casey Dick.(Penthouse & Outhouse)
June 2, 2008... The senior Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback from Allen, Texas, put up 404 passing yards in the UA's Red-White game and excited the 40,200 fans enough to think Bobby Petrino's Hogs might have a chance to have a fun fall.

Dave van Horn.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Without the pitching of 2007--which included first-round and second-round Major League Baseball draft picks--the veteran Razorback coach's program took a precipitous drop to mediocrity in 2008, culminating with two blown losses on the read at...

Ryan Wedel.(Penthouse & Outhouse)
June 2, 2008... Rather than sticking it out and playing for new coach John Brady, who said he wanted the little shooting guard to return, the top returning scorer for the Arkansas State basketball team bolted for Drake University. Considering Drake was an NCAA...

Brandon Barnett.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... With D-Mac and Felix Jones off starting their professional careers, Michael Smith fighting a hernia during the spring and no other running back stepping up, the speedy Texarkana junior had a chance in the spring to make a splash but instead...

Online poll results.
June 2, 2008... What is your favorite collegiate spring sport? * From 5/12/2008 to 5/16/2008 Baseball/Softball 72% Golf 12% Tennis 4% Track & Field 14% Which radio...

ArkansasSports360.com partners with KATV, KABZ-FM 'The Buzz" FeartessFriday.com.
June 2, 2008... ArkansasSports360.com has entered into three new partnerships with broadcast and Internet leaders in Arkansas sports coverage and, with FearlessFriday. com, will launch an annual football preview publication in July. The partnerships...

Arkansans picked in NFL draft.
June 2, 2008... Nobody will ever confuse Arkansas for fertile football ground like that found in Florida, Louisiana, California, Ohio or Texas. It's not exactly the wasteland some folks would have you believe it is, either. When NFL training camps begin...

Adult baseball league thrives in Northwest Arkansas.(ON THE HILL)
June 2, 2008... STEPHEN BOUDREAUX NEEDS you to understand something. And to get him, to truly know where he's coming from, you need to grasp what he's saying. So listen up. Softball is not, under any circumstance, a suitable replacement for baseball. ...

Basketball camp.(ON THE HILL)(Calendar)
June 2, 2008... Other Arkansas men's and women's teams are hosting camps this summer. Here is brief took what's being offered. For more information and additional sports, check out the Arkansassports360.com online calendar. JOHN PELPHREY BASKETBALL...

Petrino will be 'hands-on' at UA camps.(ON THE HILL)(Bobby Petrino )
June 2, 2008... ARKANSAS DIRECTOR OF HIGH school operations Dean Campbell has a bit of advice for any player thinking of attending football camps this summer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Prepare," Campbell said. "It's like an NFL guy going for the...

Always giving a rip: legendary Little Rock basketball coach Charles Ripley has molded a long list of success stories.
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Charles Ripley doesn't coach as many victories as he once did, when he made Little Rock Parkview a regional and often national powerhouse in the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. These days he's head coach and athletic...

Travs' Greenberg on fast-track back to majors: former cub not reliving 2005 accident.(BASEBALL: Travelers)
June 2, 2008... ADAM GREENBERG, IN THE most gentlemanly manner, talks a little about what happened in July 2005, but he suggests that Google might be a better source for details than what he cares to provide now. Three years ago, in his first trip to the...

Travs' Elson delivers with enthusiasm.(15 QUESTIONS WITH PHIL ELSON)(travelers)(Phil Elson)(Interview)
June 2, 2008... Central Arkansas has its Cardinals fans and Cubs fans, and even a growing Legion of Angels fans. Then there's Arkansas Travelers radio announcer Phil Elson, who won't find a Lot of company if he organizes a Pirates fan watch party. Steelers?...

Arkansas Diamond series.(BASEBALL: Naturals)
June 2, 2008... Time will tell what sort of rivalry develops between the state's Texas League AA baseball teams. The Northwest Arkansas Naturals and Arkansas Travelers are doing all they can to generate excitement when they meet in what's been dubbed the...

No one laughing now at Kaaihue: native Hawiian has baseball in his brood, power in his swing for Nats.(BASEBALL: Naturals)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] INEVITABLY, THE JOKES WOULD come every time Kila Kaaihue walked inside a clubhouse. As a child, Kaaihue would tag along with his father to minor league games and almost always found himself as the source of...

Former Razorback Todd making his pitch: St. Louis Cardinals' second-round pick takes his recent jump to Double-A in stride.(BASEBALL: Pro)
June 2, 2008... WHEN THE CALL CAME, JESS Todd was going to be anxious. Todd would have felt jitters the first time he took the mound in Double-A baseball regardless of the setting. Just imagine how Todd felt taking tile mound for the Springfield (Mo.)...

Hogs pitching leaves team on NCAA bubble.(CALLING THE HOGS)
June 2, 2008... In its Calling the Hogs series, ArkansasSports360.com calls on a former Razorback to assess the current Hog sport in progress. At this writing, by former UA pitcher Brent Birch, Arkansas' baseball team was sitting out the Southeastern...

Karklins wants high school cycling teams.(INSIDE SPORTS: Bicycling)
June 2, 2008... Tony Karklins is pushing for more people under 30 on bicycles. "One of the problems our industry is facing right now is there's not enough people in their 20s getting into it right now," said the manager of Orbea USA. To reverse that...

Riding up the popularity charts: bridge opening helps kick cycling into high gear.(INSIDE SPORTS: Bicycling)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE OPENING OF THE BIG DAM Bridge in September 2006 changed the face of bicycling in central Arkansas. The bridge "has actually given people in central Arkansas their first place to safely ride a bike," said Tony...

2008 June highlights.(Calendar)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jun 1 Traveler Kids MINI-CLINIC On the Field At 12:30 Before The 2:00 PM Game--Presented by Jim Elder Good Sport Fund * Travs Baseballs to first 200 kids in clinic * Kids Run Bases After The Game * Entire Families...

Tragedy inevitable in thoroughbred racing: amid needed change, save the spirit of live meets.(HORSE RACING: Analysis)
June 2, 2008... I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT MY two sons inherited my enthusiasm for thoroughbred racing. One is 15, the other is 11. On the final Sunday of this year's live meet at Oaklawn, it didn't take much to convince them to head to Hot Springs to watch the...

Fantasy becomes reality for Lowell fishing enthusiast.(OUTDOORS: Fishing)
June 2, 2008... IT TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT to talk Jim Collins into signing tip to play FLW's Fantasy Fishing Tournament. He saw it as nothing more than a waste of time, but relented after much pleading form his daughter. From now on Collins won't...