The Threefold Advocate, the student newspaper at John Brown University, was recently named the Newspaper of the Year.

John Brown University Communication students received 18 awards from the Arkansas College Media Association (ACMA) including Newspaper of the Year for the student newspaper.

In addition, senior Nichole Coates won Newspaper Editor of the Year, junior Tarah Thomas was named Reporter of the Year, junior Klara Johannesen won Photographer of the Year and senior Lacey Fryer was named Television Producer/Director of the Year for her work on JBU’s student-produced TV newscast EagleBreak. Senior Alyssa Schoenwald won second place in the Designer of the Year category and junior Becca Verhoeven received an honorable mention in the same category.

In addition to the seven general excellence awards, JBU students took home 11 individual category awards including first place awards to senior Chelsea Spencer (personality profile) and Chloe Fennell (art/illustration). Second place awards went to Lexi Christensen (feature photo), Andrew Albright (newspaper sports photo), Colleen Cornett (front page layout) and Hannah Garrett (art/illustration). Verhoeven also received a third place award in feature page layout.

Senior Kacie Galloway won both a second and third place award in the editorial page layout category as well as an honorable mention in editorial writing. Sarah White also received an honorable mention in newswriting.

JBU hosted this year’s annual conference attended by students and advisors from 11 colleges and universities across the state.

John Brown University English Education senior, Sarah Hubbard, was selected to receive a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Turkey for the 2015-16 academic year. Hubbard will graduate from John Brown University in May and depart for Turkey this fall to take up her appointment at a Turkish university.

The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship is a component of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and is sponsored and managed by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under the U.S. Department of State. Hubbard submitted her application against undergraduate, masters, and doctorate students nationwide and is one of approximately 1,700 students to receive this highly competitive, prestigious fellowship.

“Sarah is the first JBU student to receive a Fulbright award,” said Dr. Brad Gambill, associate professor of English and coordinator or the Office of Undergraduate Scholarship & Prestigious Fellowships. “Sarah is a go-getter: presenting at research conferences since her freshman year, pursing international teaching experience, maintaining great community relationships. She was a strong candidate before she even began the application process.”

During her time at JBU, Hubbard spent two summers teaching English in China and Lithuania and discovered that teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) was something she loved. Hubbard initially applied for the Fulbright at the encouragement of Gambill after seeing a flyer on a bulletin board.

“The Fulbright seemed like a long shot,” Hubbard said. “But, Dr. Gambill assured me that even the experience of applying would be worth it as I worked through who I am and what I am most passionate about in life.”

With the support and feedback of faculty advisors Ms. Grace Davis, Dr. Ed Klotz and Dr. Warren Roby, Hubbard completed the extensive application process last fall that included a personal statement, statement of grant purpose, multiple letters of recommendations, and a comprehensive survey of her hobbies and extracurricular activities.

Main Street Siloam Springs said it will open its outdoor Siloam Springs Farmers Market on Tuesday, April 28 at 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market will also be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning May 2.  Tuesday.

On opening day the market will host LORE, a local band, from 5 to 7 p.m. and a mobile SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Unit will be on site the entire evening to help register eligible families for SNAP/EBT services. Those who receive SNAP/EBT benefits may purchase tokens at the market to use to pay the farmers for eggs, meat, produce and baked goods all season. The market also participates in a Double Dollar program that provides funds to match SNAP/EBT purchases. The matching program usually begins in early summer.

The new hours for the Tuesday market are a result of survey responses from market customers in 2014.

“Of 169 responses, 94% of people indicated they would prefer evening hours,” said Main Street Siloam Springs executive director Meredith Bergstrom. “We’re excited to offer more convenient hours to our community during the work week. We hope that people enjoy shopping after work and can go home with fresh, local products to cook for dinner.”

This year market is also partnering with the Benton County Master Gardeners to host second Saturday Kids Days every month, as well as planning a full calendar of events with special programs every Saturday, said market manager Stacy Hester.

The market expects to feature live music, chef demonstrations, a bike day and special booths like knife sharpening once a month, according to the release.

Havenwood announced Debbie Martin as its new executive director. Having lived in Northwest Arkansas for more than 25 years, Martin brings business, nonprofit and organizational development experience to Havenwood.

She most recently served as pastor of discipleship and finance for the Bentonville Church of the Nazarene as well as board president for the Sunshine School and Development Center. Martin began her role as Havenwood’s executive director on April 1.

“Debbie brings a tremendous amount of local knowledge and community insight in addition to her formal education, prior experiences and proven leadership skills,” said board chairman Paul Wood.

Martin’s professional background includes experience in strategic planning, nonprofit management, case management, development, community outreach, and volunteer coordination.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and a master’s degree from Arkansas Tech.

“It’s an honor to join Havenwood. The work of this organization is needed more now than ever,” Martin said. “Homelessness and food insecurity are real in our communities. Through teamwork and strong partnerships with other like agencies, together we can assist single parents by promoting awareness, strengthen vital support systems and working tirelessly to move families from crisis to self-sufficiency.

ABF Logistics, a subsidiary of Fort Smith-based ArcBest, was recently recognized for the first time by Transport Topics on the Top Brokerage Firms of 2015 list.

ABF Logistics provides third-party logistics services including truckload brokerage, intermodal and ocean transport, warehousing and household moving. The company provides complete supply chain solutions and an exceptional experience that customers seek through a single point of contact.

ABF Logistics was tied for the 30th spot on the list of 44 brokerage firms. Lowell-based J.B. Hunt Integrated Capacity Solutions was ranked 10th.

“Our customers have come to rely on ABF Logistics for flawless customer service,” ABF Logistics President Jim Ingram said in a statement. “Our growth and success are driven by keeping service commitments even when capacity is limited in various transportation modes.”

ArcBest President and CEO Judy McReynolds noted that going above and beyond to solve complex supply chain needs continues to resonate with customers who increasingly value superior service from ABF Logistics and the other ArcBest companies.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has named members to the Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force as directed by the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2015, or Act 895, of the regular session.

The task force will meet for the first time on April 30 at 10 a.m. The meeting will take place in the Big Mac Building behind the state Capitol. Members are as follows:
Judge Gary Arnold, Specialty Court Judge
Judge Cristi Beaumont, Specialty Court Judge
Sheriff Tim Helder, Washington County Sheriff
Ken Casady, Saline County Prosecuting Attorney
Chief Kent Buckner, City of Little Rock Police Chief
Steve Newsome, LCSW, President/CEO of Counseling Asso. Inc., Medicaid Provider
Robin Raveendran, Medicaid Provider
John Wesley Hall, Attorney, At-Large Member
Tjuana Byrd, Attorney, At-Large Member

Drew Baker, Business Proprietor, At-Large Member
Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, Senate Judiciary Chairman
Rep. Matthew Shepherd, House of Representatives Judiciary Chairman
Benny Magness, chairman, Arkansas Board of Corrections
John Felts, chairman, Arkansas Parole Board
Wendy Kelley, director, Department of Corrections
Sheila Sharp, director, Arkansas Community Corrections

(The Senate president pro tem and the House speaker will also have an appointee.)

Fayetteville-based Clark Partners Realty Group announced new safety guildelines for its agents in response to last year’s murder of Arkansas Realtor Beverly Carter.

Effective immediately the firm’s agents will no longer be permitted to conduct an initial meeting with prospective home buyers at a property for sale. Agents will be required to meet buyers at the firm’s office in downtown Fayetteville or at a public meeting spot where the agent will obtain a photo of the individual’s identification to be emailed or text messaged to the office or broker as a safety precaution.
 
In addition to in-house policy changes, Clark Partners Realty Group will also establish an “open door” policy for agents affiliated with other firms. Realtor members will be welcome to use CPRG’s conference room to meet with a prospective buyer for the first time during regular business hours. Additionally, the firm’s staff will offer the service of photocopying the buyer’s identification to create a record for the guest agent.
 
“If an agent that works out of a Rogers office is showing property in Fayetteville it’s understandable that he or she might have a difficult time convincing the consumer that it’s worth the trip to Rogers for that very first meeting. This ‘open door’ policy is meant to eliminate that inconvenience,” said Anthony Clark, the firm’s principal broker. CPRG will actively encourage other firms, title companies, and banks to adopt similar “open door” policies to create environments across Northwest Arkansas where Realtors can feel safe.

After pulling back on expansion within China in recent years, Wal-Mart Stores CEO Doug McMillon announced Wednesday (April 29) plans to open 115 new stores by 2017. This expansion will expand the retail giant’s footprint by nearly one-third.

"Our aim is to become an integral part of China's economy," McMillon said at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday. "China is a top priority."

Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan are three cities tagged for new store openings over the next two years. This expansion will create more than 30,000 jobs The retailer also said it will invest $60 million remodeling more than 50 other stores in China this year. 


Doing business in China is no easy feat given a highly competitive environment. Walmart International CEO David Cheesewright said in February net sales in China declined 0.7% and comp sales were down 2.3% for the fourth quarter ending Jan. 31.

In its recent annual report Wal-Mart said it operated 411 stores in China as of Jan. 31. 


America's Car-Mart announced the opening of a new dealership in Glasgow, Ky. This marks the 141st lot location for the Bentonville-based buy here, pay here used car dealer.

This also marks 12 lots in Kentucky and the seventh new dealership opening for fiscal year 2015 which ends April 30. The company expected to open eight new dealerships this year, but the site in Rolla, Mo., is running behind schedule and will open in May, the company noted in the release.

The Scott Family Amazeum announced a new naming opportunity as part of its $28.5 million fundraising campaign. Titled Pave the Way, donors are encouraged to commemorate, celebrate, and honor loved ones with an inscribed paver. These individually engraved bricks will make up a permanent walkway on the museum grounds. A limited number of bricks are available at three levels:

·  8” x 16” paver engraved with five lines of text with 27 characters per line; $1,000
·  8” x 8” paver engraved with five lines of text with 15 characters per line; $400
·  4” x 8” paver engraved with three lines of text with 15 characters per line; $200

The children’s discovery museum is slated to open July 15. More than $23 million of the $28.5 million goal has already been raised.

“We continue to seek support from members of our community in order to make this shared dream a reality,” said Molly Rawn, director of development and communications. “The Pave the Way campaign represents an opportunity to honor a loved one as both of you will be a part of something that will amaze, inspire, and educate children in our region. For years to come, families will enjoy visiting the Amazeum and seeing their name displayed in this way.”

Gifts to this Pave the Way campaign are tax-deductible. A limited number of pavers are available and may be purchased by visiting online.

Murphy Oil Corp. fell into the red during the first quarter as declining crude oil and natural gas prices cut a huge swath across the oil giant’s entire operations.

For the period ended March 31, El Dorado-based Murphy Oil reported a net loss of $14.4 million, or eight cents a share, compared with a profit of $155.3 million, or 85 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenues fell to $921.7 million, down 28% from $1.28 billion a year ago.

Income from continuing operations fell to $3.5 million, or two cents a share, from $169.3 million, or 93 cents a share, a year earlier. This year’s results included a $199.5 million after-tax gain on a 10% sale of Murphy’s assets in Malaysia.

Excluding certain nonrecurring items, the loss from continuing operations was $198 million or $1.11 a share, compared with a profit of 96 cents a share a year earlier. Wall Street analysts had expected the Arkansas oil company to report a loss of 87 cents a share on revenue of $764 million, according to Thomson Reuters.

Company officials attributed the $373.3 million decline in profits compared to a year ago to a nearly 50% decline in Brent and West Texas Intermediate benchmark crude prices and a 44% decline in the Henry Hub natural gas price.

“We continue to progress the optimization of our portfolio, reaching closure on the final phase of the sell-down of our Malaysia assets and signing a sales agreement for our remaining U.K. downstream assets. We remain focused on allocating capital and reducing operating expenditures,” Murphy CEO and President Roger Jenkins said in news release. “Looking ahead, Murphy is well-positioned with a solid balance sheet and cash positions to carry out our capital plans and evaluate opportunities that will enhance our business.”

In its U.S. exploration and production operations, Murphy said it averaged nearly 64,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) net, essentially flat to the fourth quarter 2014.

“As planned, we have reduced our rig count in EFS to four rigs during the first quarter and we expect to stay at this level for the rest of the year,” the company said.

Overall, Murphy’s first quarter production averaged near 221,550 boepd, “slightly ahead of our guidance of 221,000 boepd.” Going forward, Murphy said it expects second quarter net production of only 97,000 boepd, and full-year production of 195,000 to 207,000 boepd on capital expenditures of $2.3 billion.

In early trading on Thursday, Murphy’s shares were up 79 cents at $49.19. The Arkansas oil giant’s shares have traded between $42.19 and $68.43 for the full year.

The U.S. Marshals Museum said Thursday (April 30) it will acquire a historic photo collection from Betty Wilfong with the help of museum supporters Pat and David Hightower of Fort Smith.

Joseph Killian, Wilfong’s grandfather, assembled the collection while working for the Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith.

The Betty Wilfong Collection contains photographs of outlaws tracked down and arrested by deputy U.S. marshals in western Arkansas and Indian Territory in the late 1800s, including the Doolin-Dalton Gang, Ned Christie, Cherokee Bill, the Rufus Buck Gang and Belle Starr. It also contains a piece of wood purported to be part of the original gallows at Judge Parker’s courthouse, as well as a camera used by Killian in the early 1900s.

“Thank you to Pat and David Hightower for their continued support of the U.S. Marshals Museum, as well as Bill Staed of Fort Smith and Beth Templeton of Belle Starr Antiques for bringing this amazing collection to our attention,” said Jessica Hougen, curator of the U.S. Marshals Museum. “Acquiring these photographs is a major step forward in building our collections and highlighting the vital role the marshals played in the Old West. We look forward to sharing these photographs, as well as our many other artifacts, with the public when the museum opens.”

Select pieces from the collection will be available for public viewing at 6:30 p.m., May 4, at The Blue Lion in downtown Fort Smith. The viewing is part of the U.S. Marshals Museum’s second session of its Gallery Lecture Series. The “Frontier Marshals Gallery” will explore the Old West, the most famous period in marshal history. Dr. Daniel Littlefield of the Sequoyah Center in Little Rock will present on the Trail of Tears, and how this series of forced relocations led to the increase of federal law enforcement in the Western District of Arkansas and federal jurisdiction in Indian Territory.

Link here for ticket information.

Arvest Bank once again received the highest ranking among its peers in both the South Central and Southwest Regions in the J.D. Power 2015 Retail Banking Satisfaction Study.

This marks the seventh time, overall and consecutively, Arvest has been recognized with a J.D. Power regional award. The bank has received a total of 12 J.D. Power awards during that span.

Arvest previously ranked highest in satisfaction with retail banking in the Southeast (2009), South Central (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), and Southwest (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) regions. The 2015 study was conducted with more than 80,000 banking consumers throughout 11 regions across the United States.

“To earn these rankings for the fourth year in a row in the South Central Region is truly remarkable,” said Rodney Shepard, president and CEO of Arvest Bank of Fort Smith and River Valley. “To consistently provide this level of customer service everyday directly reflects the commitment and hard work our bank associates put in every day. We are honored and thankful that our customers recognize our passion for customer satisfaction and trust us with their financial needs.”

In the South Central Region, Arvest received the highest score in five factors – fees, product offerings, facility, account information, and channel activities – analyzed by the study. The South Central Region consists of five states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

In the Southwest Region, Arvest received the highest score in four factors: product offerings, facility, account information, and fees. The Southwest Region consists of six states: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma and Utah.

Conner Eldridge, U.S. Prosecuting Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, is one of six U.S. attorneys named to the 21-member Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. The announcement was made by the office of newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

The appointments were effective Wednesday (April 29), and those appointed are:
• U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly for the District of Connecticut;
• U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach for the Northern District of Ohio;
• U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge for the Western District of Arkansas;
• U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman for the District of New Jersey;
• U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin II for the Southern District of West Virginia; and
• U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
 
The AGAC was created in 1973 to serve as the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and to advise the attorney general on policy, management and operational issues impacting the offices of the U.S. Attorneys.

“The distinguished women and men who serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee provide invaluable advice and wise counsel that help shape the Justice Department’s approach to combating crime, violence, and injustice in every community across the country,” said Attorney General Lynch. “As a former chair of the AGAC, I am proud to welcome six outstanding new members to the Committee, and I look forward to all that we will achieve, with their help, in the days ahead.”

Eldridge was presidentially appointed and sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas on Dec. 21, 2010. He is the youngest U.S. Attorney in the country.  Eldridge serves as co-chair of the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee, which is composed of 20 law enforcement agencies and Department of Justice components and works to increase collaboration in addressing the threat of Domestic Terrorism. While serving as U.S. Attorney, Eldridge has tried five cases to jury verdict.

He previously served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Arkadelphia (Clark County), Arkansas, as Counsel and, later, CEO of Arkadelphia-based Summit Bank; as a clerk to federal District Judge G. Thomas Eisele and as a legislative assistant to former U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln and former U.S. Congressman Marion Berry, both of Arkansas.

John Brown University’s endowment has exceeded $100 million for the first time in its 96-year history. At the end of JBU’s fiscal third quarter, the endowment was valued at $101 million.

The growth of the endowment comes during JBU’s “Campaign for the Next Century: A Hope and A Future,” which has a goal of raising more than $125 million for scholarships, endowment and building projects.

JBU also announced Thursday (April 30) a $360,000 anonymous gift that will complete the $1 Million Visual Art Endowed Scholarship Match launched only this past January. The program will add $2 million to endowed scholarships for JBU visual art students. The match is a part of the Next Century campaign.

“We are deeply grateful to reach this endowment milestone because it reflects the sacrifice of generations of faithful and generous people who have given to JBU,” said Dr. Chip Pollard, JBU president. “These endowment funds are critical to support student scholarships, academic excellence, and operations so that JBU can both be better and more affordable.”

The JBU Scholarship Endowment fund generated $1.8 million in scholarships for students in the 2014-15 academic year. That is nearly a 200% increase over the amount generated a decade ago. More than 600 students benefit from an endowed scholarship.

JBU’s Endowment for Academic Excellence provides funds for student and professor research and other scholarly endeavors, including endowed faculty chair positions. JBU’s endowment also supports many of the campus facilities covering operational costs like utilities and janitorial staff to keep university costs as low as possible.

The Chaffee Crossing Historic Preservation Organization (CCHPO) announced Thursday (April 30) the expansion of the Camp Chaffee Historic District at Chaffee Crossing near Fort Smith.

With the assistance of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, 14 additional buildings and structures were added to the listing on the National Register of Historic Places that was established in 2011. The district, comprised of WWII-era barracks, administration, dining and recreational buildings and structures, is primarily located between Terry St., Taylor Ave., Ward Ave., Ellis St. and Darby Ave.

New additions to the listing are the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority office, 7020 Taylor Ave., Fort Smith, which served as a Headquarters Building #100 from 1941 to 1997, as well as the complex of administration buildings on each side of the office. Also included is the Vietnam Veterans Chapter #467 Museum, a theater building occupied by the McCafferty Irish Dance Council, a fire station remodeled in 2011 now being used by ATU-Ozark Campus, the Enchanted Doll Museum, Fantasies at the Fort, and one other privately owned building. Other structures added to the register listing include a chimney from a camp recreational hall, two building foundations, a fountain foundation, and a section of railroad between Taylor Avenue and Ward Avenue.

Buildings listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places are eligible for up 45% tax credits on approved restoration. There are 35 buildings in the Chaffee Crossing Historic District available for sale or lease.

FCRA Historic District and Museum Director Joseph Chasteen said the expansion is an ongoing effort to memorialize the impact of Camp Chaffee (known as Fort Chaffee since 1956) on the region.

“Fort Chaffee has had an economic and cultural impact on Fort Smith, the state of Arkansas and U.S. Army history for 74 years. Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (FCRA) created the Chaffee Crossing Historic Preservation Organization non-profit and the historic district designation to help future generations know, honor and respect this history,” Chasteen said in a statement. “This is just one of many Chaffee Crossing Historic District projects we are exploring to further promote the importance and vitality of the site. Our next project is a campaign to construct a Chaffee Veterans Memorial Plaza with engraved bricks honoring veterans and loved ones that will be launched later this year.”

Chasteen also gives credit to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and the National Register and Survey Program team who worked to help CCHPO achieve the additional listings. Those team members are Travis Ratermann, Survey Historian; Ralph Wilcox, Survey Coordinator; and Callie Williams, National Register Historian.

Fort Smith-based ArcBest has announced a quarterly cash dividend of six cents per share payable May 29 to shareholders of record on May 15.

The company is set to report first quarter financials on Monday (May 4). Market watchers are waiting to see if the company will continue the momentum gained in 2014. ArcBest, a transportation holding company with less-than-truckload carrier ABF Freight as its largest subsidiary, reported in February full year net income of $46.177 million, up 192% compared to the $15.811 million in 2013, and a wide swing from the $7.7 million loss in 2012.

ArcBest shares (NASDAQ: ARCB) were trading up more than 80 cents in Friday afternoon trading. The share price closed Thursday at $35.70. During the past 52 weeks the share price has ranged from a $47.52 high to a $30.14 low.

The company also announced Friday that its U-Pack division received the 2015 Torch Award for Ethics from the Arkansas Better Business Bureau. The household moving service was one of four winners chosen by a panel of independent judges from over 100 entries.

"We're honored to represent the extraordinary principles that make up the Better Business Bureau ethics program," Andrew Schweizer, vice president of U-Pack, said in a statement. "We value the feedback we receive from customers via the BBB and will continue to utilize that source as a measurement of quality."

Cole Hollowell has been named branch manager of the new Fayetteville branch of First National Bank of NWA, and Holly Wheeler has joined as a vice president and lender at the new branch.

The new Fayetteville branch, located at 2638 E Joyce Blvd., opened on Dec. 1, 2014. FNBNWA will begin construction on a Bentonville branch in 2015.

Wheeler has banking experience in the Fayetteville, Rogers and Fort Smith markets including consumer, mortgage and commercial lending in addition to private wealth management. She serves on the Junior League of NWA and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and Leadership Fayetteville.

“I am very pleased to announce that Holly has joined our team. Having worked with her during part of her 14 year banking career, I know that she brings a passion for taking care of customers and making banking easy which seems like a perfect fit for our FNBNWA culture,” Rob Husong, regional president, said in a statement.

Hollowell’s new role will include business development for the branch in addition to daily management of the Fayetteville retail team. 

“Cole is a great addition to our Fayetteville team. He’s a Washington County native and has proven to be a solid leader with a strong sales background,” Husong said. “I know he will bring a lot of energy and focus as we continue to grow in the Washington County market.”

The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary announced Tuesday that it will provide more than $2.4 million in Affordable Care Act funding for four new health center sites to help primary health care services in Springdale, Mena, Augusta and West Memphis.

“The Affordable Care Act has led to unprecedented increases in access to health insurance. Part of building on that progress is connecting people to the care they need,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. “Health centers are keystones of the communities they serve in Arkansas. Today’s awards will enable more individuals and families in Arkansas to have access to the affordable, quality health care that health centers provide. That includes the preventive and primary care services that will keep them healthy.”

There are 12 health centers in Arkansas that operate more than 106 service delivery sites and provide care to nearly 163,797 patients in Arkansas. Besides the four communities that received new awards, the other Arkansas health centers are located in Ratcliff, Clarendon, Portland, Marianna, Pine Bluff, Corning, Hampton and Marshall. The new health centers in Arkansas are projected to increase access to health care services for nearly 9,509 patients, HHS officials said.

Nationally, the federal agency awarded more than $100 million to 164 new health center sites in 33 states and two U.S. territories to increase access to health care services for nearly 650,000 patients, HHS officials said. Altogether, this new investment will add to the more than 550 new health center sites that have opened in the last four years as a result of the Affordable Care Act.

Federal officials also said that health centers have also been critical in helping Arkansans sign up for health insurance through the Marketplace. Since 2013, health centers assisted more than 82,296 Arkansans in their efforts to become insured.

Fayetteville-based Skosay, a customer engagement technology startup, was awarded $100,000 from the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority (ASTA) to further develop its technology. The local tech startup enhances the customer experience by providing consumers the ability to give feedback to businesses in a private, two-way messaging platform.

“We’re very honored to receive this Technology Development Program investment amount from the ASTA,” said Justin Urso, CEO and cofounder of Skosay. “We plan to use the investment to help further develop our native applications for iOS and Android devices, as well as work on an exclusive analytics dashboard for our clients.”

The goal of ASTA’s Technology Development Program is to assist in commercializing new technology-based products and processes. Recipients must have a well-defined project plan showing progression from idea, to prototype, to production, the release notes.

“Skosay’s technology is changing the way we look at physical comment cards, 1-800 numbers, and meaningful engagement between businesses and its customers,” said Steve Stanley, Ph.D., VP of Commercialization of ASTA. “This tech startup has aspects similar to those of Silicon Valley’s, but its vision and strategy has what it takes to truly make an impact on not only Arkansas’ economy but also how businesses everywhere will engage with customers.” 

After completing the Ark Challenge, a mentorship-driven accelerator program for technology startups, last summer, Skosay has seen success with several businesses, including XNA Airport, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.

“Customer service and the customer experience is one of our top priorities,” said Kelly Johnson, Airport Director of XNA Airport. “Skosay allows us to gather insightful feedback from our travelers and talk back to them, which is one of the most valuable features of this technology.”