We don’t observe most holidays, but considering the jokester inside us, April Fools’ Day holds a special place in our heart. Since this website’s 2021 launch we have published satirical news articles on April 1. Some may frown on the practice because there is so much misinformation on social media, but we stand firm on our decision to have a little fun at work — at least one day out of the year. Our greatest prank this year was an article about Bucees being swayed to build a travel center in Arkadelphia. The story made its way to Benton/Bryant, where people there took it serious enough to write the publisher of MySaline about their beloved Bucees changing their minds. The publisher apparently received enough inquiries that she took to Facebook that evening to ask her readers to stop bugging her about it. Well played, we say.
Other April Fools’ articles that didn’t come to fruition this year: Arkadelphia Bypass project on hold as governor pulls funding for teacher salaries; EDCCC pledges $1 billion to Malone Inc. under condition headquarters be moved 2 feet farther from street; All of Clark County’s secrets found swept under new turf at Badger Stadium
Our current reader poll indicates that a whopping majority of locals will not be traveling outside of the city for a longer viewing of the eclipse. There are scads of community events planned around this historic event. Click the Chamber of Commerce’s banner advertisement at the top of our page to read more about those events.
37,200 views in one day!
We learned last week of a prospective industry that opted out of locating in Clark County. We heard at a public meeting of the Economic Development Corp. that a food manufacturer has set its sights elsewhere in Arkansas. Where that potential location might be wasn’t discussed. Two other projects, both dealing in the bio-manufacturing industry, also did not come to fruition.
On a brighter note, we also learned that at the end of 2023 Hostess Brands had 165 employees working at the Gum Springs factory. The company has exceeded the number of jobs it agreed to create when it was offered a $2 million incentives package. The average wage there is $25.29 per hour, which is more than what the company agreed to when it inked an agreement with the EDCCC.
On yet another positive note, the Alliance says it’s got three active prospects: a data center, a battery component manufacturing facility, and wood products manufacturer. We suspect we’ve already gotten the scoop on the battery manufacturer. CLICK HERE to see that story. Also, five new projects have been added in the past couple of months: a distribution center, light industrial, advanced manufacturing, wood products and a local expansion. We’ll definitely report on any updates, especially once and if they come to fruition.
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