The city of Bella Vista is taking applications to fill several vacant positions on the planning commission and the board of zoning adjustment. Appointments will serve out the remainder of the position’s term.

The planning commission is a seven member panel that reviews development and subdivision petitions and hears appeals of the planning, building, and code enforcement department’s interpretation of the subdivision code.

Members of the commission are expected to attend two scheduled meetings per month if there is business to conduct. There are two positions open on the commission:

Position 2, Term Expiration October 2017
Position 5, Term Expiration October 2018

The board of zoning adjustment is a seven member panel that hears petitions for variances from the zoning code, interprets district boundaries of the zoning map.

Members of the board are expected to attend one scheduled meeting per month if there is business to conduct. There is one position open on the board:


Position 1, Term Expiration October 2016

Members of all city boards and commissions must be qualified electors residing in the city and can not hold any other municipal office or appointment. For those seeking appointment, a professional background in architecture, construction, law, civil engineering, real estate, surveying, or landscape architecture is desirable but not required.

Interested parties should stop by the planning departmental offices at 306 Town Center West between 8:00 a.m  and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, to pick up an application.

Alternatively, the application may be downloaded at www.cityofbellavista.com. All applications should be returned by Feb. 5.

Retailer J.C. Penney announced plans to close 33 underperforming stores seeking $65 million in cost savings this year, while also eliminating about 2,000 jobs by May. The retailer released the list on Thursday (Jan. 16), none of the stores across Arkansas are slated for closure.

In connection with this initiative, the company expects to incur estimated pre-tax charges of approximately $26 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 and approximately $17 million in future periods.

Remaining inventory in the affected stores will be sold over the next several months, with final closings expected to be complete by early May.

Eligible associates who do not remain with the company will receive separation benefits packages. Meanwhile, the company is continuing its plans to open a new store location later this year at the Gateway II development in Brooklyn, N.Y.

"As we continue to progress toward long-term profitable growth, it is necessary to reexamine the financial performance of our store portfolio and adjust our national footprint accordingly," said CEO Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III. "While it`s always difficult to make a business decision that impacts our valued customers and associates, this important step addresses a strategic priority to improve the profitability of our stores and position J.C. Penney for future success."

Apollo Global Management said it will acquire CEC Entertainment, which operates 577 Chuck E. Cheese stores.

The deal is valued at $1.3 billion, including the assumption of CEC’s outstanding debt.

Apollo’s all cash offer of $54 per share represents a premium of about 25% over CEC’s closing share price on Jan. 7 and a premium of about 36% over the 12-month volume weighted average share price for the period ended Jan. 7.

“Apollo brings significant industry expertise and financial resources, and we look forward to working with them to further grow CEC domestically and internationally,” said Michael H. Magusiak, president and chief executive officer of Irving-based CEC.

CEC and its franchisees operate Chuck E. Cheese’s stores in 47 states and 10 foreign countries or territories.

Jim Laughton, a member of the communication and arts faculty at NorthWest Arkansas Community College, was recently honored with the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award.

The annual Roueche Excellence Awards, presented by the League for Innovation in the Community College to deserving community college educators throughout the country, were established in 2012.

The awards are named in honor of John E. and Suanne D. Roueche, leaders in the community college field and early proponents of the idea that teachers have major responsibility for how well students perform in the classroom. The Roueches have been partners and friends of the League for Innovation in the Community College for more than 35 years. Award recipients from throughout the nation will be recognized during the League’s 2014 Innovations conference in early March, in Anaheim, Calif.
 
Laughton serves as composition coordinator for the college’s English Department.

Dr. Anita Jones, dean of the communication and arts division, said Laughton mirrors the criteria for the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence award: outstanding teaching, leadership and learning. 

“Jim has an innate ability to engage and connect with fellow faculty and students. Through teamwork and a very positive attitude he has earned the respect of all faculty, staff and administrators,” Jones said.

A federal grant awarded to NorthWest Arkansas Community College will fund courses designed to empower the unemployed by providing technology courses in fields in high demand by area industries and employers.
 
The spring 2014 schedule includes courses in computer service and repair, network and mobile infrastructure, and disaster recovery. All of the courses are designed to teach the students the basic skills and applications needed to pass industry standard certification.
 
“The ARK grant is designed to help the unemployed by giving them an education in a highly desirable field,” said ARK Grant Director Brad Henderson. “Eligible students successfully completing these free courses position themselves to earn certification in a variety of areas, like Cisco Networking and A+.”
 
To meet eligibility requirements for the free courses, students must be long-term unemployed (more than six months), recently unemployed, or underemployed. 

Residency in Northwest Arkansas, Southwest Missouri, and Northeast Oklahoma is another requirement.  All applications are screened and reviewed prior to admission.
 
“I am really hoping we get more students from Missouri and Oklahoma this semester,” said Henderson. “The grant specifically targets residents in McDonald and Adair counties (Missouri and Oklahoma respectively), as well as the entire Northwest Arkansas region, including Carroll County.”
 
Now in its third year, the ARK grant, funded through the United States Department of Labor, has already helped more than 275 area residents, and helps reaffirm NorthWest Arkansas Community College as the area’s leader in workforce development.
 
“It has been a tremendous success for the college.  Not only are the courses free, but so are the books required for each class. I think it is a very realistic goal that we will exceed 500 students heading into the summer,” said Henderson.


The college received the $1 million grant in 2011, and it is scheduled to end in October 2015. Courses are taught in the College’s Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies and in the institution’s Shewmaker Center for Global Business Development. 


A complete schedule and more information about the grant is available at online.
 

Bank of the Ozarks Inc. reported net income for the fourth quarter of 2013 was $24.4 million, an 18.1% increase from $20.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2012.

For the full year of 2013, net income totaled $87.1 million, a 13.1% increase from $77.0 million for the full year of 2012.

The Little Rock-based bank’s results for 2013 included the July 31, 2013 acquisition of The First National Bank of Shelby in Shelby, North Carolina.

“We are pleased to report our excellent fourth quarter results. Highlights of the quarter included stellar asset quality and another quarter of excellent loan and lease growth,” said CEO George Gleason. “Our capabilities to generate loan and lease growth have been clearly evident this year. Our balance of loans and leases outstanding, excluding covered loans and purchased non-covered loans, increased $110 million in the quarter just ended and $517 million for the full year of 2013. Our unfunded balance of closed loans increased $78 million during the fourth quarter, growing to $1.21 billion at December 31, 2013 compared to $1.13 billion at September 30, 2013 and $769 million at December 31, 2012.”

Additional financial highlights of the quarter included:
• Deposits were $3.72 billion at Dec. 31, 2013, a 19.9% increase compared to $3.10 billion at Dec. 31, 2012.

• Total assets were $4.79 billion at Dec. 31, 2013, an 18.5% increase compared to $4.04 billion at Dec. 31, 2012.

• Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2013 was $55.3 million, an increase of 26.3% from $43.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2012.

• Non-interest income for the fourth quarter of 2013 was $18.6 million, a 1.4% decrease from $18.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2012.

• Loans and leases, excluding loans covered by FDIC loss share agreements (“covered loans”) and purchased loans not covered by loss share (“purchased non-covered loans”), were $2.63 billion at Dec. 31, 2013, a 24.4% increase from $2.12 billion at Dec. 31, 2012.

• Including covered loans and purchased non-covered loans, total loans and leases were $3.36 billion at Dec. 31, 2013, a 21.9% increase from $2.75 billion at Dec. 31, 2012.

Gov. Mike Beebe on Thursday (Jan. 16) announced appointments to boards and commissions:

Ronald Angel, Maumelle, to the Arkansas Veterans Commission. Appointment expires Oct. 15, 2017. Replaces Roger McClain.

Amber Bagley, Little Rock, to the Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative. Appointment expires Sept. 4, 2017. Replaces Amy Stewart.

Jerry Buck, Amity, to the Clark County Quorum Court, District 8. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2014. Replaces Albert Dean Porter.

Ann Cash, Lake Village, reappointed to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2021.

Stephanie Collie, Malvern, reappointed to the Arkansas Scenic Resources Preservation Coordinating Committee. Appointment expires Oct. 1, 2017.

Sherma Dicus, Paragould, to the Greene County Quorum Court, District 1. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2014. Replaces Ron Dicus.

Thomas Dupree, Jacksonville, reappointed to the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission. Appointment expires Oct. 1, 2015.

Harold Evans, Little Rock, reappointed to the Information Network of Arkansas. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2015.

Lesia Ford, West Memphis, reappointed to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2016.

Erica Franklin, Conway, to the Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice. Appointment expires Aug. 15, 2016. This is a new position.

Monica Freeland, Tillar, to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2016. Replaces Sylvester Smith.

Richmond Giles, Little Rock, reappointed to the Arkansas Commission for Juvenile Justice. Appointment expires Aug. 15, 2016.

Bobby Glover, Carlisle, reappointed to the Board of Corrections. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2020.

Jay Hartman, Sr., Little Rock, to the Mosaic Templars of America Center for African-American Culture and Business Enterprise Advisory Board. Appointment expires Oct. 31, 2017. Replaces John Flowers.

Dr. Karen Hollenbeck, Fort Smith, to the Arkansas Taskforce on Prevention through Education of Child Sexual Abuse. Appointment expires May 1, 2015. This is a new position.

Chief Sean McCall, Mount Holly, to the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council. Appointment expires July 1, 2016. Replaces Todd Freeman.

Amy Mattison, Jacksonville, reappointed to the Information Network of Arkansas. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2016.

Seshardi Mohan, Ph.D., Little Rock, to the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2017. Replaces Beverly Lyn Cook.

Dr. Corey Montgomery, Little Rock, to the Governor’s Trauma Advisory Council. Appointment expires July 1, 2015. Replaces Dr. Victor Williams.

Robert “Travis” Mulhearn, Conway, to the Faulkner County Quorum Court, District 5. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2014. Replaces Charles Prince.

Daniel Murdaugh, North Little Rock, reappointed to the Petroleum Storage Tanks Advisory Council. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2017.

John Murphy, Jr., Tumbling Shoals, to the Criminal Justice Institute Advisory Board. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2015. Replaces Roger Pearson.

George Overbey, Lamar, reappointed to the Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission. Appointment expires Sept. 29, 2015.

Ron Pitts, Hensley, reappointed to the Information Network of Arkansas. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2016.

Bill Riley, Wynne, to the Cross County Quorum Court, District 4. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2014. Replaces Mike Davis.

Marlane Stakemiller, Little Rock, reappointed to the Arkansas Humanities Council. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2016.

Brian Thomas, Benton, to the Governor’s Trauma Advisory Council. Appointment expires July 1, 2015. Replaces Keith Moore.

Kent Walker, North Little Rock, to the Pulaski Technical College Board of Trustees. Appointment expires July 1, 2019. Replaces Frank Scott.

Wal-Mart Stores is not the only retailer looking to win favor with the college-age consumers.

It appears Target is planning its first TargetExpress store slated to open in July on the ground floor of an apartment building under construction near the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis, according to the New York Times.

The express format is a test by the big store giant and is expected to be 20,000 square feet, similar in size to the Walmart Express which was first unveiled in rural settings, but more recently is being built in college campuses and densely populated urban areas.

According to the New York Times, the first TargetExpress will offer a mix of groceries, health and beauty items, apparel basics, home décor and consumer electronics.
This compares closely to the merchandise mix at the Walmart Express on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville.

Banking media firm SNL Financial reports that the nation’s largest credit card issuers reported fewer late payments in December, with a 0.8% drop in delinquency rates from the prior month.

Citigroup’s delinquency rates were 1.73%.

American Express reported delinquencies at 1.16%.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. saw a 0.6% decrease in delinquencies to 1.56%.

Discover Financial Services' delinquencies fell to 1.55% from 1.60%.

Bank of America Corp.'s delinquency rate declined to 2.30% from 2.34%.

Capital One Financial Corp.'s delinquency rate went down to 2.76% from 2.81%.

"Credit quality and loan balances have trended modestly better than our expectations for the quarter.," noted Sanjay Sakhrani, analyst with C Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

Sakhrani reported "solid ending loan growth," especially in U.S. cards. But the analyst remains wary of the growth trend, considering the paydowns after the holiday season.

"One item to note is that there will be a mild headwind to provision expense related to the accounting impacts of certain pools of acquired private student loans that are performing worse than expectations," the analyst wrote to investors in a Jan. 15 note.

U.S. rail intermodal traffic declined 8.2% in the week ended Jan. 11 compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads reported.

Railroads moved about 236,000 intermodal trailers and containers AAR said in its weekly reported.

Railroad carloads excluding intermodal declined 8.2% year-over-year to almost 257,000 units, AAR said in its weekly report.

Just two of 10 commodity groups showed increases — grain, which gained 10.1%, and petroleum products, up 5.5%.

Motor vehicles and parts had the biggest drop, posting a 22.5% decline.

Several local trucking company's like J.B. Hunt continue to expand their intermodal business units. Hunt is the first to report earnings on Jan. 23.

Sebastian County Treasurer and Collector Judith Miller has announced that she will seek re-election this year.

Miller, who has served in Sebastian County government for 25 years, has been treasurer for the last five years.

In a press release, Miller's campaign highlights what is said are accomplishments since first taking office in 2009.

"Miller has introduced some innovative (ways) to make the Treasurer/Collector's office more efficient and convenient in its service to the public. The Collector's office offers partial payments, online payments, or Smartphone applications for taxpayers. Taxpayers can view their statement on line plus their receipts. Miller has updated the Treasurer's and Collector's software to make communication with the taxpayer easier and keep the offices up on the latest technology."

A Greenwood native, Miller is a member of the Arkansas Association of Treasurers and sits on its board of continuing education. She is also a board member of the Arkansas Association of Collectors, the National Association of Counties, and the International Association of Clerks and Treasurers.

Miller, who along with her husband Sam have two children and two grandchildren, said her previous five years in office showed a clear record of achievements.

"I am grateful for the support that I have received from the citizens, voters, and taxpayers," she said. "I stand on the record of my achievements in office. I am asking for your vote in the upcoming 2014 election. My staff and I strive for excellent in service and my door is always open to address your concerns."

Fort Smith native and Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn has selected the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club and Springdale-based A Level Up to receive proceeds from an award he was given by Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Some of the proceeds will also go to Women’s Hope Clinic in Auburn.

In partnership with the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame, Malzahn was recently named the 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winner for the Football Bowl Subdivision. In his first year at Auburn, Malzahn turned around a program that finished 3-9 the year before and took the team to the college football national championship. The title game saw Auburn fall to Florida State by a score of 34-31.

As Coach of the Year, Liberty Mutual awarded Malzahn $50,000 to support his favorite charities and $20,000 toward the scholarship fund of the Auburn University Alumni Association.

Jerry Glidewell, director of the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club, said officials with the organization are “humbled and honored” to receive $20,000 from Malzahn through the award. Malzahn, whose parents, Edie and Ray Ruhman still reside in Fort Smith, grew up at the club, according to Glidewell.

“Gus Malzahn is a former member and employee of the Evans Boys & Girls Club, where he excelled in basketball, baseball and football during his youth. In his teen years, he began volunteer coaching at the Club, including basketball, football, soccer and baseball. Gus also worked at the Evans unit and was a groundskeeper at Hunts Park. He played baseball for Kerwins American Legion team,” Glidewell explained.

Glidewell said one of Malzahn’s first coaches is still active at the club.

“Malzahn's midget league football coach Adam Webster, has been a volunteer football coach at the Club for the past 40 years, including 36 consecutive seasons with the McDonald’s midget league team,” Glidewell said.

A Level Up seeks to motivate people to move them “a level up” from hopelessness and achieve their full potential through leadership training, life skills building, and hand-on experiences.

The preliminary index for consumer sentiment in dipped to 80.4 in January, from 82.5 in December, according to the Thomson/Reuters/University of Michigan report released Friday, Jan. 17. The final survey numbers will be updated on Jan. 31.

Preliminary sentiment fell short of economist expectations of 83.5, according to the Bloomberg survey. The month-over-month decline was linked to disappointing job growth in December.

Rich Yamerone, chief economist with Bloomberg L.P. , said there aren’t enough full-time jobs with benefits being creating to push the economy forward. He said employers large and small are stifled by the healthcare mandate, reducing positions and slashing hours as needed to dodge higher benefit costs.

He said there are many folks working two or more jobs to make ends meet. They are taking lower-wage retail and food service positions to subsidize the wages they could be losing in what used to be a 40-to 45-hour per-week job.

Michael Moran, chief economist at Daiwa Capital Markets America Inc., projected a reading of 81. He told Bloomberg that he expects to see some cooling off in spending in the first quarter.

Tyson Foods, in the midst of shifting some of its processed meat operations in Iowa, said it will lay off about 60 workers from its deli meat plant in Cherokee, Iowa, the company firmed in an email statement on Friday, Jan. 17. The staff reduction is effective immediately.


“As part of our ongoing effort to operate efficiently, we’ve shifted some of the production at Cherokee to other facilities... We don’t take this decision lightly and will be working with the affected employees to help them identify other job opportunities within our company – perhaps at Dakota City or Storm Lake,” according to Tyson spokesman Dan Fogelman.

Tyson said the affected workers could be recalled in business conditions improve or other positions open up through normal attrition.

Pork packer margins declined to $1.77 per head, down from $14.74 a month ago, according to the Sterling Pork Profit Tracker. Losses were wider from farrow to finish at an average $7.22 loss per head.

Tyson CEO Donnie Smith said Thursday, (Jan. 16) pork and beef prices are expected to rise higher in 2014, and that will likely mean consumers eat more chicken.

Tyson Foods will report quarterly earnings on Jan. 31.

Wal-Mart will proceed with its independent operations in India under the name “Wal-Mart India Private Lt’d”, according to Kevin Gardner, spokesman for the retail giant.

“Post the announcement in October 2013 by Walmart and Bharti Enterprises about running independent ventures, Walmart initiated the process of renaming the company in India. This is a process in any demerger and we have not set up a new company,” Gardner noted in an email on Monday (Jan. 20.)

He said earlier media reports out of India had been misleading as they wrongly indicated Wal-Mart would be proceeding with a new partner in a retail venture there.

Arvest Bank announced Susana Perez has been promoted to personal banker in Springdale. She is relocating from 415 Emma Avenue to the branch located at the corner of East Robinson Avenue and Butterfield Coach Road and reports to Christy Queary, consumer loan manager in Springdale.

Perez has worked for Arvest for more than eight years; she started as a teller in 2005. During her career at Arvest she has worked as a consumer loan assistant, mortgage loan assistant and most recently as a financial service representative in downtown Springdale.  

 “Susana is a highly capable and intelligent member of our team at Arvest,” said Queary. “Her conscientious approach to her work and the rapport she develops with her customers demonstrate the qualities that we always strive to provide in our bank.”
 
A native of Watonga, Okla., Perez’s family moved to Rogers in 1995 and she graduated from Rogers High School in 2003. She and her husband, Jose Atilano, have a daughter, Janell.

• Unilever ready to focus on food growth
After steadily shedding food brands over the past few years, Unilever. said it is now ready to recover its position in the food category.

“The actions we’ve taken so far have stabilized performance, and we are ready to accelerate food beyond the 1.5% per year on average that we’ve done over the last five years,” CEO Paul Polman said during a Jan. 21 earnings call.

“Food remains a highly cash-generative business, and as our portfolio increasingly focuses on our big global brands and a clear way forward for spreads, it is increasingly becoming ready to grow again,” he added.

In 2011 Unilever disposed of the following food businesses: Mrs. Dash, Molly McButter, Sugar Twin, Baker’s Joy, Static Guard and Kleen Guard brands to Parsippany, N.J.-based B&G Foods for $325 million in cash.

The shedding continued in September 2012, when Unilever completed the sale of its Bertolli and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu frozen meals business to ConAgra Foods, Inc. for $267 million.

In January 2012, Unilever agreed to sell its Skippy peanut butter brand to Hormel Foods Corp. for $700 million. Unilever also completed the sale of its Wish-Bone and Western dressings brands to Pinnacle Foods, Inc. for $580 million in October.

“There are early encouraging signs that the new marketing strategy and our portfolio is in better shape following the disposals we’ve made.” Polman said.

He said going forward Unilever will proceed with fewer items, expecting flat growth in the U.S. while taking marketshare in margarine spreads.

•  Smucker invests in Memphis plant

The J.M. Smucker Co. plans to invest an additional $40 million in a peanut butter plant in Memphis.

It’s been a year since Smucker announced plans to convert the Memphis facility, then a fruit spread facility, into a peanut butter plant. That move resulted in an initial investment of $55.6 million.

Since then Smucker determined another $40 million was needed for building modifications and additional machinery and equipment. The additional improvements will allow the company to expand peanut butter production for the company’s Jif, Laura, Scudders, Adams and Smucker’s brands.

• Dave Biegger to head up global supply chain for Campbell Soup
The Campbell Soup Co. said Dave Biegger was recently promoted to SVP and will head up global supply chain management, replacing David White, who is retiring from the company on April 1.


Biegger will be responsible for engineering, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, customer service, quality and facilities for the company. He joined Campbell in 2005 as vice-president of strategic planning for the company’s global supply chain. 

In 2007, he was promoted to vice-president of North America supply chain. He will maintain responsibility of the North America supply chain in his new role, according to the company.

“Dave will play a critical role in our key strategies by creating a demand-driven supply chain, delivering consumer-focused innovation and operations excellence while driving cost and margin management,” said Denise Morrison, president and chief executive officer of the company.

Before joining Campbell in 2005, Biegger spent nearly 24 years with Procter & Gamble.

It was just three days ago that U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., announced he would resign his seat in the U.S. Senate at the conclusion of the 113th Congress, leaving about two years before the end of his second term.

Now the state has its first candidate in the special election to fill Coburn's seat as U.S. Rep. James Lankford, an Edmond Republican in his second House term, announced Monday (Jan. 20) that he would run to succeed Oklahoma's junior Senator.

Lankford, who has made a name for himself as one of the most conservative members of Congress, said in a campaign announcement video that he wants to bring his values to the Senate.

"This is a very difficult season in the history of our nation. Health care, national debt, slow economic growth, regulations, executive overreach, Presidential scandals, assaults on our Constitution. We can't just complain about the problems. We must put forward conservative solutions."

The former executive director of the Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center, the state's largest youth camp, Lankford said serving in the House and possible future service in the Senate would be an extension of his work serving the people of Oklahoma.

"Our family served in ministry for 22 years. For the last 13 years of our ministry, I served as the director of our state's largest youth camp — Falls Creek," he said. "Our passion has been to serve the families of Oklahoma and the next generation. Since 2011, we've served Oklahoma families in the U.S. House of Representatives. After many hours of prayer and encouragement from people all over the state, we sense a clear calling to serve every Oklahoman in the United States Senate."

Lankford's announcement comes on the same day that U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Norman, said he would not run for Coburn's soon to be open seat. The same announcement was made by Republicans Todd Lamb, the state's lieutenant governor, and Attorney General Scott Pruitt.

No other candidates have yet announced for the seat, though reports indicate that former Republican Gov. Frank Keating and Democrat Kenneth Corn, who represented parts of LeFlore and Sequoyah Counties in the state senate from 2002 to 2010, were both considering a run for the seat.

Gov. Mary Fallin, R-Okla., set the special election to coincide with the 2014 election cycle with the primary set for June 24, a runoff (if needed) on Aug. 26, and the general election on Nov. 4.

Kirkley Thomas has been named as the vice president of governmental affairs for Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI). He replaces Carmie Henry, who will retire effective Jan. 31 after more than 17 years with the cooperatives.
 
“After a nationwide search involving hundreds of candidates, Kirkley Thomas has been named vice president of governmental affairs for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas,” Duane Highley, president/CEO for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, said in a statement. “Kirkley has served as the manager of economic development and in government affairs functions for the past 16 years for the cooperatives. He is an asset to the cooperative movement.”

Thomas, a graduate of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro with a degree in journalism/public relations, joined the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas as manager of community and economic development in 1998. A native of Lepanto, he is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma.

Thomas has held leadership positions in state and regional economic development organizations and serves on the boards of the Arkansas Waterways Association, Accelerate Arkansas, Connect Arkansas and the Arkansas Steering Committee for the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Project.

“I am honored to be able to continue to serve electric cooperative members throughout Arkansas in this new role,” Thomas said. “As a native of a rural Arkansas community, and having worked with towns across the state in community and economic development, I am very familiar with the opportunities and challenges our members face. I look forward to working with our elected officials to advance the cooperatives’ mission of ensuring a safe, affordable and reliable power supply.”

The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives; Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides services to the distribution cooperatives; and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC), a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 500,000 homes, farms and businesses in Arkansas and surrounding states.

Yihaodian.com, a subsidiary of Walmart China, reported annual sales of $1.89 billion in U.S. dollars, up 77% from a year ago. Walmart owns a 51% stake in the online food business that nearly doubled its number of registered users to 57 million last year, according to the earnings statement.

Known for its imported gourmet portfolio, Yihaodian sold 250 million units of imported food. Almost 40% of imported diary products in China were sold from the Yihaodian channel, according to media reports out of China.

Yiihaodian initiated its delivery of fresh food, such as fruits and vegetables, to Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen to further tap the online grocery market. Such service will be extended to Chengdu and Wuhan next year.