Andy Thompson has been named the new chief operating officer for Mercy Clinics in Northwest Arkansas. Thompson takes on his new role as Mercy is set to open two new clinics in the fall of 2014.

Thompson joined Mercy in 2005 with a role in clinic administration in Springfield, Mo. He later served as executive director of finance for Mercy Hot Springs with responsibilities for Mercy Ft. Smith and Mercy Northwest Arkansas. 

“It is a challenging yet exciting time to be in health care, and Andy’s background and experience is well suited as we prepare and plan how to best serve our patients and community,” said Dr. Steve Goss, president at Mercy Clinic. “I heard someone say the other day that Mercy is just popping up everywhere. It’s our job as health care leaders to make sure we are ‘popping up’ where our community really needs us and where we can have the greatest impact. Andy will be a tremendous asset as we move our clinic operations forward.”

Thompson is replacing Steve Hughes, who has served as chief operations officer for the past six years. Although retiring from this particular position, Hughes will continue part-time project assignments in nearby Mercy communities.

“Our clinic operations have seen signification growth under Steve’s direction,” Goss added. “We are stronger today because of him and are so pleased Mercy will continue to benefit from his leadership.”

Dan McKay, CEO of Northwest Health System, is leaving his post of five years to take over as the new CEO of Sparks Health System in Fort Smith.

“It is bittersweet to leave Northwest Health System after how much has been accomplished together with our physicians and employees,” McKay said. “This role has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career and I am confident that the momentum created over the past five years will continue and even grow.”
 
McKay joined Northwest in 2010 and immediately began work to develop collaborative relationships with physicians on the medical staff. He worked to help recruit 100 doctors to the system’s medical staff and oversaw the opening of 20 new clinics. The system also expanded and opened several new services, including a stroke program with University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, a hospitalist program, telemedicine at Bentonville and Springdale, and a new emergency department in Springdale. Springdale was also the first hospital in Northwest Arkansas to receive chest pain accreditation, which was soon followed by Bentonville.
 
“Of all the ways Dan made Northwest a better place, the most important were the stability he brought and the foundation he has laid for future success,” said Linda Maeinschein, Chairman, Northwest Health System Board of Trustees. “The achievements we’ve made during his tenure have positioned us for a successful future and we are grateful for the position we are in because of his leadership.”
 
The search for a new CEO will begin immediately to identify the right candidate to lead Northwest Health System and serve this community.
 
 

Pinnacle Foods announced Monday (June 30) it has exercised its right to terminate the merger agreement with Hillshire Brands, originally announced in May. That move now clears the way for the $8.55 billion acquisition of Hillshire by Tyson Foods.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Pinnacle is entitled to receive a cash payment from Hillshire Brands of $163 million as a result of this termination. Pinnacle indicated that one-time fees and expenses associated with the merger agreement, including external advisors and employee incentives, are expected to total approximately $25 million.

Tyson Foods has said it is prepared to cover the costs of the termination fees associated with the Pinnacle deal.

Pinnacle noted in a release that it expects to pay minimal cash taxes on the payment from Hillshire. The company plans to use the net cash proceeds to reduce debt and, as a result, expects net interest expense for the year to fall slightly below the $100 million previously disclosed.  The interest savings are expected to be reinvested in the business in 2014. 

On a pro forma adjusted basis, which excludes the merger-related payment, fees and expenses and other items affecting comparability, Pinnacle reaffirmed its guidance for diluted earnings per share for 2014 in the range of $1.70 to $1.75. 

"We're excited to continue delivering long-term value for our shareholders through our strategy of Reinvigorating Iconic Brands. We continue to manage well through the difficult industry and category environment that we have discussed previously,” said, Pinnacle Foods CEO Bob Gamgort.

Tyson’s blockbuster $8.55 billion bid for Hillshire Brands stipulated that the hot dog and sausage maker must first abandon its plans to buy Pinnacle for $4.23 billon. Tyson’s offer of $63 a share to Hillshire investors was met with mixed sentiment on Wall Street. 

Several analysts say Tyson overbid at $63 per share for Hillshire Brands at the expense of existing Tyson investors, and that the 70% per-share premium could take years for Tyson to recover.

Tyson shares closed Monday at $37.54, up 10 cents on the news. Shares were trading in the mid 40s in early June, just ahead of the announcement to buy Hillshire Brands. Shares of Hillshire Brand closed Monday  at $62.30, up 30 cents.

Arkansas’ $1.3 billion steel mill superproject in northeast Arkansas has closed on its private equity financing. Next up, construction and maybe another superproject.

State officials and Big River Steel CEO John Correnti said the financing portion of the deal — which closed yesterday – was a whirlwind event with all of the moving pieces of the project coming together in less than 48 hours.

“It was a lawyerfest,” Correnti said. “It’s a lot of work by a lot of people.”

Private equity investors are fronting $1.25 billion of the $1.3 billion superproject. Those investors have to spend $250 million before any portion of the state’s $125 million can be tapped. The city of Osceola and Mississippi County are also fronting a combined $16.5 million in financing.

State economic officials and public investors, led by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Arkansas Development Finance Authority, and the Arkansas Teachers Retirement System, joined Correntti for an interview with Talk Business & Politics on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve jumped the largest hurdle by closing the financing. Meaning the equity partners put their $300 million in, we sold the bonds yesterday,” said AEDC director Grant Tennille. “Where we go from here, at the earliest possible date, construction will begin.”

Correnti said that should be in July, although heat, wet weather, mosquitoes and travel logistics may push a formal ceremony back to September for a “cornerstone” announcement. He said there is still engineering work to be completed and construction contracts to finalize.

Correnti, Tennille and others said the Big River Steel Mill superproject was unique in that a start-up company, not an existing one, was the first to utilize Arkansas’ Amendment 82 mechanics. That amendment, approved by voters, gives the state legislature authority to issue bonds for mega-projects that will create more than 500 jobs and make major infrastructure investments in state.

Tennille said that the complexity of the Big River experience now proves that Arkansas can handle other big deals and it has put the state on the map for other superprojects.
“We think we’ve got the assets now that make us an automatic first look,” he said.

When asked if there were any other superprojects on the immediate horizon, Tennille added, “You can deduce that. I would say that now that we’ve shown how we can do it, we’ve had some other people express some interest.”

R.H. Ghan Commercial Properties of Fort Smith has changed its name to R.H. Ghan & Cooper Commercial Properties.

Rodney Ghan formed R.H. Ghan Commercial Properties in 1999 and has been in the real estate industry since 1982. Bob Cooper Jr. began working with Rodney Ghan in 2007 and earned full partnership by 2013.

R.H. Ghan & Cooper Commercial Properties is a commercial real estate company focusing on sales, leasing and development of industrial, commercial and multi-family properties. We broker, develop and manage properties in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Canada.

The company has more than 50 years combined experience in the commercial real estate industry, and has many local, regional, national and international clients and contacts.

Havenwood announced Cindy Acree as its new executive director. A Bentonville native, Acree brings more than two decades of business, nonprofit, and organizational development experience to Havenwood. 

She most recently served as a Colorado State Representative as well as president of Cindy Acree Enterprises, a consulting firm devoted to leadership and management effectiveness particularly in the nonprofit sector. Acree began her new role at  Havenwood on June 30.
 
“Cindy will bring leadership and innovation to Havenwood and to its programming designed to revitalize the lives our single parent families in need. Her proven experience in business and nonprofit management, in addition to her expertise in community and government affairs, will prove invaluable to Havenwood’s continued success. We feel very fortunate that Cindy has returned to her hometown of Bentonville so as to serve those in need in Northwest Arkansas,” said board chairman Paul Wood of Samsung. 
 
Acree’s professional background includes experience in strategic planning, nonprofit management, development, community outreach, and volunteer coordination.  A published author and public speaker, Acree is a seasoned community leader with degrees from Southern Methodist University and the University of Denver College of Law. 
 
“I am honored to join the Havenwood family,” Acree said. “Over the course of my life and career, I have been devoted to helping empower those in need, especially women.  I’m eager to begin assisting our Havenwood single parent families in understanding the basic tenants of success so that they can reach their goals in their lives. Inspiring mothers to higher endeavor, helping them live a hopeful life and rise above their challenges, can make their families stronger and keep their dreams alive.”

• Nestle USA sells Juicy Juice business
Nestle USA announced the sale of its Juicy Juice business to private equity firm Brynwood Partners. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Juicy Juice is a maker of reduced-sugar beverages for children and its two primary products include the Juicy Juice brand and Fruitfuls.

“We look forward to bringing renewed focus and attention to this great brand that has, and continues to hold, a special place with families over many generations,” said Henk Hartong III, senior managing partner of Brynwood Partners. “By further leveraging the brand’s nutritional and wellness attributes, we plan to continue providing our loyal customers with its high quality, great tasting products in innovative packaging formats.”

Brynwood Partners said it will announce Juicy Juice’s management team in the coming weeks and it will be based in Stamford, Conn. Juicy Juice is the sixth acquisition the private equity firm has made from Nestle USA, and the third in the past 14 months.

Nestle is Wal-Mart supplier with a local sales office in Rogers.

• Hormel Foods muscles up
Hormel Foods recently entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CytoSport Holdings Inc., maker of Muscle Milk® products. The transaction is subject regulatory approvals in the United States, and is expected to close within 30 days.

As a provider of premium protein products in the sports nutrition category, CytoSport’s brands align with the company’s focus on protein while further diversifying the Hormel Foods portfolio, according to the release.

Total 2014 annual sales are expected to be approximately $370 million. The purchase price is approximately $450 million. Hormel Foods expects this acquisition to provide about 5 cents per share accretion in fiscal 2015, with a neutral impact to fiscal 2014 earnings, including transaction costs.

“Muscle Milk® products will serve as a growth catalyst for our Specialty Foods segment, providing this division with a leading brand in the high-growth sports nutrition category,” said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. “The acquisition of CytoSport expands our offerings of portable, immediate, protein-rich foods, and broadens our appeal with younger consumers.”

Hormel is a Wal-mart supplier with a local sales office in Bentonville.

• Snyder’s Lance cuts costs
Charlotte-based Snyder’s-Lance Inc. said it will soon begin a major expense-reduction program that will involve job cuts and changes to the company’s operations.The nation’s second-largest snack maker offered few details on how the cost-cutting would be carried out. Management noted in a statement that more details will be provided in the company’s second quarter earnings report next month.

The company, which had total expenses of $1.6 billion in 2013, hopes to save about $22 million to $25 million each year. The effort is expected to start in the third quarter, which began Tuesday, (July 2).

“This is a major initiative for the company to ensure its cost base is managed aggressively,” the company said in a statement .

Snyder’s-Lance earned $16.8 million in the first quarter, down 15% from the year before. The company’s products include Lance crackers, Snyder’s of Hanover pretzels and Cape Cod chips.

Snyder’s Lance is a large supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with a sales office in Bentonville.

The Van Buren Parks and Recreation Commission's steering committee got its first introduction Wednesday (July 2) to consultants hired by the city to assist them in crafting a parks master plan.

At this early stage in the process, the committee is working with a clean slate and is being tasked with building the city's first ever parks master plan from the ground up.

Senior Associate Dennis Blind of Alta Planning & Design in Bentonville told the small group of only two committee members to show and a small group of city staff, including Planning Director Joe Hurst and Mayor Bob Freeman, that he and Erin Rushing of CEI — another Bentonville consulting group — had been conducting an inventory of current park assets.

The next step in the process, Blind said, was preparing for the first public meeting and determining what citizens envision for an expanded parks system that is being funded in large part from a portion of a one cent sales tax passed by Van Buren citizens in 2012.

While Hurst and others mentioned communities like Bentonville, Fayetteville and Rogers as examples of parks and recreation systems Van Buren would be interested is possibly modeling itself after, Freeman urged caution to the group and consultants, prefacing his comments by saying he did not want to be a "Debbie Downer."

"I'd like to see some comparative communities as far as population, etcetera and what they are doing and where we stand. Northwest Arkansas, again a high standard and we'll try to get there. But our resources are a little bit different. I'm not saying we can't, for example, try and go to the foundation and have trails and get grants. But when you have someone who will build ever inch of a trail throughout an area there with private or foundation financing, it's a little more of a challenge."

Blind said comparisons to other cities in similar size to Van Buren, population nearly 23,000, would be a part of the planning process.

He added that the group was targeting December 31 as the date for having the final plan delivered to the Van Buren City Council for approval.

The public could get its first chance to participate in the planning process at the next meeting of the steering committee is tentatively scheduled for mid-August. It is expected that more members of the committee will participate in that meeting, as well.

For the first time since STORES Media began reporting on the Top 100 largest retailers in America, Amazon.com has joined the ranks of the 10 largest companies, rising to No. 9 from 11 last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Amazon’s domestic sales increased 27.2% between 2012 and 2013. The annual ranking of U.S. retailers by domestic sales, featured in the July issue of STORES Magazine was compiled by Kantar Retail and sponsored by Island Pacific and NEC.

“Amazon is spreading its roots beyond its core of online retail, yet the impact this Seattle-based behemoth has had on the changing face of retail is unmistakable. Breaking into the top ten is an impressive feat that speaks to Amazon.com’s growth,” said STORES Editor Susan Reda. “Notable as that is, brick and mortar retailers are keeping pace by continuously reinventing themselves to better serve today’s anytime, anywhere shopper.”  


Wal-Mart once again takes the top spot with U.S. sales of $334 billion in 2013. Kroger held on to the number two ranking for the fifth year in a row, with reported domestic sales of more than $93 billion.


Costco (3) and Target (4) swapped spots this year, as Costco saw domestic sales increase 5.2%, while Target’s sales  decreased 0.9% Between 2012 and 2013.  Home Depot (5), Walgreen (6), CVS Caremark (7), and Lowe’s (8) each maintained their spots on the list. Safeway rounds out the list at the No. 10 spot this year.


Other noticeable changes in the list include IKEA North America’s jump from 95 to 88 on domestic sales growth of 6.8%. Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons climbed from 96 to 21 as a result of a merger with Safeway.


"Amazon’s rise into the top 10 is symbolic of a shift in U.S. retail towards a genuinely multichannel future," said Kantar Retail Chief Knowledge Officer Bryan Gildenberg. "Retailers that command the Top 100 in the future will have an in-depth knowledge of their shoppers across their physical and digital touchpoints, and they'll all have to fend off Amazon’s game changing economic and operating model".

Wal-Mart’s British supermarket chain Asda will eliminate 1,360 jobs in store management as it reorganizes operations to better align with the growing online grocery business.

The company stated that 4,100 staff would be affected by the restructure, which will also create 5,670 new roles, many of which are linked to e-commerce and grocery home-shopping. The new structure also will put more staff on the shop floor and removes back-office administration tasks.

"Every supermarket must adapt to the intense changes in UK retailing or they will get left behind, noted Asda CEO Andy Clarke.


The decision was first announced in May when Asda said as many as 2,600 staff could lose their jobs. It comes as Asda attempts to find $1 billion in cost-savings over the next five years.

European Supermarket Magazine reports that all the major grocers across in England are cutting costs as they are forced to lower prices to compete with the rise of discounters like Aldi and Lidl.

Justin Smith of Springdale has been named as the new chief business and community outreach officer at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus.

Smith will develop and maintain educational partnerships through an assortment of agencies, organizations and communities. He will also assist and provide customized educational training specific to the needs of the business and industry community as well as manage grant solicitations and processes and engage alumni support.

“It’s great to be part of an institution that is proactive in seeking out what employers will need in the future while at the same time providing students with offerings leading to well-paying, available jobs,” Smith said.

ATU-Ozark Chancellor Bruce Sikes said Smith is valued throughout the state for his efforts in economic development.

“Smith will assist in closing the loop of entry level training with the specialized needs of our River Valley industries,” Sikes said. “Not only are we committed to entry level training, but we have an obligation to support industry and its training needs.”

Most recently, Smith served as the statewide logistics sector manager and northwest Arkansas project manager for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. He has collaborated with industry and local economic developers to assist on projects better linking transportation and logistics to economic development.

Partnerships in which Smith has been involved include the University of Arkansas Supply Chain Center, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, the Local Railroads of Arkansas Association, the Arkansas Highway Department, the National Center for Supply Chain Technology Education and the Arkansas Department of Career Education (ADCE).

Smith, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas, has also worked with the ADCE and Northwest Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative to create forums focusing on secondary education. The focus of the forums is to bring together schools and logistics industry leaders in an effort to attract students into supply chain careers. 

“Employer needs will continue to evolve as technology increases,” Smith said. “Being able to customize training and provide it across multiple sectors is something Arkansas Tech-Ozark has been very good at, and I look forward to continuing that process.”

MedExpress Urgent Care announces the opening of three new convenient care centers in Northwest Arkansas, beginning with a new location in Springdale on July 9.

The Fayetteville and Bentonville centers will open on July 16 and August 27, respectively. The Springdale and Fayetteville centers will offer free sports physicals as a welcoming gift to the community through July 31. 

The new centers will offer walk-in treatment for everyday illness and injury, including more advanced offerings such as X-rays, IVs, labs, minor surgery, stitches and treatment for broken bones, sprains and strains. The centers will also offer a wide array of wellness and prevention services to help patients maintain and monitor their overall health.



“MedExpress is excited to expand our services into Northwest Arkansas,” said Paul LeGue, MedExpress Area Manager for Arkansas. “Arkansas just seemed like a great fit for MedExpress. Our urgent care services can help Arkansas patients when there’s an unexpected illness or injury, and our wellness services such as general and sport physicals, immunizations and tobacco cessation programs can help patients to protect their individual health and address health risks that exist within the community.”

MedExpress offers an option to patients who may not be able to immediately see their primary care physicians or who don’t need true emergency treatment.
The clinics are staffed by a doctor and a full medical team and are open 12 hours daily including weekends. There is no appointment necessary.

“MedExpress plays an important role in the health care of the community by providing needed services in a convenient and timely manner,” said LeGue. “We also take it a step further by working to coordinate care with other area health care providers such as primary care physicians, specialists and area hospitals to ensure Arkansas patients receive the most appropriate follow-up care when needed.” 



MedExpress is based in West Virginia and operates clinics in 10 states. These are the company's first three clinics in Arkansas.

The new Walmart Neighborhood Market in Pea Ridge is opening Wednesday, July 16 at 240 Slack Street. This hybrid store will offer traditional grocery products, but also feature a million additional items that can be ordered online and picked up at the Pea Ridge location, often as quickly as the same day.

The new Pea Ridge store is part of Wal-Mart’s plan to open an additional 270 to 300 small-format locations this year. Centerton, Rogers, Springdale, Farmington and Bentonville have all recently opened or will soon open new Neighborhood Market stores.
 
“Walmart is excited to be a part of Pea Ridge just in time for summer cook-outs,” said store manager Scott McMillan. “We have everything you need for your picnics and cookouts, whether you want to pick-up burgers to grill at home or grab some ready-to-eat ribs.”
 
The new store employs up to 95 full- and part-time associates. McMillan began his Walmart career in 2005 as an assistant manager trainee.
 
“It is good to see our community become home to a new Walmart Neighborhood Market,” said Pea Ridge Mayor Jackie Crabtree. “The store brings additional job opportunities for our community in addition to added convenience. This is not only a benefit to Pea Ridge and its citizens but the surrounding community as well.”
 
The grand-opening celebration will feature presentations of $6,000 in grants from Wal-Mart to local community groups, including Arkansas Dragons, Beta Alpha Chapter of Epsilon and Sigma Alpha International, City of Pea Ridge Parks Department, Pea Ridge Area Ministerial Alliance, Pea Ridge Bright Futures, Pea Ridge Community Focus Foundation, Pea Ridge Fire Department, Pea Ridge Police Department and Episcopal Church of Pea Ridge.
 

Gov. Mike Beebe has named Andrew Parker of Little Rock as the newest commissioner of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Parker, 37, grew up in Little Rock and is the Director of Governmental Affairs for the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce. He earned his undergraduate degree from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Beginning in 2007, Parker spent more than three years as Beebe's liaison to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as well as to 13 other state agencies, boards and commissions. Later, he served as an attorney for the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission.

"Andrew is one of our bright, up-and-coming Arkansans who has a lifelong love for the outdoors, is an avid hunter, and a conservationist, as well. He will continue the tradition of insuring the preservation of our natural bounty," the Governor said.

Parker, an Eagle Scout, is a hunting and fishing enthusiast, who is especially interested in conservation education and wildlife awareness exposure. He serves on the board of directors for the First Tee of Central Arkansas and is a member of the Little Rock Downtown Rotary Club.

Parker's term will expire July 1, 2021. He replaces Ty Patterson of Texarkana.

Middle school students going into the fifth, sixth or seventh grades will have the opportunity to learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at a July 21-24 camp hosted by NorthWest Arkansas Community College.

Students attending the sessions will have the opportunity to program a LEGO Mindstorms Robotics system. Topics will include mechanical design, gear ratios and programming. Participants will not take the computer or LEGO Robot home.

Cost for the four-day camp is $250. Participants are asked to bring a sack lunch, and water will be provided. Sessions will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 21-24 at the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies on the college's Bentonville campus.

Those seeking additional information or wanting to register may call 479-936-5175.

The Pleasant Crossings area of southwest Rogers is in the midst of development and will soon be home the state’s first Whataburger, a franchise from the Corpus Christi, Texas-based quick-serve restaurant.

The city’s planning commission approved the development earlier this month and the state health department’s permit was filed on Tuesday (July 8). This is typically an indication that the project is within a month or so of city permits being issued.

The Roger’s location is slated for 4335 S. Pleasant Crossing Blvd. In March, The City Wire reported the restaurant chain was scouting locations in Northwest Arkansas, shortly after the Pleasant Crossing Shops commercial development was announced.

Pleasant Crossing Shops, is a 20,000-square-foot retail shopping center, near the Wal-Mart Supercenter. SNAP Fitness, two restaurants and a nail salon are reportedly going into that space once completed by late 2014 to early 2015.

A liquor store and Cavender’s Boots are also planned projects in the Pleasant Grove area of western Rogers.

Golden Living announced Thursday (July 10) the launch of a new business, Fianna Partners, to offer the post-acute healthcare industry a new revenue cycle management solution.

Fianna Partners will offer its customers decades of expertise in revenue cycle solutions for post-acute providers.

Golden Living President and CEO Dr. Neil Kurtz announced that Fianna Partners will begin operations on Jan. 1, 2015, and will maintain offices at the Golden Living Administrative Center in Fort Smith.

In making the announcement, he said, “Golden Living is proud to provide an innovative solution for our industry through Fianna Partners and its knowledgeable, dedicated and caring employees.”

He also announced that Golden Living’s Senior Vice President of Facility Finance John Williams has been chosen to lead Fianna Partners.

“We are excited about the opportunity to provide our expertise to non-affiliated organizations and help them be successful,” Williams said.

Waco Title will open on July 28 its 17th office location at 1514 Fayetteville Road in Van Buren.

Waco Title has worked with Crawford County residents through its Waco Title office in Fort Smith for several years. The new office will allow Waco Title to offer the Van Buren/Alma area with a local and convenient closing office.  

The Waco family of companies has provided title insurance and closing needs in the area since 1885 and employs more than 140 people including three in-house attorneys.

Waco Title and its employees are covered by a fidelity bond as well as errors and omissions insurance and maintains in-house title plants in each of the markets they serve.

Allen Wichtendahl of Rogers has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for mail fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay his victims more than $1 million in restitution. The sentence was handed down Friday by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas.

“This case shows that we will work day in and day out to pursue swindlers who steal money from the people of Northwest Arkansas and our state,” Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, said in a statement. “Over 300 individuals sent money to this Defendant regularly, believing that it was for a legitimate investment.  Instead, the Defendant stole that money and used it to support his lavish lifestyle.  Such action is shameful. I appreciate the hard work by all involved that has resulted in holding this Defendant accountable for his criminal conduct.”

His scheme began in Florida during the mid-1990s and continued when he moved to Northwest Arkansas in June 2009. Wichtendahl met Diana Stewart in Northwest Arkansas, and in July 2009, Stewart began helping Wichtendahl in his scheme to defraud investors.

Wichtendahl coaxed investors by representing that New Vision Technology sold products in Bulgaria and planned to build a power plant, sell tractors, and establish a cassava processing facility in Nigeria, according the Thursday’s statement from Eldridge’s office. Wichtendahl also established a misleading website and represented that he had made a $12 million capital investment in the company.

From July 2009 to September 2012, Wichtendahl and Stewart collected more than $1 million from investors. The majority of this money was used to pay for Wichtendahl and Stewart’s personal expenses and to maintain the appearance of a legitimate business enterprise. Investors received nothing in return for their money.

As a result of various activities during the commission of their scheme, Wichtendahl was charged with three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, four counts of securities fraud, four counts of selling an unregistered security, and two counts of money laundering.

Stewart was charged with aiding and abetting all 16 counts and will face the same penalties. She has not been issued a sentenced.

Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, his friend and personal assistant continue healing from the fatality accident on June 7 when the limo bus they were in collided with a Wal-Mart semi truck on a New Jersey turnpike. Morgan, released from a rehab facility last week has filed suit against Wal-Mart Stores.

He and comedian Ardley Fuqua Jr. and Jeffery MIllea, Morgan’s personal assistant, sued Wal-Mart Stores and its transportation subsidiary in federal court on Thursday (July 10). The plaintiffs want a jury trial and compensatory and punitive damages in addition to costs of their care and loss of income stemming from the injuries sustained in the accident. 

The complaint alleges three counts of negligence against Wal-Mart, with a fourth count of “loss of consortium” from Millea’s wife, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the accident. The suit claims that Wal-Mart was careless and negligent in the ownership and operation of its motor vehicle that injured the three men and killed their friend, James McNair, 62.

In response to the lawsuit Wal-Mart released the following statement: “This has been a terrible tragedy. We wish Mr. Morgan, Mr. Fuqua Jr., and Mr. Millea full recoveries. Our thoughts continue to go out to them, their families and friends, as well as to the families and friends of everyone involved, including Mr. McNair who lost his life. We are deeply sorry that one of our trucks was involved. As we’ve said, we’re cooperating fully in the ongoing investigation. We know it will take some time to resolve all of the remaining issues as a result of the accident, but we’re committed to doing the right thing for all involved.”

A federal transportation safety report found Wal-Mart driver Kevin Roper was traveling 20 miles over the speed limit at 65 miles per hour when his semi-tractor trailer collided with a luxury van on the New Jersey Turnpike on June 7.

A preliminary accident report filed by the National Transportation Safety Board found Roper traveling at 65 miles an hour for about a minute prior to crashing with the van which was flipped over upon impact.

The report also said Roper was within the allowable driving time of 14 hours on the road at 13.5 hours. Investigators claim that Roper swerved to avoid a crash on the turnpike and in so doing his rig slammed into the back of Morgan’s limo van. The report states that speed limit signs reducing the speed from 55 mph to 45 mph were posted about a half-mile before the crash. The speed limit had been reduced because of construction.

In addition, the NTSB report said investigators are compiling and analyzing information to determine the activities of Roper and the amount of rest he received in the hours and days preceding the crash. Roper resides in Jonesboro, Ga., but works out of a Walmart transportation hub in Delaware, a 700-mile commute. The lawsuit claims that Wal-Mart should have known, that Roper was awake for more than 24 hours before the accident occurred.  

“Wal-Mart knew or should have known that it was unreasonable for Mr. Roper to commute more than 700 miles from his home in Jonesboro, Georgia to work at a Wal-Mart facility in Smyrna, Delaware, especially immediately before he was to commence a long shift operating a truck that weighed approximately 30–40 tons. Additionally, there were many Wal- Mart distribution facilities closer to Mr. Roper’s home — including at least nine in Georgia alone—which would have significantly reduced Mr. Roper’s commute to work,” the suit states.

Roper pled not guilty to assault with a vehicle and was put on administrative leave by Wal-Mart pending the investigation.