America’s Car-Mart stretched its footprint a little further east opening a dealership in Rome, Ga., this week. It’s the second location in the Peach State and No. 126 for the Bentonville-based buy here, pay here, used car dealer.

Car-Mart has set a 10% annual growth rate this year, which means the company should open around 10 more dealerships this year. The Rome dealership is the second new site opened this fiscal year.

Shares of America’s Car-Mart closed Monday at $42.92, down 15 cents.
 

Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods, the Little Rock-based advertising, marketing, and public relations firm has named Richard McKeown senior vice president and chief public relations officer, effective immediately.



McKeown was previously associated with CJRW from 1985 through 1999, before establishing his own communications consulting firm.

“We are extremely pleased to announce that Richard is rejoining CJRW,” said Wayne Woods, CEO and agency chairman. “He has a wealth of communications experience not only here in Arkansas, but with clients throughout the United States and internationally. Having him as part of our leadership team will even further strengthen the agency and expand our range of client services."

Since 1999, McKeown has been providing communications strategy and analysis, executive development coaching, and communications training to a broad range of clients. He has been active in the energy, education, construction, and worked with many Fortune 500 corporations and their executive leadership teams.



“There’s no question that the Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods brand and reputation is among the most respected in Arkansas and throughout the industry, and for good reason,” said McKeown. “It has always been a source of pride for me to have been associated with the agency. To be able to rejoin CJRW is extremely humbling and gratifying for me, professionally and personally.”



McKeown will lead CJRW’s public relations division and serve as a member of the agency’s leadership group. He will be actively involved in client service, new business development, and staff development. He will also continue to provide executive communications coaching and training to clients including media training, crisis communications counsel and leadership coaching.  
   
McKeown has a bachelor’s degree from Arkansas State University. He and his wife Tracye (Dicus) have four children and live in Bryant.

Other personnel announcements include: Stacy Sells as the senior vice president of strategic planning; Jordan Johnson and Denver Peacock will lead the agency’s public affairs division; Pam Jones has been promoted to vice president and will remain assistant director of public relations; and Carrie McKnight has been promoted to vice president of public relations.  

As the school bells are set to ring within a month, families on the move strongly consider school district boundaries when choosing their new homes.


A recent study by Realtor.com and Move Inc. found that 3 out of 5 homebuyers surveyed earlier this month said schools play a large part in their purchase decisions.


Some 44% said they would go over budget by up to 10% to get in their preferred school district. Another 9% said they would go as high as 20% over budget for their desired location. 


"Our survey demonstrates the large impact school boundaries have on those looking to purchase a home. In April, realtor.com® launched its new mobile school search functionality which allows buyers to search for listings in specific school and district boundaries," said Barbara O'Connor, chief marketing officer at Move Inc. 


For those homebuyers who said school boundaries will have an impact on their decision, the majority indicated school boundaries will be an important consideration:

• 90.53% said school boundaries are  "important" and "somewhat important";
• 2.04% were "neutral" around importance of school boundaries; and
• 7.43%  said school boundaries are "unimportant" and "very unimportant."

Homebuyers who said school boundaries will have an impact on their decision also indicated that they would give up several amenities to live within school boundaries of choice:

• 62.39% would do without a pool or spa;
• 50.60% would give up accessibility to shopping;
• 43.96% would pass on a bonus room; and
• 41.99% would offer up nearby parks and trails.


Proximity to the school is also important for families. The survey found 17.20% wanted to live within walking distance of the school and 45% wanted to be a short drive away.

Scott Street is leaving his position as president of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas to accept a new role with Mercy Health. 


In announcing the news to hospital co-workers and physicians, Street said, “As I reflect on our progress over the past several years and the strong leadership team that is in place, I am so proud of the work that we have accomplished together in Northwest Arkansas. With all of this in mind, I have decided that it is an appropriate time for me to take a new direction in my career path.” 

For the immediate future, Street will focus on several special projects, including the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.



“This is such an important part of the changes that are taking place in health care today and as many of you know, it has been a passion of mine,” he said. “Expanding access and transforming how we deliver health care is the vision of Mercy, and I am so pleased to be able to serve in support of this vision.”  

Eric Pianalto will serve as interim president of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas while the search process for new leadership takes place. Pianalto serves as chief operating officer of Mercy Clinic in Arkansas and Oklahoma. 

He joined Mercy in 1994 and has served in leadership roles in Fort Smith, Northwest Arkansas and Oklahoma, as well as in support of Mercy’s four-state health ministry. Pianalto, his wife Dawn and three children reside in Tontitown. 

“We wish to thank Scott Street for his many contributions to Mercy and the Northwest Arkansas community since joining Mercy in 2010,” said Jon Swope, Mercy regional president. 

“With the support of Eric and the rest of our outstanding local leadership team, as well as our co-workers and physicians, Mercy is well positioned to continue our strong progress in Northwest Arkansas in serving the needs of the community with compassionate care and exceptional service.”

Murphy Oil Corp., which is poised to spin off its retail and refinery operations, posted higher second quarter net income compared to one year ago.

The El Dorado-based oil and gas company recorded earnings of $402.6 million, or $2.12 per diluted share, compared to $295.4 million, or $1.52 per diluted share, one year ago.

Revenues climbed to $7.21 billion for the quarter, up from $7.15 billion in the previous year’s second quarter. A contributing factor to the boost in income was an after-tax gain of $71.9 million from the sale of the Mungo and Monan fields in the United Kingdom during the just completed quarter.

In spinning off its retail and refinery groups, Murphy Oil Corp. is preparing to split into two publicly traded companies. The current company will remain a pure-play oil and gas exploration and production firm. Murphy USA will become a standalone company holding retail assets across the south and midwest.

In the last quarter, the new board of directors for Murphy USA was announced.

“Murphy USA is in the process of finalizing its capital structure,” said Murphy Oil CEO Steve Cosse, who will be transitioning corporate leadership to CEO-elect Roger Jenkins. “We expect that the Murphy Oil Corporation Board of Directors will consider this progress at its meeting next Wednesday and we would expect to announce the board’s conclusion shortly thereafter.”

Andrew Clyde will lead Murphy USA.

Cosse also said Murphy Oil and Murphy USA will freeze providing earnings guidance due to the split in the company structure.

“Due to the transformation of Murphy Oil to a pure play E&P company with the anticipated spin-off of the U.S. retail business, we will no longer provide future quarterly earnings guidance in our earnings press release. Murphy Oil and Murphy USA are each considering the type of future quarterly guidance that will be provided going forward,” he said.

Shares of Murphy Oil (NYSE: MUR) closed trading Wednesday at $67.72. The company’s stock has traded between $50.03 and $68.76 during the past year.

ACXIOM 'BAD NEWS'
Acxiom Corp. saw revenues slide and earnings hold close to unchanged, as company leaders disclosed a string of lost business and efforts to turn around its “bad luck.”

The Little Rock-based data marketer and management company reported first quarter earnings of $13.18 million, or 17 cents per diluted share, compared to $13.33 million, or 17 cents per diluted share, one year ago.

Revenues dipped from $271.66 million in last year’s first quarter to $266.19 million in the most recent period.

Acxiom CEO Scott Howe started the company’s investor conference call with an ominous disclosure.

“I’m going to start today’s call with some bad news,” Howe said. “I want to talk about a setback we have had in the IT Infrastructure business. Over the past few months, we have experienced some significant customer losses. In our 10-K, we talked about termination notices and the associated customer revenues. Unfortunately, since our filing, we have been notified of an additional termination. The reasons for the overall losses differ. Two were basically bad luck, where customers decided to take their IT infrastructure in-house as part of being acquired by a third party.”

“The other 4 situations where we lost the competitive bids in our services were just not renewed. This is obviously not the result we worked for, nor is it acceptable,” Howe added.

He said the company would “redouble” its efforts to serve its ITO (Information Technology Outsourcer) customers.

Acxiom has three primary revenue streams: IT infrastructure management, marketing and data services, and other services.

The company’s IT segment posted quarterly revenue of $69.39 million, down from $70.29 million one year ago.

Marketing and data provided $187.79 million, down from $192.48 million last year.
Other services accounted for $9.02 million, up from $8.88 million a year ago.

Acxiom did score some new clients in its marketing and data services division during the quarter, and it said in September it was launching a new technology for data marketing and insights called Acxiom Audience Operating System.

“We believe our technology is groundbreaking and will re-define marketing,” said Howe. “For the first time marketers, agencies and publishers will have one to one marketing capabilities at scale across all channels and devices.”

Acxiom shares (NASDAQ: ACXM) closed trading at $25.77 on Wednesday. The company’s stock has traded between $15.72 and $26.47 per share during the past 52 weeks.

The University of Arkansas has earned top honors for “Best Crisis Management” in the PR Daily’s 2013 Nonprofit PR Awards.

The award is for the university’s response to the events following former Head football coach Bobby Petrino’s motorcycle wreck in 2012, and “reflects the way Jeff Long, vice chancellor and director of athletics, working with the public relations professionals in the athletics department and office of university relations, handled that crisis,” according to a UA statement.

In April 2012, Jeff Long held two news conferences, five days apart: the first to announce he was suspending Petrino, the university’s popular football coach, pending an investigation; the second to announce the results of the investigation, and his decision to fire Petrino. From the beginning, Long worked closely with his associate athletics director for public relations, Kevin Trainor, and the university’s associate vice chancellor of university relations, John Diamond.

“The way Jeff Long explained his decision to fire a popular coach exemplified leadership skills and drew nationwide praise,” PR Daily said in announcing the award.

Both times Long was bucking public opinion: in the days following Petrino’s suspension more than 17,000 people joined a “Save Bobby Petrino!” Facebook site.

Before the second news conference, Long worked extensively with Trainor and Diamond to lay out the case for his decision. They took an unconventional approach – at least in terms of sports: They decided to provide the facts needed to convince fans and observers, through commonsense and workplace principles, that Long had only one respectable option: to fire Petrino immediately. In announcing that decision Long said, “Our expectations of character and integrity in our employees can be no less than what we expect of our students.”

An independent statewide public opinion poll found that 84 percent of respondents agreed with Long’s decision. A national foundation and its board chairman donated a combined $1.25 million to the university’s athletics program in recognition of Long’s “courageous leadership.”

At the close of 2012, Long was named both “Arkansan of the Year” and “Arkansas Sportsman of the Year” by two statewide newspapers. He was  also a finalist for Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year.

PR Daily is an online publication presenting news, advice and opinions on the public relations, marketing, social media and media worlds. It is produced by Ragan Communications Inc., publisher of corporate communications, public relations and leadership development newsletters that deliver practical advice, real-world solutions and field-tested strategies for today’s corporate communicator.

A new regional wayfinding sign system to guide people to key destinations in seven Northwest Arkansas cities will begin going up in Eureka Springs this week, according to a press release from the Northwest Arkansas Council.

While Eureka Springs will be the first city where the signs will be installed, similar-looking signs will be put up in Bella Vista, Rogers, Lowell, Springdale, Fayetteville and Siloam Springs this month. Each community’s signs will have their own unique aspects, but they are similar enough that they’ll give the region a consistent system to guide people to destinations.

“What I love about the regional wayfinding project is that it unites Northwest Arkansas in a visual way,” said Rogers Mayor Greg Hines, a member of the regional wayfinding steering committee. “The signs will make tourists feel like insiders, and they’ll remind local residents of the great places right here that are perfect for weekend outings.”


Officials at the University of Arkansas and Bentonville first raised the idea of a regional wayfinding system a few years ago, and the region’s first wayfinding signs went up in Bentonville a few months before the 2011 opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.


The signs going up now and being used by the other seven cities are patterned after the Bentonville system, but each city’s signs will have their own unique qualities.

A grant from the Walton Family Foundation to Endeavor Foundation, in partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Council, is covering the cost of the first phase, which is considered the pilot project. Those signs are intended to guide people to one key destination in each community.


“The wayfinding project is a terrific example of regional cooperation,” said Mike Malone, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council. “We had so many partners ... working together on a project that required coordination, agreements, collaboration and funding. They all did a great job of ensuring that this moved from a concept to a reality.”


An appeals court in Milwaukee overturned a lower court decision on donning and doffing protective clothing filed by six workers at Tyson Foods in Wisconsin.

Tyson will have to pay its workers at the pizza topping processing facility in Jefferson, Wis., an estimated $1 million in back pay, according to the plaintiff’s council.

The courts have been split on these decisions as numerous cases across the meat industry have occurred over the past few years.

This time the 4th District Court of Appeals sided with the plaintiffs citing “preparatory and concluding" activities were an integral part of their jobs.

The case went back to the lower court to determine the payment due. Plaintiff’s council asked for class-action status, so the decision is expected to benefit all workers in the plant.

Tyson said it is re-evaluating its options for further defense in the case.

Back in 2010 the company settled with the Department of Labor over worker pay as a result of donning and doffing compulsive protective gear.

Tyson agreed in 2010 to pay its poultry processing workers for all hours that they work in overtime back wages for its employees. The $500,000 in back pay was distributed among 3,000 workers at Tyson's Blountsville, Ala., processing facility on whose behalf the government launched the suit in 2002.

In accordance with the 2010 agreement, Tyson said then it would gradually phase in changes to its timekeeping practices at its poultry and prepared food plants over the next two-and-a-half years. As an interim measure, Tyson also agreed in 2010 to provide eight or 12 minutes of extra pay per shift to some hourly processing line workers.

Arkansas revenue officials said the state’s first month of its fiscal year saw an increase in corporate and sales tax revenue, while individual income taxes were off the mark.

July net available general revenues – the amount after mandatory earmarks are accounted for – totaled $410.2 million, a 1.6% increase over last July and 1.9% above forecast.

“Results in July were mixed, as Individual Income tax fell slightly below forecast, Corporate Income tax and Sales tax slightly exceeded, and income tax refunds contributed to gains by detracting from revenue growth less than expected,” said John Shelnutt, economist and chief of the Department of Finance and Administration’s Economic Analysis and Tax Research division.

“Monthly timing factors contributed to the mixed pattern, as individual withholding was below forecast and below year ago results. Payday timing effects on collections cause monthly swings and added volatility that is not present in the Official Annual Forecast. It is a short-term factor for collections,” Shelnutt added.

He also said sales and use tax collections “were encouraging” at 4.5% growth compared to last year. The results include high growth from the motor vehicle portion of sales tax, he said.

DF&A provided the following data and analysis related to the major revenue categories that account for nearly 90% of total state tax revenues:
• July Individual Income Tax collections totaled $206 million. Collections decreased by $6.2 million, or down 2.9% compared to last year. With respect to the forecast, collections were $1.5 million or 0.7% below forecast. Individual withholding declined 3.8% compared to last year, as a result of monthly payday timing differences.

• July Sales and Use Tax Collections totaled $186 million, an increase of $8.1 million or 4.5% from last year. Collections were also above monthly forecast levels by $1 million or 0.5%.

• July Corporate Income Tax collections totaled $26.9 million, an increase of $1 million from year ago, and $0.5 million or 1.9% above forecast.

Gov. Mike Beebe announced Monday (Aug. 5) the following appointments to boards and commissions:

Maxine Allen, Little Rock, reappointed to the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. Appointment expires June 30, 2019.

Patrick Benca, North Little Rock, to the Sex Offenders Assessment Committee. Appointment expires July 1, 2017. Replaces Rebecca Denison.

Meenakshi Budhraja, Little Rock, to the Social Work Licensing Board. Appointment expires June 30, 2015. Replaces Mae Nunn-Isom.

Bennie Cooper, Melbourne, reappointed to the Ozarka Technical College Board of Directors. Appointment expires July 1, 2020.

Trent Dabbs, Stuttgart, reappointed to the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Promotion Board. Appointment expires July 1, 2015.

Ruth Ann Ellis, Pocahontas, to the Black River Technical College Board of Directors. Appointment expires June 30, 2020. Replaces Jon "Mike" Dunn.

Bill Fowler, Arkadelphia, to the College of the Ouachitas Board of Directors. Appointment expires July 1, 2020. Replaces Bill Stillwell.

David Gammill, Tyronza, reappointed to the Arkansas Corn and Sorghum Promotion Board. Appointment expires July 1, 2015.

Jimmy Gross, Texarkana, to the State Board of Collection Agencies. Appointment expires Jan. 1, 2016. Replaces Robert Watkins.

Ronald Hawkins, Fort Smith, reappointed to the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. Appointment expires July 1, 2017.

Telly Noel, Little Rock, to the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame Board. Appointment expires September 1, 2017. Replaces Marilyn Levi.

Luther "L.C." Ratchford, Marshall, to the Criminal Detention Facilities Review Committee, Judicial District #20. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2015. Replaces Robert McCormack.

Grady Tracy, El Dorado, reappointed to the Governor's Commission on People with Disabilities. Appointment expires June 1, 2016.

Jay R. Whipple, Benton, reappointed to the Governor's Commission on People with Disabilities. Appointment expires June 1, 2016.

Van Winton, Piggott, reappointed to the Arkansas Abstractors Board. Appointment expires July 1, 2019.

Tommy Young, Tuckerman, reappointed to the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Promotion Board. Appointment expires July 1, 2015.

To the Arkansas Alcohol and Drug Abuse Coordinating Council:
Dr. Rob Covington, Fort Smith.
Charlotte Denton, Banks.
Paul Dottley, Sr., Monticello.
Erin Gildner, Bryant.
Sheriff Marty Moss, Heber Springs.
George Weaver, Little Rock.

These reappointments expire July 1, 2016.

To the Arkansas Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence Commission:
Lisa Channell, Little Rock.
Dorinda Edminsten, Clarksville.
Gracie Giles-Gonner, Helena-West Helena.
Dr. Merlin Leach, Alpena.
Stacey McKeown, Monticello.
Kristin Pawlik, Rogers.
The Honorable David Reynolds, Conway.
Patricia Scott, D.N.P., Little Rock.

These reappointments expire July 1, 2015.

To the Arkansas Wheat Promotion Board:
Herrick Norcross, Tyronza. Replaces Cal McCastlain.
Jackie Prince, Biscoe.
Blake Swears, Carlisle.
Steve Tinsley, Swifton.
Barry Walls, Harrisburg.

Unless otherwise noted, these are reappointments and expire June 30, 2015.

Officials with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on Monday (Aug. 5) announced its slate of 2013-2014 Tyson Scholars, expanding this year’s roster to five fellowships.

Last fall, Crystal Bridges announced the formation of its Tyson Scholars of American Art program, a residential fellowship that provides for scholars from around the world to research the history of American art utilizing the museum’s collection and library. The program was established in 2012 through a $5 million commitment from Tyson Foods, Inc., and the Tyson family, along with the establishment of the Don Tyson Prize to be awarded to an individual for outstanding service in the field of art history.

The new Tyson Scholars of American Art are:
• Emily Burns, Auburn University;
• Nika Elder, Princeton University;
• Jason Hill, Terra Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in American Art;
• Katherine Manthorne, City University of New York; and
• Melissa Warak, Sam Houston University.

The scholars will be housed in Bentonville near Crystal Bridges, and will use their residencies to further their research. During their stay, scholars may also engage in public programs and presentations, either at the museum or at colleges and universities in the region.

In addition to housing, scholars are provided office or carrel space in the curatorial wing of Crystal Bridges’ library. Stipends are variable depending on the duration of residency, need, and professional rank, ranging from $30,000 to $60,000 for a nine month term.

Additional funds for research travel during the residency period are available upon application.

• Advantage Sales makes acquisition

Advantage Sales & Marketing announced the acquisition of Program Sales Inc., a food brokerage company focused on meat, seafood, deli and bakery clients and customers. 

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.


“Acquiring Program Sales is a natural strategic fit to enhance our perishables service portfolio. Program Sales is a leader in the Southeast, and will further expand our position as one of the leading sales and marketing agencies in this channel,” said Tanya Domier,CEO of Advantage Sales & Marketing.

William (Buck) Thomas III will lead the new business unit to be called Advantage Program.


Advantage Sales is a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with a local office in Rogers.

• Post reports acquisition
Post Holdings agreed to buy protein company Premier Nutrition for $180 million in cash. The deal announced Friday (Aug. 2) gives the cereal maker entry to the active nutrition and supplements businesses.

Premier Nutrition makes protein beverages and foods under its Premier Protein brand and nutritional supplements under its Joint Juice brand. The deal is expected to close by September.

The deal is expected to add roughly $135 million in full year sales, according to analysts. Gross annual operating profits are expected to range between $17 million to $20 million.

Analysts expect the deal to produce a loss this current year, but going forward they expect at least $150 million in annual incremental sales.

Post Holdings is a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with a sales office in Northwest Arkansas.


• Kellog revamps cereal amid challenges
Cereal maker Kellogg reported a disappointing growth in its cereal category last quarter and has prompted some changes targeted to adult-health-conscious consumers in hopes of bringing boomers into the category.

Kellogg reported a 3.3% drop in "morning foods" revenue during the recent quarter.

The company said on the innovation front it has introduced Raisin Brand with omega-3 fatty acids, Kashi Chia Heart to Heart and multi-grain Special K.

The Kashi brand has struggled of late, but Kellogg remains confident by leveraging its size with the healthy identity of Kashi there is a real opportunity for innovation.

Kellogg is a major supplier to Wal-Mart Stores and maintains a sales office in Rogers.
 

Nearly 300 sales executives from across the United States who work for J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. attended the company’s supply chain forum July 30 - Aug. 1 on the University of Arkansas campus.


The forum was organized and hosted by the department of supply chain management in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.


“We are honored that the company chose the Walton College as the place to hold this event for their sales executives,” said Eli Jones, dean of the Walton College. “They recognize that our supply chain management department is doing some of the most advanced research in the field right here at Walton College, and we were thrilled to be able to share the insights from our distinguished faculty.”


The kickoff for the three-day forum featured Jones; John Roberts, J.B. Hunt president and CEO; Shelley Simpson, J.B. Hunt chief marketing officer; Chris Wyrick, vice chancellor for University Advancement; and Matt Waller, chair of the supply chain management department at the Walton College.


“We were pleased to partner with the department of supply chain management,” Simpson said. “As an alumna of the Walton College, I am confident that this forum was beneficial to both J.B. Hunt and the college.”


The forum sessions covered topics ranging from sales to logistics outsourcing to global trends in supply chain management. The format of the conference included large group presentations and small group breakout sessions. The sessions were led by Walton College faculty and senior-level executives from J.B. Hunt.
 

Chaffee Crossing is in the running, along with Benton, Jacksonville and Russellville, for a new Arkansas Veterans Home.

According to Ivy Owen, executive director of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority, a sub-committee of the the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs and the Legislative Veterans Home Task Force narrowed the selection to the four sites yesterday (Aug. 5).

Members of the task force, which include Sen. Jane English of North Little Rock, Sen. Bobby Pierce, D-Sheridan, Sen. Jim Hendren, R-Gravette, Rep. George McGill, R-Fort Smith, Rep. John Charles Edwards of Little Rock and Rep. Kim Hammer of Benton, will tour the proposed site at Chaffee Crossing on Aug. 21.

The FCRA submitted a proposal in June that included a donation of up to 30 acres of land for the veterans home near the future I-49. A proposed site for Camp Hope for Heroes, a non-profit that helps transitioning and homeless veterans become self-sufficient, will be located in the same vicinity as the veterans home.

"Our proposal meets all of the criteria requested by the search committee: available land, proximity to motels, restaurants and shopping, excellent health care and emergency medical care facilities, access to intestates and public transportation and above all else, overwhelming public acceptance," Owen said.

Should Chaffee Crossing be selected, it would be the second veterans home in the area. Another veterans home opened to its first patient on June 21, 2006, at the former home of Washington Regional Medical Center on College Avenue in Fayetteville, adjacent to the long-time Veterans Administration Hospital.

The former Washington Regional facility now houses not only the the 108-bed skilled car nursing facility for veterans, but also a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences satellite campus, known as UAMS Northwest.

Northwest Breast Imaging Center at Willow Creek in Johnson, announced it recently began offering digital tomosynthesis, which relies on three-dimensional imaging to screen for breast cancer.

A new study published online in the journal Radiology indicated digital mammography is the gold standard for breast cancer screening, but it can yield false positives associated with a high recall rate in which additional imaging or biopsy is performed at added costs.

Digital tomosynthesis has been shown to reduce the recall rates for false positive, especially in younger women with dense breast tissue.

Tomosynthesis allows for 3-D reconstruction of the breast tissue, which can then be viewed as sequential slices through the breast.

The addition of tomosynthesis to conventional digital mammography resulted in a 30% reduction in the overall recall rate, according to a study by Yale University of Medicine

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is reportedly considering a bid for a Hong Kong supermarket chain ParkNShop valued at $4 billion, by owner Whompoa Ltd., according to Reuters.

The deadline for bidding is set for Aug. 16, sparking interest from corporate suitors and private equity buyers.

Wal-Mart announced earlier this year it would open 100 new stores in China by 2016. 
Acquisition is the quickest way for the retail giant to accomplish that goal as there are formidable infrastructure costs and logistics challenges with building from the ground up in China.

The Bentonville-based retailer already operates 380 stores in China and continues to transform those operations into its “productivity loop” that allows for everyday low prices for consumers and everyday low costs of goods for the retailer.

Wal-Mart declined to comment on the proposed bid.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. agreed to improve the safety conditions in 2,857 U.S. Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores following health hazards uncovered by the federal inspectors during a routine safety audit in 2011.

The settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor announced today (Aug. 7) resolves two enforcement cases that began in 2011, and includes provisions for the Bentonville-based retailer to enhance safety and health practices and training related to trash compactors, cleaning chemicals and hazard communications
corporate-wide.


The retail giant has also agreed to pay a $190,000 fine to fix hazards discovered during an Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection at a store in Rochester, N.Y.


“This settlement will help to keep thousands of exposed Wal-Mart workers safe and healthy on the job,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “We hope this sends a strong message that the law requires employers to provide safe working conditions, and OSHA will use all the tools at our disposal to ensure that all employers follow the law.”


Under the settlement, trash compactors must remain locked while not in use, and may not be operated except under the supervision of a trained manager or other trained, designated monitor.

The assessed fine relates to safety citations pertinent to the corporate-wide trash compactor abatement, the settlement affirms one repeat lockout/tagout citation, two serious lockout/tagout citations, two serious confined space citations, and one serious machine guarding citation.


"We have long-standing policies and training requirements in our stores designed to ensure the safety of our associates. When we learned of concerns raised by OSHA at our Rochester, N.Y. store in 2011, we immediately addressed them and reinforced the company’s guidelines. We will continue providing training to our associates nationwide, including addressing the areas outlined in the settlement. We are pleased this resolves the issues that were raised," said Randy Hargrove, corporate spokesman at Wal-Mart.

According to the settlement, Wal-Mart agreed to improve its hazard communications training; and, for cleaning chemicals, will enhance its procedures to ensure that employees do not handle undiluted chemicals. Also, the company must ensure that a protective protocol is in place in case of any malfunctions with a store’s cleaning chemicals dispensing equipment.

Other citations affirmed in the settlement include one repeat electrical hazard citation, one serious citation for obstructed exit routes, two serious machine guarding citations, one repeat other-than-serious platform fall hazard citation, and 11 serious bloodborne pathogens citations.


A summary of the agreement will be posted in each affected store.
 The settlement agreement can be viewed here.

The board of directors of Tyson Foods Inc., recently declared the quarterly dividend of 5 cents per share on its Class A common stock and 4.5 cents per share on Class B common stock.

The cash dividend is payable on Dec. 13, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 29.

Optimism around Tyson Foods shares has been high on the heels of the company’s strong earnings reported on Monday (Aug. 5).

Tyson shares set a 52-week high of $30.93 during intraday trading on Wednesday (Aug. 7) before settling back to close at $30.60, a gain of 11 cents.

The National Retail Federation together with University of Phoenix, have partnered to give 10 individuals full-tuition scholarships to fulfill their college degrees.

The Dream BIG scholarship program was launched in January and was open to any individual working part-time or full-time for a retail company. Hundreds of people from more than 80 companies across the country applied, and in June a panel of top retail executives selected the 10 deserving recipients. 

The full-tuition scholarships will allow retail associates to pursue a wide-array of career paths available in the retail industry, with the added flexibility to continue to work and live at home while advancing their education.


The 2013 recipients of the Dream BIG scholarships are:

• Christine Liberto, pharmacist, Wal-Mart, New Milford, Conn., (MBA)
• Stephanie Brovender, manager, talent resources, ANN Inc., New York, (Bachelor’s degree)
• Erica Gordon-Roberts, human resources coordinator, Kroger, Lithonia, Ga. (MBA)

• Chaz Grunder, assistant manager, Stater Bros., Corona, Calif., (Bachelor’s degree)

• Erika Harrel, personnel clerk, Stater Bros., Riverside, Calif., (MBA)

• Dylan Lauzon, senior risk analyst, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Hermosa Beach, Calif., (MBA)

• Adam Naumann, district supervisor and store manager, Wildcat Wearhouse, Louisville, Ky., (MBA)

• Ryan Sexauer, district sales leader, Sleep Train, Santa Cruz, Calif., (Bachelor’s degree)

• Daniel White, store manager visual sales, The Container Store, Columbus, Ohio, (MBA)
• Jonathon Wolheim, manager, Apple, Temecula, Calif., (Bachelor’s degree)

"We are honored to recognize the passion and ambition of our Dream BIG scholarship recipients," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. "Retail offers richly rewarding and diverse career opportunities to hundreds of thousands of hard-working Americans. The stories these individuals shared through their applications show that retail is more than just a job - it is a fulfilling, challenging career path for those who work hard and want to achieve great things."

For more information about the Dream BIG 2013 recipients, view their profiles at www.thisisretail.org/dreambig.

University of Phoenix and NRF plan to run the Dream BIG scholarship program again in 2014, providing more retail associates with the opportunity to further their careers through education.

Allen Questrom, a retail legend in his own right who turned J.C. Penney around once before, has agreed to come back as board chairman if he approves of the retailer’s candidate to replace interim CEO Mike Ullman soon.

Questrom said on CNBC Thursday (Aug. 8) he would consider a return to J.C. Penney as chairman if he agrees with the new CEO choice. Though he supported the company’s decision to name Ullman as an interim back in April, he said the board has drug their feet in naming a permanent CEO.

Bill Ackman, the retailer’s largest investor who also has a board seat, wants to see a new CEO in place within the next 30 to 45 days, noting in a letter obtained by CNBC his frustration with the lag time in the search process to replace Ullman.

Ullman came on as interim CEO in April with the exit of Ron Johnson after the retailer’s failed efforts to rebrand itself to reach young professionals via a shop within a shop model.

Analysts said Ullman did a good job securing bridge funding for the retailer, but even though the company added back coupons, it has not been able to woo back its core customers.

Questrom said there is only four or five possible candidates with the expertise to take the helm at J.C. Penney and it should not have taken the board this long to start the search.