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🚨 Developing Story 3 min read Fort Smith · State Line Poteau and Arkansas River area at Fort Smith. Photo: National Park Service. Hey Fort Smith — this is a developing one, and right now there are still more questions than answers. A body was found in the Poteau River Friday morning near Fort Smith , with the discovery reported on the Oklahoma side of the state line in LeFlore County. Fort Smith first responders assisted Oklahoma authorities with recovering the body from the water. As of Friday night, authorities have not publicly released the person’s identity, cause of death or exactly how the person ended up in the river. So before this turns into everybody on Facebook trying to solve the case from their couch, there really isn’t enough confirmed information yet to say what happened. There is no official information I’ve found saying this was a homicide. There is no official information saying it was an accidental drowning either...

💰 City Money Update 4 min read Fort Smith, AR Hey Fort Smith — here’s one of those updates that sounds boring until you realize this money helps pay for police, fire, streets, drainage and that never-ending sewer mess. The city’s latest sales-tax report came out Friday, and the numbers are up again. Fort Smith’s share of the 1% Sebastian County sales tax brought in $2.171 million in the July report , which is about 6% higher than the $2.047 million reported during the same period last year. That report reflects spending that happened in June, so there’s always a little lag between when people swipe the card and when the city actually reports the money. Through the first seven reporting months of 2026, Fort Smith’s share of that countywide tax has generated $14.697 million . That’s about $615,000 more than the same point in 2025 , or roughly a 4.36% increase. That countywide money goes into Fort Smith’s general fund, which is basically...

⛈️ Storm Damage Update 3 min read Crawford County, AR Hey River Valley — this is the first actual local damage report I’ve found from the storms we’ve been watching all day, and it happened in Crawford County near Uniontown. A Wednesday afternoon storm report says multiple trees were knocked down and the roof was taken off a shed near Uniontown around 3:45 p.m. The reported time was estimated using radar, and the damage is currently being listed as thunderstorm wind damage . That last part is important because, as of this update, there is no confirmed tornado report tied to the Uniontown damage. So this looks like the exact kind of straight-line wind damage the National Weather Service has been warning about since earlier Wednesday. And honestly, this is why straight-line wind doesn’t get enough respect sometimes. Everybody hears “no tornado” and starts relaxing, but a strong thunderstorm can still rip roofing off an outbuilding, drop b...

⛈️ Weather Alert 4 min read Fort Smith · River Valley, AR Hey Fort Smith — the heat advisory is finally done for tonight, but tomorrow we’ve got a different weather problem to keep an eye on. The National Weather Service in Tulsa updated its outlook Tuesday evening and says isolated thunderstorms could turn strong to severe across western Arkansas Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday evening . Fort Smith, Van Buren and the surrounding River Valley are right in the area being watched, with forecasters showing a Marginal to Slight Risk for severe storms across portions of western Arkansas. The biggest concern is wind. The National Weather Service says the stronger storms could produce locally damaging wind gusts up to around 70 mph . Some hail is possible too. Before anybody reads “severe weather” and starts thinking tornado outbreak — that’s not what the forecast is saying right now. There is no severe thunderstorm warning for Fort Smith Tuesda...

🏫 School Update 4 min read Fort Smith, AR Hey Fort Smith — this one finally looks like it’s coming to an end. The Fort Smith School Board approved a $525,000 settlement Monday night with former Northside head football coach Felix Curry, closing out the lawsuit that followed his removal from the coaching job and reassignment inside the district. And that $525,000 number still isn’t necessarily the full cost of this whole situation. According to Talk Business & Politics, the settlement is being paid by the district’s insurer and does not include legal fees . The outlet has requested those legal costs from Fort Smith Public Schools, so there could still be another number coming. Curry had been part of Northside football for years before taking over as head coach in 2022. In late 2024, he was told his head coaching contract would not be renewed. Not long after that, he was reassigned to the district’s Student Detention Center. That’s where the fig...

🏛️ City Update 2 min read Fort Smith, AR Hey Fort Smith — quick heads-up before anybody makes a pointless trip downtown tonight. The Fort Smith Board of Directors study session scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 25, has been canceled. The city’s official meetings-and-agendas page was updated Tuesday and now clearly shows “Board of Directors Study Session CANCELED” for tonight’s meeting. The city also lists a separate media notification announcing the cancellation. So if you were planning to head downtown, watch the meeting online or catch one of the directors before or after the session, don’t plan your evening around it. There won’t be a normal Board study session tonight. There is one slightly confusing part worth mentioning. Fort Smith’s older Granicus meeting portal was still showing the August 25 study session as an upcoming 6 p.m. meeting when we checked Tuesday afternoon. But the city’s main current meetings page has officially changed th...