I AM 479

FATAL CRASH UPDATE 5 min read Fort Smith · Sebastian County, AR Official Fort Smith Police file map showing the I-540 and Zero Street area. This is a location-reference image from an earlier traffic alert and does not show Thursday's crash scene. Image: City of Fort Smith / Fort Smith Police Department. Hey Fort Smith — this is a major update to the I-540 traffic alert we posted earlier this afternoon. One driver is now confirmed dead and two other people were injured in the crash on Interstate 540 in Fort Smith. Police told 40/29 News the driver who died had entered the interstate traveling the wrong way before colliding with another vehicle. Earlier Thursday, the Arkansas Department of Transportation was reporting crashes affecting traffic around Exit 10 near Phoenix Avenue and Old Greenwood Road and the nearby Zero Street stretch. At that point, the public information available only confirmed at least one injury. That has now changed substant...

DEVELOPING TRAFFIC ALERT 4 min read Fort Smith · Sebastian County, AR File map from a previous Fort Smith Police traffic alert showing the I-540 and Zero Street interchange where Thursday afternoon traffic is being heavily affected. This image is for location reference and does not show current traffic conditions. Image: City of Fort Smith / Fort Smith Police Department. Hey Fort Smith — if you're about to get on I-540 in south Fort Smith for the evening commute, check traffic before you leave. Multiple crashes are causing major problems in both directions of I-540 late Thursday afternoon around the Exit 10–11 stretch near Phoenix/Old Greenwood Road and Zero Street. 5NEWS reports northbound traffic near the Zero Street exit has been essentially stalled while southbound traffic is also moving slowly. 40/29 News separately reports crashes affecting the northbound and southbound sides near Exit 10 and says at least one person has been injured. This i...

CHRISTMAS ASSISTANCE 5 min read Fort Smith · Sebastian County, AR The Salvation Army Angel Tree program provides new clothing and toys to children whose families need help during the Christmas season. Image: The Salvation Army. Hey Fort Smith — Christmas feels a long way off when it's still pushing 100 degrees outside, but for families who may need help with gifts this year, one of the important dates starts tomorrow. The Salvation Army's Fort Smith Angel Tree application period opens Friday, Sept. 18. United Way of Fort Smith Area posted the local opening date and says families looking for registration information should contact The Salvation Army at 479-783-6145. That's the main thing worth knowing right now because this isn't the part of Angel Tree where people pull tags off Christmas trees and shop for kids. This is the family application side. If your household may need Christmas assistance this year, this is when you start find...

NOVEMBER BALLOT GUIDE 6 min read Fort Smith · Sebastian County, AR Fort Smith City Offices in downtown Fort Smith. The City has launched VoteFortSmith.com to explain the government-change question appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot. File image via 5NEWS. Hey Fort Smith — we're about to make a pretty major decision about how our City is run, and the City finally put the basic information in one place instead of making everybody dig through meeting packets, old news stories and Facebook arguments. The City of Fort Smith has launched VoteFortSmith.com, a dedicated information website answering frequently asked questions about Fort Smith's current city-administrator form of government and the proposed mayor-council system voters will see on the Nov. 3 ballot. That's worth bookmarking because this vote is not just about giving the mayor “more power.” It would change who actually runs City operations, how the council is structured and which City posit...

TODAY: JOB + RESOURCE FAIR 5 min read Van Buren · Crawford County, AR Official 2026 Second Chance Open House: Job & Resource Fair flyer from the Crawford County Adult Education Center, published through the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce. Hey Fort Smith — and especially Van Buren — here's one worth getting out early because it's happening today , and it's exactly the kind of local opportunity people usually hear about after it's already over. The Crawford County Adult Education Center is holding its Second Chance Open House: Job & Resource Fair today, Thursday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 301 Mount Vista Boulevard in Van Buren. The official flyer says attendees will be able to meet employers face-to-face, explore job opportunities and training, connect with community resources and talk directly with program representatives. Lunch will also be provided. This isn't just somebody setting up a folding table with a stack ...

OVERNIGHT HEAT UPDATE 5 min read Sebastian + Crawford County, AR Extreme heat continues across the Fort Smith area this week. National Weather Service Tulsa graphic. Hey Fort Smith — there's a meaningful late-night change to the heat alert we posted earlier, especially for people around Mansfield, Huntington, Hartford and the southern end of Sebastian County. At 10:38 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Tulsa expanded Thursday's Heat Advisory to include Southern Sebastian County. NWS also revised the timing for the Fort Smith and Van Buren side of the advisory from the previously announced 10 a.m.–8 p.m. window to noon–7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. That means one part of our earlier weather update is now outdated. Earlier Wednesday, Southern Sebastian County was not included in Thursday's advisory. It is now. The newest NWS alert specifically lists Mansfield, Hartford, Huntington, Liberty and Patterson in the added Southern S...

CYBERATTACK: NEW DEVELOPMENT 7 min read Fort Smith · Sebastian County, AR A screenshot of the Interlock ransomware group's claimed Fort Smith posting. The group's claims about the contents of the files have not yet been verified by the City. Image via Talk Business & Politics. Hey Fort Smith — this is the most important new development in the City cyberattack story since officials confirmed Tuesday night that data was taken. Fort Smith is now publicly acknowledging the dark-web posting tied to the attack and says investigators are actively collecting the posted files so they can determine whether they actually came from City and Police Department networks — and whether they contain protected personal information. That distinction matters. Tuesday night, the City confirmed that an unauthorized attacker gained access to municipal systems through the Fort Smith Police Department and exfiltrated certain data. Fort Smith also said investigators...