News in brief

NASA grants to fund work on Venus gear

Fayetteville-based Ozark Integrated Circuits Inc. has obtained grants from NASA to build circuits for possible use on the surface of Venus.

The two awards totaling nearly $245,000 will be used to design silicon-carbide circuits that can operate on Venus, where temperatures can reach up to 932 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a release. The circuits could be used in the design of NASA's proposed Venus Landsailing Rover.

Exploring the surface of Venus with a rover is a "stretch" goal, that will push the limits of technology in high-temperature electronics, robotics, and robust systems, according to NASA's website.

"Silicon carbide is a semiconductor that is ideally suited for the extreme environments found on Venus," Matt Francis, Ozark Integrated Circuits' president and CEO, said in a statement. "We have many years of experience working with the semiconductor fabrication process, developing models and process-design kits specifically for this process."

Ozark Integrated Circuits was spun out of research at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and operates out of the Arkansas Research and Technology Park.

-- John Magsam

ArcBest's dividend in August set at 6¢

ArcBest Corp. will pay a quarterly dividend of 6 cents per share Aug. 25.

The Fort Smith-based company announced the dividend payment ahead of Monday's release of its second-quarter earnings report. Stockholders of record as of Aug. 11 will be eligible for the payout.

It's the fourth-straight quarter ArcBest has announced a dividend payment of 6 cents per share. The company's board of directors last announced an increase on Oct. 24, when the payout for shareholders grew from 3 cents to 6 cents.

Shares of ArcBest rose $1.19 to close Tuesday at $30.72.

-- Robbie Neiswanger

As 12 stocks climb, index increases 3.03

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, gained 3.03 to 350.46 on Tuesday.

Twelve stocks advanced and six declined.

Shares of ArcBest jumped 3.9 percent in light trading.

Murphy Oil rose 3.2 percent on active trading.

USA Truck was up 2.6 percent on low volume.

Simmons First National fell 0.6 percent.

Total volume of the index was 23.2 million shares.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.

Business on 07/29/2015

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