NEWS IN BRIEF

Entergy's 3.75% rise

gets PSC's approval

The Arkansas Public Service Commission on Wednesday approved a rate increase of 3.75 percent for Entergy Arkansas' residential customers.

The commission heard testimony last month on a settlement reached by Entergy and parties to the case, including a group of large industrial electricity users and a group of hospitals and higher education consumers. The commission didn't rule on the settlement until Wednesday.

The increase means a customer with a $100 monthly bill would have a bill of $103.75 when the change goes into effect Jan. 2.

Last year, the commission approved a rate increase for Entergy of 3.38 percent. That increase was charged this year.

Before the settlement was reached, Entergy requested a rate increase of more than 4 percent, said John Bethel, executive director of the commission's staff. But a law enacted by the Legislature last year capped rate increases at 4 percent in a more streamlined annual filing process.

-- David Smith

9 soybean producers

hit 100-bushel mark

Nine soybean producers reached the 100-bushel-per-acre mark in this year's Grow for the Green Soybean Yield Contest sponsored by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and the Arkansas Soybean Association.

The nine and their per-acre production are Perry Galloway of Gregory (108.9); Layne Miles of McGehee (108); Mary Galloway of Augusta (107.5); James Elton Wray of Trumann (105.9); Matt Miles of McGehee (105); John Newkirk of Stuttgart (103.9); James Wray Jr. of Trumann (103.8); Jason Berry of DeWitt (102.8); and Billy Wayne Tripp of Searcy (100.5).

The contest began in 2007, although the 100-bushel mark wasn't hit until 2013, when three producers reached the goal. This year's contest attracted 118 entries. Winners will be honored at the soybean association's annual meeting Jan. 29 in Brinkley.

-- Stephen Steed

Arkansas Index off

0.56, ends at 399.55

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, fell 0.56 to 399.55 Wednesday.

"Volume was heavier and equities had a mixed performance following the Federal Reserve decision to raise interest rates with financials lagging the broader market," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.

Total volume for the index was 24.3 million shares.

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

Business on 12/14/2017

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