State logs decrease in milk production
Third-quarter milk production in Arkansas was down 7% when compared with the same period a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For the July through September period this year, cows in Arkansas produced 13 million pounds of milk, down when compared with 14 million pounds for the same period a year ago and down 24% when compared with the previous quarter, according to a news release this week. A gallon of milk weights 8.6 pounds.
The number of cows on dairy farms in the state stood at 4,500 head, down 500 from the third quarter of last year.
Dairies across the U.S. produced 55.9 billion pounds of milk for the third quarter of 2021, up nearly 1% from the same period a year ago. The number of U.S. dairy cows on average for the period was 9.45 million head, up 74,000 head from the July through September period last year but nearly 50,000 lower than the previous quarter.
-- John Magsam
Walmart expanding its delivery options
Walmart Inc. has some expanded delivery options available now and through the Christmas shopping season, the company said Thursday.
Tom Ward, senior vice president of last mile for Walmart U.S., said the company has extended its delivery window by two hours, letting drivers deliver local orders until 10 p.m. That gives customers until 6 p.m. to place orders for same-day or next-day delivery.
Also, Ward said, the Bentonville-based retailer has added delivery time frames. A new feature on Walmart's Spark Driver delivery app gives drivers the option to shop for and deliver orders even if the current delivery windows are full.
Additionally, oversized products from more than 2,800 stores can be delivered locally, Ward said. These include popular items such as bicycles, big-screen televisions and artificial Christmas trees.
For "a little added Christmas spirit," Ward said, more stores now offer pickup and delivery of alcohol. Pickup of alcohol is available at 3,000 stores and delivery from 1,500 stores.
All U.S. stores will close for Thanksgiving again this year, and open at noon the next day.
-- Serenah McKay
Day's gain of 3.80 puts index at 734.00
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Thursday at 734.00, up 3.80.
"Equities traded lower early in the session on inflationary fears but recovered with the S&P 500 index closing at a record high, led by the consumer discretionary and technology sectors," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.