Siloam Springs farm
to house solar array
A farm near Siloam Springs will soon be home of one of the largest solar arrays of its kind, according to a release Tuesday from Seal Solar.
Dixie Acres Farm expects to recoup the cost of its investment in three years and anticipates an annual savings of $24,000 on energy costs.
"Fundamentally it's a business decision," Dan Schwieder, owner of Dixie Acres Farm, said in the release. "I don't know if I've been through very many projects of this magnitude with this much simplicity. Now that speaks volumes to me."
North Little Rock-based Seal Solar specializes in solar, battery storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, according to the company.
Seal Solar recently developed a similar large-scale farm project at Bearskin Farm east of Little Rock. That project's 4,500 solar panels are designed to produce about 3.6 million kilowatt hours annually at the farm in Lonoke and Pulaski counties.
-- John Magsam
Optimum opens new
retail store in Cabot
Local communications company Optimum has opened a new retail store at 110 S. Rockwood Drive in Cabot that replaces the company's previous location.
The company provides internet, cell phone, TV and phone services. It was formerly at 1421 S. Second St. in Cabot.
The new store will feature an interactive environment for customers.
Customers can register for connectivity services, shop for mobile devices and accessories, pay bills and get help from retail associates at the new store.
"Optimum is making significant strides to enhance and modernize our retail presence around the country," Optimum Vice President of Retail Sales Jonah Pollack said in a news release Tuesday.
"We are excited to welcome existing and new customers to our new location in Cabot and look forward to delivering superior support and service to the community."
Optimum is a brand of Altice USA, a broadband communications and video services provider, which delivers services to nearly 5 million customers across 21 U.S. states.
-- Cristina LaRue
Arkansas Index ends
with increase of 9.01
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Tuesday at 845.75, up 9.01.
"Some encouraging comments from the Federal Reserve being open to slowing the tempo of rate increases sent stocks higher on Tuesday, as the S&P 500 closed at its highest level since mid-September, while the Nasdaq jumped 1%," said Chris Harkins, managing director at Raymond James & Associates.
Shares of America's Car-Mart rose 3.6% and Dillard's shares rose 3.2%. Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services fell 2.7%.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.