Southwest Arkansas takes off

On June 17, Chevron announced it has leased mineral rights on almost 125,000 acres in southwest Arkansas and northeast Texas, marking the oil...

previous day 4

Rex Nelson

Charmed by Magnolia

Magnolia, the city that stands to benefit the most from the coming southwest Arkansas lithium boom, has always charmed me.

sunday 7

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Talking Arkansas' water with Tad Bohannon

[Podcast player not showing up? Click here to listen.] In this week’s episode, Rex sits down with Tad Bohannon, CEO of Central Arkansas Water, to...

12.07.2025 5

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: Sleepy day at Lake View

There's not much happening in Lake View as I drive through the Phillips County community on a summer afternoon.

10.07.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Before the boom

The square is packed in downtown Magnolia for the annual Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-Off.

07.07.2025 5

Rex Nelson

A rich ethnic stew

In a recent column about Charlie Young, the owner of Young's Grocery in Earle, I noted that the 72-year-old Chinese American has a business degree...

06.07.2025 4

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: Des Arc takes off

During lunch at T.J.'s Kountry Kitchen in Des Arc, native son Paul Guess talks about his efforts to revitalize this old port city on the lower White...

03.07.2025 20

Rex Nelson

Lake Village coffee stop

We're headed south to the Gulf Coast, like so many other Arkansans this time of year.

30.06.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Words in rhythm with Arkansas

Continuing the theme of last week's Perspective cover story, here are more summer reading suggestions for those interested in Arkansas: "Cries From...

30.06.2025 10

Rex Nelson

A new rural vision

During the four years I spent working for the Delta Regional Authority, my greatest frustration when interacting with business and civic leaders in...

29.06.2025 30

Rex Nelson

Pearl of the St. Francis

Earle has the distinction of having one of the youngest Black mayors in the country.

26.06.2025 10

Rex Nelson

East Arkansas’ dream team

During the 16 years I've been writing this column, I've devoted millions of words to east Arkansas.

23.06.2025 8

Rex Nelson

The past is present

Summer reading lists are a staple in this business, often focusing on breezy fiction titles that are perfect for days spent in the mountains or at the...

23.06.2025 7

Rex Nelson

Earle’s troubled history

Earle received national media attention in late 2022 when it elected 18-year-old Jaylen Smith mayor.

22.06.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Young’s Grocery turns 80

Chinese-owned grocery stores once were common in Delta areas of Arkansas and Mississippi.The

19.06.2025 20

Rex Nelson

The road forward

The announcement last month that Alyson Hoge is retiring after 46 years at the Arkansas Democrat and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette made me feel old.

16.06.2025 7

Rex Nelson

Rogers goes upscale

I usually eat at locally owned restaurants in a job that takes me to every part of the state.

15.06.2025 10

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: The state of religion, church and Arkansas' private colleges and universities with Rex Horne

[Podcast player not showing up? Click here to listen.] On this episode of the podcast, Rex sits down for an in-depth discussion with one of his...

14.06.2025 10

Rex Nelson

Urbanization of Arkansas

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released updated population estimates for Arkansas.

12.06.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Going big: Part 2

A column I wrote in in April 2024 expressed my delight that Arkansas business titan John Tyson had decided to "go big" by coming up with the funds...

09.06.2025 10

Rex Nelson

The manufacturing sector

In 1887, the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce established what was known as a factory fund to lure industry to the city.

08.06.2025 5

Rex Nelson

Fort Smith bounces back

This was the headline on the CNN website on Oct.

05.06.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Flying Fort Smith

Construction of the U.S. Air Force's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) training center at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith is one of the...

02.06.2025 9

Rex Nelson

The Chaffee Crossing story

I was a Washington correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat when it was announced in 1987 that Fort Chaffee had been chosen as the U.S.

01.06.2025 7

Rex Nelson

On politics, restaurant development and achieving “business legend” status with Jim Keet

One of Rex’s old friends and longtime Arkansas politician Jim Keet returns to the podcast this week to discuss several topics relevant to Jim’s...

31.05.2025 10

Rex Nelson

Educating west Arkansas

Fort Smith was doing well economically in 1928.

29.05.2025 3

Rex Nelson

At the rivers’ confluence

Following the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson made it clear that he wanted Native Americans in the Deep South to move west of the...

26.05.2025 4

Rex Nelson

With exceptional outcomes

It was announced last month by the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education in Fort Smith that its Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine had achieved...

25.05.2025 10

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: Isn’t that cool?

Wayne Fawcett, a friend since our days as students at Ouachita Baptist University more than four decades ago, had a career in public education.

22.05.2025 10

Rex Nelson

History nerds’ nirvana

Unable to remember the name of the event, my wife refers to it as "history nerds week."

19.05.2025 3

Rex Nelson

The Cuban refugee crisis

An international drama occurred 45 years ago when almost 125,000 Cubans left their island nation for the United States.

18.05.2025 4

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Inside the transformation of the Brooks Building with Attorney General Tim Griffin

On this week’s episode, Attorney General Tim Griffin joins Rex to talk about his office’s move into the newly renovated Brooks Building in...

17.05.2025 5

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: The Fort Chaffee refugees

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the first Indochinese refugees arriving at Fort Chaffee.

15.05.2025 4

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: A military city

Readers of last Sunday's column were introduced to fighter pilots Matrix and Rev from the U.S.

12.05.2025 3

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: The Fort Chaffee refugees

Fifty years ago this month, the first Indochinese refugees arrived at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas.

11.05.2025 3

Rex Nelson

History lives in Van Buren

We get off the bus on a beautiful Friday afternoon in Van Buren and hurry up the road to the Drennen-Scott House.

08.05.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Visiting with Matrix and Rev

The call sign is a tradition among military pilots.

05.05.2025 3

Rex Nelson

From bombers to businesses

Blytheville Air Force Base was a busy place during the Cold War.

04.05.2025 3

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: The Clinton Foundation's impact and future with Stephanie Streett

In this week’s episode, Rex sits down with Stephanie Streett, Executive Director of the Clinton Foundation, to chat about the organization's role in...

03.05.2025 10

Rex Nelson

The nuclear triad

Students from the Gosnell School District are crowded inside a building at the former Eaker Air Force Base (earlier known as Blytheville Air Force...

01.05.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Capital of the Cold War

On Nov. 12, 2024, the National Cold War Center at Blytheville announced a partnership with the Woodrow Wilson Center in an effort to preserve the...

28.04.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Education for all

I spent five years in higher education, serving as president of Arkansas' Independent Colleges and Universities.

28.04.2025 6

Rex Nelson

Mass at St. Mary’s

My wife serves on a committee for the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock and was given an assignment by the bishop.

27.04.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Cuervo to the rescue

I was at the Rotary Club 99 meeting at the Clinton Presidential Center the day Frank Cuervo was welcomed to the club.

24.04.2025 4

Rex Nelson

Arkansas’ tourism giants

In last Sunday's column, I wrote about a 1996 boat trip that Gov. Mike Huckabee took on the Arkansas River from Fort Smith to the mouth of the river...

21.04.2025 7

Rex Nelson

Uniting the capital city

Another college basketball season has come to an end.

20.04.2025 30

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Talking real estate and downtown renovation with Chris Moses and George Friedmann

On this week's episode of the podcast, Rex is joined by Chris Moses, President and CEO of Moses Tucker Partners, and the company's Vice President of...

19.04.2025 4

Rex Nelson

NW’s strong foundation

Bentonville's Peel Compton Foundation will spend 2025 celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Peel Mansion, now known as the Peel Museum and...

17.04.2025 10

Rex Nelson

Credit where it’s due

Within days of becoming governor on July 15, 1996, Mike Huckabee met with a delegation of Arkansans.

14.04.2025 3

Rex Nelson

Celebrating 150 years

In 1991, Helen Walton of Bentonville began an initiative to finish restoring the Peel Mansion, which is across the street from the Walmart...

13.04.2025 10

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Southwest Arkansas takes off

Rex Nelson

Charmed by Magnolia

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: Talking Arkansas' water with Tad Bohannon

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: Sleepy day at Lake View

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Before the boom

Rex Nelson

A rich ethnic stew

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: Des Arc takes off

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Lake Village coffee stop

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Words in rhythm with Arkansas

Rex Nelson

A new rural vision

Rex Nelson

Pearl of the St. Francis

Rex Nelson

East Arkansas’ dream team

Rex Nelson

The past is present

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Earle’s troubled history

Rex Nelson

Young’s Grocery turns 80

Rex Nelson

The road forward

Rex Nelson

Rogers goes upscale

Rex Nelson

The Southern Fried Podcast: The state of religion, church and Arkansas' private colleges and universities with Rex Horne

Rex Nelson

Urbanization of Arkansas

Rex Nelson

Going big: Part 2

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The manufacturing sector

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Fort Smith bounces back

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Flying Fort Smith

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The Chaffee Crossing story

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On politics, restaurant development and achieving “business legend” status with Jim Keet

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Educating west Arkansas

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At the rivers’ confluence

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With exceptional outcomes

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OPINION | REX NELSON: Isn’t that cool?

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History nerds’ nirvana

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The Cuban refugee crisis

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The Southern Fried Podcast: Inside the transformation of the Brooks Building with Attorney General Tim Griffin

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OPINION | REX NELSON: The Fort Chaffee refugees

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: A military city

Rex Nelson

OPINION | REX NELSON: The Fort Chaffee refugees

Rex Nelson

History lives in Van Buren

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Visiting with Matrix and Rev

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From bombers to businesses

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The Southern Fried Podcast: The Clinton Foundation's impact and future with Stephanie Streett