Two teams of students from the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith placed first and fifth in a statewide computer science competition held in Conway, beating out several other colleges and universities.

 

The competition, sponsored by the Acxiom Laboratory for Applied Research, had three competitive programming divisions, Computer and Information Science, Information Systems, and Computer Science. UA Fort Smith’s winning teams were in the Computer Science division.

 

Taking first place was Sam Shores of Alma and Ryan Ewing of Fort Smith. Fifth place went to Chris Alderson of Fort Smith and Chris Dungan of Gans. The students were given eight problems to solve within a five-hour period. Teams solving the most problems the fastest were the winners. The first-place team solved six of the eight problems, one of only two teams to do so.

 

Rick Massengale of Fort Smith, information technology instructor at UA Fort Smith, said this was only the second year for UA Fort Smith to have a competitive programming team.

UA Fort Smith News Release

Well, not exactly…it’s the Greater Fort Smith Regional HOME SHOW! Sponsored by the Greater Fort Smith Association of Home Builders.

Times Record

www.stimuluswatch.org is a portal for citizens to vote on which projects submitted by local governments might be funded through the recently-passed stimulus package.

It is unknown whether this is a plecebo or if granting federal agencies will truly consider the results of the popular vote.

In the list of projects submitted by the City of Fort Smith, a number of requests are wastewater and sewer improvements that have been mandated by the EPA and the Department of Justice. Citizens are funding $140 million in improvements in the next few years. Our choices on these projects aren’t whether they’re necessary – but HOW we want to fund them. Our choices are:

1. rate increases
2. local sales taxes
3. federal stimulus funds (ultimately via income taxes)

If you’re so inclined, view all the projects and vote here.

Ben Boulden of the Times Record interviews FSPD Capt. David Overton about traffic laws concering trolleys and cars.

Inquire Within

Love animals but on a tight budget? Spaying and neutering a pet is an important first step in becoming a responsible pet owner.

The Times Record profiles an organization dedicated to providing low-cost spaying and neutering options to the region.

If you think the answer to “What’s happening at Chaffee Crossing?” is “Not much,” you ain’t been out there lately.

Your assignment is two-fold:

1. Read Ivy Owen’s guest column in The City Wire
2. Take a drive out Chad Colley Blvd or Massard

A Van Buren company has enjoyed a star-studded January – playing a vital, yet unseen, role in the inauguration and Superbowl (okay, so we sneaked into February).

The company rents and installs portable floors, platforms, and roadways for giant events.

Read all about it in the Times Record.

Okay, there’s an email circulating around town, citing a recent U.S. News & World Report survey citing our fair city as the 10th least fit city in the nation – in terms of the percentage of adults who excercise 30+ minutes each day for at least 5 days per week.

First, Sgt. BB thinks 30 minutes per day 5 days per week may be a very high standard for physical fitness. 40 minutes a day 3 to 4 days per week is a personal goal but rarely met.

Second, local volunteers built substantial portions of the Ozark Highlands Trail and neighborhoods are working diligently to blaze trails in Fort Smith.

Third, if public funds are used to construct trails more quickly does that necessarily mean more Fort Smith residents will exercise more?

Fourth, are there other “quality of place” initiatives that could generate revenue for the city coffers and thus fund trails and greenways in the next 10 to 15 years?

Please comment. Sgt. BB wants to know what you think. After all, these are your tax dollars.

Ben Boulden of the Times Record is a business reporter by day and a historian by night. His skills and interests blend nicely each Tuesday in the features section of the local paper. This week, Boulden clears up the burning questions about which retail chains are really coming to the Fort Smith Pavilion and which stores were bandied about as possibilities during the planning stages of the project.

Boulden also addresses an Inquire Withinner query about when the remains of barracks at Chaffee will be cleaned up from that great big ole fire off Hwy 22 that claimed hundreds of asbestos-laden structures.

A local educator who served on Governor Beebe’s task force for building a 21st Century Economy spoke to the Charleston Chamber of Commerce this week.

Guy Fenter told the group that a ready workforce has been an essential component in recruiting manufacturing jobs to the region.

However, Fenter is quoted in the Charleston Express as putting a finer point on the need for entrepreneurship curricula in Arkansas schools.