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🏙️ FORT SMITH WEEKLY #16

🏙️ FORT SMITH WEEKLY #16

July 24, 2025

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Hi Neighbors!

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What do we have in today’s edition

Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe Hometown Celebration
Fort Smith International Film Festival
News to keep you in the loop
Collector Shop in town

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—Your Neighbour

📅 THIS WEEK IN FORT SMITH

⚾ SPORTS & RECREATION

Are you a basketball fan? This is a must attend event for you.

JAYLIN WILLIAMS & ISAIAH JOE HOMETOWN CELEBRATION in Fort Smith

Fort Smith NBA Champions Block Party
Thursday, July 24, 2025 | 4:00-8:00 PM
The Bakery District + Garrison Avenue | FREE

PARADE: 6:00 PM on Garrison Avenue (6th to 10th Street)
ACTIVITIES: Live DJ, food trucks, ice cream, bounce houses, player speeches
PARKING: Free downtown metered parking; South 7th closed 3:00-9:00 PM

Link to Event and More Details - Here

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🎭 LIVE ENTERTAINMENT & CONCERTS

🎭 THEATER & PERFORMING ARTS

🎬 MOVIES & FILM

🎬 FORT SMITH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (FSIFF) 2025

Festival Details:

Presented by: Multiple sponsors including The Bakery District
Duration: 3-day festival (August 6-8, 2025)
Venues: Multiple locations throughout Fort Smith (festival map available)
Format: Full screening schedules released for all three days

Recurring Events I Like

💡 FORT SMITH FACT OF THE WEEK

John Rogers: The Town Founder

When the Army abandoned the first fort in 1824, Army sutler and land speculator John Rogers purchased the former government lands and actively promoted the growth of a civilian town. Rogers is widely recognized as the founder of Fort Smith, establishing the first inn and working tirelessly to convince the federal government to return military presence to the area. Rogers Avenue, the city's main east-west thoroughfare, is named in his honor.

The town of Fort Smith was officially incorporated on December 24, 1842, and chartered as a city in 1845. Sebastian County was created in 1851, separating from Crawford County north of the Arkansas River.

Source [1], [2], [3]

🔍 LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: SHARP GAMING

Why I Love It: Locally owned, great card and collectible shop, Decent board game selection (could have more), extensive comic book collection, regularly hosts tournaments throughout the week for your TCG game of choice.

Visit Them: 923 S Louisville St A, Fort Smith, AR, 72901 | Email | Website | Facebook | 479-242-2594

📰 FORT SMITH NEWS YOU CAN USE

Education Boys & Girls Club launches teen center with federal funding restoration

120 students to receive free meals, transportation, and workforce development

After previous federal funding delays, the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club will welcome 120 students to their new teen center at Future School in August. The program serves grades 8-12 from 3:15-6:30 PM with free transportation, meals, and workforce development programming including FAFSA assistance, resume writing, and interview skills. The center operates with $200,000 in guaranteed first-year funding, down from the originally planned $700,000 four-year grant that was temporarily frozen.

Read the full article

Municipal Affairs School board approves meal price increases and extends board terms

25-cent lunch price hike affects only full-paying students

The Fort Smith School Board unanimously approved a 25-cent meal price increase, raising elementary lunches from $2.75 to $3.00 and middle/high school meals from $3.00 to $3.25, effective August 1. The increase affects only full-paid students, with 78% of district students on free or reduced-price meals remaining unaffected. Board members also voted to extend term limits from five to six years following passage of Arkansas Act 503, which requires either four- or six-year terms.

Read the full article

Technology & Security Cybersecurity incident disrupts Fort Smith Schools communications

Phone and internet systems compromised weeks before school year begins

A cybersecurity incident shut down phone and internet systems across the Fort Smith School District on July 21, hours before a school board meeting addressing cellphone bans and lunch price increases. Superintendent Martin Mahan reported the threat was contained and restoration efforts were underway with an outside agency. The incident occurred just weeks before the district's August 13 start date for the 2025-26 school year.

Read the full article

Transportation Fort Smith airport traffic down through June, director search continues

Enplanements drop 1.4% in first half of 2025 as search narrows to top candidates

Airport enplanements dropped 1.4% to 29,439 in the first half of 2025, though May-June showed 3.5% growth over 2024. ADK Consulting has identified approximately 20 qualified candidates for the airport director position, with plans to narrow to the top 5 before interviews begin. Former director Michael Griffin resigned in April after earning $165,000 annually. The search firm was contracted for $45,306 to fill the position that oversees an airport still recovering from pandemic-related traffic declines.

Read the full article

Quick updates

Main Street Fort Smith celebrates 10th anniversary - Read more
Downtown police presence strengthened with new business liaison officer - Read more
Baptist Health-Fort Smith receives national stroke care excellence awards - Read more
Fort Smith airport traffic down through June, director search ongoing - Read more
City directors table $125,000 water meter study - Read more
Main Street Fort Smith seeks resident input for downtown improvements - Read more

Been trying out new ways to present the News

How do you like these updates sections for news?

👋 UNTIL NEXT WEEK

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me exploring the best of Fort Smith! If you enjoyed this week's edition, I'd love for you to:

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Coming next week: Summer festival preview, a spotlight on Fort Smith's historic theaters, and seasonal gardening tips from local experts.

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Your Neighbor

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