LITTLE ROCK — Blytheville bookstore
has new owner, 22
Mary Gay Shipley, owner of That Bookstore in Blytheville, said in a news release Wednesday that she has sold the 36-yearold store after a search that started early this year.
The buyer is Grant Hill of Mountain Home, who said in an interview that he plans to live above the store and continue the tradition that Shipley established.
Shipley is known nationally as an early champion of authors such as John Grisham, author of best-selling legal thrillers.
Hill, 22, said a Southern Bancorp loan covers 80 percent of purchase, and he was aided by a no-interest loan from the Greater Blytheville Chamber of Commerce.
- Jack Weatherly Farm Bureau to gather
3 days in Hot Springs
Seeds of Change is the theme for the 78th annual Arkansas Farm Bureau convention set for Nov.
28-30 at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
Farm Bureau President Randy Veach said the 2012 drought will “leave a deep mark on Arkansas agriculture,” and that the expected 1,000 conventioneers will discuss drought recovery and other issues such as changing markets and the federal farm bill.
Featured speakers include Veach, Gov. Mike Beebe, state Secretary of Agriculture Butch Calhoun and agricultural economist John Anderson.
Special conferences will cover topics such as state legislation, food safety, farm credit availability and the state water plan. Moderated discussions will cover the environment, rural health and private property rights. Commodity-specific discussions on poultry, rice, timber, cotton, beef, soybeans, dairy, horses, wheat and feed grains are also scheduled.
The three-day convention includes the organization’s annual business session, where voting delegates will determine the bureau’s positions on items of importance to Farm Bureau members and elect a president and vice president.
- Glen Chase
Drop of 4.10 leaves state index at 237.68
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, fell 4.10 to 237.68 Wednesday.
Windstream hit a 52-week low of $8.10 before closing at $8.18.
Arkansas Best dropped 3.7 percent to close at $6.94 after hitting a 52-week low of $6.90.
Simmons First National Corp. hit a 52-week low of $22.42 before closing at $22.50.
P.A.M. Transportation Services rose 3.24 percent to close at $9.57 in light trading.
Index volume was 24.5 million shares; the average is 24.1 million.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business, Pages 27 on 11/15/2012