NEWS IN BRIEF

Group backs ASU bid for osteopath school

Arkansas State University’s efforts to create an osteopathic medical school in Jonesboro garnered support Wednesday from Community Health Centers of Arkansas Inc.

Community Health Centers board members voted unanimously to lend support to ASU’s work to establish a school and provide medical-school students a place to work on clinical rotations and residency education, said Sip Mouden, the chief executive officer of the nonprofit, which deals with concerns of the community health centers in the state.

“We want to make sure a pipeline of primary-care physicians exists for this state,” Mouden said. “We need more practitioners of preventative care, and our board recognizes that.”

Support from Community Health Centers comes a day after the Fort Smith Regional Healthcare Foundation committed $58 million to establish an osteopathic medical school in Fort Smith. Community Health Centers also is involved in the proposed Fort Smith medical school.

ASU is working with the New York Institute of Technology to develop its school. A proposal related to the osteopathic school is scheduled for the Feb.

28 ASU board of trustees meeting.

  • Chris Bahn

Steel molder is open to deal in Springdale

Dixie Southern Arkansas is seeking a buyer for the company’s Springdale operation but is also interested in the possibility of finding an investor or exploring the option of a joint venture. Dixie Southern, a custom steel fabricator, has hired Heritage Equity Partners to help work out a deal, according to a release Wednesday.

Matt LoCascio, managing director of Heritage Equity Partners said he plans on hosting site visits soon.

The Springdale operation makes tanks, pipe and other industrial components. It employs between 20 and 40 workers on the basis of need, a company spokesman said.

  • John Magsam

Arkansas Index sinks as only 2 stocks gain

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, dropped 5.85 to 317.27 Wednesday.

All but two stock in the index lost ground.

America’s Car-Mart fell almost 5 percent on 10 times its average volume of trading.

Banking stocks also were among the big losers.

Bank of the Ozarks fell 4.5 percent in average trading. Simmons First National lost 3.2 percent in light trading. And First Federal Bancshares declined 2.8 percent on average volume.

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 25 on 02/20/2014

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