NEWS IN BRIEF

Tyson to close plant

in Georgia after fire

After catching fire last month, a Tyson Foods chicken plant will permanently shutter in Dawson, Ga., affecting more than 300 workers and the local economy.

In the wake of the fire, Doug Ramsey, Tyson's group president of poultry, suspended operations for weeks to look at what it would take to salvage the plant.

"Based on a number of factors, we've made the difficult decision to permanently close the facility," Ramsey said in an internal memo to employees on Friday.

Jobs at other Tyson locations will be made available to the plant's workers, according to the memo. Hourly workers will be offered jobs at a Tyson plant in Vienna, Ga., about an hour's drive northeast of the Dawson site.

A chemical fire in April led to a plant evacuation and multiple school closings, local news outlets reported. At the time, Tyson officials said they temporarily idled the plant to investigate and clean up.

Gerald Greene, a state representative for the western Georgia area, learned of Tyson's updated plans on Friday. He said Springdale-based Tyson is one of Terrell County's largest employers.

"They just purchased a rendering plant in Cuthbert," he said. "Then for this to be shut down ... it kind of all caught us by surprise."

--Nathan Owens

$31M medical clinic

opens in Monticello

Drew Memorial Health System in Monticello opened its expanded $31 million medical facility Friday, highlighted by a world-class surgery center, a women's center and more.

The hospital, expanded by 51,000 square feet, includes six operating rooms and two dedicated cesarean section suites, along with pre-op and post-op areas.

The project also offers a more convenient outpatient clinic and a labor, delivery and recovery unit that is three times larger than the existing unit.

Drew Memorial Health System is a nonprofit, community-owned acute care hospital serving a population of more than 200,000 in southeast Arkansas. Since 1975, Drew Memorial has operated in its current location in Monticello.

-- David Smith

Arkansas index falls

as 12 stocks decline

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, dropped 1.72 to 427.43 Friday.

Twelve stocks declined and four advanced.

Windstream lost 8.2 percent in heavy trading.

J.B. Hunt Transport hit a 52-week high during the day.

For the week, nine stocks fell and seven gained ground.

Windstream dropped 14 percent for the week.

America's Car-Mart was up 18.4 percent for the week.

Total volume for the index was 19.5 million shares. The average daily volume for the week was 22.9 million shares.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.

Business on 05/26/2018

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