Lyon College announced Tuesday that its dental school will be in Little Rock and its veterinary school will be in Cabot, ending six months of speculation of where the campuses would be placed.  A deal to locate Lyon’s Institute of Health Sciences on the Heifer International headquarters campus in Little Rock fell through in November, leaving the private liberal arts school in Batesville without a location for the schools. And no new site had been announced until Tuesday.  Lyon said in a news release Tuesday that construction on the campuses will start this year. The Lyon College Scho ..read more

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Monday announced the following appointments: Post-Prison Transfer Board  Willie Robinson, Little Rock, to the Parole Board.  Term to expire January 14, 2030. Previously vacant position. Board of Trustees of Northeastern College  Robin Houseworth, Blytheville, to the Board of Trustees of Northeastern College.  Term to expire December 31, 2028.  Replaces John Newcomb. Brad Harrison, Manila, to the Board of Trustees of Northeastern College.  Term to expire December 31, 2028. Replaces Thomas Westbrook. Board of Trustees of Arkansas T ..read more

The Root Cafe of Little Rock got its construction permit last week for its second location, at Breckenridge Village, Jack Sundell said, and he hopes to open the new restaurant in the fourth quarter of this year. Sundell and his wife, Corri Bristow-Sundell, co-owners of The Root, known for offering locally sourced food, announced in August 2022 plans to open their second location in the redeveloped Breckenridge Village shopping center at 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. But the March 31, 2023, tornado heavily damaged the center, delaying work on several restaurants planning to open there, The Root ..read more

A 22,665-SF office-surgery center in west Little Rock weighed in at $3.12 million. Delta Property Management LLC, led by Richard Hutson, sold the Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency facility at 1701 Aldersgate Road. The buyers are 1701 MOB LLC, led by Brock Martin and Robert Lester; and CCFW 1701 Holdings LLC, led by Kristen Bracy, Kevin Breniman, Nathan Livers, Matthew Sellers, Kay Chandler and Kenneth Singleton. The deal is backed with a $3.7 million loan from Academy Bank of Kansas City, Missouri. Delta Property Management bought the 1.93-acre site for $330,000 in 2006 from Charles Meye ..read more

A Best Western hotel and former farmland in east Little Rock start off this week’s roster of million-dollar deals and construction contracts. ► Shree Ganesh Arsh LLC, led by Nevil and Monika Patel, paid $3.2 million for the 65-room Best Western at 1600 John Harden Drive in Jacksonville. The seller is Shree Jai Jalaram Associates Inc., led by Animesh Patel. ► Blue Stem LR LLC, an affiliate of Bluestem Partners of Overland Park, Kansas, sold 27.8 acres in the Little Rock Port Industrial Park back to the city of Little Rock. The property is near the southeast corner of Zeuber and Fletcher roads ..read more

Lyon College and OneHealth Education Group LLC of Little Rock on Tuesday announced the end of their partnership, which was formed in 2022 to support the launch of Lyon College’s Institute of Health Sciences. OneHealth had planned to purchase the Heifer International campus in downtown Little Rock for Lyon College’s veterinary and dental schools, but the deal fell through in November. Heifer said a purchase agreement to sell the campus to OneHealth expired after the buyer “informed us that they would be unable to complete the purchase within the timeline agreed upon.” In a news release, Lyon Co ..read more

Arvest Bank of Fayetteville announced Tuesday that Pete Boomer has been named the new president and CEO of its mortgage division. He follows Matt Kendall, who retired in April after more than 30 years with Arvest. Boomer, who has over three decades of experience in the financial industry, will oversee management and operations of Arvest Bank’s mortgage business. He most recently served as president of Proper Rate, an independent mortgage company in Chicago. Past roles include executive vice president, head of mortgage distribution at PNC Bank of Pittsburgh and division manager at JPMorgan Chas ..read more

Editor’s note: This article is part of a special magazine celebrating 40 years of Arkansas Business. The full magazine is available here. Still going strong Arkansas Business began the 2020s on a high note: Olivia Farrell, who had just sold Arkansas Business Publishing Group to Publisher Mitch Bettis in the fall of 2019, was inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, curated by the University of Arkansas’ Walton College of Business. Farrell’s contributions to business in Arkansas include helping create in 1998 the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas. Another legacy: a business philosoph ..read more

A large land sale and 5,000-SF liquor store kick off this week’s million-dollar deals and construction. ► Tyler Investments Inc., led by Becky Winemiller, paid Brenda Fulkerson $8.2 million for 1,742 acres in east Pulaski County. The land in the Baucum area of North Little Rock is on the north side of U.S. 165 and extends south along Col. Maynard Road. ► Kaur Real Estate LLC, led by Rajwinder and Rupinder Kaur, bought Pinnacle Valley Liquor at 18300 Cantrell Road from Daniel Matson for $1.6 million. ► Jordan and Myra Pope sold their 5,695-SF home in west Little Rock’s Pleasant Valley neighborh ..read more

Your Whispers staff has more details on that announcement earlier this month that the Melting Pot, the fondue restaurant founded in 1975, was planning its first location in Arkansas. Chad Hickerson and his wife, Candice, have partnered with Candice’s mother, Diana Bonnett, to bring the restaurant to northwest Arkansas.  Early accounts said the restaurant would be located in Bentonville, but Chad Hickerson said the team is looking at four potential sites for the state’s first Melting Pot, one in Bentonville and the other three in Rogers. “The catchment area really is northwest Arkansas in ..read more