Passenger traffic at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field jumped 10.5 percent last month compared with August 2017, the biggest percentage increase in 2018.
A total of 188,153 passengers went through Clinton National in August compared with 170,192 in the same month in last year, according to the latest data from the state's largest airport.
The previous largest monthly percentage increase came in July when passenger traffic increased 8.65 percent.
The August increase helped push passenger traffic 4.31 percent higher at Clinton National in the first eight months of 2018 compared to the same period last year. A total of 1,411,470 passengers came through the airport through August compared to 1,353,137 in the first eight months of 2017.
Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport at Highfill saw its passenger traffic rise 9.74 percent in August compared to the same month a year ago, increasing to 66,400 from 60,505.
For the year, passenger traffic at the state's second-busiest airport has risen 7.69 percent, to 515,869, through August compared to the same period in 2017.
-- Noel Oman
Walmart Foundation to target food waste
The Walmart Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Walmart Inc., is making $1.5 million in grant funding available to Canadian nonprofits working to reduce food waste, according to a news release Monday.
The Bentonville foundation is seeking grant proposals from qualified organizations with experience in designing and implementing food waste reduction initiatives. The deadline to apply is Oct. 19.
The latest round of funding builds on the foundation's commitment to award a total of $15 million in grants to nonprofits working to cut food waste and strengthen food banks in Canada. Food waste in that country cost $31 billion in 2014, according to Value Chain Management International.
Walmart Inc. is working to achieve zero food waste in key markets by 2025. About one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted each year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Program.
-- Serenah McKay
Index falls by 4.48, ends day at 457.74
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, dropped 4.48 to 457.74 Monday.
"Fresh trade threats between the U.S. and China once again raised concerns for investors on Monday, sending the Nasdaq composite to its largest one-day loss since July," said Chris Harkins, managing director with Raymond James & Associates in Little Rock.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business on 09/18/2018