Fort Smith Hosts Arkansas Capital-for-a-Day Event

Fort Smith was designated Arkansas’ 27th “Capital for a Day” as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and state officials visited to meet with community members and highlight local priorities. At the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Sanders discussed more than $5.7 million in state HIRED grant funding for workforce credentials, while student and single mother Welch described receiving tuition and scholarship assistance. The visit also celebrated Fort Smith’s history, economic role and military presence, including Ebbing Air National Guard Base. An Arkansas Times editorial criticized Sanders for continuing the taxpayer-funded outreach visits during the election and early-voting period, arguing they could amount to campaigning with public resources; independent candidate Colt Shelby also called the practice illegal.