Articles by John Magsam

Politics

Bird flu alert issued for poultry growers Kansas credit union merges with UNIFY Index dips by 1.63, ends day at 916.49

Bird flu alert issued for poultry growers The Arkansas Department of Agriculture issued a notice reminding poultry growers and industry partners to remain alert to signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza on Monday. The department stated a confirmed case of avian influenza in a backyard flock in Mississippi County. "While this is currently the only confirmed detection, cases in neighboring states highlight the ongoing importance of prevention and monitoring," the department said. Avian influenza is highly contagious and can affect both domestic and wild birds, causing sudden death or severe injury to poultry, according to the department. Losses of poultry from the spread of disease could result in major economic losses for state poultry producers. Arkansas rules require any suspected or confirmed case of avian influenza to be reported to the department immediately. Confirmed cases could result in quarantines, restriction of poultry movement or require depopulation and disinfection. The Agriculture Department recommends washing hands and footwear before and after contact with birds, restricting visitors to poultry areas, limiting exposure to wild birds and reporting dead or sick birds immediately. -- Dylan Sherman Kansas credit union merges with UNIFY Kansas-based CommunityAmerica Credit Union expanded its holdings into Arkansas by merging with UNIFY Financial Credit Union on Nov. 1. The merger gained CommunityAmerica a federal charter, top 40 credit union status, $9 billion in assets, and over 600,000 members. "This merger marks an exciting milestone for CommunityAmerica," Lisa Ginter, CEO of CommunityAmerica Credit Union, said in a release. UNIFY Financial Credit Union has six locations in Northwest Arkansas. The integration of all systems and operations is expected to be completed by the middle of 2026. Newly-merged members can expect detailed updates about the timeline, brand integration, and changes to service over months ahead. "Joining forces with CommunityAmerica marks an exciting new chapter for UNIFY," Gordon Howe, CEO of UNIFY Financial Credit Union, said in a statement. Ginter will continue as CommunityAmerica's CEO. Howe, meanwhile, joins the newly merged credit union's team of executives. Three additional members of UNIFY's board of directors have been transferred the CommunityAmerica board, as well. Index dips by 1.63, ends day at 916.49 The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Monday at 916.49, down 1.63 points. "Stocks closed higher on Monday, on news that the Senate may have the votes to begin the process of opening up the government and AI-related stocks helped the cause, pushing higher after last week's sell-off," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc. The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.