Nine proud homeowners are settled into their brand new condominiums at Lucas Gardens. Not only are they first-time home buyers, they are all over 40.

The residents of the project are clients of Group Living Inc., and they are fulfilling Group Living’s goal to help developmentally disabled persons reach their highest level of independence.

Jefferson Bancshares, the Pine Bluff bank holding company that owns Pine Bluff National Bank, plans to invest $5.1 million in a new “community bank” to be chartered in Hot Springs, CEO John Garrison said.

Officials at several area banks say they are doing whatever can be done to assist persons who are in Clark County due to Hurricane Katrina.

Elk Horn Bank and Trust, Regions Bank and Summit Bank have all agreed to waive the fees for ATM use and check-cashing services for those people who have been displaced by the hurricane.

A three-day lobbying trip to Washington by politicians and civic leaders from the Delta region this spring was so successful it will become an annual event, organizers said Thursday.

Three weeks shy of his first day of kindergarten, Austin Sambrano is the only person in his family who has a savings account.

Living with his parents and older brother in a trailer park near Pontiac, Mich., he is part of an experiment called the SEED Initiative that is opening investment accounts for children…

Live in these latitudes long enough, and you’ll get used to seeing headlines like this one: Phillips County’s last gasp?/ Many pray revival plan, funds are Delta county’s Moses.

The Central Arkansas Resource Conservation and Development Council Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization with offices in Helena and Conway, has assisted the Cherry Street Historic District in obtaining Housing and Urban Development project funds to repair the roofs of buildings within the historic district.

Despite the partisanship that permeates politics today, there is one issue that both parties and all Americans can get behind. President Bush’s vision for an “ownership society” is a vision from which we all stand to benefit. But to ensure benefit for all we must be careful to expand ownership, not further concentrate it.

Phillips County, which has been singing the blues musically and economically for years, has unveiled a development plan to counter negative perceptions rooted in poor race relations, dilapidated storefronts and high unemployment.

Promoting the blues is part of the proposed solution. “Historic Helena” would be a cross between Williamsburg, Va., and Branson, Mo., allowing tourists to experience…

The Arkansas Development Finance Authority has many programs for Phillips County residents who are interested in home ownership. The American Dream Down-payment Initiative is now available to any person meeting the income limits set forth by HUD.