LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas motorists will be paying less to travel during the long Thanksgiving weekend as gasoline prices continue to fall.

A survey of more than 300 gas outlets by national fuel analyst GasBuddy indicates average retail gasoline prices in Little Rock have fallen 3.6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $1.91 per gallon on Sunday. The national average has fallen 1.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.13 per gallon.

Sunday's gasoline prices in the state were 4.4 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 11.8 cents per gallon lower than just one month ago. The national average has decreased 8.6 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 5.4 cents per gallon higher than the price one year ago.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

YELLVILLE - A grant application from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) worth $110,714 has been approved during a Yellville-Summit School District Board meeting.

The Baxter Bulletin reports the approximately 50-page matching grant application - aiming at improving the existing farm to school efforts, including the school garden and the kitchen - must be submitted by Dec. 8. The USDA is expected to respond in May.

"I'm excited about the possibilities," the district superintendent, Wes Henderson, told The Bulletin. "I hope we get it because it'll be a way we can even improve our program that we have, and maybe improve the food services for our students and help pay for some equipment that we already need."

According to a Y-S School Board handout, "the purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist eligible entities in implementing farm school programs that improve to local foods in eligible schools. On annual basis, USDA awards up to $5 million in competitive grants for training, supporting operations, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships and implementing farm to school programs."

The equipment in the kitchen is about 40 years old, especially the steamer that tends to overcook vegetables. This is something students dislike, Katherine Quinn, agriculture teacher, told The Bulletin. By upgrading the steamer, less food will be thrown away.

Additionally, for food service equipment and supplies, Yellville plans on buying 10 round café tables, a salad bar, Panini press and a salad spinner. A hydroponic table will be purchased for the garden.

"Our cafeteria needs a face-lift," Henderson told board members.

For the district to receive the award, it has laid out a budget that included a total project cost where the grant will fund 74 percent of it. The USDA requires the district show it can support the grant for the rest of the 26 percent with the district or non-federal funds.

Quinn said the district is responsible for showing receipts of its spending. That includes personnel, fringe benefits and equipment.

"We're not giving them the money," Quinn said. "We're spending the money where we said (we're going) to spend it. We just have to show we did what we said we were going to do."

According to the district records, for example, it plans on receiving $21,968.46 in personnel funds. The district needs to match that money with a total of $8,606.

In terms of fringe benefits, like health insurance, the district would be set to receive $5,208.74, and the district has to match that sum with $2,763.

Henderson said the USDA wants to see if Yellville will do its part.

Board members on Nov. 14 also approved a district transmission tower resolution, helping the district by not paying for a transmission tower that it doesn't need. At last check, Henderson said the district paid $750 for the tower a year.

The resolution stated, "the Yellville-Summit School District Board of Education has determined that the district has no further use for, or claim to, the transmission tower located on Highway 14 on the Burleson lands."

Henderson told The Bulletin he's making sure he treats every dollar that should be spent for students in the district the way that he would spend his own money.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale reported fourth-quarter results Monday, and the less-than-expected profit statement caused shares of the company to drop more than 15 percent in early morning trading.

Tyson announced revenue of $9.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016, down from $10.5 billion in the same quarter a year ago. Income was $391 million, up from $258 million, and earnings per share rose to $1.03 from 63 cents in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Analysts had expected revenue of nearly $9.4 billion and earnings per share of $1.17. Tyson also revised its EPS expectations of 2017 to between $4.70 and $4.85, while analysts had projected $4.98.

Revenue for fiscal year 2016 dropped to $36.9 billion from $41.4 billion in 2015. Income was up in 2016 to $1.8 billion from $1.2 billion in 2015, and earnings per share also rose, from $2.95 to $4.53.

"Fiscal 2016 was our fourth consecutive year of record results," said Tyson CEO Donnie Smith, who announced he would step down at the end of 2016. "Fourth-quarter results were slightly below our internal expectations."

Sales in all four of Tyson's major segments were down in the quarter and for the fiscal year because of lower demand:

• Chicken was down 10.1 percent to $2.8 billion for the quarter, and down 2.6 percent to $10.9 billion for the year
• Beef was down 7.4 percent to $3.5 billion for the quarter, and down 1.1 percent to $14.5 billion for the year
• Pork was down 6.8 percent to $1.2 billion for the quarter, and down 2.5 percent to $7.3 billion for the year
• Prepared foods was down 4.8 percent to $1.8 billion for quarter, and down 2.8 percent to $7.3 billion for the year.

Smith praised the company's performance, saying it had record years in metrics such as operating income, operating margin and operating cash flow. Tyson repurchased 28 million shares of its stock for $1.7 billion in 2016, and the board of directors announced a quarterly dividend of 22.5 cents on Thursday.

Smith said the first seven weeks of the first quarter of fiscal 2017, which Tyson would report in February, were "phenomenal."

"2016 was a great year, beyond setting records," Smith said. "We made tremendous progress. We are well positioned for even more success in 2017."

President Tom Hayes, who will replace Smith as CEO on Dec. 31, said the company would invest $1 billion for capital expenditures in the next fiscal year. Hayes said the investments would be to continue to build the long-term, sustainable success of Tyson.

"2016 was a great year but more importantly we laid the foundation for 2017 and beyond," Hayes said. "We're capitalizing on our momentum and taking a systematic approach to success."

LAS VEGAS — A federal court on Tuesday blocked implementation of a rule imposed by President Barack Obama's administration that would have made an estimated 4 million more higher-earning workers across the country eligible for overtime pay starting Dec. 1.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Kathy Webb helped Capi Peck put running for the Little Rock Board of Directors in perspective.

Webb, who represents Ward 3 on the city board and previously served in the state Legislature, owned and operated Lilly’s Dim Sum Then Sum restaurant till she left the restaurant business in 2011. Peck owns and operates Trio’s Restaurant.

“Running a restaurant is exactly like running a political campaign. Your clientele are your constituents,” Webb told Peck. “You’ve got to communicate with so many different kinds of people from so many different socioeconomic backgrounds and get along and delegate and make quick decisions. You are in politics, sister. You may not realize it, but you are.”

Earlier this month, Peck won her race for Ward 4 on the city board, a nonpartisan post, taking the spot occupied by Brad Cazort for 20 years.

Asked how she was going to mix running a restaurant, a demanding job even in the best of circumstances, with serving as a city director, Peck expressed confidence. “I don’t think it’s going to be that challenging because I’ve always, especially for the last 10 or 15 years, done a lot of civic and charitable work and commission work at the same time as being a restaurateur. I think that’s one of my strong points, juggling without dropping any of the balls.

“And I have great staff here. They really proved that to me during the campaign. I was able to run a successful campaign, which ended up being a lot more work than I thought, and they held down the fort. After 30 years in business, I’m good at delegating.”

Peck, who with then-husband Brent Peterson opened Trio’s in 1986, would like to remain on the Little Rock Advertising & Promotion Commission, which she chairs, but may cut back on some of her other volunteer projects.

Peck’s priorities as director include infrastructure issues, traffic problems (specifically on Cantrell Road, Rodney Parham Road and Pleasant Valley Drive) and public safety. “Going around and talking to neighbors, which was something that I really dreaded, knocking on strangers’ doors, but it ended up being the most fun part of the campaign, just getting to know people,” Peck said. “The primary thing that they talked about was public safety, and with the police substation now in Pankey, that’s going to be very helpful as far as addressing ‘hot spots’ and having more patrol cars on the street.”

Her other big concern is the Little Rock School District. Peck has met with Superintendent Michael Poore several times, and “as a product of Little Rock public schools, I want to make sure that our city invests in the schools so that we can compete with charter schools, that we can attract new businesses. New business is not going to come to Little Rock if we have a crummy public school system.” Peck particularly wants to see the district move toward returning control to the local school board.

Peck wants everyone in Little Rock to feel represented, she said, stressing inclusivity and equal rights for all “to start healing some of this divisiveness and this tension that has erupted” in the latest political cycle.

“On the city level, you can get things done,” she said, compared with the gridlock sometimes seen on the state and federal levels.

Peck has deep roots in the city and in the hospitality industry. Her grandparents, Sam and Henryetta Peck, ran the Sam Peck Hotel (now the Legacy Hotel) in downtown Little Rock, and Trio’s serves some of the dishes that were favorites there.

Peck, 63, said, “I’ll never retire. I love what I do. I can’t imagine not doing it. It feeds my creative juices. I just love it. It’s hard as hell, but I thrive on it. And I thrive on being busy.” Her bottom line, she said, is her love for Little Rock. She thinks serving on the city board is the biggest contribution she could make “beyond the little four walls of my restaurant.”

Peck knows she has a lot to learn and has already had some meetings with the city manager and the mayor. “I’m a pretty quick study.”

Peck also knows public service can mean difficult decisions and dealing with contentious issues, but the restaurant industry is nothing if not a public-facing industry. (And not mentioned in our conversation but worth noting is that Peck remains a partner in Trio’s with Peterson, her former husband.)

“I think the best skill I bring is my ability to work with people,” Peck said. “I have really good people skills, and it’s from being in this business for 30 years.”

A Detroit investor paid $4.56 million for the CVS Pharmacy at 2001 S. Thompson St. in Springdale.

RX Springdale AR LLC, led by Daniel Weiss, bought the property from DBD Nocigs 2 LLC. CVS Caremark Corp. of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, through an entity then known as CVS 10519 AR LLC, acquired the land in 2014 to build the store. CVS changed the name of the owning LLC to DBD Nocigs 2.

Part of the land CVS purchased was a quarter-acre purchased for $300,000 from the James R. Duggar & Michelle A. Duggar Revocable Living Trust, led by TLC reality show stars Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. CVS paid First Security Bank of Searcy a little more than $1 million for the remaining 2.5 acres that was home to the defunct Sunrise Inn. Symetra Life Insurance Co. of Seattle aided the recent purchase with a loan of $2.95 million. The 13,225-SF Pharmacy opened in 2015.

Super Storage
A Colorado investment group paid $3.1 million for Springdale Self Storage at 1505 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale.

Wiki Lynx LLC of Keystone, Colorado, purchased the property from 265 Super Storage LLC, led by Richard Leonard and Andrea Jackson of Bella Vista. The 5.4-acre site has 376 storage units.

The center is just across Old Missouri Road from the Springdale airport.

Fayetteville Raising Cane’s
The Raising Cane’s fast-food restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Fayetteville changed hands in a $3 million-plus sale.

The seller and buyers are old friends. Kasada LLC, led by Robert Daigrepont Jr. of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, paid $3.16 million for the restaurant at 1740 MLK. The seller was Raising Cane’s Restaurants LLC of Plano, Texas, led by Brad Sanders, the company’s chief development officer.

Raising Cane’s famously got its start in Baton Rouge before expanding to more than 80 locations, including two in Fayetteville. Daigrepont, a CPA, teamed with Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves to build the business. Daigrepont has held several executive positions with Raising Cane’s, including CFO.

The purchase was part of a $25 million loan from Capital One. Kasada and Raising Cane’s signed a 15-year lease, and Daigrepont agreed not to lease or sell any properties in which he is a majority owner to a fast-found competitor (such as Zaxby’s, Chick-fil-A or Slim Chickens) that is within 1 mile of Raising Cane’s.

Nettleship Apartments
The Nettleship Apartments on Nettleship Street in Fayetteville sold in a $790,000 deal.

Nettleship Properties LLC, led by Ted Belden and Leslie Belden, bought the 16-unit complex. Niblock Ventures Inc., led by George Niblock Jr., was the seller.

In May, Belden bought the Niblock Law Office on North College Avenue from George Niblock Sr. for $1.3 million.

Centennial Bank of Conway assisted the apartment purchase with a loan of just more than $1.9 million.

Haag Brown Move
Haag Brown Commercial Real Estate paid approximately $855,000 for two plots of land on North College Avenue in Fayetteville earlier this year in two separate transactions.

Haag Brown has now sold the two lots for $1.1 million, but the Jonesboro development firm will still be involved. Haag Brown sold the land to Homeboy Investments LLC, led by Michael and Troy Langford.

The Langfords work at Haag Brown and are the project managers for the project at the location, which will be a Starbucks and retail center.

Centennial Bank of Conway assisted the deal with a loan of almost $2.1 million.

New Planet Fitness
A St. Louis investor plans to build a Planet Fitness gym in the Crossroads Village shopping center at the intersection of Highway 265 and Mission Boulevard in Fayetteville.

JDN Fayetteville LLC, led by Douglas Sansone, paid $225,000 for a little more than one-third of an acre in the center. The seller was Bushwood LLC, led by Matt Britt and Wayne Britt.

Matt Britt said Sansone is going to build a Planet Fitness in what was an empty dirt lot adjacent to the Harps Food Store at the south end of Crossroads Village.

Liberty Bank of Alton, Illinois, assisted the development with a loan of $4.7 million.

The sale of a Jacksonville mobile home park weighed in at $2.6 million.

A group of out-of-state investors acquired Pine Meadow Mobile Home Park at 3000 John Harden Drive from Mas Verde Mobile Home Estates Inc., led by Bryan Keathley.

The investors include Little Rock Communities LLC of Beaufort, South Carolina, and two Santa Barbara, California, entities: 25 West LLC and Kirk Avenue Ltd.

The Keathley family assembled the 26.53-acre site as part of deals totaling more than $16,000 with E.G. and Lena Madden in April 1958, O.D. and Iva Roberts in March 1962, Robert and Katie Latta in September 1962 and Glenn and June Mashburn in August 1964.

Penzel Purchase
A 36-unit apartment project in downtown Little Rock tipped the scales at $1.02 million.

Penzel Place Apartments LLC, led by Letitia Jane East, sold its namesake project at 518 E. Seventh St. to Judy Brown Enterprises LLC.

The deal is financed with a 20-year loan of $816,000 from One Bank & Trust of Little Rock.

The 0.52-acre development previously was tied to an August 2008 mortgage of $760,000 held by Delta Trust & Bank of Little Rock.

The property was acquired for $950,000 more than eight years ago from Penzel Place Partnership, led by Gloria Venable, Jack Grundfest and Sam Strauss Jr.

Downtown Deal
An acre of parking in downtown Little Rock is under new ownership after a $900,000 sale.

Elliot Bay Trading Co. LLC, led by Jimmy Moses, purchased the parking lots at the southwest corner of Sixth and Cumberland streets and on the east side of Scott between Sixth and Seventh streets.

The seller is Vibrant Hospitality LLC, led by Feroz Patel. The deal is backed with a one-year loan of $765,000 from First Security Bank of Searcy.

The property was bought for $699,000 in July 2015 from the Margaret Cook Thaxton Revocable Trust and Joann Edwards.

1620 Sale
The 1620 Savoy restaurant in west Little Rock changed hands in an $850,000 deal.

Petit & Keet LLC, led by James H. Keet and James T. Keet, acquired the 5,700-SF eatery at 1620 Market St. The seller is RH Cuisine LLC, led by Rush Harding III.

The deal is funded with a five-year loan of $850,000 from Relyance Bank of Pine Bluff.

The 0.44-acre development previously was linked with a May 2013 mortgage of $699,000 held by Arvest Bank of Fayetteville.

RH Cuisine purchased the property for $665,000 in April 2013 from the namesake revocable trusts of Frank and Mary Hiegel.

65th Center
A 49,600-SF retail project in south Little Rock rang up a $700,000 sale.

Kim Properties LLC, led by Grace Kim, bought the 5303 W. 65th St. project. The seller is 65th Center Inc., led by Patrick Corder.

The 4.39-acre location was acquired for $85,000 in November 1965 from Bass Enterprises Inc., led by Ben Bass.

Office-Warehouse Buy
A 13,882-SF office-warehouse in Maumelle drew a $638,000 transaction.

601 Carnahan LLC, an affiliate of Little Rock’s Flake & Kelley Commercial, purchased the 601 Carnahan Drive project.

The seller is Warehouse Properties LLC, led by James Dunlap. The 3.39-acre development was bought for $714,000 in August 1999 from North River Land Group LLC, led by Charles Harper.

Laundry Transaction
A 1,863-SF laundromat in downtown Little Rock sold for $500,000.

Matt Foster Investments LLC acquired the Miracle Wash project at 1424 Main St. from Grif-Co LLC, led by Keith Griffin.

The deal is financed with one-year loans of $350,000 from the Campbell Law Firm 401(k) Plan in Little Rock and $200,000 from Mark and Cheryl Nichols.

The 0.47-acre development previously was tied to a November 2008 mortgage of $330,422 held by Little Rock’s Bank of the Ozarks. Grif-Co purchased the property for $329,670 in a November 2008 foreclosure sale.

Jacksonville Ground
Ownership of a 1.46-acre commercial site in Jacksonville was consolidated in a $267,000 deal.

Tommy J. Lasiter Family Ltd. bought the land near the northwest corner of John Harden Drive and Gregory Street from the Irrevocable Trust of Doyle W. Rogers Sr. & Josephine Raye Rogers.

The trust held a two-thirds stake in the property. The deal is backed with a one-year loan of $267,419 from Pamela Ann Lasiter.

The property was acquired in July 2007 for $554,000 from AR Restaurant Development Corp., led by Sharon Hunter.

Edgehill Manor
A 6,844-SF home in Little Rock’s Edgehill neighborhood tipped the scales at $2.67 million.

Mace Properties LLC, led by Harry Erwin III, purchased the house from Stephen LaFrance Jr. and his wife, Wendy.

The LaFrances bought the property for $1.94 million in July 2007 from Jerry and Sue Maulden.

Cameronwood House
A 3,975-SF home in the Cameronwood neighborhood of west Pulaski County changed hands in a $650,000 deal. Jay and Stephanie Southerland acquired the 4.1-acre spread from James Cherry Jr. and his wife, Kim.

The deal is funded with a one-year loan of $520,000 from Bank of Little Rock.

The Cherrys purchased the house for $485,000 in August 2002 from Charles and Rita Benson.

Grandview Residence
A 3,835-SF home in Little Rock’s Grandview neighborhood is under new ownership after a $530,000 transaction.

Leslie and Michael Heister bought the house from Bud Whetstone. The deal is financed with a 30-year loan of $417,000 from Simmons Bank of Pine Bluff.

The residence previously helped secure an August 2015 mortgage of $575,000 held by Bank of the Ozarks.

Whetstone acquired the property for $370,000 in February 1998 from Michael and Charlotte Whitt.

Robinwood Home
A 5,439-SF home in Little Rock’s Robinwood neighborhood rang up a $525,000 sale.

David Choate and Kathryn Kirkpatrick purchased the house from Forty One LLC, led by Wesley Sutton. The deal is backed with a 30-year loan of $417,000 from First Security Bank.

The Sutton family bought the property for $12,000 in February 1967 from Robinwood Inc., led by Clyman Izard Jr.

McKenzie Mortgage
The owners of a 168-unit apartment project in west Pulaski County landed a $13.7 million financial package.

Panther Branch LLC, led by Brandon Huffman, received the 10-year loan from Greystone Servicing Corp. of Warrenton, Virginia.

The nearly 8-acre McKenzie Park development at 14201 Kanis Road previously was linked with an August 2014 mortgage of $14 million held by First Federal Bank of Harrison.

The land was acquired more than two years ago as part of a $1.17 million deal with Alice Perryman.

Landings Funding
A 154-unit complex in west Little Rock was refinanced with a $7.8 million mortgage.

Landings Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of Maxus Properties of North Kansas City, Missouri, obtained the 10-year loan from Northmarq Capital Inc. of Bloomington, Minnesota.

The Landings at Rock Creek at 13200 Chenal Parkway previously was tied to an August 2006 mortgage of $6.25 million held by Northmarq.

Landings Acquisition purchased the 7.39-acre development for $5.4 million in September 2001 from Chicago-based Waterton Rock Ltd., led by Peter Vilim.

Your Whispers staff has a post-Thanksgiving update on Tacos 4 Life, the Conway-based mini-chain that donates a meal to the hungry for every meal purchased. Austin Samuelson, who owns Tacos 4 Life with his wife, Ashton, hopes to open their first Little Rock location at Shackleford Crossing sometime in mid-February.

The “next step,” says Samuelson, is the new Tacos 4 Life in Benton at 7821 Alcoa Road, which he expects to open sometime in the spring. The site is the old Callahan Motor Co. location, adjacent to a Slim Chickens. The Tacos 4 Life spots in Little Rock and Benton will be just under 3,900 SF and will seat 120. They’ll each employ about 70.

The Benton store would make the fifth Tacos 4 Life restaurant, which currently has two locations in Conway and one in Fayetteville.

And then it’s on to what would make the chain’s sixth location, another store in northwest Arkansas that Samuelson says is on the horizon for 2017. He cautions, however, that “nothing’s a done deal until you’ve got a contract.”

In addition, Samuelson says, “We’re kicking the tires on franchising and that sort of stuff, but that’s a little farther down the road.”

NEW YORK — Thanksgiving weekend shoppers picked up hot toys, TVs and new Apple products, buying both online and in stores, but spent less per person because of rampant discounting that they've come to demand.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

NEW YORK — Millions of Americans paused during the Monday after Thanksgiving to check out online deals and check off people on their holiday gift list. But so-called Cyber Monday may be in danger of losing its online sales title.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

On any given day, K. Hall & Sons Produce buzzes with a steady stream of vehicles and pedestrians as greetings and banter fly around the deli counter, in the grocery aisles and at the registers.

“How you doin’ baby?” the cashiers sing out. “You doin’ all right?” There’s more to the company than this corner market — through the decades, K. Hall & Sons has developed a roster of wholesale and institutional clients all over Central Arkansas — but here, as the narrow aisles and smells from the kitchen tell you, not much has changed.

For one thing, everyone at K. Hall & Sons is family, literally and practically. David Hall, general manager, can’t place an exact number on it but somewhere around a dozen siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews work representing four generations, some every day, others a few hours on weekends or during school breaks. Even some of the customers get the family treatment.

“From the very beginning it was basically my dad and later on my mom and then everybody kind of pitched in when it got off the ground,” Hall said. “It’s just one of those things as they were coming up, working really wasn’t an option. Everybody had to come and help.”

David, the youngest of seven, has been on the clock virtually since his father, the late Knoxie Hall Sr., hauled a truckload of produce from the family farm and set up Hall’s Produce on this very spot.

“When he first started none of this was in here, none of this was even enclosed,” Hall said. “[Dad] just had tables set up out there. There was no power to the building, no gas or anything. It was just an old gas station he was renting. He’d come in the morning and set up his tables just like you’d see someone selling by the side of the road. He’d sell produce until it got dark.”

Knoxie and Estella Hall eventually passed operational responsibility to David, and he expanded the business with the help of his sons and his nephew Jonathan. Growing the company didn’t come without sacrifices and the hours are still long. But each day solidifies the store’s vital role in the life of the community.

“I’ve seen so many kids come through here. I’ve watched them grow up,” David Hall said. “There’s kids come in here now that when they first came in couldn’t see over the counter. It’s done me well to see some of those kids now, the ones that have prospered and done well. One young guy in particular, he’s an attorney now. And they always come back. That means a lot to me.”

K. Hall & Sons Through the Years

1974 Knoxie Hall Sr. set up Hall’s Produce in an outdoor stand at an empty rented gas station at 1900 Wright Avenue. He’d later purchase the building for a market, managed by his wife and family matriarch, Estella Hall.

1984 Youngest sons Curtis and David Hall formulate plans to expand business operations, forming a partnership and changing the name to K. Hall and Sons Enterprises.

2006 Accelerating institutional and wholesale business keeps the company’s fleet of delivery trucks in circulation seven days a week serving restaurants, schools and other clients throughout central Arkansas.

2016 Knoxie and Estella Hall and the Hall family are inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in Little Rock.

Habitués of the Hillcrest neighborhood in Little Rock will already know this, but the food truck Excaliburger is setting up shop weekly from 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays at the old Helmich Auto Service location at the northeast corner of Kavanaugh Boulevard and Beechwood Street.

Kyle Pounders is the force behind Excaliburger, which is also the name of its sole product: the Excaliburger, two 2-ounce hand-formed patties of Creekstone ground beef on challah bread that Pounders buys from Old Mill Bakery.

“It’s the classic American hamburger done one way: lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, grilled onions, house sauce, cheese,” Pounders said. “I’m kind of neurotic about it.” Cooking one item one way allows him to put all his energy into perfecting the burger.

One of his secrets, he says, lies in the “Maillard reaction,” which ScienceofCooking.com tells Whispers “creates flavor and changes the color of food.” It’s also known as the “browning reaction.”

Pounders’ use of two patties in his burgers gives them four points of contact on the griddle, resulting in a more flavorful burger.

Pounders does a lot of private events as well and is working to develop by January a calendar for his website, Excaliburger.com, that would detail his peregrinations.

Daniel Maestri is still confident that he will reopen Mary Maestri’s Italian Grillroom, his family’s iconic northwest Arkansas restaurant.

Mary Maestri’s closed at the end of February when its lease ran out at the restaurant’s location on East Robinson Avenue in Springdale.

Maestri was close to a deal with an investor to reopen the restaurant in May at a former Ta Molly’s on South 48th Street in Springdale, but the deal fell through.

Maestri, 61, is the grandson of Aldo and Mary Maestri, who founded the restaurant in her kitchen in 1923.

Daniel Maestri assumed control of the restaurant after his father’s death in 1977.

Maestri ran into debt problems after rebuilding the restaurant at its original location in Tontitown, and the state closed it because of unpaid sales taxes in 2010.

Maestri reopened the restaurant a few months later in Fayetteville and, after closing that location, reopened on East Robinson in August 2012.

“It has only been nine to 10 months,” Maestri said. “The other one was closed seven months before we opened in Fayetteville. Then we were closed nine months in between.

“To me, it’s not a big deal. There is a time for everything. While we have not been doing anything, there have probably been half a dozen restaurants go out of business.”

On his Facebook page in late October, Daniel Maestri posted that he had been in the hospital with a heart problem. He didn’t want to talk about his health scare — “I feel much better now,” Maestri said — but said it has kept him from working as actively as he might on reopening Mary Maestri’s.

Maestri did say he is in contact with one possible investor.

“I can’t talk about the details,” Maestri said. “I really need to talk to one person at a time. It’s not like selling a used car.”

Maestri did say that his health issues would probably prevent him from actively running the restaurant when it reopens.

Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale said Monday that it has launched a $150 million venture capital fund, called Tyson New Ventures LLC, as it seeks to invest in innovative food companies and technologies.

The publicly traded meat processor (NYSE: TSN) said the fund is focused on "investing in companies developing breakthrough technologies, business models and products to sustainably feed a growing world population." The company said the fund will complement other investments in its core businesses: fresh meats, poultry and prepared foods.

"We intend to collaborate with promising food entrepreneurs who are pioneering new products and technology that are making meaningful changes and improvement to food systems," Monica McGurk, executive vice president of strategy and new ventures and president of foodservice for Tyson Foods, said in a news release. 

"We believe we can accelerate the growth of startups through our capabilities in such areas as food and culinary research and development, sourcing, insights, customer relationships and distribution. By doing so, we hope to materially advance the state of the U.S. and global food system." 

The company said the fund will focus on three areas: commercializing alternative proteins; combating food insecurity and food loss; and promoting "more precise and productive resource application, safety and consumer empowerment in the food chain."

The fund's first investment is in a company called Beyond Meat. Tyson Foods announced in October that it had taken a 5 percent stake in the plant-based protein producer, led by founder and CEO Ethan Brown.

Tyson said its investment in the company will help Beyond Meat expand its product portfolio and distribution. The deal is the latest among legacy food giants getting involved in smaller food startups. Beyond Meat products, which include plant-based hamburger patties and chicken strips and single-serve prepared meals, are already available in 11,000 stores.

Tyson New Ventures will be based in Chicago and led by Mary Kay James, who has been named vice president and general manager. 

James previously worked as managing director of DuPont Ventures, was chairperson of the National Venture Capital Association's Corporate Venture Group and an advisory board member to Global Corporate Venturing. 

Tyson said James' team will seek startups "that complement Tyson Foods' existing business and product development efforts" and focus on alternative proteins, elimination of food waste and "leveraging innovative trends in technology." 

"This fund is about broadening our exposure to innovative, new forms of protein and ways of producing food, while remaining focused on our core fresh meats, poultry and prepared foods businesses, which are also experiencing tremendous consumer demand and growth," McGurk said.

Six-plus acres of land in uptown Fayetteville traded hands for a little more than $1 million and will be the site of a 28,000-SF trampoline park.

Haitham Alley of Little Rock, through his NWA Trampoline Inc., bought 6.6 acres on Van Asche Drive just east of Mall Avenue in the popular Steele Crossing area. The land, behind a hotel and Noodles restaurant, is south of the Northwest Arkansas Mall.

The purchase is tied to a $3.64 million loan with First Security Bank of Little Rock. The sellers were MSB Properties LLC, led by Marjorie Brooks, and Nanchar Inc., led by Charlotte Steele.

Alley is general manager of Diversified Materials & Handling, an affiliate of the Little Rock contractor VCC; last year he sold the Altitude Trampoline Park on Chenal Parkway in Little Rock to Ducks Unlimited Chairman George Dunklin for $3.43 million.

Altitude Trampoline Park of Fort Worth announced Tuesday it will begin construction on the park early next year. VCC Construction will be the development's contractor. 

Christen Cazort Franke, an owner and operator with her family of Franke's Cafeteria in Little Rock, died Dec. 4. She was 37.

The family business was founded by C.A. Franke, who opened a doughnut store in 1919, according to the company website. The first Franke's Cafeteria was opened in 1924, and the restaurant is considered an Arkansas institution. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture says that Franke's is likely the oldest restaurant in the state.

Christen Franke was born May 15, 1979, in Little Rock, and after attending college, she became the manager of Franke's Cafeteria.

"She worked side by side with her beloved parents, William and Carolyn Franke, in continuing on the tradition of providing food served with love to the community," said her obituary, which can be read here.

Christen Franke was a Little Rock Soirée Woman to Watch in 2014. In her profile, Franke said: "I was 15 my first day working at Franke's. I have had many other jobs and have pursued many other dreams, but I always came back. I always knew this restaurant was my home, my heart."

In addition to her parents, she is survived by her sister, Kathryn Franke Kitchens, wife of Kevin Kitchens; and her niece, Katelyn, and nephew, Andrew.

Christen Franke had planned to marry Daniel Christakos on Jan. 14.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her honor to the Humane Society of Pulaski County.

Don't you love it when you get all ready for a party, and at the last minute it gets canceled? 

Although the new overtime exemption rules were not going to be a "party" for employers by any stretch of the imagination, many felt perplexed when a Texas judge pulled the rug out from under the Department of Labor days before the new overtime exemption rule was to go into effect and after many employers had spent months preparing to comply. 

Without going into too much detail, the judge decided that the new rule's salary level (which more than doubled the level set over ten years ago) went too far and exceeded the level of authority normally given to the Department of Labor to interpret the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

The judge believed that Congress "defined the [white collar] exemption with regard to duties, which does not include a minimum salary level," and that the new rule's salary level supplanted the duties test. 

Here's the key portion of the judge's ruling:

"The broad purpose of 213(a)(1) was to exempt from overtime those engaged in executive, administrative, and professional capacity duties. Since the FLSA was enacted, the Department has promulgated regulations to define and delimit the EAP exemption. To be exempt from overtime, the regulations require an employee to (1) have EAP duties; (2) be paid on a salary basis; and (3) meet a minimum salary level. The Final Rule raises the salary level from $455 per week ($23,660 annually) to $913 per week ($47,476 annually). The salary level was purposefully set low to 'screen out the obviously nonexempt employees, making an analysis of duties in such cases unnecessary.'  . . . The Department has admitted that it cannot create an evaluation 'based on salary alone.'  . . . But this significant increase to the salary level creates essentially a de facto salary-only test. . . . Congress did not intend salary to categorically exclude an employee with EAP duties from the exemption."

Basically, the judge saw the new salary level as "the tail wagging the dog."  

So, what now? 

If you have already planned to transition some of your employees from exempt to non-exempt or increase wages for some to meet the new salary level, and you have already talked to your employees about it, think about going through with it for a couple of reasons. 

First, it is entirely possible the Texas judge's ruling will be overturned in whole or part since the Department of Labor has appealed the decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Do you really want to back out of the transition at the last moment, only to have to restart it? 

Second, it's entirely possible President-elect Trump and the Republican Congress will enact a change to the Fair Labor Standards Act in early 2017; it's even possible (although not probable) President Obama and the current Congress could agree on some type of alteration, like a gradual phase-in period for the new salary level. Why not make the planned transition and then see how things play out in the next four-to-six months? 

Once things are finalized — either through the appellate process or a new law — you can decide whether to maintain the post-transition status for your employees.

Remember, the "default" rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act is that everyone is eligible for overtime unless a specific exemption applies. Assuming you have no issues with employees working off-the-clock and you calculate overtime rates correctly, paying hourly wages and making employees overtime eligible (the route a lot of employers were taking to comply with the new rules) will help insulate your business from wage and hour claims.

Attorney Stuart Jackson heads up the Labor & Employment Law team at Wright Lindsey Jennings in Little Rock. You can email him here and see this post on the WLJ website.

Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale is well-positioned for growth driven by a focus on investing in new technologies, and acquisitions are a possibility, incoming CEO Tom Hayes said Wednesday at the Bernstein Consumer Summit in New York.

"One of the things I think you'll see differently from us in the future than in the past is a more proactive approach to sustainability," he said. "Be prepared for some great new products to be hitting the market ... Don't be surprised if we pull in an acquisition or two."

That strategy includes a focus on things that are attractive to both retailers and end consumers, he said.

"One of the things that we really want to make sure that we're on the front of our feet with is looking at new technologies, technologies that are going to play well with our strategy," Hayes said. Tyson recently launched a $150 million Venture Capital Fund to funnel all the innovative legwork to one team, he added.

Early in the interview-style presentation, Hayes was asked whether an acquisition would give Tyson more of an advantage in the antibiotic-free protein space. 

"We're always open to acquisitions," he said, and added that Tyson is making "exceptional progress" toward its goal of making all its products free of antibiotics "important to human health" by the end of 2017.

More: Hayes talks to Arkansas Business in this week's Exec Q&A.

Hayes came to Tyson Foods after the company purchased Hillshire Brands Co. of Chicago for $8.5 billion in 2014. There, he was chief supply chain officer, responsible for operations including procurement, manufacturing, food safety and quality, engineering, and logistics. Before that, he was senior vice president and chief supply chain officer for Sara Lee North America. 

When questioned about the success of Tyson's Hillshire acquisition, Hayes said, "We're well-positioned, ready to do another Hillshire-sized acquisition again if it was available."

Hayes said the company's pre-tax return on investment capital is back up to 18 percent, and it was a little more than 20 percent before Hillshire was acquired.

He also said Tyson returned $1.7 billion in cash to shareholders through stock buyback and bumped its dividend by 50 percent last year and this year. It's at 90 cents for 2017, and the board has committed to an annual growth of at least 10 cents.  

Hayes, already the company's president, will add the CEO title on Jan. 1. He said 2016 was a good year overall and the company expects its first quarter of the 2016-2017 fiscal year to be a "phenomenal" start.

"We see the first quarter of our fiscal year this year as being the best quarter Tyson's had in its history," Hayes said.

He said the company is seeing its beef and pork segments at above-average profit margins. The other two segments, chicken and prepared foods, are within an expected range.

Asked about a shift in consumer demand for fresh over frozen meet, Hayes called fresh meat a "huge growth driver" but said there has also been growth in frozen food.

He also described the success of the company's "Tyson Tastemakers" meal kits as "so far, so good."

Hayes also decried coverage of the Georgia Dock poultry prices. Georgia's Department of Agriculture is requiring poultry companies to submit weekly price affidavits that will be used to calculate the industry benchmark price.

The action comes as a response to an ongoing class action lawsuit against Tyson Foods and other companies that alleges price fixing since 2008.

Hayes said only 3 or 4 percent of Tyson's goods are priced that way and "it's really become sort of sensationalized to a degree. We view those [allegations] as an attack on our integrity as a company."

He said the same about the lawsuit, and noted that Tyson has a strong defense. The company has signed an affidavit saying its prices have been clear and accurate in the past and will be so into the future, Hayes said.  

A 52-unit apartment complex in Little Rock weighed in at $1.4 million.

Parker Investments Group LLC, an affiliate of Trinity Multifamily of Fort Smith, purchased the Clearbrook Village Apartments at 619 and 719 Brookside Drive.

The seller is Serene Rock Ventures LLC, led by Michael Vick Jr. and Jason Mathis.

The 1.46-acre development previously was tied to an October 2005 mortgage of $1 million held by One Bank & Trust of Little Rock.

Serene Rock acquired the project for $1.28 million more than 11 years ago from Presbyterian Village Inc. of Little Rock.

Liquid Assets
A water company in southeast Pulaski County tipped the scales at $1.3 million.

Liberty Utilities (Woodson-Hensley Water) Corp. of Oakville, Ontario, bought the water treatment plant at 24920 Hwy. 365 in Woodson and a water tower in Hensley.

The seller is Woodson-Hensley Water Co., led by James Walden.

The 0.89-acre water treatment plant site was purchased as part of two transactions with Dr. John Busby and his wife, Thelma, $500 in May 1965; and Irene Woodell, $8,000 in February 1992.

The 0.23-acre water tower site was acquired for $300 in May 1964 from Pauline Meade.

Bike Building
A 10,520-SF commercial building in Little Rock’s Riverdale area changed hands in an $835,000 transaction.

Off the Front LLC, an affiliate of Little Rock’s HIA Velo high-end biking venture, purchased the 1509 Rebsamen Park Road project from James Clements and Reggie Marshall.

The deal is financed with a 10-year loan of $688,000 from Arvest Bank of Fayetteville.

The 0.78-acre development previously was linked with a March 2013 mortgage of $710,000 held by Centennial Bank of Conway.

The property was bought for $300,000 in January 1994 from Rosenbaum Brothers Partnership, led by Carl and Charles Rosenbaum.

Commercial Land
A 5-acre commercial parcel in west Little Rock rang up a $577,000 sale.

Rector-Phillips-Morse Inc. of Little Rock acquired the land near the northwest corner of Shackleford and Shackleford Ridge roads from LL Ark Properties LLC of Minneapolis.

The property was purchased for $525,000 in September 2015 from the Rachel Randell Trust, the Lora Koen Trust and the Kenneth Ray Koen Trust.

Cancun Acquisition
A 4,303-SF Cancun Mexican Restaurant in Jacksonville drew a $325,000 transaction.

LOM Inc., led by Leonor Ortega-Amaya, bought the former Mexico Chiquito at 1524 W. Main St.

The seller is HSRE LLC, led by Lisa Glidewell. The deal is funded with a 15-year loan of $360,000 from BancorpSouth Bank of Tupelo, Mississippi.

The 0.69-acre property was acquired for $31,500 in March 1966 from Frank Carder Sr., and his wife, Faye, and Frank Carder Jr., and his wife, Mary Jane.

Country Club House I
A 5,517-SF house near the Country Club of Little Rock weighed in at $1.2 million.

The namesake trusts of Jeremy Davis and Holly Sanders purchased the house from Craig and Lisa Douglass.

The deal is backed with 30-year loans of $417,000 and $183,000 from Bank of Little Rock Mortgage Corp.

The residence previously was tied to a May 2009 mortgage of $257,927 held by Centennial Bank.

The property was bought for $660,000 in December 2005 from the Robert Richard Revocable Trust.

Country Club House II
A 2,974-SF home near the Country Club of Little Rock is under new ownership after an $855,000 transaction.

Gregg and Paige Day acquired the house from Casey and Rodney Rockwell.

The residence previously was linked with a June 2016 mortgage of $358,000 from Stone Bank of Mountain View.

Rockwell purchased the property for $255,000 in December 2013 from the Theresa M. Larimore Revocable Living Trust.

Ridgefield Abode
A 4,378-SF home in west Pulaski County’s Ridgefield Estates neighborhood sold for $678,000.

Rex and Deborah Critzer bought the 10-acre spread from Don and Kimberly Fowler.

The residence previously was tied to April 2013 mortgages of $417,000 and $64,800 held by IberiaBank Mortgage Co. of Lafayette, Louisiana.

The Fowlers acquired the property for $602,000 more than three years ago from Rex and Jane Bell.

Rivercrest Residence
A 5,992-SF home in Maumelle’s Rivercrest Estates neighborhood changed hands in a $600,000 transaction.

Peter Nikolakakis purchased the house from Robert and Tina Chastain.

The Chastains bought the property for $800,000 in May 2007.

The sellers were Albert and Sharon Reece.

Hallen Court Home
A 3,350-SF home in the Hallen Court neighborhood of west Little Rock’s Chenal Valley development rang up a $550,000 sale.

Don and Kimberly Fowler acquired the house from Crain Family Holdings LLC, led by Larry Crain Jr.

The deal is financed with a 30-year loan of $360,000 from IberiaBank Mortgage.

Brandon and Hope DeGroat forfeited the property in lieu of foreclosure three months ago to Crain Family Holdings, which held a September 2015 mortgage of $465,000.

The DeGroats purchased the location for $98,000 in July 2014 from Deltic Timber Corp. of El Dorado.

Chenal Circle Abode
A 3,548-SF home in west Little Rock’s Chenal Circle neighborhood drew a $542,000 transaction.

James and Kim Cherry bought the house from Darrell and Angela Baker.

The residence previously helped secure a November 2015 mortgage of $900,000 held by First Security Bank of Searcy.

The Bakers acquired the house for $520,000 in October 2015 from the Jack Harper Family Trust.

RV Refinance
The owner of a recreational vehicle dealership in Sherwood picked up a $3.3 million financial package.

PR Properties LLC, led by Paul Minton, received the five-year loan from Bank of the West of San Francisco.

The 9.65-acre River City RV development at 6721 Warden Road previously was linked with a November 2013 mortgage of $3 million and a November 2014 mortgage of $500,000 held by Arvest Bank.

The property was assembled in deals with Stafford Kees Jr. and his wife, Mary, $1.5 million in October 2001; and First Security Bank, $300,000 in July 2012.

Land Loan
A 21.95-acre tract in west Little Rock was used to secure a $2.4 million funding agreement.

Rowan Development LLC, led by Jasen and Jacob Chi, obtained the six-month loan from First Security Bank.

The land between the south end of Aldersgate Road and Shackleford Road previously was tied to a January 2008 mortgage of $3.2 million held by the bank.

The property was purchased for $3.3 million nearly nine years ago from ERC Foundation Inc., led by Mark Davis.

Seven-Digit Construction

Mini Storage     $3,800,000
601 Autumn Road, Little Rock
Richardson Builders LLC, North Little Rock
 
Infrastructure Upgrades    $2,000,000
USAble
416 W. Fourth St., Little Rock
Baldwin & Shell Construction Co., Little Rock
 
Popeye’s Chicken       $1,100,000
8815 Baseline Road, Little Rock
L.R. Mourning Co., Little Rock