Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: How Ebbing’s secret missions quietly reshaped Fort Smith’s military future.
Be sure to catch Happy Hour every Monday & Wednesday at Le Mesa ALL DAY on the Fort Smith Patch calendar
Hello Fort Smith! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How Ebbing's secret missions quietly reshaped Fort Smith's military future.
- What regulators uncovered after Fort Smith's massive chemical spill
- Why two fired Fort Smith officers kept their police certifications statewide.
And lastly, we have a post from a neighbor, Lori E.!
Today's riddle: What did the Buffalo say when his son left? 🤔 (Answer below!)
From our Partner
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Find a T-Mobile store near Fort Smith. 
- Sunday: Partly sunny and hot, with a high of 99 and low of 75 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Monday: Hot with a thunderstorm, temps: high: 99, low: 75.
- Tuesday: Hot; a stray p.m. t-shower, with a high of 102 and low of 76 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Behind the Green Door: How an unseen mission transformed Ebbing (swtimes.com) — Fort Smith's long-standing bond with Ebbing Air National Guard Base has shifted from visible A-10 flyovers to largely unseen MQ-9 Reaper operations and now to high-profile F-35 training for foreign pilots. Local leaders say the community's steady support helped preserve and grow missions, jobs, and top-secret capabilities at Ebbing, even as much of the work moved behind closed doors. 
2. Fort Smith Chemical Plant Spill Exposes Permit Violations and Regulatory Gaps (deltaplexnews.com) — A recent investigation reveals a Fort Smith chemical plant operated for months without a required stormwater permit or timely hazardous-chemical inventory before a May 2 spill that damaged a Fort Smith Fire Department truck. Regulators say tens of thousands of gallons of acidified aluminum sulfate escaped into a nearby creek, and state and federal agencies are still weighing enforcement while the cause of the tank rupture remains unknown.
3. Two former Fort Smith police officers fired for hazing, misconduct avoid decertification (5newsonline.com) — State law-enforcement regulators have agreed to withdraw decertification requests for two former Fort Smith police officers fired after a hazing and misconduct investigation, meaning they keep their Arkansas certifications but cannot return to FSPD. Local and state decisions in the case followed a Sebastian County judge's earlier ruling in a related officer's appeal, which upheld termination but rejected decertification.
4. Germany's first F-35A completes assembly ahead of September rollout (airdatanews.com) — German Air Force pilots and crews will begin F-35 training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith as Germany's first F-35A nears rollout in the U.S. While the program is centered on Germany's future fighter fleet, it will bring international training activity and visibility to the Fort Smith base over the next several years.
📸 Around Fort Smith
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🗓 Upcoming Events in Fort Smith
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
- Happy Hour every Monday & Wednesday at Le Mesa ALL DAY
Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce 1217 S Waldron Rd
11:00 am - 810 Billiards & Bowling: Bingo
Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce 810 Billiards & Bowling 5609 Rogers Ave Fort Smith AR
6:30 pm - 810 Billiards & Bowling: Ultimate Game Show
Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce 810 Billiards & Bowling 5609 Rogers Ave Fort Smith AR
6:30 am - Happy Hour every Monday & Wednesday at Le Mesa ALL DAY
Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce 1217 S Waldron Rd
11:00 am - Andy's Frozen Custard Kids Night
Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce 6565 Rogers Avenue Fort Smith, Arkansas, 72903
4:00 pm - 810 Billiards & Bowling Trivia Night
Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce 810 Billiards & Bowling 5609 Rogers Ave Fort Smith AR
6:30 pm - Ribbon Cutting: Community School of the Arts/ 10 Year Anniversary
Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce 1101 Riverfront Drive Fort Smith, AR 72901
4:30 pm - Happy Hour every Monday & Wednesday at Le Mesa ALL DAY
Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce 1217 S Waldron Rd
11:00 am
Monday August 24
Tuesday August 25
Wednesday August 26
Thursday August 27
Monday August 31
🗓 Events Nearby
- $5 Movie Nights at King Opera House - Ratatouille →
King Opera House, 427 Main St, Van Buren
7:00 pm - ASBTDC at The Chamber →
Chamber of Commerce Van Buren Chamber Business Resource Center
9:00 am - Geno's Night
Central Elementary School Van Buren, AR 72956
4:00 pm - Movie Night – Raiders of the Lost Ark →
906 Cocktail and Cigar Lounge, 906 Garrison Ave, Fort Smith
6:00 pm
Sunday August 23
Wednesday August 26
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Please share & repost to help reunite this lost dog!
Gemma Claire was LOST on June 22, 2026 in Fort Smith, AR 72901 near u street, Greenwood Ave, so. 23rd st Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest… (Nextdoor Downtown Deal Shoppers) - Please share & repost to help reunite this stray dog!
FOUND on August 21, 2026 in Fort Smith, AR 72908 near Near and Texas Road Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest information or to contact the… (Nextdoor Downtown Deal Shoppers)
- Burlington posted a job opening for Retail Stocking Associate - Part Time in Fort Smith. Apply here.
- Dollar Tree posted a job opening for Assistant Manager I in Fort Smith. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Fort Smith here.
Ok Fort Smith! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Bison! (Thank you Judy M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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