Strategies laid out to boost state's growth opportunities by Andrew Moreau | Today at 2:04 a.m. Last week, an organization that promotes economic development called on Arkansas policymakers and business leaders to aggressively pursue a culture shift in how the state recruits and invests in growth opportunities. Heartland Forward, a Bentonville think tank, delivered a 77-page economic development report Wednesday to a task force of business and community leaders that Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed to help protect businesses and promote public health during the pandemic. Heartland's strategy outlines specific recommendations for six focus areas that can spark the state's post-pandemic economic recovery: