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Here is where you can find news about Jonesboro, Craighead County, and Arkansas at large, as well as news for Missouri and Tennessee.

Arkansas governor to visit Normandy, Paris Air Show and Switzerland on trade tour

Business jet manufacturer Dassault Falcon Jet CEO Thierry Betbeze announced the French company would invest “millions” in its Little Rock facility and would add 800 jobs to its workforce Tuesday morning. Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders steps down from the cabin on a Falcon jet.
John Sykes
/
Arkansas Advocate
Business jet manufacturer Dassault Falcon Jet CEO Thierry Betbeze announced the French company would invest “millions” in its Little Rock facility and would add 800 jobs to its workforce Tuesday morning. Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders steps down from the cabin on a Falcon jet.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will travel to Europe this month for an overseas trade mission that will include stops in France and Switzerland, according to a Thursday press release from her office.

Sanders’ trip, which is scheduled for June 14-19, will include appearances at a Paris Air Show panel hosted by the Aerospace Industries Association and a fireside chat organized by the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce.

The governor’s first stop is Normandy to honor fallen soldiers, including U.S. Army Private Rodger D. Andrews whose remains were recently identified and will be laid to rest in Arkansas on June 9.

She’ll continue on to the Paris Air Show to meet with aerospace and defense companies, and then to Switzerland to discuss “investing in Arkansas with several large corporations,” according to the release.

“International trade missions are a great way to pitch Arkansas to companies that might not otherwise have our state on their radar and have a proven track record of bringing in jobs and investment,” Sanders said in a statement.

The governor’s visit to the Farnborough International Airshow in England last summer helped secure Taber Extrusions’ $60 million, 70 job expansion in Russellville, according to the release.

During her trip to the Paris Air Show in 2023, Sanders’ discussions helped facilitate Dassault Falcon Jet’s $100 million, 800 job expansion in Little Rock and RTX’s new $33 million manufacturing facility in East Camden, which was later expanded to a $63 million investment.

The governor’s 2023 Paris trip also led to what became known as Lecterngate. A series of public information requests submitted that summer by a blogger investigating Sanders’ travel expenses revealed a state-issued credit card was used to purchase a $19,000 lectern and carrying case from a Virginia-based company with political ties to Sanders.

The discovery prompted lawmakers to request an audit, which found several instances of “potential noncompliance” with state law. The report was sent to the Arkansas attorney general and Pulaski County’s prosecuting attorney, the latter of whom declined to pursue charges.

The post Arkansas governor announces overseas trade mission appeared first on the Arkansas Advocate.

Antoinette Grajeda is a multimedia journalist who has reported since 2007 on a wide range of topics, including politics, health, education, immigration and the arts for NPR affiliates, print publications and digital platforms. A University of Arkansas alumna, she earned a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and a master’s degree in documentary film.
Arkansas Advocate intends to show how state government affects the lives of everyday Arkansans so they can make informed decisions about themselves, their families and their communities.