by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The long-awaited opening of the U.S. Marshals Museum and the final decision to place a foreign pilot training center in Fort Smith were two of the top news stories in the Fort Smith metro during 2023.

Following are the top five stories, followed by a list of other notable news.

1. U.S. Marshals Museum finally opens
After more than 16 years of fundraising struggles and leadership changes, the U.S. Marshals Museum opened in downtown Fort Smith on June 29. Just under 10,000 people would visit the museum in its first month.

In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. The Robbie Westphal family, led by Bennie Westphal and Robin Westphal Clegg, donated the riverfront land for the museum. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in September 2015. Museum officials initially hoped to have the facility open by late 2017, but struggles to raise money delayed the opening. Construction of the approximately 53,000-square-foot U.S. Marshals Museum was completed — except for exhibits — in early 2020.

U.S. Marshals Museum opening, pilot training center top Fort Smith metro stories in 2023