The Insider in this week's Times, now on the web, leads off with a little item about a recent feature on Power Women in Soiree magazine. Turns out this was a "promotional feature," in which women paid for their profiles and photographs, though there was no legend identifying it as such.

Maybe the lack of a label was just an oversight. It was good exposure for the women -- all accomplished business, political and professional people (see jump). But we got more curious when, in asking around about the arrangements,  Little Rock Vice Mayor Stacy Hurst referred our questions about the deal to the city's public relations guy.

End of story: The city of Little Rock, that is the taxpayers of the city of Little Rock, paid the $1,700 bill from Soiree for the feature on Hurst.

So far, we've been unable to get answers to questions about why the city would pay for a promotional feature on one city director and who authorizes such expenditures. There are other women on the city board, after all. Maybe B.J. Wyrick, Erma Fingers Hendrix, Doris Wright or Joan Adcock could dig up the info. Ladies? Didn't we just read that the city is in a bit of a financial pickle?

Soiree's 26 powerful women:

Virginia Atkinson, lawyer

Jan Burford, CARTI CEO

Renata Byler, Roller Funeral Home v.p.

Dr. Janet Riley Cathey, gynecologist

Cynthia L. Conger, CPA and financial planner

Debi Davis, interior designer

Heather Larkin Eason, CEO of Ark. Community Foundation

Cathy Ellis, owner Ellis Infiniti

Brenda Fulkerson, president of Fulkerson and Co.

Mary Healey, jeweler

Stacy Hurst, city director

Dr. Gail Reede Jones, urologist

Sissy Jones, jeweler

Jeanne Yarbrough Joyner, president of Episcopal Collegiate School board

Marla Johnson Norris, CEO of Aristotle

Kay Patton, associate director Anthony School

Dawn Prasifka, director, Centers for Youth and Families Foundation

Terry Rothwell, CEO Celerit

Elizabeth S. Small, CEO PDC Companies

Carole J. Smith, v.p., Delta Trust and Bank

Pam Stebbins, v.p., Leisure Arts

Cynthia Stone, COO The Arc Arkansas

Susan Walsh, interior designer

State Rep. Kathy Webb, restaurateur.

Sherece West, CEO Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

Celeste Whitlock, CFO Landers Toyota