Please note that because this is a rare incident it is news. FSM (Fort Smith, Arkansas) is a small, low traffic airport. Control towers are approved by the FAA based upon traffic count. At a certain level of traffic, there could be a NFCT aka non-federal control tower, which is approved by the FAA but not staffed by FAA employees. With more traffic, an FAA control tower is approved, staffed with FAA employees. Generally speaking, airline traffic goes into airports that have FAA staffed control towers. There are a few exceptions, but very few.
Don't worry, the FAA is there to help you, just like any other government agency.
Best regards,
RA1