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Axios NW Arkansas
Abortion ballot group alleges bait-and-switch by Arkansas Secretary of State
Both parties in the fight over a proposed Arkansas constitutional amendment regarding abortion for the November ballot filed briefs Friday with the state Supreme Court.Why it matters: The clock is ticking. Progress in getting the measure on the ballot β or rejecting it with finality β has been stalled for nearly a month while parties argue over paperwork.The delay has prevented the initiative's backer, Arkansans for Limited Government (AFLG), from collecting more signatures if needed and from mounting a voter-awareness campaign if the issue makes the ballot.State of play: AFLG's brief says it complied with the law when it submitted...
Your weekend plans: Free festival, art, military history
It's the first weekend in August. Here are some ideas.π Bentonville First Friday β Explore vendors and hear live music at this free, kid-friendly event 3-9pm Friday on the downtown square.π¨ Art Trail at Night: Glow Party β Drop by 8-11pm tonight at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to make art outside on the trail. Free.βοΈ Warbird Weekend β Take a tour of the aircraft that led the D-Day invasion of Normandy on Saturday at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum in Fayetteville. Get regular adult tickets for $25 or kids' tickets for $12. Tickets include access to the museum.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nw Arkansas.
Survey: NWA's quality of life rating dips
Pretty good, not bad, can't complain β that seems the sentiment of 1,000 NWA residents about their quality of life, per a new Walton Family Foundation survey.Why it matters: Quality of life can be key in recruiting people and business to continue growing NWA's economy.Yes, but: Short-term exponential growth can choke an area's infrastructure, drive up prices and stress its resources. Ask anyone who's moved here from Austin or California.What they found: 64% of those surveyed from April through October of 2023 rated their overall quality of life as excellent to very good, compared with 67% in 2018.Combined, only 37%...
Arkansas tries banning phones in schools
Arkansas school districts are taking the state up on its offer to help them limit student cellphone usage.State of play: As of last week, about 200 school districts and public charter schools plan to participate in a state pilot program this school year that will provide pouches for students to store their phones during the school day, according to data from the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). The program also provides funding for telehealth mental health services.There is no cap on how much the state will cover, ADE spokesperson Kimberly Mundell told Axios.Why it matters: The state wants to help...
Upcoming county fairs come with a bird flu concern
The summer pastime of going to the county fair could carry some risk this year, with the threat of bird flu hanging over livestock, experts say. Why it matters: Arkansas is the third-largest producer of chicken meat in the U.S., with more than 6,500 farmers raising birds. All in, Arkansas Farm Bureau estimates the industry was responsible for $35.7 billion in economic activity in 2020.State of play: The mingling of animals, people and equipment at 4-H competitions, milking demonstrations and petting farms creates the conditions for potential transmission to humans."What we do at fairs kind of violates every tenet of biosecurity...
Funding secured for Bentonville teacher housing project
The nonprofit Excellerate Foundation has the money to build income-driven housing that will include units designated for Bentonville School District employees, a spokesperson for the organization told Axios.State of play: Excellerate on Wednesday announced a commitment of $18.7 million β $13.8 million in federal tax credits and state loans, and a $4.9 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation.McAuley Place, at Southwest I and 41st streets in Bentonville, will cost $35 million that will come from a combination of state and federal tax credits, philanthropy, state and federal financing, and bank financing.Zoom in: The development will include 120 apartments, 40 single-family cottages and an early-learning center.The cottages are for employees of Bentonville School District whose household income is up to 100% of the area median, which is $94,400.The apartments are for anyone whose household earns 30-60% of the area median income β or $28,320 to $56,640.What's next: Excellerate plans to start site work "in the following weeks," with plans to complete the first 60 multifamily units and the early-learning center late next year, according to a news release.The project is expected to be fully finished by the end of 2026.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nw Arkansas.
Walmart AMP drawing bigger names and sold-out shows: How to improve your ticket chances
Seeing a concert in Northwest Arkansas is starting to require preparation and a bit of luck.State of play: The region's largest concert venue, the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers, is bringing in popular artists like Lana Del Rey, Foo Fighters and Post Malone. Why it matters: While that means more notoriety for the region's live-music scene, it's also becoming noticeably harder to get tickets before they sell out.Driving the news: The Chappell Roan show set for Oct. 2 sold out this month before going on sale to the public, meaning only those with presale codes were able to get...
Atlanta Walmarts to offer free HIV test kits
A telemedicine company is launching a pilot program at seven Atlanta-area Walmart stores to provide free at-home HIV tests.Why it matters: It's estimated that 40% of new diagnoses of the human immunodeficiency virus are transmitted by people who don't know they're infected, according to the National Institutes of Health.The big picture: Southern states had 52% of HIV infections in 2021. The Atlanta metro area had the third-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. during 2021 β more than 25 of every 100,000 people.Georgia's overall diagnoses rate was 27.4 during 2022, the highest in the U.S.Zoom in: Arkansas' rate...
The Shift: Making Chicken Sheet
Serial entrepreneur Logan Webster of Fayetteville built an app to help chicken farmers manage their flocking finances.Why it matters: Oftentimes, the difference between a profitable farm and one that's not boils down to close management of specific metrics, including costs for propane, water and electricity.Anecdotally, less than 5% of the farmers Webster talked with while developing the app track detailed finances from each flock, Webster told me.State of play: The data-secure app called Chicken Sheet is free for farmers to download and use.Webster earns income from advertisers on the platform looking to reach a very niche-but-engaged and competitive audience of...
Arkansas' severe weather mapped
Northwest Arkansas averages more severe weather than most of the state, a new National Weather Service analysis finds.State of play: Crawford, Franklin, Sebastian, Madison and Washington counties averaged 18 severe thunderstorm or tornado watches a year between 2004 and 2023.Benton and Carroll counties had 17.The rates are among the highest in the nation and part of a central U.S. zone β spanning Nebraska south to Oklahoma β that sees the most extreme weather.Data: NOAA; Map: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosGet more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nw Arkansas.
Arkansas' severe weather mapped
Northwest Arkansas averages more severe weather than most of the state, a new National Weather Service analysis finds.State of play: Crawford, Franklin, Sebastian, Madison and Washington counties averaged 18 severe thunderstorm or tornado watches a year between 2004 and 2023.Benton and Carroll counties had 17.The rates are among the highest in the nation and part of a central U.S. zone β spanning Nebraska south to Oklahoma β that sees the most extreme weather.Data: NOAA; Map: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosGet more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nw Arkansas.
Walmart tackles food waste with new tech
About 1,400 Walmart and Sam's Club stores are now using a system that could double the amount of food waste each location is able to recycle.Why it matters: An estimated 77.6 million tons of food β roughly 38% of what's produced in the U.S. β was wasted in 2022.Most of that waste ends up in landfills, rotting and creating methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change.State of play: After donating what it can, Walmart already recycles unsalable, damaged or expired food at more than 4,700 locations, but the current system requires manually unpackaging food items before...
Arkansas' car insurance prices spike more than one-third
The cost of car insurance is hitting high-water marks nationwide. Arkansas drivers are feeling the pinch, paying an average of 34% more at the start of 2024 than just three-and-a-half years earlier.Why it matters: Fast-rising insurance rates are contributing to a transportation affordability crisis. That's especially true in the many parts of the country β like much of Arkansas β where alternatives to car ownership are few.And the higher rates come alongside all sorts of other rising consumer costs in recent years β like groceries, for example.Driving the news: The nationwide average annual cost of full-coverage car insurance hit $2,329...
Monday Munchies: Where to get Vietnamese street food in Rogers
It started with a veggie dumpling and turned into a whole spread.State of play: My co-author Worth spread the gospel years ago, but it took me until now to go to Saiwok Vietnamese Street Food. My loss.Dig in: If you've never had a bao (a steamed bun), it's like a stuffed pocket of soft, doughy bread. Try the chimi cow cow bao ($8.25) with marinated steak, pickled veggies, purple cabbage, onions, scallions and chimichurri sauce.And don't stop there. I also sampled the pig sooie banh mi (sandwich) with grilled lemongrass pork, pickled veggies, purple cabbage, cilantro, jalapenos, mayo, tare sauce and scallion oil ($11.50). The intrigue: The portions are on the small side, which just means room for some steamed veggie dumplings or other appetizer. One sandwich order is actually two small sandwiches, which makes it easy to share, and you could order two kinds of sandwiches and have one of each.EntrΓ©es come with shrimp chips β a starchy and airy cracker.Stop by: 11am-8pm Monday-Thursday and 11am-9pm Friday and Saturday at 2882 W. Walnut St., Suite 5, in Rogers.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nw Arkansas.
Mapped: Arkansas too hot for Summer Olympic games
Most of the world is expected to be too hot to host the Summer Olympics by 2050, including all of Arkansas.By the numbers: An Axios analysis of CarbonPlan data finds that in 2050, 60% of locations globally will experience Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures above 82Β°F, the American College of Sports Medicine's recommended threshold for canceling outdoor, continuous activity to avoid heat illness.CarbonPlan's models estimate that 100% of weather stations in Arkansas would experience temperatures above the "cancel activity" level in 2050.The entire state was already there, but stations in north Arkansas are projected to be even warmer 26 years from...
Your week ahead: Art, music, free festival
Here's how to get out this week:π€ Go to a concert β See Lindsey Stirling with Walk Off the Earth and Audriix at 7pm today, or Third Eye Blind with Yellowcard and ARIZONA at 6:30pm Wednesday at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers.Get Lindsey Stirling tickets or Third Eye Blind tickets starting at $30.π Enjoy Fayetteville First Thursday β This free festival Thursday evening includes live music and vendors on the downtown square.π¨ See an art exhibit β "Wordplay" is on display at Fenix Arts in Fayetteville. Weekday gallery hours are 1-5pm Thursday and Friday.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nw Arkansas.
Mapped: Arkansas too hot for Summer Olympic games
Most of the world is expected to be too hot to host the Summer Olympics by 2050, including all of Arkansas.By the numbers: An Axios analysis of CarbonPlan data finds that in 2050, 60% of locations globally will experience Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures above 82Β°F, the American College of Sports Medicine's recommended threshold for canceling outdoor, continuous activity to avoid heat illness.CarbonPlan's models estimate that 100% of weather stations in Arkansas would experience temperatures above the "cancel activity" level in 2050.The entire state was already there, but stations in north Arkansas are projected to be even warmer 26 years from...
Judge blocks Title IX update in Arkansas and five other states
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a Biden administration rule extending an update to Title IX with protections for LGBTQ+ students.State of play: The ruling is the result of a lawsuit brought by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and five other states in May.At least 20 states have blocked the new policy after similar complaints.Catch up quick: The federal rule protects against "discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics."The policy did not address transgender athletes, and the federal Education Department said its "rulemaking process is still ongoing for a Title IX regulation related to...
NWA pitchman and musician Ed Nicholson dies
Father, husband, guitarist, mentor, friend and giver of time β Harrison native Ed Nicholson died Thursday. He was 71.State of play: Many knew Ed from his 21 years in public relations at Tyson Foods, and others from playing with several bands seemingly nonstop for years.Still, more knew him from his life in Little Rock as an entrepreneur, and a skilled creator and ad man.And even more knew Ed from his life as a touring musician in the 1970s.The big picture: I had the great fortune to share an office wall with Ed for several years, and to be included in one of his circles that occasionally rides bikes together.He was a connector of people, a common thread among many in NWA.A storyteller, gentleman and a scamp, Ed loved his family above all.The bottom line: Words can't capture the depth of a man's life, and could barely scratch the surface of Nicholson's.I'm told there will be no public service.My thought bubble: Ed, I love you, man. Thank you for your light. Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nw Arkansas.
Your weekend plans: Wrapping up July
Enjoy this last July weekend.π€ Catch free live music β Memphis musicians Lana J., Esmod and Aybil will perform at 8pm Saturday at Butterfield Stage in downtown Rogers. Get tickets.βΎοΈ Go to a baseball game β The Northwest Arkansas Naturals play the Arkansas Travelers at 7pm tonight, 6pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale. Get tickets for $9-$17.π See a comedy show β Andy Hendrickson will perform standup at 6:30pm tonight and Saturday at The Grove Comedy Club in Lowell. Get tickets for $18.Or check out a comedy tournament at 8pm today at Nomads West End in Fayetteville.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nw Arkansas.
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