Hi Community Members!
First, I hope everyone was able to safely enjoy the eclipse! Second, please consider volunteering over the next couple months with one or more of the ballot initiatives to help collect signatures. You’ll find a list of initiatives and how to sign up to help under Community Involvement Opportunities.
Local Events
Wed., April 10th at 6 p.m. - Circles NWA presents: Home is Where the Hardship Is at the Fayetteville Library Event Center; Join the next Circles “Becoming Visible” event as they go beyond the headlines to explore the real experiences of individuals and families facing the stress of housing in Arkansas. Register HERE.
Tues., April 11th from 6 - 8 p.m. - Diana for Arkansas Rogers Fundraiser at The Art Collective Gallery (228 South First St., Rogers) - campaign fundraiser for Diana Gonzales Worthen who is running for State House district 9 (Springdale). Diana ran in 2022 and was only short 100 votes of winning - let’s help us get her over the finish line this year. Donations suggested and appreciated HERE.
Tues., April 16th at 6:30 p.m. - Democratic Party of Benton County (DPBC) County Convention at the Rogers Public Library (711 S Dixieland). All are welcome to attend and become members at the meeting and to vote on the Special State Convention Delegates and the State Committee Members for 2024-26. Doors will open at 6 and the meeting will start at 6:30. Learn more HERE.
Sun., April 21st from 2 - 4 p.m. - Stephanie Funk for Arkansas Campaign Kickoff at TxAR House in Rogers (300 S 1st St.) - Join your neighbors and meet the Democratic Candidate for State House District 15 (center Rogers) - family friendly event where you can enjoy BBQ and music. Donations suggested and appreciated, learn more HERE.
Community Involvement Opportunities
Volunteer and/or financially support one (or more) of these ballot issue groups! We need a lot of help in Benton County to collect the needed amount for each issue - at least 20k signatures to ensure the % for Benton County is met!
How Many Voter Signatures Are Needed? (this information was provided by the U of A Public Policy Center)
To qualify for a spot on the November ballot, ballot issue groups seeking constitutional amendments must collect at least 90,704 signatures from Arkansas registered voters. Sponsors of an Act, or a state law, must collect at least 72,563 voter signatures. A certain percentage of those signatures must come from at least 50 of the state's 75 counties.
By signing a petition, a voter is expressing support for the issue to be on the ballot for voters to decide. The deadline to submit petitions is July 5, 2024.
Information on the Petitions (most listed here):
Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment of 2024 and Arkansas Government Disclosure Act of 2024 (FOIA/ Government Transparency)
The backers behind this amendment are paying eligible Arkansans to collect signatures - if you or someone you know is interested in getting paid to collect signatures, please respond to this email to request more information (must be 18 or older and an Arkansas resident).
Municipal Government Awareness
Bella Vista
Next Council Mtng: Monday, Apr. 15 at 5:30 p.m. (2483 Forest Hills Blvd) - work session
Items of Note:
NWA Senior Expo will be held at St. Bernard Catholic Church (1 St Bernard Ln) on Thursday, April 25th from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. Lots of senior related information, give aways, and lunch will be provided.
The annual City of Bella Vista Citywide Garage Sale is set for the last weekend in April – starting at 8 a.m. each day Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27. Enter participating addresses online HERE or email the complete address of the sale (full street address plus zip code) and any additional information, such as what type of items you will be selling, to [email protected], using Garage Sale as the subject line.
Bentonville
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Apr. 9 at 6 p.m. (305 SW A St.)
Items of Note:
City is continuing to encourage residents to conserve water usage while repairs are underway to fix the damaged water line near Hwy 112. Repair work is estimated to be completed by April 11th. Avoid excessive lawn irrigation and heavy washing such as parking lots, driveways, and cars and please postpone filling any swimming pools.
Join the City of Bentonville on Thursday, April 25th for Bentonville Connections! The Bentonville Community Center will have booths set up from every city department where you can talk one-on-one with our staff. The expo will take place from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Immediately following the expo, we will begin individual department presentations, diving into specifics about each department. Register HERE.
The 2024 Spring Tree Giveaway will be located at the Bentonville Compost Facility (2000 NW A St) from 8:00 am to 10:00 am on Saturday, April 27th, 2024. There is no pre-registration this year. Trees will be distributed first come, first serve beginning at 8:00 am. - must be a city resident (show utility bill) and a limit of two trees per address.
Cave Springs
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Apr. 9 at 6:30 p.m. (134 N. Main St.) - work session
Items of Note:
The cities of Cave Springs and Rogers agreed to swap land to eliminate the noncontiguous portions of both cities (western Rogers and NE Cave Springs). Public hearings will occur later this month. Go HERE to review KNWA’s coverage.
Map provides a rough estimate on what land will be flipped - blue marked with CS is moving from Rogers to Cave Springs, green marked with R is moving from Cave Springs to Rogers
Centerton
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Apr. 9 at 6 p.m. (210 Municipal Dr.)
Items of Note:
Watch or listen to Centerton Mayor Bill Edward’s interview about the city on the Bentonville Beacon HERE.
Gravette
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Apr. 9 at 5:30 p.m. (202 Main St. NE) - Committee of the Whole
Items of Note:
This years Gravette Day (Aug. 10th) Grand Marshal is: Fire Chief David Orr. The theme for this years parade will be: Guardians of Our Community: We Love Our First Responders! The parade entry form is open and can be found HERE.
Lowell
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Apr. 16 at 6:30 p.m. (216 N. Lincoln St.)
Items of Note:
The Spring tree giveaway is scheduled for April 13th from 8 a.m. until noon (209 N. Lincoln St.) - 150 trees will be given away to the public, one tree per household, must be a resident of Lowell.
Pea Ridge
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Apr. 9 at 5:30 p.m. (911 Weston St.) - Committee of the Whole
Rogers
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Apr. 9 at 6 p.m. (301 W. Chestnut)
Items of Note:
Look for the city council members to declare a vacancy for April Legere’s former Ward 3 position at Tuesday’s meeting. My guess is that they will look to fill the vacancy by appointment and the application process will open shortly. Please reach out if you would like more information!
Siloam Springs
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Apr. 16 at 6:30 p.m. (400 N. Broadway)
Items of Note:
Join the city for an interactive town hall meeting to discuss the topic of annexation, scheduled for Thursday, April 11th, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall Board Room. The meeting is designed as a come-and-go event, allowing community members to drop in at any time during the three-hour period to engage in open dialogue, ask questions, and provide direct feedback to staff.
Springdale
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Apr. 9 at 6 p.m. (201 Spring St.)
County Government Awareness
Benton County Quorum Court
Upcoming County Meetings:
Finance Committee Meeting - Apr. 9th at 6 p.m. (Admin Bldg)
Development Review Committee - April 10th at 10 a.m. (Admin Bldg)
Committee of the Whole - Apr. 16th at 6 p.m. (Admin Bldg)
Planning Board Meeting - Apr. 17th at 6 p.m. (Admin Bldg)
Development Review Committee - Apr. 24th at 10 a.m. (Admin Bldg)
Quorum Court - Apr. 25th at 6 p.m. (Admin Bldg)
State Government Awareness
94th General Legislative Assembly:
The 2024 Fiscal Session will begin at noon on Wednesday, April 10th. Current expectations is that the session will last until Thursday, April 25th. The current proposed budget contains about $109 million in additional spending (less than a 2% increase). With the vast majority of the increase going towards Education (vouchers will be the bulk of the increase).
Education News
Decatur school district will move to a 4 day school week starting in the 2024-25 school year, learn more from KNWA HERE
Arkansas’s school voucher application period for next year is now open. The eligible population has increased to include students in “D”-rated schools and children of veterans, military reservists, or first responders. Read more from Antoinette Grajeda with the Arkansas Advocate HERE.
Read Antoinette Grajeda and Tess Vrbin reporting in the Arkansas Advocate, “Central High families, teacher file federal lawsuit over Arkansas LEARNS Act ‘indoctrination’ ban”
Transportation News
Thanks to the Downtown Rogers Newsletter for this information:
Ozark Regional Transit introduced the first Northwest Arkansas intercity/regional bus route on Monday, April 1!
The Bentonville-Rogers Exchange Route designed to offer easy access to key destinations and attractions in both cities. The Western most stop at the Bentonville Community Center. The Eastern most stop at the Butterfly Park located at South 1st Street and West Cherry Street near the Frisco Caboose in Historic Downtown Rogers.
Whether you're commuting to work, running errands, or exploring the area's cultural and recreational offerings, this route with 42 stops each direction, provides a reliable and $0 fare option to get around.
How Does It Benefit the Community?
The Bentonville-Rogers Exchange Route is more than just a transportation option – it's a gateway to opportunity and connection for residents and visitors of both cities. By offering $0 fare travel between Bentonville and Rogers, this route ensures that transportation barriers are minimized, allowing individuals to access employment, education, healthcare, and recreation without financial burden.
See the interactive route map and click each stop HERE.
Real Time Bus Tracking is available on Ozark Regional Transit's Passio GO!
Political Training Opportunities
National Democratic Training Committee - Online FREE trainings:
How to Maximize Your Personal Network to Raise Money - Tues., Apr. 9 at noon
How to Raise Money Through Candidate Call Time - Wed., Apr. 17 at noon
Raising Money Online - Fri., Apr. 19 at noon
The Secrets to Fundraising Emails - Mon. Apr. 22 at noon
Odds & Ends
Even though Arkansas is one of the most church-going states… 39% of Arkansas adults never or seldom attend church or religious services - read more in Axios reporting HERE
Center for American Women and Politics released their 2024 Women in Municipal Office for Cities 10k and above results - Arkansas ranks 38th with 29% of positions filled by women. See more HERE.
NWA Council has started to release findings form the public opinion research they conducted about the regions growth strategy. Four consistent concerns: infrastructure, traffic, housing, and need for leadership to devise and execute a growth strategy; see more information HERE.
Listen to the latest two local podcasts from The Underview
Episode 16 with Mireya Reith - conversation centered around the work of building a new community in NW Ark.
Episode 17 with Nick Ogle - great discussion about the importance of a “WE” community