Local Events
Monday, Feb. 26th at 7 p.m. - Celebrate Black History Month with NWACC Music Faculty Recital (Walmart auditorium at the Shewmaker Center); Celebrate Black History Month with a recital from NWACC Music Faculty showcasing African American composers.
Saturday, Mar. 1st at 10 a.m. - Solar Eclipse Presentation at the Rogers Public Library (711 S Dixieland); Dr. Katherine Auld of NWA Space and Science Center will share about the upcoming solar eclipse on Saturday, March 2 at 10:00 am. Learn how eclipses occur and how to safely view the solar eclipse.
Sunday, Mar. 2nd at 2 p.m. - NWA Moms Demand Action March Membership Meeting at the Mount Sequoyah Center in Fayetteville; Guest speaker from Lighthouse Solutions' L.I.F.E. Cycle project, a program that addresses Period Poverty by distributing much needed period supplies throughout NWA. There will also be discussion on the current elections and the Gun Sense Voter information over some snacks. For more information and to sign up to attend, click HERE.
Friday, Mar. 8th from 1 - 2:30 p.m. - NWA, Let’s Do Lunch event sponsored by Women’s Foundation of Arkansas at Bites & Bowls in Springdale (1602 East Robinson Suite E); RSVP HERE
Friday, Mar. 8th at 5:30 p.m. - Billy Cook for State House Dist. 19 Campaign Kickoff at the Hyatt Place in Fayetteville (348 Van Asche Dr.); Come meet the candidate and hear from special guests: Washington Co. JP Beth Coger, Community Leader Irvin Camacho, 2022 Candidate Paula Irwin, and DPA Chair Grant Tennille; RSVP HERE
Saturday, Mar. 9th - Democrats Day on the Hill (Fayetteville); Democratic Party of Arkansas events (purchase ticket HERE):
Politics & Pizza Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at US Pizza (202 West Dickson)
State Committee Meeting from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Bailey Center (Mount Sequoyah) - check-in starts at 1 p.m. — only state committee members will have voting power; guests welcome!
Party on the Hill: An Evening Reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Graduate Hotel (70 N. East Ave.)
Sunday, Mar. 10th - Coffee with Caitlin (in Fayetteville) drop in event from 9 a.m. to noon; Start your day with a delicious breakfast, coffee, and mimosas while supporting Caitlin Draper, Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress; purchase tickets HERE
Community Involvement Opportunities
Participate in the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Survey
The AACF are deciding what laws they will advocate at the state Capitol next year. They want to hear your thoughts about what you think are the biggest issues impacting he children of our state. And they want to know what potential policy solutions and laws you think would make things better. Complete the survey linked HERE by Monday, March 4th.
Get more involved with the Democratic Party of Benton County!
The following two opportunities are a great way for you to actively participate in progress for Benton County. For additional details on the items outline below, go to the DPBC webpage HERE or review the presentation HERE.
Become a State Committee representative for the Democratic Party of Benton County (DPBC)!
Every 2 years, the DPBC will elect State Committee Members to represent Benton County for the 2024-2026 term beginning following the November General Election. These 7 county representatives serve two year terms and are responsible for voting on all items brought to the State Committee (including changes to party rules, state candidate filing fees, and electing state party leadership). If you wish to apply for this position, complete this Application by 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 5th. Want to learn more about this position? Ask me! I’ve been serving since the fall of 2018.
Become a County Delegate to the State Democratic Party Convention in Little Rock!
The DPBC is responsible for electing 49 county representatives and 4 alternates for the Special State Convention in June. These delegates will play a pivotal role in voting for Arkansas's representation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August. Applicants must be available to attend the State Convention on June 8, 2024, at the Embassy Suites in downtown Little Rock. If you wish to apply for this position, complete FORM A from the Democratic Party of Arkansas by noon on Wednesday, April 3rd.
Municipal Government Awareness
Bella Vista
Next Council Mtng: Monday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. (2483 Forest Hills Blvd)
Items of Note:
Members of the Bella Vista Planning Commission and the city’s Planning Division are seeking public input regarding upcoming changes to the allowed steepness of driveways. Current residents are asked to weigh in with their thoughts regarding driveway grades by completing an online survey HERE before Monday, March 4.
Graphic from Bella Vista with information on the Police Pension Millage question on the primary ballot for Bella Vista residents:
Bentonville
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. (305 SW A St.)
Items of Note:
City residents are welcome to participate in listening sessions for the future of Bentonville planning over the remainder of this week!!! - more information, including dates and locations can be found at the bottom of the webpage HERE
Bentonville Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) is seeking proposals from artists for a large-scale permanent artwork to be installed in an existing roundabout at the intersection of Water Tower Road and SE 8th Street in Bentonville, Arkansas. For more information, go HERE.
READ THIS from Alex Golden at Axios NW Arkansas, “Bentonville Teacher-housing Project in Limbo” to learn more about the rezoning request the Bentonville City Council failed to approve at the last council meeting
Cave Springs
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m. (134 N. Main St.)
Items of Note:
Council members will appoint new member to fill the ward 1 vacancy during this week’s meeting (at least 3 citizens applied)
Centerton
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. (210 Municipal Dr.)
Gentry
Next Council Mtng: Monday, Mar. 4, at 6 p.m. (104 E Main St.)
Items of Note:
City council approved the appointment of Todd Wagner to the ward 3, Position 2 seat recently vacated by Jason Williams (who moved outside of the ward). Wagner previously served on the city council from 2010-2018.
Gravette
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m. (202 Main St. NE)
Lowell
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Mar. 19 at 6:30 p.m. (216 N. Lincoln St.)
Pea Ridge
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Mar. 12 at 5:30 p.m. (911 Weston St.) - Committee of the Whole
Items of Note:
City received approval for a $210k grant for construction of the planned all-inclusive playground at Carr Street Park
Tonight (Feb. 26th) the city will be hosting the Public Forum: Economic Development Action Plan from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Pea Ridge City Hall
Rogers
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. (301 W. Chestnut)
Siloam Springs
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Mar. 5 at 6:30 p.m. (400 N. Broadway)
Items of Note:
Pre-agenda meeting for next week’s council meeting will be held at City Hall on Wed., Feb. 28th at 3 p.m.
Springdale
Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. (201 Spring St.)
Items of Note:
At the meeting earlier this month, the council amended a city ordinance to regulate how electric bike and scooter companies will operate in the city limits. Read more from Tom Sissom at the NWA Dem Gazz HERE.
Mayor Doug Sprouse will be giving his 2024 state of the city address during tomorrow’s city council meeting, will be streamed live on YouTube HERE
County Government Awareness
Benton County Quorum Court
Upcoming Meetings:
Development Review Committee - Feb. 28th at 6 p.m. (Admin Bldg)
Quorum Court - Feb. 29th at 6 p.m. (Rogers Bldg)
State Government Awareness
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders:
Latest New Items:
Sanders announced plan to improve facilities for the Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; read more from Antoinette Grajeda at the Arkansas Advocate, HERE
Sanders will not support expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage for new mothers from 60 days to 12 months. Read more from Worth Sparkman at Axios NW Arkansas HERE.
Election Information
First week of early voting was putrid in Benton County. We’re tracking more than 1,000 votes behind the same number of days in both 2016 and 2020’s primary elections (and remember, we have more voters in 2024 due to population growth). Please encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to get out and vote this week or on election day (Mar. 5th)!
For more information about the election, read last week’s early vote special email HERE. Feel free to send it to friends.
Additional Resources:
ARVotes.org website with links to all of the candidates that will be on your ballot (plus ballot issues)
NWA Dem Gazz podcast about the primary elections in NWA; includes an interview with Benton County’s election coordinator, Kimberly Dennison
Political Training Opportunities
She Should Run
The organization, She Should Run, is planning to launch a new initiative this spring called Ask Her Anything, an online resource connecting women at earlier stages of considering elected office with women who have previously run for a 30-minute, one-on-one conversation to discuss what it's like running for office and get their specific questions answered.
Odds & Ends
Read Megan Messerly and Alice Miranda Ollstein’s article in Politico featuring the work on the Arkansas Abortion Amendment, “‘No one’s coming to save us’: Abortion campaigns scramble for limited cash”
Read Sara Danver’s opinion piece, “What Happen in Alabama DOES NOT Stay in Alabama”
Read Stacy Kranitz and Kavitha Surana’s reporting in ProPublica, “After a Denied Abortion” - forewarning, it’s devastating
Listen to Randy Wilburn’s interview with Springdale’s Alice Gachuzo-Colin, “A Dream Realized: Alice Gachuzo-Colin’s Civic Engagement and Community Roots in NWA”