Northwest Arkansas home sales slip as rates rise

1 big thing: Home sales slip as rates rise

2. Des Moines gives cycling traffic a time out

A man on a bike leans on bike rest at a traffic stop. 

3. Kitchen Sink: Newsy shower

Illustration of the Bentonville Water Tower, with a faucet added to it.

4. City Council agendas

Take your career to the next level

Women's History Month: Arkansan is Rock & Roll Hall of Famer

5. Women's History Month: Arkansan is Rock & Roll Hall of Famer

American gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915 - 1973) performs at a Blues and Gospel Caravan tour in the UK, 1964. 

Hi'ya. It's Tuesday and we're glad you're here. 

☀️ The high will be in the mid-50s and the sun will be out. 

🚨 Situational awareness: A public safety legislative package that Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is spearheading will fund the development of a new 3,000-bed prison facility needed for overcrowding and tougher sentencing. 

The estimated price of the prison is $470 million, with an annual operating cost of $31 million.

It's a great day to contribute to our local journalism when you become a member.

Today's newsletter is 798 words — a 3-minute read.

Thanks to Gigi Sukin for editing and James Gilzow for copy editing this newsletter. 😀

✍️ Alex is working on something really cool for readers.

🎞 Worth watched "The Fabelmans" and was delighted.

Do you write emails? Learn how to say more with less in a book from Axios' founders — "Smart Brevity." 

NW Arkansas

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Northwest Arkansas, written by local reporters.

Axios Northwest Arkansas

1 big thing: Region's concert scene gaining glory

Illustration of a microphone cord forming a line chart going up.

On the job hunt?

The Shift: Endeavor report maps NWA tech startups

2. The Shift: Report maps NWA tech startups

Illustration of a hundred dollar bill folded like a roadmap with navigation points dropped around it. 

3. Kitchen Sink: Plucked news

Illustration of a chicken wearing glasses and reading a smartphone.

4. Walmart adds SiriusXM bundle for members

Illustration of a hundred dollar bill as an equalizer.  

⛅️ Mostly cloudy today with a high near 73.

Situational awareness: The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Center for Economic Development said it will help retrain employees impacted by the closure of the Tyson Foods plant in Van Buren.

Today's newsletter is 944 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🗓 Alex is updating her music calendar.

👀 Worth is reading this Wall Street Journal opinion piece titled "What's the Matter with Arkansas?" that looks at SB71, which would effectively eliminate affirmative action in state government.

Thanks to Gigi Sukin for editing and James Gilzow for copy editing this newsletter.

1 big thing: Bentonville goes from zero to two animal shelters

2. Arkansas ranks No. 5 in obesity

3. Kitchen Sink: Faucets of the news 

Illustration of a pattern of kitchen sinks.

4. End in sight for Fayetteville road project 

Photo of a round-about sign and a round-about under construction. 

Is a new job in your future?

5. Ex-Ozarks tennis player turns pickleball purveyor

🌤 Mostly sunny today with a high near 60.

🔔 Situational awareness: Some Fayetteville school teachers allegedly received a "cultural competency" checklist as part of professional development training. The school district did not provide comment to Axios before deadline but told Fox News it was a "self-reflection tool." 

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders alleged the document is "CRT" — critical race theory. 

Today's newsletter is 893 words — a 3.5-minute read.

This newsletter was edited by Gigi Sukin and copy edited by James Gilzow.

😭 Alex cannot keep it together looking at adoptable pets. She may already have three cats.

🚴‍♂️ Worth is recovering from a couple of weekend bike rides. 

XNA saw fewer delayed flights than national average

1 big thing: XNA saw fewer delayed flights than national average

A new career is waiting for you

2. Mapped: Tampon tax

3. Kitchen Sink: News on tap

4. Hogs go for Elite 8 tonight

⛈ Watch out for thunderstorms. Highs should be in the upper 60s.

😉 If you like getting smarter, faster, introduce us to your friends. Just forward this email. 

Today's newsletter is 638 words — a 3-minute read.

Thanks to Gigi Sukin for editing and James Gilzow for copy editing this newsletter. 🙏

🐈‍⬛ Alex is reading about Pickles the cat.

⚽️ Worth is rewatching parts of season 2 of "Ted Lasso" before diving into season 3. 

Arkansas schools await money as state passes grim Jonesboro milestone

1 big thing: Schools await money as state passes grim milestone

Illustration of a school desk surrounded by caution tape

2.  Huskies rout Razorbacks 

Donovan Clingan Connecticut Huskies battles Kamani Johnson of the Arkansas Razorbacks for the ball during the second half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

3. Kitchen Sink: Tusk, tusk, tusk 

Illustration of a wild board holding a newspaper in its mouth.

4. Your weekend plans

Illustration of neon signs with the days of the week. Lights go out one by one and "weekend" flashes.

New jobs to check out

5. Women's History Month spotlight: Virginia Maud Dunlap Duncan

🎶 Remember, when everything's crazy, focus on "Right Here Right Now."

⛅️ Weekend weather: Thunderstorms today and partly cloudy through the weekend. Plan on highs in the 60s.

Today's newsletter is 747 words — a 3-minute read.

📺 Alex is rewatching one of her favorite shows, "New Girl."

🕺 Worth is reading about the possible TikTok ban. 

A perfect roadmap for an entrepreneur's journey doesn't exist, but knowing where others have traveled can set a future course.

Driving the news: A report out this month by Endeavor Insight includes a first-of-its-kind visual snapshot of Northwest Arkansas' tech entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The network map shows direct and indirect relationships between NWA startups, investors, mentors and organizations like Startup Junkie and Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center.

Why it matters: The data are key to understanding how the region's network of entrepreneurs who harness technology as part of their business have evolved and what support will foster progress.

Details: The report notes companies that incorporate technology as part of their business are the region's fastest-growing firms. 

Researchers conclude with calls to action for those involved in NWA's entrepreneurship community, including:

Accelerators, incubators and networks should help founders address barriers to scaling their businesses.

Coordinate regionally to access resources from nearby cities (notably Tulsa and Kansas City).

Connect women and minority founders to strong networks and mentors.

Introduce corporate professionals to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Context: Endeavor, an international nonprofit founded in 1997 by businesswoman Linda Rottenberg, has invested in 2,400 entrepreneurs in 42 markets. The organization works to connect founders of high-growth companies for mentorship and network development with the goal of helping them scale up.

Endeavor's regional office in Bentonville opened in 2019; a group of local business leaders head up the board of directors for NWA.

The $292 million Endeavor Catalyst fund invests in some participant companies.

Between the lines: Lack of capital and resources have challenged NWA entrepreneurs for years. The area is in an evolutionary stage and an "If you build it, they will come" philosophy seems an appropriate cliché.

Reports like Endeavor's that use hard data will help spread the word about businesses blooming here, and hopefully will draw more speculative investment.

💾 The Shift is a regular feature to catch up quick on what's happening in the state's economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Northwest Arkansas

A perfect roadmap for an entrepreneur&#x27;s journey doesn&#x27;t exist, but knowing where others have traveled can set a future course.Driving the news: A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report out this month by Endeavor Insight" data-vars-click-url="https://endeavor.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/02/NWA-2.16-Digital.pdf" data-vars-content-id="0465f1b6-702d-41b5-b838-b57d7e34c662" data-vars-headline="The Shift: Endeavor report maps NWA tech startups" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://endeavor.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/02/NWA-2.16-Digital.pdf" target="_blank">report out this month by Endeavor Insight</a> includes a first-of-its-kind visual snapshot of Northwest Arkansas&#x27; tech entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Business

News

Friday marks the 25th anniversary of Arkansas' deadliest school shooting. Four students and a teacher were killed at West Side Middle School in Jonesboro; 10 other students were injured.

Zoom out: More than 600 shootings in U.S. schools have resulted in 375 deaths since the tragedy in Jonesboro, according to an Axios analysis of data from Ballotpedia and Education Week. That's an average of two events and 1.25 deaths per month — including summers.

Since 1990, seven people have died and 17 others were injured in school shootings in Arkansas.

The big picture: Jonesboro was the deadliest school shooting nationwide in the '90s — until the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado — ushering in a haunting era of school violence.

The incidents are now common — yet another took place in Denver this week.

With an estimated 393 million firearms in the U.S., schools are looking to increase security.

Context: Following last May's mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed a school safety commission to revise the state's strategy for public school security. Later, he called for funds to be set aside so schools could afford to install some of the commission's recommendations — like electronic entry systems and locks for classroom doors.

The Arkansas Legislative Committee in January approved the money to be transferred to the Department of Education.

A Feb. 1 memo from Jacob Oliva, secretary of the Department of Education, opened the application process for schools.

State of play: Arkansas school districts can apply for their share of a $50 million grant fund earmarked for safety needs; distribution of that money has not yet begun. The funds must be used to increase school safety measures, using the commission's final report as a guideline.

The maximum funding available per school district is based on its 2021-22 enrollment figures, a scale multiplier and $25 per student.

By the numbers: Schools like Bentonville could receive up to $713,400 and Springdale as much as $844,900; smaller districts like Mountainburg or Pea Ridge could get up to $115,575 and $183,025, respectively.

What to watch: Schools have until next Friday to submit grant applications. Of the state's roughly 250 districts, 142 have applied, Kimberly Mundell, spokesperson for the education department, told Axios via email. 

She anticipates all districts will apply. 

Schools must process requests for reimbursements from the grant by Dec. 31.

The intrigue: Total grants available, according to the education department's preliminary allocation, add up to $40.8 million. 

With the remaining $9.2 million or any unclaimed funds, the department will consider making additional grants to help schools meet priority recommendations. 

After the grant process, the state may consider the "purchase of additional security measures for the benefit and use of school districts," Mundell said.

Go deeper: NWA schools' safety report card

Jonesboro was the deadliest school shooting nationwide in the '90s — until the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School.

School shooting

Friday marks the 25th anniversary of Arkansas&#x27; deadliest school shooting. Four students and a teacher were killed at West Side Middle School in Jonesboro; 10 other students were injured.Zoom out: More than 600 shootings in U.S. schools have resulted in 375 deaths since the tragedy in Jonesboro, according to an Axios analysis of data from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Ballotpedia" data-vars-click-url="https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_school_shootings_and_firearm_incidents,_1990-present" data-vars-content-id="25add271-f4df-42b0-9914-539fb1010814" data-vars-headline="Arkansas schools await money as state passes grim Jonesboro milestone" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_school_shootings_and_firearm_incidents,_1990-present" target="_blank">Ballotpedia</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Education Week" data-vars-click-url="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-shootings-this-year-how-many-and-where/2023/01" data-vars-content-id="25add271-f4df-42b0-9914-539fb1010814" data-vars-headline="Arkansas schools await money as state passes grim Jonesboro milestone" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-shootings-this-year-how-many-and-where/2023/01" target="_blank">Education Week</a>. That&#x27;s an average of two events and 1.25 deaths per month — including summers.

Politics

I'm a sucker for a gimmick, so when an agency offered to send samples of Van Leeuwen's limited-run spring flavors — including Hidden Valley Ranch — I was too tempted to say no.

Taste test: I tested the ranch flavor with my wife and son. It's dead-on for America's favorite salad dressing, with aromas of buttermilk, onion and garlic.

Beware: The notes linger in the back of the throat for a couple hours.

The agency claims it pairs well with pretzels and potato chips. I'll never know.

👎 Review: We all found it revolting, but maybe some ranch-heads out there will love it.

💭 My thought bubble: There are three good use cases for this flavor:

To give a subtle hint to your kissing partner that they have bad breath.

As an aversion therapy tool for those wishing to give up ice cream.

Worth's first — and only — taste. Video: Ronie Sparkman

The big picture: Van Leeuwen is a premium brand of creamy, decadent, French-style ice cream. The company tries to reinvent itself frequently with new and intriguing flavors, like Earl Grey Tea or Malted Milkshake and Fries.

Reality check: The ranch flavor is a gimmick to get reporters to write about the brand, and in that effort, they succeeded.

The other six options sent along were more conventional — Limoncello Cake, Sweet Maple Cornbread, Honey Graham Cracker, Strawberry Shortcake, Carrot Cake and Blood Orange Chocolate Chip.

Any one of them will make a delicious treat. My family and I favored the orange and strawberry.

The bottom line: If you want to try a new Van Leeuwen flavor, pints are available for $5 but only at Walmart stores through March 28.

Disclosure: Reporter Worth Sparkman is a Walmart shareholder.

Go deeper: Best ice creams in Northwest Arkansas

Ranch-flavored ice cream sours dessert

It tastes just like America's favorite salad dressing with aromas of buttermilk, onion and garlic.

Walmart

I&#x27;m a sucker for a gimmick, so when an agency offered to send samples of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Van Leeuwen" data-vars-click-url="https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/" data-vars-content-id="7181590c-e403-40c0-97bb-a3fb6f0312df" data-vars-headline="Ranch-flavored ice cream sours dessert" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/" target="_blank">Van Leeuwen</a>&#x27;s limited-run spring flavors — including Hidden Valley Ranch — I was too tempted to say no.Taste test: I tested the ranch flavor with my wife and son. It&#x27;s dead-on for America&#x27;s favorite salad dressing, with aromas of buttermilk, onion and garlic.

Food and Drink

Northwest Arkansas poultry companies and the state of Oklahoma last Friday were granted another 90 days to strike an agreement in a lawsuit that dates back to 2005.

The suit alleges the companies are responsible for polluting water in the Illinois River Watershed, which runs into Oklahoma.

Driving the news: A document filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern Oklahoma says both the state and the poultry companies requested the extension.

The big picture: U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell ruled in favor of Oklahoma in January after letting the case cool for nearly 18 years.

His findings say the companies polluted the Illinois River, caused a public nuisance and trespassed by spreading chicken manure on land in eastern Oklahoma, which then leached into the river's watershed.

Frizell then gave Oklahoma and the poultry companies until March 17 to present a mutual agreement to remedy the impact on the watershed.

Details: The suit names Tyson Foods, Cobb-Vantress (a subsidiary of Tyson), Cal-Maine Foods, Cargill, George's, Simmons Foods and Peterson Farms, much of which has been sold since the lawsuit was filed.

Between the lines: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond wants a court-appointed special master to ensure court orders are followed under the agreement once it's struck, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

What they're saying: "The poultry industry has made significant improvements over the years in its litter abatement process, and I am hopeful we can craft a plan that protects Oklahoma's natural resources without placing unreasonable burdens on the companies," Drummond said in a public statement last Friday.

A Tyson Foods spokesperson told Axios NWA via email on Monday: "We appreciate Judge Frizzell recognizing the progress the poultry companies have made with Attorney General Drummond by granting additional time to work towards a resolution of the lawsuit."

What's next: The state and the poultry companies must submit a joint status report by June 9; the next court session with both parties is scheduled June 16 in Tulsa.

Disclosure: Reporter Worth Sparkman formerly worked at Tyson Foods.

Arkansas poultry companies and Oklahoma get extension to agree

Northwest Arkansas poultry companies and the state of Oklahoma were granted another 90 days.

Illustration of a hand holding a gavel over water

Northwest Arkansas poultry companies and the state of Oklahoma last Friday were <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="granted another 90 days" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-tyson-cargill-pollution-chicken-poultry-litter-a975cc7abe55c0a0b5b38e0bf12ce683" data-vars-content-id="c2389c40-c447-4a83-b37d-1a3254502336" data-vars-headline="Arkansas poultry companies and Oklahoma get extension to agree" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-tyson-cargill-pollution-chicken-poultry-litter-a975cc7abe55c0a0b5b38e0bf12ce683" target="_blank">granted another 90 days</a> to strike an agreement in a lawsuit that dates back to 2005.<ul><li>The suit alleges the companies are responsible for polluting water in the Illinois River Watershed, which runs into Oklahoma.</li></ul>

If you've ever been to Cotton Plant, you were probably lost.

But this speck of a town in east Arkansas may have been the very genesis of rock music.

Flashback: Dubbed the "godmother of rock 'n' roll," Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born there in 1915. Like many rural singers who ascended to fame in the 1940s and '50s, she got her start singing gospel.

She got her first recording deal in 1938 with Decca Records and was a hit by the 1940s.

Tharpe has been said to have influenced stars like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash.

Chuck Berry allegedly said his career was "one long Sister Rosetta Tharpe impersonation."

The sound: Tharpe's voice is like a mix of Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. And she played guitar like a boss.

The bottom line: Tharpe was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 by Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes.

Listen to music journalist John Morrison sum up Tharpe's sound on "World Cafe."

Dubbed the "godmother of rock 'n' roll," Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas.

American gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe performs at a Blues and Gospel Caravan tour in the UK in 1964. Photo: Tony Evans/Getty Images

Arkansas

If you&#x27;ve ever been to Cotton Plant, you were probably lost.<ul><li>But this speck of a town in east Arkansas may have been the very genesis of rock music.</li></ul>

Worth Sparkman

Stories

Women's History Month: Arkansan is Rock & Roll Hall of Famer

Arkansas schools await money as state passes grim Jonesboro milestone

The Shift: Endeavor report maps NWA tech startups

Ranch-flavored ice cream sours dessert

Arkansas poultry companies and Oklahoma get extension to agree

Newsletter editions

🏡 Sales slip on rates

🐶 Much-needed shelters

🚨 Violent 25-year milestone

✈️ XNA delays beat nation

🎸 Concert level up