Dec 23, 2024 - Politics
Northwest Arkansas' 2024 in headlines
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NWA weatherman Dan Skoff during his live broadcast of the eclipse. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios
We're reflecting on some of the stories that held people's attention in 2024 that will have the most lasting impact on the region.
The big picture: Things certainly weren't stagnant here in NWA.
The Walton heirs' Bella Vista land purchase
- Steuart and Tom Walton purchased a lot of Bella Vista land paying about $34 million for 54 acres in March, which included some previously developed areas.
- In May, the brothers bought another 2,700 acres, paying $15.5 million for about 1,900 of those, which are undeveloped.
- Eclipse chasers came to the Natural State from across the globe for a few seconds of darkness on April 8. It was projected to be a massive economic boost, but tourism tax collections in April were up only about 8.5%.
🏀 John Calipari becomes a Razorback
- The former men's basketball head coach at Kentucky secured a five-year deal with the Razorbacks back in April.
- So far, the team is 9-2 in Calipari's first 11 games.
🌪 Tornados leave a trail of damage
- Memorial Day weekend storms destroyed homes and businesses in Rogers and also caused damage in Bentonville and Decatur.
🧢 Walmart's big Bentonville move
- Walmart's new 350-acre campus is not fully open, but the company made progress and opened its fitness and childcare centers. And moved out-of-state employees to NWA as it prepares to have all corporate workers on one campus.
- John Randal Tyson, the great-grandson of Tyson Foods' founder, was arrested in Fayetteville and charged with driving while intoxicated over the summer.
- The incident was his second alcohol-related arrest within about a year and a half, and the company booted him from his role as chief financial officer.
- "Will it or won't it be on the ballot?" was a frequent question this year.
- But due to technicalities and legal wranglings by the time ballots were cast, the proposed constitutional amendment on abortion had been eliminated and votes for the marijuana amendment weren't counted.
- Voters approved of Arkansas Scholarship Lottery funds to be applied to vocational schools and revoked a casino license in Pope County.
🏗 The Franklin County prison announcement
- Franklin County residents were gobsmacked on Halloween Day with an announcement from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders that the state bought land for a 3000-bed prison there.
- Despite vocal opposition and questions about transparency in the process, the state appears poised to push on.
👩💼 Molly Rawn unseats Lioneld Jordan
- Four-term Mayor Lioneld Jordan earlier this month lost his bid to serve four more years after Fayetteville's tourism leader. Molly Rawn won with 51% of the vote in a runoff election after neither candidate secured an outright win in November.