Northwest Arkansas stories to watch in 2026

Fayetteville bond issue — Fayetteville voters will decide on a $375.5 million bond issue to pay for a range of projects, including $150.5 million on water and sewer work. The only public pool in the city is the outdoor Wilson Park pool. If voters approve, $60.9 million of the bond issue would go toward building a complete aquatic center. Election Day is March 3.

Crystal Bridges expansion — Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville is undergoing a major expansion, adding 114,000 square feet to the existing 210,000-square-foot museum. In addition to more gallery space, the extra room will help the museum ramp up community-oriented programming. The expansion opens June 6.

Silverfield takes the field — Arkansas football has a new coach, Ryan Silverfield, who most recently coached the Memphis Tigers. The pressure to have a winning program is high.

Senate race — Republican Sen. Tom Cotton faces a Democratic challenger, sixth-generation farmer Hallie Shoffner from east Arkansas.

3,000-bed prison — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is unwavering in comments about the need for the prison to relieve overcrowding and that the site in Franklin County is the right spot.

• Candidates to replace the late state Sen. Gary Stubblefield in the district have said they oppose the project in its current form, and the state still doesn't have the spending authority to build.
• The special election for the seat will be March 3, and the fiscal session — the next most likely time the Legislature would vote on funding the prison — begins April 8.

Tax cuts — Working to eliminate the state's income tax was one of Sanders' campaign promises. It was reduced in early 2024, but there's been no movement since.

• Her spokesman, Sam Dubke, says she is "leaving all options on the table as she works to responsibly phase out the state income tax."

Direct democracy — The fight over how an average Arkansan can propose an amendment to the state constitution will play out between the courts, citizen-led groups, the state Legislature and voters this year.

• A recent state Supreme Court decision allows legislators to amend or repeal constitutional amendments that were put on the ballot by Arkansans and approved by a majority of voters if two-thirds of each chamber agrees.

Earnings — It's not an exact science, but NWA gets a unique perspective from its three largest public companies.

• What people choose to eat, where they buy and the physical movement of goods through the supply chain are indicators of the national economy.
• How the companies perform in their quarterly earnings can be a barometer.