NW Arkansas

Organizations that provide critical services to the LGBTQ+ community in Arkansas may now apply for grants up to $150,000. 

Critical services include legal, health, education and advocacy services, as well as other high-demand needs.

What happened: Arkansas LGBTQ+ Advancement Fund was created in June with seed funding of $1 million from the Alice L. Walton Foundation and from Olivia and Tom Walton through the Walton Family Foundation.  

The fund is managed by the Arkansas Community Foundation. 

Why it matters: A record number of bills targeting trans youth have marginalized transgender people and others identifying as LGBTQ+ who live in the Natural State.

Details: Grants will be made between $25,000 and $150,000. Applicants must be based in Arkansas or have a significant presence in the state. 

Program grants will support the costs for initiatives, activities or projects that directly support LGBTQ+ Arkansans.

Impact grants are for Arkansas-based grassroots organizations led by and serving LGBTQ+ communities with an annual operating budget of $150,000 or less.

The first application deadline is Nov. 22. Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed in following grant rounds. 

Arkansas LGBTQ+ Advancement Fund taking applications

Organizations that provide critical services to the LGBTQ+ community in Arkansas may now apply for grants up to $150,000.

Illustration of the words "Y'all means all" repeated to form an LGBTQ Pride flag.

LGBTQ

News

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

Axios Northwest Arkansas

Data: First Street Foundation; Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Arkansas buildings and infrastructure are at increased risk of flooding — severe enough to knock them offline in the next 30 years, a new study finds.

Of the state's 75 counties, 71 will have increases in flood risk during that time, though changes will mostly be below 1%.

Pope County, which borders the Arkansas River, will see the largest increase at 2.6%.

What's happening: The study is the first national inventory of flood risk that takes into account climate change-driven increases in sea levels and heavy precipitation events at the community level.

Researchers include homes, commercial property, critical infrastructure (like fire and police stations) and social infrastructure (like churches) in the calculations.   

Why it matters: The report, from the First Street Foundation, has a warning for communities of all sizes: the U.S. isn't ready for the climate of today — let alone the extreme weather and climate events coming in the next few decades, writes Axios' Andrew Freedman.

Specifically, during the next 30 years as the climate continues to warm, the flood risk situation will grow more dire, the report warns.

Zoom out: About 25% of critical infrastructure in the U.S. and about 2 million miles of road are currently at risk of being made unusable due to flooding. 

Nearly a million commercial properties, 78,000 social infrastructure facilities, and 12.4 million residential properties also have "operational risk," according to the analysis.

Over the next 30 years, an additional 1.2 million residential properties and 2,000 pieces of critical infrastructure will also be at risk of becoming inoperable.

Zoom in: Here's a look at the Arkansas cities with the highest proportion of risk of becoming inoperable due to flooding:

Helena-West Helena — 66.7% of its infrastructure.

Clarksville — 47.4% of its social infrastructure.

North Little Rock —  26.7% of its residential and 51.8% of its commercial properties.

Of note: All of these cities are adjacent to large bodies of water. 

The bottom line: The report warns the severity and frequency of flood events increase with a changing environment.

In Arkansas, an additional 1,763 residential properties, 451 miles of roads, 173 commercial properties, 6 infrastructure facilities, and 20 social facilities will be at risk of becoming inoperable. 

What's next: The organization is making the new data available to the public via its Flood Factor website. 

Researchers hope the data will help spark conversations at the local level.

Arkansas' flood risk rises

Arkansas buildings and infrastructure are at increasing risk of flooding severe enough to knock them offline in the next 30 years, a new study finds.

Climate change

Last year, the estimated number of violent crimes in Arkansas spiked to its highest level in more than three decades. In fact, it exceeded the national rate for the 16th straight year, according to recent FBI statistics. 

Behind the trend: Social and economic changes sparked by the pandemic likely contributed to the spike in violent crime nationwide, legal experts tell Axios' Russell Contreras.

 Zoom in: Population growth in the state's small cities — like Conway and Jacksonville — is likely a contributing factor to rising rates too, Grant Drawve of the University of Arkansas tells us.

By the numbers: Arkansas had a record number of violent crimes in 2020, a rate of 672 per 100,000 residents.

The rate of violent crime offenses — which include murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — rose by 15.6%.

The state's homicide rate was up 36% from 7.8 per 100,000 Arkansans in 2019 to 10.6 in 2020.

 Yes, but: Experts warn the data are flawed. That's because the FBI relies on information reported by 18,000 law enforcement agencies to compile its Uniform Crime Report. 

There are gaps in how crimes are reported and prosecuted — even within the same state.

Context: Arkansas' numbers are probably more accurate overall than much of the country's because of the way the state reports them, Drawve says.  

Arkansas began transitioning to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) methodology in the early 2000s. 

NIBRS is more comprehensive than the historically used Uniform Crime Reporting method. It's still partially used by most states.  

Only 20 states are exclusively using the NIBRS system.

 What they're saying: The change to NIBRS reporting in Arkansas over several years is likely why there's a growing gap between the state and U.S. trend lines in the chart above, Drawve says. 

What to watch: All states will begin transitioning to NIBRS reporting beginning this year. But changing methodology takes time and training. 

There will likely be some gaps and anomalies in crime data for the next couple of years. 

Arkansas' violent crime rate hits all-time high

The estimated number of violent crimes in Arkansas last year spiked to its highest level in more than three decades and exceeded the national rate for the 16th straight year.

Crime

Worth here with a few thoughts and pics from yesterday's World Cup Cyclo-cross held in Fayetteville.

My thought bubble: This may be the most underrated sport in the U.S. 

Yes, it rained. And yes, it was muddy, and yes even a little cold at the end. 

But this is a good, fun time for all ages. There's drama, showmanship, fierce athletic grit, and my oh my, can these women and men ride bikes. 

There's a level of camaraderie among those watching I haven't seen in another sport. It was probably the mud. 

As I heard one spectator shout at the end of the last race: "We should do this every Wednesday!" 

The bottom line: Start planning now to attend the 2022 Union Cycliste Internationale World Championship held in Fayetteville Jan. 28–30. 

Aniek Van Alphen of the Netherlands. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios

Photo of a muddy man coming down a hill on a bike. 

Gage Hecht of the USA. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios 

Photo of a muddy woman climbing a hill on a bike. 

Elite women cyclists charge up a 17.8% grade. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios

Photo of three muddy men getting on bikes. 

Riders have to remount their bikes after carrying them up 38 steps. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios

Muddy man carrying a bike up a set of stairs in the rain. 

Brody Sanderson of Canada. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios 

In photos: Cyclo-cross World Cup in Fayetteville

Cyclo-cross may be the most underrated sport in the U.S.

Determined woman racing a bike in the rain.

Raylyn Nuss of USA at the begining of the elite women's race. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios 

Outdoor activities

Sports

There aren't many dishes that speak to the Arkansas palette more than catfish. (We'll talk about spaghetti and fried chicken some other time.)

The setup: I had a craving for fried and flaky fish, so I headed up to Eat My Catfish, which opened its Fayetteville location in July. 

I was hungry, so I ordered a three-piece that comes with two hush puppies for $12.50. 

For my sides, I chose fried okra and more hush puppies. 

The verdict: The fish was delish, and the hush puppies were doggone good. 

The okra should've spent more time in the cooker, IMO. 

Pro tip: Try the cocktail sauce for dipping rather than the house tartar. 

What to try next time: Fried pies — apple, peach, strawberry, chocolate or coconut.

Details: Eat My Catfish is located at 32 W. Joyce Blvd. in Fayetteville near Party City.

It's open 11am to 8pm on Monday through Thursday, 11am to 9pm on Friday through Saturday and 11am to 2pm on Sunday.

My all-fried dinner at Eat My Catfish in Fayetteville

With a craving for fried and flaky fish, I headed to Eat My Catfish in Fayetteville.

A takeout container of catfish, fried okra and hushpuppies from Eat My Catfish in Fayetteville. 

Crunchy catfish, fried okra and hush puppies from Eat My Catfish. Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios

Worth Sparkman

Featured stories

Arkansas' violent crime rate hits all-time high

In photos: Cyclo-cross World Cup in Fayetteville

Arkansas' flood risk rises

Arkansas LGBTQ+ Advancement Fund taking applications

My all-fried dinner at Eat My Catfish in Fayetteville