NW Arkansas

blue

Get smarter, faster on what matters in Northwest Arkansas with Alex Golden and Worth Sparkman.

Axios Northwest Arkansas

Standard

Axios NW Arkansas Deep Dive

Deep Dive

Northwest Arkansas Alerts

Alert

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

Axios Northwest Arkansas Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Axios NW Arkansas Partners

Northwest Arkansas Members

Membership

Your ballot initiative guide

Arkansans will vote on four ballot initiatives this November.

Election

Arkansans will soon decide whether to add three amendments to the state&#x27;s constitution and whether to approve one statewide bond issue.Here&#x27;s a rundown of each one.

Haunted houses, pop-up bars and Halloween events in NWA

NWA has plenty of events, haunted experiences and places to get a spooky drink.

Things to Do

Halloween is fast approaching, and NWA has plenty of events, haunted experiences and places to get a spooky drink.Here are some of our picks.

Nonprofit opens second attainable housing project

Development

The nonprofit behind the recently opened affordable Bentonville housing development that includes school employees just opened another housing project in Rogers.State of play: Excellerate Foundation&#x27;s new housing project, Walnut Commons, is a 60-unit apartment complex with one-, two- and three-bedroom units for people who make under 60% of the area median income, which is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="roughly $64,000" data-vars-click-url="https://ami-lookup-tool.fanniemae.com/amilookuptool/" data-vars-content-id="f0ccd703-5cf6-4519-9e13-f2b618e2e5c0" data-vars-headline="Nonprofit opens second attainable housing project" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ami-lookup-tool.fanniemae.com/amilookuptool/" target="_blank">roughly $64,000</a>, spokesperson Ali Johnson told Axios.<ul><li>The monthly rent for the apartments is $400-$900, Johnson said.</li></ul>

Nonprofit launches maternal health data tool

The Maternal Resiliency Index is designed to help policy makers.

News

Bentonville-based Heartland Forward recently launched a beta version of the Maternal Resiliency Index, an interactive online tool.Why it matters: Policymakers can use the tool to examine maternal health statistics by county and estimate how policy changes could affect outcomes, Rachel Morrow, director of the Maternal and Child Health Center for Policy and Practice, told Axios.

Your 2026 Northwest Arkansas voter guide

Politics

It&#x27;s midterm election season, and voters can cast their ballots as early as Monday.How it works: All Northwest Arkansas voters will see the same federal and state choices on their ballot, but where you live will determine your ballot options for local races and who represents you in the state Legislature.

$55M bond issue on ballot for Siloam Springs

The city is asking for a sales tax to cover wastewater improvements.

Siloam Springs voters will decide in November whether they want a 0.625% sales tax to pay for $55 million in wastewater improvements.Why it matters: The city needs to upgrade and repair its wastewater treatment plant and replace some pipes with larger ones. Some of the work is needed to meet updated environmental requirements, Siloam Springs finance director Christina Petriches and public works director Josh Napier told Axios.

Democratic candidate Dana Deree runs for Washington County judge

Voters will choose between Deree and Republican candidate Tim Shepard.

Washington County Judge Democratic candidate Dana Deree emphasized practical solutions and told Axios he&#x27;s running in part because he feels for vulnerable and working people.Case in point: Deree wants to reinstate the Justice Coordination Committee, which has been defunct since 2023, on Day 1 to bring together criminal justice entities and stakeholders to come up with recommendations.

Republican candidate Tim Shepard runs for Washington County judge

Voters will choose between Shepard and Democratic candidate Dana Deree.

Washington County Judge Republican candidate Tim Shepard emphasized partnerships with community organizations in light of the county&#x27;s limited budget, saying he won&#x27;t raise taxes.Case in point: The county needs to work better with local organizations like the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission to help get state and federal grants for infrastructure like roads, Shepard told Axios.

What's in the $457 million Rogers bond issue

The city is asking voters to extend a 1% sales tax to afford a range of projects.

Rogers voters will decide in November whether to extend an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="existing 1% sales tax to pay for a range of projects" data-vars-click-url="https://www.rogersar.gov/1601/2026-Bond-Issue" data-vars-content-id="14deb629-12a5-4206-8bff-6eef55ee5e5b" data-vars-headline="What&#x27;s in the $457 million Rogers bond issue" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.rogersar.gov/1601/2026-Bond-Issue" target="_blank">existing 1% sales tax to pay for a range of projects</a>.The big picture: The city is asking for a considerable amount on the front end to afford construction projects, street maintenance and equipment.

Democratic candidate Hallie Shoffner challenges Sen. Tom Cotton

Shoffner wants to write farm policy that incentivizes a diverse crop industry.

U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Hallie Shoffner is focusing on the cost of living and agriculture, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="stating the decision to close her family farm" data-vars-click-url="https://www.hallieshoffner.com/" data-vars-content-id="909764de-0f46-4c6a-bf3c-a5d777648269" data-vars-headline="Democratic candidate Hallie Shoffner challenges Sen. Tom Cotton" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.hallieshoffner.com/" target="_blank">stating the decision to close her family farm</a> last year came after a &quot;devastating year of rising costs, bad markets, new tariffs and no meaningful Farm Bill relief.&quot;State of play: We sat down with Shoffner ahead of the election and asked her stances on several issues.

Voters elect Democratic challengers, pass local issues

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will face challengers in November.

Republican <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton will face Democratic challenger Hallie Shoffner" data-vars-click-url="https://arkansasadvocate.com/2025/07/15/arkansas-farmer-challenges-cotton-for-u-s-senate-seat/" data-vars-content-id="7e214ba4-ef00-4a05-bd43-8a6e5c479dab" data-vars-headline="Voters elect Democratic challengers, pass local issues" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://arkansasadvocate.com/2025/07/15/arkansas-farmer-challenges-cotton-for-u-s-senate-seat/" target="_blank">U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton will face Democratic challenger Hallie Shoffner</a> on the November ballot for the U.S. Senate seat in Arkansas after they secured the nominations, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the Associated Press called Tuesday night" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/arkansas-primary/" data-vars-content-id="7e214ba4-ef00-4a05-bd43-8a6e5c479dab" data-vars-headline="Voters elect Democratic challengers, pass local issues" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/arkansas-primary/" target="_blank">the Associated Press called Tuesday night</a>.Here are other key decisions.

What to know about the March election

Early voting begins Tuesday. See what's on your ballot.

A few powerful offices will be up for grabs in November, and the primary elections are set for March 3 with early voting starting Tuesday.Why it matters: The primary elections decide who the final candidates will be, and in some cases, effectively elect candidates to office because candidates of only one party are running.<ul><li>Several nonpartisan judicial races and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="local decisions" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/02/12/voters-consider-local-ballot-issues-march-2026" data-vars-content-id="d8d67d83-3e91-4c13-bfc8-b656860600b8" data-vars-headline="What to know about the March election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/02/12/voters-consider-local-ballot-issues-march-2026" target="_self">local decisions</a> including a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$375.5 million bond issue in Fayetteville" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/02/12/fayetteville-voters-decide-375-million-bond-issue" data-vars-content-id="d8d67d83-3e91-4c13-bfc8-b656860600b8" data-vars-headline="What to know about the March election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/02/12/fayetteville-voters-decide-375-million-bond-issue" target="_self">$375.5 million bond issue in Fayetteville</a> are also on the ballot.</li></ul>

Fayetteville voters to decide on $375.5 million bond issue

The largest item is for water and wastewater projects.

Fayetteville voters will be asked to consider nine questions on the March 3 ballot geared toward keeping an existing sales tax to afford a range of projects.💰 How it works: The city has a 1-cent sales tax that&#x27;s set to stop once the 2019 bond issues are paid off. If voters approve these bond issues, the tax will continue to pay for these projects.

Election 🗳️

Your 2026 Northwest Arkansas voter guide

Your ballot initiative guide

$55M bond issue on ballot for Siloam Springs

Democratic candidate Dana Deree runs for Washington County judge

Republican candidate Tim Shepard runs for Washington County judge