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

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Board overturns Swarm Aero classification in Arkansas

Swarm Aero must now decide whether to appeal the board's decision, seek to rezone the property on S. School Avenue or move.

Aerospace

Fayetteville&#x27;s Board of Adjustments on Monday ruled city planning staff misclassified drone maker <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Swarm Aero" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/02/arkansas-drone-deal-sparks-ethical-and-safety-concerns" data-vars-content-id="220cf887-a0c4-4cce-880f-912c51b0a2e0" data-vars-headline="Board overturns Swarm Aero classification in Arkansas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/02/arkansas-drone-deal-sparks-ethical-and-safety-concerns" target="_self">Swarm Aero</a> as a &quot;heavy commercial and light industrial&quot; business.Why it matters: The classification allowed the startup to lease a facility near Drake Field and begin operating without a public rezoning process.<ul><li>Swarm Aero must now decide whether to appeal the board&#x27;s decision, seek to rezone the property on S. School Avenue or move.</li></ul>

Monday Munchies: Hearty meals at a Belgian-inspired tavern

We tried a few dishes at 1834 Tavern Lafayette in Fayetteville.

Food and Drink

Fayetteville has a new Belgian-inspired restaurant, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="1834 Tavern Lafayette" data-vars-click-url="https://1834tavernlafayette.com/" data-vars-content-id="27f3cbd2-bd53-44cc-84eb-d46cbc787db8" data-vars-headline="Monday Munchies: Hearty meals at a Belgian-inspired tavern" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://1834tavernlafayette.com/" target="_blank">1834 Tavern Lafayette</a>.🇧🇪 The vibe: If there&#x27;s another spot in NWA with a similar aesthetic, I haven&#x27;t found it. The business calls itself an &quot;intimate old-world tavern,&quot; and you&#x27;ll find deep green and purple hues, small tables smushed close together and decor with a flair for the ornate.

More families turn to surrogacy, navigating uneven state laws

See which laws are on the books in Arkansas.

News

Without a federal law, surrogacy in the U.S. is governed by a patchwork of state regulations that can determine everything from whether agreements are legally binding to who is recognized as a parent at birth.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="More Americans are turning to surrogacy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/29/surrogacy-popular-numbers" data-vars-content-id="d2f04254-b3f0-41d7-a8bf-553741d93ccf" data-vars-headline="More families turn to surrogacy, navigating uneven state laws" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/29/surrogacy-popular-numbers" target="_self">More Americans are turning to surrogacy</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="build their families" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/02/future-of-fertility-demographics" data-vars-content-id="d2f04254-b3f0-41d7-a8bf-553741d93ccf" data-vars-headline="More families turn to surrogacy, navigating uneven state laws" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/02/future-of-fertility-demographics" target="_self">build their families</a>, making ethical, legal and cultural tensions harder to ignore.

Judge rejects Oklahoma, poultry company settlements

The judges said the proposed settlements wouldn't actually fix the pollution

Business

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a deal that would have eased penalties on several Northwest Arkansas poultry companies, leaving in place an extensive cleanup plan, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette first <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/apr/08/judge-rejects-settlements-in-the-illinois-river/" data-vars-content-id="aa8ea599-d9e8-4118-b0e9-a58d68bcbbd4" data-vars-headline="Judge rejects Oklahoma, poultry company settlements" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/apr/08/judge-rejects-settlements-in-the-illinois-river/" target="_blank">reported</a>.Why it matters: That order mandates a 30-year cleanup, limits on poultry litter use in the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Illinois River Watershed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.irwp.org/" data-vars-content-id="aa8ea599-d9e8-4118-b0e9-a58d68bcbbd4" data-vars-headline="Judge rejects Oklahoma, poultry company settlements" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.irwp.org/" target="_blank">Illinois River Watershed</a> and court oversight funded by the companies, a move that could reshape the poultry industry in NWA.

Charted: Arkansas farm busts

Arkansas led the U.S. in farm bankruptcies last year

Arkansas led the U.S. in farm bankruptcies last year, per data compiled by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Farm Bureau" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fb.org/market-intel/farm-bankruptcies-continued-to-climb-in-2025" data-vars-content-id="ac0165a0-f41d-4e2f-ac54-c1f02e3ed185" data-vars-headline="Charted: Arkansas farm busts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fb.org/market-intel/farm-bankruptcies-continued-to-climb-in-2025" target="_blank">Farm Bureau</a>.<ul><li>That&#x27;s about 10% of all farm bankruptcies.</li></ul>Why it matters: It signals the severe economic pressure on the state&#x27;s agricultural community, even before President Trump&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tariffs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARGSrVvNSvQ" data-vars-content-id="ac0165a0-f41d-4e2f-ac54-c1f02e3ed185" data-vars-headline="Charted: Arkansas farm busts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARGSrVvNSvQ" target="_blank">tariffs</a> and the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Iran war" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/07/us-consumers-inflation-iran-war" data-vars-content-id="ac0165a0-f41d-4e2f-ac54-c1f02e3ed185" data-vars-headline="Charted: Arkansas farm busts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/07/us-consumers-inflation-iran-war" target="_self">Iran war</a> squeezed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="margins" data-vars-click-url="https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/artifact/1605/overproduction-leads-low-prices" data-vars-content-id="ac0165a0-f41d-4e2f-ac54-c1f02e3ed185" data-vars-headline="Charted: Arkansas farm busts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/artifact/1605/overproduction-leads-low-prices" target="_blank">margins</a> and raised <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="input costs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-business/farmers-pay-higher-input-costs-while-receiving-lower-commodity-prices" data-vars-content-id="ac0165a0-f41d-4e2f-ac54-c1f02e3ed185" data-vars-headline="Charted: Arkansas farm busts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-business/farmers-pay-higher-input-costs-while-receiving-lower-commodity-prices" target="_blank">input costs</a> even more.<ul><li>In September, both Ag Sec. Brooke Rollins and Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="told a crowd" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/09/15/agriculture-secretary-rollins-usda" data-vars-content-id="ac0165a0-f41d-4e2f-ac54-c1f02e3ed185" data-vars-headline="Charted: Arkansas farm busts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/09/15/agriculture-secretary-rollins-usda" target="_self">told a crowd</a> in Rogers that family farms are facing their worst crisis since the 1980s.</li></ul>Flashback: The Trump administration revealed a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$12 billion farmer bailout" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/trump-farm-bailout-trade-war" data-vars-content-id="ac0165a0-f41d-4e2f-ac54-c1f02e3ed185" data-vars-headline="Charted: Arkansas farm busts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/trump-farm-bailout-trade-war" target="_self">$12 billion farmer bailout</a> in December.The latest: USDA on Tuesday announced a national <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ag-tech testing network" data-vars-click-url="https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/04/07/usda-announces-creation-usda-national-proving-grounds-network-strengthen-us-farm-and-ranch" data-vars-content-id="ac0165a0-f41d-4e2f-ac54-c1f02e3ed185" data-vars-headline="Charted: Arkansas farm busts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/04/07/usda-announces-creation-usda-national-proving-grounds-network-strengthen-us-farm-and-ranch" target="_blank">ag-tech testing network</a> to evaluate farm technologies under real-world U.S. conditions, aiming to help farmers use data to help increase profitability.

Monday Munchies: Zelli Deli

The prosciutto and fig sandwich seemed to defy physics.

🍝 Alex checked out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Zelli Pasta" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2024/02/23/homemade-pasta-zelli-springdale-local" data-vars-content-id="39d1707b-182f-4ce2-b38a-1eb85a9783c1" data-vars-headline="Monday Munchies: Zelli Deli" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2024/02/23/homemade-pasta-zelli-springdale-local" target="_self">Zelli Pasta</a> as take-it-home-and-cook-it-yourself, but they&#x27;ve since started serving sandwiches, which is more my style.The setup: Downtown Springdale may soon become my fave lunchtime location — there are tons of options, it&#x27;s easy for me to get to, and the crowds aren&#x27;t yet insane (if you can find a parking spot!).

Monday Munchies: Afghan food in Rogers

BEK Restaurant offers Afghan and Turkish menus.

I&#x27;ve eaten at a dedicated Afghan restaurant one time in my life. It was a wonderful experience, and it wasn&#x27;t in Northwest Arkansas.🇦🇫 The latest: We now have <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="BEK Restaurant &amp; European Gourmet Market" data-vars-click-url="https://beknwa.com" data-vars-content-id="43de37c6-a4ff-41f0-b668-5fa8d3506fe8" data-vars-headline="Monday Munchies: Afghan food in Rogers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://beknwa.com" target="_blank">BEK Restaurant &amp; European Gourmet Market</a> in Rogers, where diners order off the Turkish or Afghan menus.

Monday Munchies: 10 NWA spots open on Mondays

Whether you've got a work team or family in town, there are still several local dining options to choose from on a Monday.

Monday dining can feel thin. Many operators don&#x27;t serve at the beginning of the week so they can prep, restock and give staff a break.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bocca" data-vars-click-url="https://boccanwa.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" data-vars-content-id="1746649b-0351-4dd8-bd15-5dfd20a30229" data-vars-headline="Monday Munchies: 10 NWA spots open on Mondays" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://boccanwa.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">Bocca</a>, Fayetteville — Italian food and pizza, serving Mondays 5-9pm.</li></ul>

Food festivals, farmers markets and more in NWA this spring

Nothing speaks to culture more than food.

Local Brief

Nothing speaks to culture more than food. Check out NWA festivals and tasting experiences coming up this spring:🍴 April 25: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="BITE @ The Home Office" data-vars-click-url="https://bitenwa.com/event-information?utm_source=chatgpt.com" data-vars-content-id="d810d2a4-2ad6-4b09-a5aa-9a77dd0f8d40" data-vars-headline="Food festivals, farmers markets and more in NWA this spring" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://bitenwa.com/event-information?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">BITE @ The Home Office</a> — BITE NWA will host a one-night food tasting event featuring more than 20 local restaurants and breweries at the Walmart Home Office in Bentonville. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Get tickets" data-vars-click-url="https://stubs.net/tickets/7759/bite-the-home-office" data-vars-content-id="d810d2a4-2ad6-4b09-a5aa-9a77dd0f8d40" data-vars-headline="Food festivals, farmers markets and more in NWA this spring" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://stubs.net/tickets/7759/bite-the-home-office" target="_blank">Get tickets</a> for $55.

Monday Munchies: Hive hype

I have long heard that The Hive in Bentonville has the best burger. I&#x27;ve also heard of about a dozen other places in NWA that have the &quot;best burger.&quot;👩‍⚖️ State of play: I marched into the lounge area of the restaurant inside the 21C Museum Hotel to see what all the fuss was about.

Bentoville Food Theater to spotlight diverse cuisine

The theater model is a bet that rotating, ticketed chef "shows" can deliver the diversity of big-city dining without requiring hundreds of permanent restaurants.

Onyx Coffee Lab and the startup restaurant concept <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bentoville Food Theater" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2023/12/08/michelin-star-bentoville-restaurant-investors" data-vars-content-id="db7717d1-60bc-4055-a294-a9dfeabc6f4f" data-vars-headline="Bentoville Food Theater to spotlight diverse cuisine" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2023/12/08/michelin-star-bentoville-restaurant-investors" target="_self">Bentoville Food Theater</a> are joining forces to create a novel experiential dining venue in downtown Bentonville.Why it matters: Northwest Arkansas is growing fast, but it&#x27;s still not big enough to support a constant global restaurant variety that many residents crave.

Food review: Ippudo's tonkotsu ramen rave

Every part of this meal — from the spicy bean sprouts to the last slurped noodle — was exquisite.

Nothing beats a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter night. If it happens to be world-class pork bone broth with tender noodles and all the fixins, well, that gets me weak in the knees.The setup: Before there was the new Bentoville Food Theater, there was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bentoville" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2023/12/07/bentoville-bento-boxes-bentonville" data-vars-content-id="e5a055c0-f2f4-47c3-b632-fd970b0d2fc7" data-vars-headline="Food review: Ippudo&#x27;s tonkotsu ramen rave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2023/12/07/bentoville-bento-boxes-bentonville" target="_self">Bentoville</a>, a sort of virtual restaurant making bento boxes and hosting <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="kaiseki" data-vars-click-url="https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/features/what-is-kaiseki-japanese-meal" data-vars-content-id="e5a055c0-f2f4-47c3-b632-fd970b0d2fc7" data-vars-headline="Food review: Ippudo&#x27;s tonkotsu ramen rave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/features/what-is-kaiseki-japanese-meal" target="_blank">kaiseki</a> events at the NorthWest Arkansas Community College&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Brightwater" data-vars-click-url="https://brightwater.nwacc.edu/" data-vars-content-id="e5a055c0-f2f4-47c3-b632-fd970b0d2fc7" data-vars-headline="Food review: Ippudo&#x27;s tonkotsu ramen rave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://brightwater.nwacc.edu/" target="_blank">Brightwater</a> school for food.

What we're sipping: Hotel bar cocktails

We tried The Eddy inside The Compton Bentonville, a new hotel downtown.

Downtown Bentonville&#x27;s newest hotel, The Compton, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="promised to bring much more" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/10/07/compton-hotel-bentonville-opening" data-vars-content-id="fc284164-6a40-4286-93bc-80f14fb1df0a" data-vars-headline="What we&#x27;re sipping: Hotel bar cocktails" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/10/07/compton-hotel-bentonville-opening" target="_self">promised to bring much more</a> than a nice place to stay with event space, a Tuscan steak and pasta restaurant, a café — and a bar, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Eddy" data-vars-click-url="https://theeddybentonville.com/" data-vars-content-id="fc284164-6a40-4286-93bc-80f14fb1df0a" data-vars-headline="What we&#x27;re sipping: Hotel bar cocktails" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://theeddybentonville.com/" target="_blank">The Eddy</a>.🌳 The vibe: You come for the vibe. The whole place, including The Eddy, is gorgeous. Especially at night when you&#x27;re (probably) more likely to go for a cocktail and can look out onto the square from the hotel&#x27;s second story.

A column chart that shows annual Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies in Arkansas from 2015 to 2025. Filings ranged from a low of four in 2021 to a high of 33 in 2025. Cases were mostly between seven and 17 through 2024, then jumped sharply in 2025.

Food and Drink 🍽

Charted: Arkansas farm busts

Monday Munchies: Hearty meals at a Belgian-inspired tavern

Monday Munchies: Zelli Deli

Monday Munchies: Afghan food in Rogers

Monday Munchies: 10 NWA spots open on Mondays