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Monday Munchies: Big Daddy's Burgers

The place is in an old gas station with the former double-bay garage serving as the dining room.

Food and Drink

The best hamburger I&#x27;ve ever eaten was from a roadside stand in Southwest Oklahoma that operated for 90-ish years. Sadly, fire closed its doors.<ul><li>I&#x27;m pretty sure the cook would&#x27;ve sneered at the hype the &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Oklahoma Smash Burger" data-vars-click-url="https://grillnationbbq.com/2023/05/11/the-oklahoma-onion-smashburger/" data-vars-content-id="06333ecb-634f-4834-ab88-69a2b180b6fc" data-vars-headline="Monday Munchies: Big Daddy&#x27;s Burgers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://grillnationbbq.com/2023/05/11/the-oklahoma-onion-smashburger/" target="_blank">Oklahoma Smash Burger</a>&quot; received in recent years.</li><li>I snicker myself when I sit down in an East Coast eatery and an &quot;Okie Burger&quot; gets top billing on the menu.</li></ul>

Arkansas tops religious group's liberty ranking

First Liberty president Kelly Shackelford said Arkansas moved from No. 27 four years ago to No. 1 this year.

Politics

Arkansas is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="No. 1" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/05/13/arkansas-split-screen-rankings-reality" data-vars-content-id="69108c6a-220a-4184-9c3f-92c111eeb5ed" data-vars-headline="Arkansas tops religious group&#x27;s liberty ranking" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/05/13/arkansas-split-screen-rankings-reality" target="_self">No. 1</a> in the First Liberty Institute&#x27;s 2026 Religious Liberty in the States index, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the group <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5JzIqGh6j8" data-vars-content-id="69108c6a-220a-4184-9c3f-92c111eeb5ed" data-vars-headline="Arkansas tops religious group&#x27;s liberty ranking" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5JzIqGh6j8" target="_blank">announced</a> Tuesday.Why it matters: The ranking gives Sanders a national platform for policies expanding religious-expression protections in education, health care, business and government.

NWA career programs shift closer to needs

Access and quality still vary widely by district and program.

Business

Northwest Arkansas&#x27; high school career pathways are better aligned with regional job needs than they were a few years ago, a new analysis finds.Why it matters: The region is trying to grow its own workforce as employers need more skilled workers and students look for clear routes into stable careers.

The Agenda: Zoning and school resource officers

Bentonville will vote on committing up to $50,000 toward the local match for a federal grant

Here&#x27;s what your local city councils plan to decide today.<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Springdale" data-vars-click-url="https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3541/Springdale/1536a61b-c83a-4595-8532-305245b9a525/Official-City-Council-Agenda-Packet-7.14.26.pdf?disposition=inline" data-vars-content-id="c83a9004-7d90-4507-9652-ec9567e749d8" data-vars-headline="The Agenda: Zoning and school resource officers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3541/Springdale/1536a61b-c83a-4595-8532-305245b9a525/Official-City-Council-Agenda-Packet-7.14.26.pdf?disposition=inline" target="_blank">Springdale</a> will vote on:<ul><li>🚓 A budget change tied to its school resource officer agreement with Springdale Public Schools. The district has asked to reduce the number of SROs covered under the agreement from 11 to seven, cutting expected district revenue by $178,000. The city plans to temporarily cover the difference for the rest of the year.</li></ul>

Whole Health Institute looks to grow residencies

Many Arkansas-trained physicians leave the state for their residency, lowering the odds they return to practice here.

Health

Arkansas is training more doctors than it can keep.Why it matters: The state&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="physician shortage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/03/12/nwa-gain-residency-slots-doctors-specialty" data-vars-content-id="f5d7568e-24da-45df-bfa3-d946a827c002" data-vars-headline="Whole Health Institute looks to grow residencies" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/03/12/nwa-gain-residency-slots-doctors-specialty" target="_self">physician shortage</a> is already straining access to care, especially in rural communities, and the bottleneck is about to get tighter as Bentonville&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Alice L. Walton School of Medicine" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/07/21/alice-walton-medical-school-opens-bentonville" data-vars-content-id="f5d7568e-24da-45df-bfa3-d946a827c002" data-vars-headline="Whole Health Institute looks to grow residencies" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/07/21/alice-walton-medical-school-opens-bentonville" target="_self">Alice L. Walton School of Medicine</a> begins graduating about 48 students a year in 2029.

Arkansas sees improvements in kids' well-being but still lags

Arkansas ranked No. 43 in the U.S. in the latest annual report.

Education

Arkansas remains <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="near the bottom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/06/09/arkansas-child-wellbeing-report" data-vars-content-id="b386b9df-0951-4b73-a9df-cb8af440e4f5" data-vars-headline="Arkansas sees improvements in kids&#x27; well-being but still lags" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/06/09/arkansas-child-wellbeing-report" target="_self">near the bottom</a> nationally for child well-being, with health outcomes driving some of the state&#x27;s worst marks in the 2026 Kids Count Data Book.The big picture: The annual report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation tracks 16 indicators across poverty, education, health and family conditions, all of which signal how prepared children are to learn, stay healthy and eventually enter the workforce.

Washington Regional lays off staff

The health care system cited rising costs.

News

Washington Regional Medical System is eliminating 86 positions, citing &quot;financial pressures&quot; affecting health care systems state and nationwide, according to a news release.State of play: The positions are mostly in management and administrative support, Washington Regional spokesperson Brooke Morgan told Axios.

App targets postpartum care gap

It's usually about six weeks between delivery and follow-up.

Conway entrepreneur Kim Lane built the postpartum care app Momme to support mothers during the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="weeks between hospital discharge" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/13/mental-health-maternal-mortality-data-gap-arkansas" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/13/mental-health-maternal-mortality-data-gap-arkansas" target="_self">weeks between hospital discharge</a> and their first follow-up visit.Why it matters: The U.S. has the highest maternal <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mortality rate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/20/maternal-mortality-states-countries" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/20/maternal-mortality-states-countries" target="_self">mortality rate</a> among high-income countries, and more than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="80% of pregnancy-related" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/preventing-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/preventing-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html" target="_blank">80% of pregnancy-related</a> deaths are preventable. The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="weeks after delivery" data-vars-click-url="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2018/05/optimizing-postpartum-care?utm_source=chatgpt.com" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2018/05/optimizing-postpartum-care?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">weeks after delivery</a> are some of the most <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="vulnerable" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/preventing-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/preventing-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">vulnerable</a> and least supported periods in maternal health care.

Arkansas' split-screen rankings reality

The state ranks well on some measures, but poorly on others, including health and wages.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="touted" data-vars-click-url="https://x.com/SarahHuckabee/status/2042378027439456661" data-vars-content-id="884f28d3-1a41-45dd-b6ce-d96c8a8d842a" data-vars-headline="Arkansas&#x27; split-screen rankings reality" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://x.com/SarahHuckabee/status/2042378027439456661" target="_blank">touted</a> a run of No. 1 rankings for Arkansas, saying: &quot;We are blessed by God to live in the best state, in the best country, in the history of the world.&quot; But it&#x27;s only part of the picture.The big picture: Broad claims about where Arkansas stands nationally depend heavily on which metrics are used. The state ranks well on some measures, but poorly on others, including health and wages.

Report shows health care gaps for Hispanic Arkansans

No state has eliminated gaps in health care access, quality or outcomes between racial and ethnic groups.

Hispanic residents in Arkansas have the worst health care quality in the state and nearly the worst access to health care in the country, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new Commonwealth Fund report" data-vars-click-url="https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2026/disparities-report-state-profiles/Arkansas.pdf" data-vars-content-id="3e0757be-0e67-4fe0-8cd1-bdf6b7620c1d" data-vars-headline="Report shows health care gaps for Hispanic Arkansans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2026/disparities-report-state-profiles/Arkansas.pdf" target="_blank">new Commonwealth Fund report</a>.The big picture: No state has eliminated gaps in health care access, quality or outcomes between racial and ethnic groups — and researchers warn recent federal policy shifts are likely to widen them.

UAMS launches Arkansas' first nurse-midwifery program

The program aims to improve maternal care and ease doctor shortages.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will soon train nurses to specialize in midwifery with the first program of its kind in the state.Why it matters: Expanding midwifery can help fill a health care gap in Arkansas amid a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="doctor shortage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/03/12/nwa-gain-residency-slots-doctors-specialty" data-vars-content-id="bdf7cc93-0d36-48ad-a2b5-af97c62d3350" data-vars-headline="UAMS launches Arkansas&#x27; first nurse-midwifery program" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/03/12/nwa-gain-residency-slots-doctors-specialty" target="_self">doctor shortage</a> and some of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="poorest maternal health outcomes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/03/31/heartland-forward-targets-maternal-mortality-but-arkansas-lags" data-vars-content-id="bdf7cc93-0d36-48ad-a2b5-af97c62d3350" data-vars-headline="UAMS launches Arkansas&#x27; first nurse-midwifery program" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/03/31/heartland-forward-targets-maternal-mortality-but-arkansas-lags" target="_self">poorest maternal health outcomes</a> in the country.

New health survey data goes live

The dashboard has data down to census tracts.

The University of Arkansas on Tuesday launched an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="online dashboard" data-vars-click-url="https://uaheal.uark.edu/ar-compass-explorer-dashboard/" data-vars-content-id="0974139e-f22b-4609-9c1c-cc0041cff521" data-vars-headline="New health survey data goes live" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://uaheal.uark.edu/ar-compass-explorer-dashboard/" target="_blank">online dashboard</a> where the public can see detailed health-related data for the whole state.Why it matters: Arkansas struggles with poor health outcomes, and the data can help lawmakers make informed policy decisions to improve Arkansans&#x27; health, Arkansas Health Survey lead researcher Michael Niño told Axios in February during an event to preview the survey.

Axios NWA Does: First aid and CPR

I once left a community pool in a bathing suit and a tortilla-print towel when I saw an older woman slumped over in a vehicle with her eyes shut on a hot day.😳 I shouted politely, &quot;Ma&#x27;am?! Ma&#x27;am?!&quot; She quickly woke up and assured me she was fine.

Mental health deaths may be missed in maternal data

Suicides and overdoses may be undercounted in maternal deaths, limiting awareness.

Suicides and drug overdoses likely contribute significantly to Arkansas&#x27; maternal mortality rate, but stigma and a lack of data make reporting difficult, psychiatrist Shona Ray told Axios.Why it matters: These deaths not being labeled as pregnancy-related can lead to less awareness, funding and research concerning mental health-related causes of death during and following pregnancy, she said.

A table that lists Arkansasâ top and bottom state rankings across 12 metrics. Arkansas ranks No. 1 in affordability, inbound movers, teacher job satisfaction and several others, including a tie in election integrity. It ranks No. 50 in food insecurity and maternity practices, and No. 49 in median annual wage and overall health.

Arkansas' best and worst rankings

Data: U.S. News & World Report, TNTP, Heritage Foundation, Atlas Van Lines, Americans United for Life, Education Week, America's Health Rankings, USDA, CDC, America's Health Rankings, Bureau of Labor Statistics, America's Health Rankings; Note: *Advocacy group rankings; Chart: Worth Sparkman/Axios

Health 🩺

Whole Health Institute looks to grow residencies

Arkansas sees improvements in kids' well-being but still lags

Washington Regional lays off staff

App targets postpartum care gap

Arkansas' split-screen rankings reality