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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.

Heartland Forward targets maternal mortality — but Arkansas lags

The U.S. now has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world.

Health

Bentonville&#x27;s Heartland Forward launched a drive to slash U.S. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="maternal mortality" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/05/09/heartland-forward-maternal-health-initiative" data-vars-content-id="dd5a2be0-e141-4c31-9bf6-948319f87b7b" data-vars-headline="Heartland Forward targets maternal mortality — but Arkansas 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/2025/05/09/heartland-forward-maternal-health-initiative" target="_self">maternal mortality</a> in half within five years.Why it matters: Maternal deaths in the U.S. have more than doubled since the 1980s, and the country now has the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="highest rate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison" data-vars-content-id="dd5a2be0-e141-4c31-9bf6-948319f87b7b" data-vars-headline="Heartland Forward targets maternal mortality — but Arkansas lags" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison" target="_blank">highest rate</a> in the developed world. About 84% of the deaths are preventable and roughly 65% happen after childbirth.

NWA leaders push AI training in health care

See the Northwest Arkansas Council's plan.

The health care industry in Northwest Arkansas needs more artificial intelligence training, a study commissioned by the Northwest Arkansas Council found.Why it matters: The region&#x27;s health care industry is rapidly expanding to accommodate a growing population. AI is more likely to augment health care roles than to replace them and can expand the workforce&#x27;s capacity to care for patients, according to the council.

Study finds family support boosts diabetes care

Researchers found family-focused classes improved glucose control and healthy habits.

Offering digital health education to family and friends of diabetes patients can improve outcomes for patients, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Arkansas researchers found" data-vars-click-url="https://news.uams.edu/2026/02/03/digital-health-diabetes-education-improves-health-of-rural-communities-across-arkansas/" data-vars-content-id="e4cffb00-e175-42bb-873e-a7dc924c6edc" data-vars-headline="Study finds family support boosts diabetes care" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://news.uams.edu/2026/02/03/digital-health-diabetes-education-improves-health-of-rural-communities-across-arkansas/" target="_blank">Arkansas researchers found</a>.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="study" data-vars-click-url="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168822725010782?via%3Dihub" data-vars-content-id="e4cffb00-e175-42bb-873e-a7dc924c6edc" data-vars-headline="Study finds family support boosts diabetes care" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168822725010782?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">study</a>, performed by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Institute for Community Health Innovation, suggests that this model can improve disease management and provides evidence that it should be covered by insurance, professor and researcher Jennifer Andersen told Axios.

Children's hospital expansion on track to open in fall

This won't be the last expansion of Arkansas Children's Northwest.

The Arkansas Children&#x27;s Northwest expansion is set to be complete late this fall, and families are already seeing some upgrades at the hospital, president and CEO Marcy Doderer told Axios.Why it matters: More space, services and medical professionals mean <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="more children can get care closer to home" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2023/05/16/arkansas-childrens-hospital-expansion-little-rock-nwa" data-vars-content-id="e4d774e0-860a-4f21-81de-cadfe443f538" data-vars-headline="Children&#x27;s hospital expansion on track to open in fall" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2023/05/16/arkansas-childrens-hospital-expansion-little-rock-nwa" target="_self">more children can get care closer to home</a> and avoid traveling to Arkansas Children&#x27;s Hospital in Little Rock or another children&#x27;s hospital.

UAMS lands $40M to tackle maternal and infant mortality

The money comes from federal appropriations legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock will <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="receive $40 million" data-vars-click-url="https://news.uams.edu/2026/02/09/uams-to-receive-40-million-in-congressional-appropriations-championed-by-arkansas-u-s-sen-john-boozman/" data-vars-content-id="67167921-8ea0-4c0c-a4d1-78d885fb66c0" data-vars-headline="UAMS lands $40M to tackle maternal and infant mortality" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://news.uams.edu/2026/02/09/uams-to-receive-40-million-in-congressional-appropriations-championed-by-arkansas-u-s-sen-john-boozman/" target="_blank">receive $40 million</a> in federal funding aimed largely at improving maternal and infant health outcomes, the school <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced" data-vars-click-url="https://news.uams.edu/2026/02/09/uams-to-receive-40-million-in-congressional-appropriations-championed-by-arkansas-u-s-sen-john-boozman/" data-vars-content-id="67167921-8ea0-4c0c-a4d1-78d885fb66c0" data-vars-headline="UAMS lands $40M to tackle maternal and infant mortality" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://news.uams.edu/2026/02/09/uams-to-receive-40-million-in-congressional-appropriations-championed-by-arkansas-u-s-sen-john-boozman/" target="_blank">announced</a> Monday.The big picture: Arkansas&#x27; maternal mortality rate was the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fourth-highest" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/maternal-mortality/mmr-2018-2022-state-data.pdf" data-vars-content-id="67167921-8ea0-4c0c-a4d1-78d885fb66c0" data-vars-headline="UAMS lands $40M to tackle maternal and infant mortality" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/maternal-mortality/mmr-2018-2022-state-data.pdf" target="_blank">fourth-highest</a> in the U.S. during 2018-2022, and its infant mortality rate was the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="second-highest" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/infant-mortality.html" data-vars-content-id="67167921-8ea0-4c0c-a4d1-78d885fb66c0" data-vars-headline="UAMS lands $40M to tackle maternal and infant mortality" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/infant-mortality.html" target="_blank">second-highest</a> in 2023, according to the CDC.

Arkansas sees whooping cough surge

Arkansas saw its highest level of whooping cough cases in 15 years at 500 cases — and one death — in 2025, according to a news release from the state&#x27;s department of health.The big picture: This comes as the Trump administration on Monday dramatically overhauled the federal <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="childhood vaccination schedule" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/22/childhood-vaccines-denmark-cdc-lawsuits" data-vars-content-id="20aee123-48ab-49b1-9f5d-d7ff8355fe03" data-vars-headline="Arkansas sees whooping cough surge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/22/childhood-vaccines-denmark-cdc-lawsuits" target="_self">childhood vaccination schedule</a>, cutting the number of recommended <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shots from 17 to 11" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/06/trump-administration-rfk-midterms-vaccines-kids" data-vars-content-id="20aee123-48ab-49b1-9f5d-d7ff8355fe03" data-vars-headline="Arkansas sees whooping cough surge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/06/trump-administration-rfk-midterms-vaccines-kids" target="_self">shots from 17 to 11</a> to align with what it called &quot;consensus among peer nations,&quot; Axios&#x27; Caitlin Owens writes.

Northwest Arkansas' 2025 in headlines

The big picture: 2025 was a rollercoaster.

It&#x27;s time to take a beat and reflect on the year through the news that changed our region.The big picture: 2025 was a rollercoaster.

Nearly 1 in 3 Arkansans reports symptoms of depression

The Arkansas Health Survey provides a detailed description of the state's mental and physical health, mapping conditions in more than 800 census tracts.

Almost 31% of Arkansans experience symptoms of depression, according to a University of Arkansas health survey out Wednesday — notably higher than the roughly 23% <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7224-H.pdf" data-vars-content-id="d2a0a50f-1f5b-4ab5-8dd2-f62fcb45805a" data-vars-headline="Nearly 1 in 3 Arkansans reports symptoms of depression" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7224-H.pdf" target="_blank">reported</a> by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Why it matters: Depression is a major contributor to mortality, morbidity, disability and economic costs, the CDC notes.

Bentonville schools' program to expand with help from Walton organizations

The Alice L. Walton Foundation is considering constructing a building for the Ignite program on its new health care campus.

Alice Walton&#x27;s organizations plan to work with high school students pursuing careers in health care and other fields, and the students could have a building at Walton&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="future Bentonville health care campus" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/11/14/alice-walton-future-health-care-campus-preview" data-vars-content-id="e490c60c-2071-415a-ac9f-c7df84ce1597" data-vars-headline="Bentonville schools&#x27; program to expand with help from Walton organizations" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/11/14/alice-walton-future-health-care-campus-preview" target="_self">future Bentonville health care campus</a>.Why it matters: Northwest Arkansas <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="needs more health care workers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2024/11/14/nwa-health-care-council-report" data-vars-content-id="e490c60c-2071-415a-ac9f-c7df84ce1597" data-vars-headline="Bentonville schools&#x27; program to expand with help from Walton organizations" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2024/11/14/nwa-health-care-council-report" target="_self">needs more health care workers</a> both to serve its growing population and to treat patients from surrounding rural areas. A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2019 report" data-vars-click-url="https://nwacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NWAHealthcareAssessmentOnlineVersion.pdf" data-vars-content-id="e490c60c-2071-415a-ac9f-c7df84ce1597" data-vars-headline="Bentonville schools&#x27; program to expand with help from Walton organizations" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://nwacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NWAHealthcareAssessmentOnlineVersion.pdf" target="_blank">2019 report</a> commissioned by the Northwest Arkansas Council recommended creating a more robust pipeline with health care education, Alice L. Walton Foundation spokesperson Diane Carroll noted.

A preview of Alice Walton's future health care campus

Designers are on deck for a nature-inspired medical campus in Bentonville.

The Alice L. Walton Foundation has hired firms to design a new health care campus in Bentonville that will start with cardiovascular care.Catch up quick: The Walmart heir&#x27;s foundation announced in February it had <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="purchased about 100 acres in Bentonville" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/02/19/alice-walton-foundation-walmart-land-purchase-health-care-campus" data-vars-content-id="4e73d723-a684-4101-8a34-3b2233a252a9" data-vars-headline="A preview of Alice Walton&#x27;s future health care campus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/02/19/alice-walton-foundation-walmart-land-purchase-health-care-campus" target="_self">purchased about 100 acres in Bentonville</a> to develop a health care campus. The campus is separate from Walton&#x27;s new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="four-year medical school" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/07/21/alice-walton-medical-school-opens-bentonville" data-vars-content-id="4e73d723-a684-4101-8a34-3b2233a252a9" data-vars-headline="A preview of Alice Walton&#x27;s future health care campus" 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">four-year medical school</a> and health care policy-focused <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nonprofit Heartland Whole Health Institute" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/05/05/walmart-alice-walton-heartland-health-institute" data-vars-content-id="4e73d723-a684-4101-8a34-3b2233a252a9" data-vars-headline="A preview of Alice Walton&#x27;s future health care campus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/05/05/walmart-alice-walton-heartland-health-institute" target="_self">nonprofit Heartland Whole Health Institute</a>, both now open near Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

A bar chart that compares maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022 across countries. Rates range from 0 in Norway to 50 for Black women in the U.S. The overall U.S. rate is 22.3, above Chile at 14.3 and New Zealand at 13.6, and far above most European peers.

Health 🩺

Heartland Forward targets maternal mortality — but Arkansas lags

NWA leaders push AI training in health care

Study finds family support boosts diabetes care

Children's hospital expansion on track to open in fall

UAMS lands $40M to tackle maternal and infant mortality