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Google will pay $716M for data center power

Details came from documents a resident obtained through an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request.

Business

Google will pay Entergy Arkansas $526 million to help build <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Cypress Solar" data-vars-click-url="https://www.entergy.com/news/entergy-arkansas-announces-vendor-fair-for-potential-jefferson-power-station-cypress-solar-contractors" data-vars-content-id="23ab102d-dd71-499c-af3d-21a293cf72f6" data-vars-headline="Google will pay $716M for data center power" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.entergy.com/news/entergy-arkansas-announces-vendor-fair-for-potential-jefferson-power-station-cypress-solar-contractors" target="_blank">Cypress Solar</a> near Pine Bluff, plus another $190 million for transmission upgrades, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/aug/31/google-to-pay-entergy-arkansas-526-million-for/?utm_fy=content_for_you" data-vars-content-id="23ab102d-dd71-499c-af3d-21a293cf72f6" data-vars-headline="Google will pay $716M for data center power" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/aug/31/google-to-pay-entergy-arkansas-526-million-for/?utm_fy=content_for_you" target="_blank">reported</a> first.Why it matters: The disclosure puts numbers on a deal that has stayed mostly confidential and lands as Entergy faces a separate <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rate case" data-vars-click-url="https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/small-arkansas-businesses-could-suffer-costs-entergy-commercial-rate-increase/" data-vars-content-id="23ab102d-dd71-499c-af3d-21a293cf72f6" data-vars-headline="Google will pay $716M for data center power" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/small-arkansas-businesses-could-suffer-costs-entergy-commercial-rate-increase/" target="_blank">rate case</a> before the Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC) that will impact 730,000 customers, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="drawing objections" data-vars-click-url="https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/small-arkansas-businesses-could-suffer-costs-entergy-commercial-rate-increase/" data-vars-content-id="23ab102d-dd71-499c-af3d-21a293cf72f6" data-vars-headline="Google will pay $716M for data center power" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/small-arkansas-businesses-could-suffer-costs-entergy-commercial-rate-increase/" target="_blank">drawing objections</a> from Walmart and other business groups.

Arkansas plays a role in national grocery squeeze

Arkansas is the No. 1 grower of rice and the third-largest producer of poultry in the country.

News

America&#x27;s grocery squeeze has been most painfully felt in a few expensive categories, like <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="beef" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/28/meat-processing-trump-beef-cattle-farmer" data-vars-content-id="82a49bfd-3c5c-4251-9447-bf409e4c689a" data-vars-headline="Arkansas plays a role in national grocery squeeze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/28/meat-processing-trump-beef-cattle-farmer" target="_self">beef</a>, coffee and chocolate.<ul><li>Now, the forces pushing up food prices are starting to pile up: expensive grain, soaring <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fertilizer and fuel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/16/farmers-agriculture-crops-iran-energy-prices" data-vars-content-id="82a49bfd-3c5c-4251-9447-bf409e4c689a" data-vars-headline="Arkansas plays a role in national grocery squeeze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/16/farmers-agriculture-crops-iran-energy-prices" target="_self">fertilizer and fuel</a>, plus unpredictable weather and raging wars.</li></ul>

Monday Munchies: Cura Osteria left us wanting more

The spot serves tasty dishes, but the small portions come at a steep price.

Food and Drink

Downtown Rogers has a newish spot serving contemporary Northern Italian cuisine.💸 State of play: I spent just under $150 on dinner for two at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Cura Osteria" data-vars-click-url="https://www.curaosteria.com/" data-vars-content-id="b0bd2f45-a24c-4ca1-8c64-6353ed369543" data-vars-headline="Monday Munchies: Cura Osteria left us wanting more" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.curaosteria.com/" target="_blank">Cura Osteria</a> and still had to grab food elsewhere afterward because we were both still hungry.

Entergy loses bid to block Google deal reporting

A federal judge denied a request to block news outlets from publishing more details about a data center deal.

A federal <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="judge denied" data-vars-click-url="https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/sep/02/federal-judge-denies-entergy-arkansas-request-for/?lid=0fvn355myp4n&amp;utm_source=id&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=breaking_adg&amp;utm_content=2026-09-02" data-vars-content-id="3df91ed5-2522-4a49-90ba-72300f04ef39" data-vars-headline="Entergy loses bid to block Google deal reporting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/sep/02/federal-judge-denies-entergy-arkansas-request-for/?lid=0fvn355myp4n&amp;utm_source=id&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=breaking_adg&amp;utm_content=2026-09-02" target="_blank">judge denied</a> Entergy Arkansas&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="request to block" data-vars-click-url="https://arkansasadvocate.com/2026/09/02/judge-denies-effort-to-block-arkansas-outlets-from-publishing-details-about-data-center-agreement/" data-vars-content-id="3df91ed5-2522-4a49-90ba-72300f04ef39" data-vars-headline="Entergy loses bid to block Google deal reporting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://arkansasadvocate.com/2026/09/02/judge-denies-effort-to-block-arkansas-outlets-from-publishing-details-about-data-center-agreement/" target="_blank">request to block</a> the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Arkansas Times from publishing more details about its Google <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data center deal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/09/01/google-pay-716-million-data-center-power" data-vars-content-id="3df91ed5-2522-4a49-90ba-72300f04ef39" data-vars-headline="Entergy loses bid to block Google deal reporting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/09/01/google-pay-716-million-data-center-power" target="_self">data center deal</a>.Why it matters: The ruling reinforces a high legal bar for companies seeking to stop news organizations from publishing government records they say were mistakenly released.

Dolly Parton's literacy program to continue and needs NWA support

The program sends books in the mail each month to children under 5 years old.

Parenting

The Arkansas branch of Dolly Parton&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="children&#x27;s literacy program" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/08/27/dolly-parton-philanthropy-donations" data-vars-content-id="e33fe340-acaa-4a68-8c42-1592e7dfd280" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton&#x27;s literacy program to continue and needs NWA support" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/08/27/dolly-parton-philanthropy-donations" target="_self">children&#x27;s literacy program</a> is continuing after the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="star&#x27;s death" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/08/31/dolly-parton-dollyfest-nashville-london-memorial" data-vars-content-id="e33fe340-acaa-4a68-8c42-1592e7dfd280" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton&#x27;s literacy program to continue and needs NWA support" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/08/31/dolly-parton-dollyfest-nashville-london-memorial" target="_self">star&#x27;s death</a>, but Northwest Arkansas needs a local organization to help raise money.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Arkansas Imagination Library" data-vars-click-url="https://arkansasimaginationlibrary.org/" data-vars-content-id="e33fe340-acaa-4a68-8c42-1592e7dfd280" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton&#x27;s literacy program to continue and needs NWA support" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://arkansasimaginationlibrary.org/" target="_blank">Arkansas Imagination Library</a> utilizes local partners — typically by county — to help cover the costs of books for children under 5.

Gov. Sanders covers topics from Trump to motherhood

"I have to be really intentional about the time that I have with my kids."

Politics

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeared on &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Riley Gaines Show" data-vars-click-url="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394680056112" data-vars-content-id="af0dbc88-f20f-4165-8dac-abe1f412d964" data-vars-headline="Gov. Sanders covers topics from Trump to motherhood" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394680056112" target="_blank">The Riley Gaines Show</a>&quot; podcast Tuesday for a wide-ranging conversation covering President Trump, state economics, education and motherhood. What she said:On Trump: &quot;One of the reasons that the president is so popular and was able to win the presidency, and the reason he&#x27;s been able to get things done, is because he is not a scripted robot, and he is very raw.&quot;

Policies and child care costs strain Arkansas moms

A new report suggests some moms are being priced out of the workforce.

A new report suggests mothers are being priced out of the workforce in Arkansas, Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Women&#x27;s Foundation of Arkansas" data-vars-click-url="https://womensfoundationarkansas.org/" data-vars-content-id="94ceba58-458e-411f-81be-c8e4b5dac9f1" data-vars-headline="Policies and child care costs strain Arkansas moms" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://womensfoundationarkansas.org/" target="_blank">Women&#x27;s Foundation of Arkansas</a>, told Axios.Why it matters: This broad economic issue has implications for employee recruitment and retention plus the financial stability of families, she said.

Arkansas' most common baby names, charted

These 10 names were the most used in Arkansas last year, according to the Social Security Administration.

Culture

There&#x27;s a fine line between finding a unique name for a newborn, hitting on a common (or very uncommon) spelling and something that&#x27;s on trend for the times.<ul><li>These 10 names were the most used in Arkansas last year, according to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Social Security Administration" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/limits.html" data-vars-content-id="864b7a58-f2e2-41de-80f6-c2533e287cc2" data-vars-headline="Arkansas&#x27; most common baby names, charted" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/limits.html" target="_blank">Social Security Administration</a>.</li></ul>Between the lines: Imagine a grade school class with three Princetons or four Emberlynns, the teacher will be worn out pronouncing syllables by 10 am.<ul><li>To save on some of those syllables, the &quot;ton&quot; may get dropped from four of the male names, producing Prince, Hughie, Dax and Stet.</li><li>In the parlance of us who used to make edits and corrections on paper, stet means &quot;let it stand,&quot; which seems like an OK moniker.</li></ul>💭 Thought bubble: Take it from Worth &quot;Yes, I&#x27;m aware my name is very different&quot; Sparkman — a unique name is a double-edged sword.<ul><li>I was weary of the question what are you worth? by second grade.</li><li>But it does have a ring I&#x27;ve grown to appreciate.</li></ul>

A bar chart showing the most "Arkansas" baby names in 2024, as measured  by the times more common the name is in Arkansas than the U.S. overall. Among female babies the top five are Hadlee, Emberlynn, Berkley, Hattie and Kallie. Among male babies the top five are Riggs, Princeton, Houston, Daxton and Stetson.