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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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Monday Munchies: Must-try sandwich food truck

Songbirds Sandwiches is at 8th Street Market in Bentonville.

Food and Drink

Congrats to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Songbirds Sandwiches" data-vars-click-url="https://songbirdssandwiches.com" data-vars-content-id="5998853f-1f36-46dc-8b96-2e0107ca0bb3" data-vars-headline="Monday Munchies: Must-try sandwich food truck" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://songbirdssandwiches.com" target="_blank">Songbirds Sandwiches</a>, which opened this spring and is already one of the best sandwich restaurants in Northwest Arkansas.🥪 State of play: This food truck at 8th Street Market in Bentonville is serving up hefty portions smushed between two slices of house-made focaccia.

Fewer Arkansas kids are getting vaccinated

Nationally, vaccine exemptions are rising.

News

Vaccination rates among American kindergartners decreased during the 2025–2026 school year for all tracked <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="vaccines" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/11/trump-vaccines-midterms-measles-order" data-vars-content-id="e55ce6d6-2c1a-459b-9b0e-c96a2687bbc4" data-vars-headline="Fewer Arkansas kids are getting vaccinated" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/11/trump-vaccines-midterms-measles-order" target="_self">vaccines</a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html" data-vars-content-id="e55ce6d6-2c1a-459b-9b0e-c96a2687bbc4" data-vars-headline="Fewer Arkansas kids are getting vaccinated" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html" target="_blank">reported</a> on Monday.Why it matters: The drop-off coincided with continued efforts by the Trump administration to make controversial <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="vaccine policy changes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/26/mmr-mmrv-vaccine-shot-schedule-cdc-trump" data-vars-content-id="e55ce6d6-2c1a-459b-9b0e-c96a2687bbc4" data-vars-headline="Fewer Arkansas kids are getting vaccinated" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/26/mmr-mmrv-vaccine-shot-schedule-cdc-trump" target="_self">vaccine policy changes</a> and with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="measles cases" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/22/measles-cases-surge-past-last-year" data-vars-content-id="e55ce6d6-2c1a-459b-9b0e-c96a2687bbc4" data-vars-headline="Fewer Arkansas kids are getting vaccinated" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/22/measles-cases-surge-past-last-year" target="_self">measles cases</a> hitting levels not seen in more than three decades.

Report: Real estate inventory stabilizes pricing 

New construction accounted for 35.7% of total sales, the third-highest count of new-home sales in the report's history.

Business

It could be a buyer&#x27;s market again. For the first time since 2023, Northwest Arkansas&#x27; average home sale prices dipped slightly from the previous six months, per Arvest Skyline Report data.Why it matters: Lower prices and more supply give residents and businesses more choices after years of tight inventory and steep price increases.

Advocates push to extend postpartum Medicaid

Arkansas is the last state without one-year postpartum Medicaid.

Advocates are urging Arkansas to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from the current 60 days to a full year like all 49 other states.Why it matters: Physical and mental health problems can still occur more than 60 days after giving birth, says Camille Richoux, health policy director for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

New online system seeks to simplify college applications

Students can apply to up to five institutions without fees.

Education

Arkansas high school students now have a universal college application system, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced this week.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ACCESS portal" data-vars-click-url="https://araccessportal.adhe.edu/info" data-vars-content-id="a6a6c33d-bc01-4000-b6ca-91fefaf4df15" data-vars-headline="New online system seeks to simplify college applications" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://araccessportal.adhe.edu/info" target="_blank">ACCESS portal</a> is intended to create a streamlined system that allows high school seniors to apply to higher education institutions with one form, one login and no application fees for up to five colleges, according to a news release.

What could happen in Benton County judge race after nominee's arrest

Republican Austin McCollum is the only candidate on the November ballot.

Politics

Benton County is facing a conundrum as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="allegations of domestic violence" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/08/03/mccollum-resignation-calls-arrest" data-vars-content-id="35b004c3-b84c-4932-81bb-b17846cccbc8" data-vars-headline="What could happen in Benton County judge race after nominee&#x27;s arrest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/08/03/mccollum-resignation-calls-arrest" target="_self">allegations of domestic violence</a> have prompted widespread calls for the only nominee for county judge to drop out of the race: State law doesn&#x27;t allow nominees to simply drop out.❓ State of play: Here are some of the possibilities of what&#x27;s next for former state representative and current county judge candidate Austin McCollum, who won the Republican nomination in March. No Democrats or independents are on the November ballot.

Pornhub wants to come back to Arkansas screens

Many states have passed laws requiring that porn sites verify users' ages.

Pornhub is asking states, including Arkansas, to reconsider laws that require the site to verify users&#x27; ages.Catch up quick: Arkansas is one of many states in recent years to implement policies requiring that porn websites verify that those viewing their content are at least 18 years old.

Court records detail more abuse allegations against McCollum

Former state Rep. Austin McCollum was arrested over the weekend.

Days after former state Rep. and current Benton County judge candidate Austin McCollum <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="was arrested" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/08/05/austin-mccollum-resigns-arkansas-house-arrest" data-vars-content-id="521b0922-81d0-4e97-941d-ac413bd11f7f" data-vars-headline="Court records detail more abuse allegations against McCollum" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/08/05/austin-mccollum-resigns-arkansas-house-arrest" target="_self">was arrested</a>, his wife accused him of a pattern of domestic violence in court records filed Thursday.The latest: An order of protection obtained by Axios prohibits Austin McCollum, 35, from contacting his wife, Ragen McCollum, 34, and grants her temporary custody of their 4- and 2-year-old children, according to an order signed by Benton County Circuit Judge Xollie Duncan.

Scholarship options expand for trades

Voters in 2024 opted to allow lottery proceeds to pay for scholarships at vocational schools.

Students pursuing trades now have more options for where they can use lottery-funded scholarships.Why it matters: The change gives a financial boost to Arkansans pursuing careers in high-demand fields like construction trades, advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology and logistics.

Arkansas Rep. McCollum resigns after arrest

His resignation creates a vacancy in House District 8.

State Rep. Austin McCollum (R-Bentonville) has resigned from his House seat following his <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="weekend arrest" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/08/03/mccollum-resignation-calls-arrest" data-vars-content-id="00e3882b-4033-478f-8b48-d1e4ce250667" data-vars-headline="Arkansas Rep. McCollum resigns after arrest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/08/03/mccollum-resignation-calls-arrest" target="_self">weekend arrest</a> and calls from Republican leaders to step down.Why it matters: The resignation leaves a vacancy for the seat that represents District 8, encompassing Pea Ridge and parts of Bentonville and Rogers.

Domestic violence allegations roil judge race

The only candidate for Benton County judge was arrested over the weekend.

State Rep. and Benton County judge candidate Austin McCollum (R-Bentonville) faced mounting calls Monday to resign from office and withdraw from the judicial race after his weekend arrest.The big picture: The arrest has thrown one of Northwest Arkansas&#x27; most high-profile local races into uncertainty because McCollum is the only candidate on the November ballot. County judges in Arkansas are the chief executives over county governments.

Veterans program targets skilled trades shortage

The U.S. needs more skilled tradespeople — an estimated 2.1 million trades jobs could go unfilled by 2030.

A veteran-focused organization graduated its first group from a new skilled trades school in Gentry last week, launching an effort aimed at addressing a national shortage of trades workers.Why it matters: The program builds on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Unlock Human Potential" data-vars-click-url="https://uhp.com/" data-vars-content-id="eaf16cca-86ae-411f-9c97-00fad3fab466" data-vars-headline="Veterans program targets skilled trades shortage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://uhp.com/" target="_blank">Unlock Human Potential</a>&#x27;s mission to help veterans transition from hyper-structured military life to the comparative disorder of civilian life, giving them a softer landing in the workforce.

Swarm Aero dispute exposed gaps in NDA policies

The Fayetteville dispute raised broader questions about transparency.

Most Northwest Arkansas cities lack written policies governing nondisclosure agreements, according to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responses reviewed by Axios.Why it matters: NDAs can protect trade secrets before a company goes public. They can also limit what residents know before a project enters the city approval process.

Politics 🇺🇸

Advocates push to extend postpartum Medicaid

New online system seeks to simplify college applications

What could happen in Benton County judge race after nominee's arrest

Pornhub wants to come back to Arkansas screens

Court records detail more abuse allegations against McCollum