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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.

Your weekend plans: Free jazz, art galleries, shopping

Things to Do

Make it a nice spring weekend, NWA.🛍️ <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Vintage Market Days" data-vars-click-url="https://www.vintagemarketdays.com/market/nw-arkansas/index.php" data-vars-content-id="5d27bfa8-7aa8-4c03-89d5-1d3000f9f2c4" data-vars-headline="Your weekend plans: Free jazz, art galleries, shopping" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.vintagemarketdays.com/market/nw-arkansas/index.php" target="_blank">Vintage Market Days</a> — Shop vintage and vintage-inspired art, home decor and clothing today through Sunday at the Benton County Fairgrounds. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Get tickets" data-vars-click-url="https://events.humanitix.com/vmdnwa/tickets" data-vars-content-id="5d27bfa8-7aa8-4c03-89d5-1d3000f9f2c4" data-vars-headline="Your weekend plans: Free jazz, art galleries, shopping" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://events.humanitix.com/vmdnwa/tickets" target="_blank">Get tickets</a> for $5-$10.

Mark your calendars: Gulley Park concert series

Fayetteville&#x27;s 30th annual <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gulley Park concert series" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/515/Gulley-Park-Summer-Concert-Series" data-vars-content-id="8886cbf3-e096-478c-a5be-5cf1fb1049cf" data-vars-headline="Mark your calendars: Gulley Park concert series" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/515/Gulley-Park-Summer-Concert-Series" target="_blank">Gulley Park concert series</a> is coming up for those who want to spend their Thursday nights with free live music plus food trucks, an art market and other local vendors.🗓️ The lineup includes:

Your weekend plans: Comedy, festival, dance

Besides egg hunting, here a few ideas for this weekend.

Besides egg hunting, here are a few ideas for this weekend.🤣 Comedy show — Comedian Fortune Feimster is performing two shows at 7pm and 9:30pm tonight at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville.

Repaired downtown Rogers theater to reopen

The Victory Theater was damaged in the 2024 Memorial Day weekend storms.

Nearly two years after sustaining tornado damage, the historic <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Victory Theater" data-vars-click-url="https://www.thevictorytheater.com/" data-vars-content-id="ebfab555-5a05-44c1-8e50-11e702d1d6f4" data-vars-headline="Repaired downtown Rogers theater to reopen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.thevictorytheater.com/" target="_blank">Victory Theater</a> in downtown Rogers is set to reopen this month ahead of its 100th birthday next year.State of play: The city is resuming operations with a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="free six-part movie series" data-vars-click-url="https://www.thevictorytheater.com/tickets-events" data-vars-content-id="ebfab555-5a05-44c1-8e50-11e702d1d6f4" data-vars-headline="Repaired downtown Rogers theater to reopen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.thevictorytheater.com/tickets-events" target="_blank">free six-part movie series</a> tied to the United States&#x27; 250th anniversary, said Kinya Christian, the arts, culture and film manager for Rogers. It kicks off April 25 with &quot;Selma.&quot;

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.

Arkansas wins NCAA opener

Arkansas advances to face No. 12 High Point in the second round on Saturday.

Sports

Arkansas&#x27; 97-78 defeat of Hawai&#x27;i in the NCAA Tournament opening round Thursday continues a recent run of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="postseason successes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48216252/arkansas-tops-vanderbilt-win-first-sec-tournament-2000" data-vars-content-id="292f4900-cacd-4c5d-b4d8-dac7f68def7c" data-vars-headline="Arkansas wins NCAA opener" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48216252/arkansas-tops-vanderbilt-win-first-sec-tournament-2000" target="_blank">postseason successes</a> for the Razorbacks.

Your weekend plans: Basketball, comedy, art

Enjoy the first weekend of spring.🇺🇸 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;America 250: Common Threads&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/america-250-common-threads/" data-vars-content-id="ebf288bd-4dc8-4042-b236-c30948d77ce4" data-vars-headline="Your weekend plans: Basketball, comedy, art" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/america-250-common-threads/" target="_blank">&quot;America 250: Common Threads&quot;</a> — This new temporary art exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville commemorates the United States turning 250 this year.

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>

Things to Do 🗓

Your weekend plans: Free jazz, art galleries, shopping

Mark your calendars: Gulley Park concert series

Monday Munchies: Hearty meals at a Belgian-inspired tavern

Your weekend plans: Comedy, festival, dance

Repaired downtown Rogers theater to reopen