Axios Northwest Arkansas
September 18, 2026
1 big thing: Alice Walton plans Bentonville hospital, cancer center
Walmart heir Alice Walton announced Thursday that her planned Bentonville health care campus will include a hospital and a "world-class" cancer center.
Why it matters: Walton's vision is for the 120-acre AWSOM Whole Health Campus to be a game changer not only for Northwest Arkansas but for the state and the broader Heartland.
What they're saying: "I see innovation, technology and research coming together to improve lives and address the critical issue of providing access for rural communities throughout the state and the region," she told a crowd at the event.
Zoom in: The campus will offer specialty care services in orthopedics and neurology as well as the previously announced cardiac care at a 700,000-square-foot building, Walton said. A news release also lists gastroenterology.
- Additionally, a 1 million-square-foot hospital will have approximately 250 beds and 40 operating rooms. A 1.1 million-square-foot cancer center will also be built on the campus.
The latest: Springdale-based Tyson Foods and the Tyson Family Foundation will contribute $50 million to support the campus, Tyson Foods board chair John H. Tyson announced at the event.
Zoom out: The Alice L. Walton Foundation, Mercy and Heartland Whole Health Institute have a 30-year agreement that includes $350 million from Mercy and another $350 million from the Alice L. Walton Foundation to build new facilities and recruit doctors. The organizations also have a 10-year agreement with Cleveland Clinic.
- Mercy Health System will pursue a Level 2 trauma center designation and eventually a Level 1 designation for its Rogers hospital, Mercy president and CEO Steve Mackin said at the event.
- A Level 1 designation is the highest level of emergency care capability, and NWA has no hospitals of that level. Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville is the region's only Level 2 trauma center and is working on becoming a Level 1. Mercy's Rogers hospital is a Level 3.
What's next: Construction has started on the campus' Center for Advanced Specialty Care, which is planned to open in 2029, according to a news release.
2. Mapped: We lean toward lower tips
Servers working in Arkansas can expect lower tips than what they'd make in the state's more northern neighbors — 18.6% on average — according to new Toast data shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: So-called "tip fatigue" is fueling a broader rethink of tipping culture, even as average tips haven't changed much over the past two years.
- Some U.S. restaurants are now ditching gratuities altogether in favor of higher menu prices and wages, the BBC reports.
By the numbers: Nationwide, diners tipped roughly 19% on average across all restaurant types in Q2 2026 — essentially the same as in Q1, per Toast's latest tipping trends report.
- Tips at full-service restaurants also held steady around 19%, while fast food tips remained near 16%.
- Takeout tips hovered around 14%.
Zoom out: Delaware, West Virginia and New Hampshire are still home to America's top tippers, with diners leaving around 21% on average.
The other side: In last place for overall tipping are California, Washington, D.C., and Washington state, where averages run under 18%.
The fine print: The report is based on data from restaurants using the Toast platform.
- Cash tips aren't included.
The bottom line: Not all diners tip the same — and more restaurants may take it off the table entirely.
3. Kitchen Sink: News hog
4. Your weekend plans: Fashion, football, festival
Axios Northwest Arkansas
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