A Northwest Arkansas organization dedicated to housing attainability is expanding its reach statewide.

Why it matters: Groundwork, the housing arm of the nonprofit Northwest Arkansas Council, is looking to affect laws related to housing at the state level ahead of the 2027 legislative session, executive director Duke McLarty told Axios.

• Some policies are better done statewide rather than city by city, McLarty said.

Case in point: Cities like Fayetteville have tried to make it easier to allow modular homes, which cost less than traditional houses and are more durable than typical mobile homes.

• However, a lack of statewide regulations makes it unlikely for modular home manufacturers to come to Arkansas, he said. Policies broadly allowing for modular homes are at the top of Groundwork's priorities.

The big picture: While NWA has especially felt the pain of rising housing costs, the rest of Arkansas has also seen prices increase and has other local housing concerns.

• Some communities struggle with dilapidated homes and aging housing stock that lacks variety, McLarty said.
• The goal is to hear from stakeholders around the state about what regulations or deregulations would benefit their housing needs.

Zoom in: The organization is also eyeing policies around land bank property — typically vacant or abandoned areas that cities with more than 2,500 people can acquire for community development, including housing.

• Proposed changes could include widening which entities — such as counties, smaller cities, nonprofits or multiple government entities together — are allowed to have land banks, McLarty said.

Flashback: During the 2025 legislative session, Groundwork helped spur a state law broadly allowing property owners to have accessory dwelling units like small separate apartments. Two lawmakers from NWA, state Rep. Nicole Clowney (D-Fayetteville) and state Sen. Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs), sponsored the bill.

The latest: Groundwork added two members to support its expansion, bringing its full-time staff to five.

• Attorney Reid Adkins, a former senior assistant attorney general, is Groundwork's new policy director, based in Little Rock.
• Payton Willhite is the community outreach manager and "will lead engagement with communities across Arkansas, ensuring local voices inform the statewide strategy," according to a news release.

What's next: Groundwork plans to kick off an eight-stop tour of the state next week to learn from residents and community leaders. The goal is to have a plan for the legislative session by October, McLarty said.

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Tim Shepard, a Fayetteville police captain, unseated Washington County Judge Patrick Deakins in Tuesday's Republican primary runoff election.

State of play: Shepard will face Democratic challenger Dana Deree in November.

By the numbers: Shepard received 77% of the vote, according to unofficial election results from Washington County.

• Shepard previously took 48.5% of the vote in the March 3 preferential primary compared to Deakins with 31.4%.

Zoom out: State Sen. Kim Hammer (R-Benton) won the Republican nomination for Arkansas secretary of state, earning 50.6% of the vote to defeat veteran Bryan Norris, according to the Associated Press. See election results available on the state's website.

• Hammer will face Democratic challenger Kelly Grappe, a marketing specialist, in November.

🏆 Onyx Coffee Lab was named a finalist for Outstanding Bar, and Jason Paul of Heirloom at The 1907 is a finalist for Best Chef: South in the 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards. (Eater)

🚨 The Arkansas attorney general's office will fund two additional vending machines at the University of Arkansas to dispense naloxone, a treatment drug for fentanyl or opioid overdoses. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

🚔 State House of Representatives Speaker Brian Evans (R-Cabot) said the proposed 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County is unlikely to be a part of lawmakers' agenda during the state's fiscal session, which begins next week. (Arkansas Advocate)

Quote du jour:

"We had seen this great revitalization downtown and many, many houses coming up. We thought we could contribute to that effort."

The Ozark Retail Accelerator, aimed at helping Arkansas brands break into major retail chains, launched its inaugural cohort of 12 companies yesterday.

Why it matters: Northwest Arkansas is a global retail hub, and the accelerator is designed to help local startups turn products into scalable, shelf-ready brands.

Driving the news: Overseen by Act II Capital Holdings, the accelerator kicked off its first 12-week program with companies across food, beverage, home goods, pet care and consumer products.

The cohort:

• Barham's Ozark Beef of Conway — produces beef snack sticks made from pasture-raised cattle.
• Carbon Chicken of Fayetteville — A backyard system for sustainable gardening.
• femPAQ of Fayetteville — Ready-to-use period preparedness kits.
• Hillfolk of Bentonville — Retailer of artisanal small-batch goods and mass-market crafts.
• Mom's Kitchen/Peanut Pupper of Bentonville — CBD-infused peanut butter designed to calm and support dogs.
• Muckender of Bentonville — Heavy-duty cleaning towels for job sites that are safe for skin.
• Natural State Beverage Co. of Rogers — Reduced-sugar sodas infused with functional ingredients like mushroom extracts.
• New Creations Manufacturer of Newport — Hitch-mounted step accessory for safer access to trucks and trailers.
• Pedal Pops of Farmington — All-natural frozen fruit pops.
• Power Up Pickles of Garfield — Mess-free pickles as a snack for active lifestyles.
• Rosties of Bentonville — Eco-friendly fire starters from coffee husks and beeswax.
• Sam & Sam's Products of Corning — Gluten-free cornmeal mix for frying meats and vegetables.

The bottom line: Backed by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the University of Arkansas, the program connects founders with retail experts and former retail buyers to help them scale.