Axios Northwest Arkansas

May 20, 2026
Good Wednesday morning.
🌧️ Today's weather: Showers and thunderstorms likely, with a high of 73 and a low of 62.
Today's newsletter is 855 words — a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Your Northwest Arkansas summer event guide
Mark your calendars if you want to make the most of what NWA has to offer this summer.
🎡 Mudtown Days — Enjoy a carnival, a pet show and live music June 5-6 at KJ Memorial Park in Lowell.
🚲 Bentonville Bike Fest — The event includes several races for all ages and bicycle-related events June 9-14. Register or get a festival pass.
🎬 Bentonville Film Festival — The festival, founded by actor Geena Davis, emphasizes diversity and representation in front of and behind the camera. Catch films, community events and panels June 15-21 at various Bentonville locations. Get tickets.
🎊 Freedom Festival — Celebrate Juneteenth with music, food and games June 20 at Luther George Park in Springdale.
🤠 Rodeo of the Ozarks — A parade and traditional rodeo events are June 24-27 in Springdale. See the schedule and get tickets.
🏳️🌈 Northwest Arkansas Pride Weekend — Festivities running June 26-28 include a festival and parade in Fayetteville.
🍇 Tontitown Grape Festival — This longtime festival includes spaghetti dinners, a grape stomp and live music Aug. 4-8.
🎈 SOAR NWA — This hot air balloon festival includes helicopter rides, live music and a beer garden Aug. 14-15 at the Benton County Fairgrounds. Get tickets.
🎶 Concerts — Check out the lineup at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers, the free Gulley Park series in Fayetteville and the free Railyard Live series in Rogers.
🎨 Bonus: Even if you've been to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art a million times, you're going to want to go again sometime after June 6 when its expansion is open to the public.
2. Tick bite ER visits at highest rate in nearly a decade


Tick bites are sending a record rate of people to the ER for this time of year, according to new CDC data.
Why it matters: "Tick season is here and these tiny biters can make you seriously sick," says Alison Hinckley, epidemiologist with the CDC, in a statement.
- An estimated 31 million Americans are bitten by a tick each year, and roughly 476,000 are treated for Lyme disease alone, per the CDC.
By the numbers: April saw 104 ER visits for tick bites per 100,000 total ER visits — up from 68 in April 2025, according to preliminary data from the CDC's Tick Bite Tracker.
- In all regions except for the south-central region of the U.S. — where blacklegged ticks are less common — weekly rates of ER visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017, the CDC reports.
Between the lines: Lyme is the most common tick-borne illness in the U.S., but ticks also spread other serious diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis and alpha-gal syndrome.
Zoom in: Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most common tick-borne disease in Arkansas, according to the state health department. Symptoms, which appear two to 14 days after a bite, include high fever, headache, muscle pain and non-itchy, pink rash that usually starts on the wrists, forearms and ankles.
To prevent tick bites, the CDC recommends:
- Wearing EPA-registered insect repellent and permethrin-treated clothing outdoors.
- Doing a tick check after being outside — ticks like leaf litter, tall grass, and wooded areas.
- Removing attached ticks ideally within 24 hours, and watching for a rash or fever in the days or weeks after a bite. See a doctor promptly if either appears.
3. Kitchen Sink: News bubbles
🎓 The Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) Foundation has pledged $500,000 for the first cohort of about 100 University of Arkansas students receiving the Land of Opportunity Scholarship. The new scholarship is geared toward low-income students from Arkansas. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
🐶 The Bentonville animal shelter took in 24% more animals in 2025 than 2024. ( TheBentonville Bulletin)
✍️ Canvassers have less than two months to get enough signatures for citizen-driven ballot initiatives. Two initiatives focus on strengthening direct democracy processes, and one seeks to put universal preschool on the ballot. (Arkansas Advocate)
4. ⛽️ Thieves put the screws to gas pump customers
There's a growing scam at gas stations that could leave drivers paying hundreds of dollars for fuel they never pumped.
Why it matters: Sharply higher gas prices appear to be inspiring thieves to invent new schemes to manipulate pumps and drain victims' wallets.
How it works: A scammer quietly places a small screw or bolt in the nozzle cradle so the pump doesn't properly shut off after use.
- That keeps the transaction open, allowing charges to pile up on the victim's card long after they've driven away.
A variation of the scam involves a stranger offering to help an elderly customer by pumping their gas for them.
- After the customer leaves, the scammer improperly hangs up the nozzle so the transaction remains active and they can fill up other cars.
Police have issued warnings in a number of states, including Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona and Texas, and it's believed to be spreading nationally.
How to protect yourself: Beware of helpful strangers, make sure the nozzle latches fully, and get a receipt of the transaction.
Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.
🚨 Alex is reading about the Ebola outbreak.
🏝️ Worth is out. Alex hopes he's staying away from ticks and gas scams.
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