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Today’s newsletter is 1,024 words — a 4-minute read.

Former state representative and presumed incoming Benton County Judge Austin McCollum remained in the county jail yesterday with an increased bond and stricter rules if he is released.

Why it matters: He's set to take the chief executive office of the county in January as the only candidate, despite calls for him to step aside.

• "Unfortunately, absent a conviction or another legal disqualification, there is nothing in law that appears to prevent the judge-elect from taking office," Secretary of State spokesperson Samantha Boyd told Axios in an email when asked whether being detained in jail would prevent McCollum from taking office.

Catch up quick: McCollum was arrested twice within two months — the first on Aug. 1 after he was accused of domestic violence against his wife and the second on Sept. 29 after he was accused of violating a protection order and stalking her.

• McCollum was released on a $10,000 bond after his first arrest and later charged with three felonies. He pleaded not guilty and has a Dec. 1 court date related to those charges.
• District Judge Jeff Conner on Thursday set the $150,000 cash-only bond related to the second arrest and ordered that McCollum wear an ankle monitor if released.

The latest: McCollum appeared before Judge Brad Karren yesterday after prosecutors accused him of violating the terms of his release by being within 1,500 feet of his wife, Ragen McCollum, in addition to violating a protection order and stalking.

• Prosecutors had filed a motion seeking to revoke his release from jail. Deputy prosecuting attorney Joshua Robinson said during the hearing he had concerns for Ragen McCollum's safety and asked that Austin McCollum's $150,000 cash-only bond be increased to $500,000.
• Karren kept the $150,000 bond amount but revoked the $10,000 bond and replaced it with a $75,000 one he's now also being held on and expanded where McCollum is banned from if released.

How it works: Ragen McCollum was granted a temporary protection order that was later extended until August 2028. In her petition, she accused her husband of a history of physical abuse against her.

• The order prohibits him from contacting her or going to their home, their children's day care, her workplace or her church. She was awarded temporary custody of their children, and he was allowed supervised visits with them.

Zoom in: Witnesses testified and surveillance video showed Austin McCollum arrived nearly an hour early for an 11am school event on Sept. 22, while Ragen McCollum was there for a 9am appointment. He looked into her car and entered the building before leaving, then later returned as a security guard escorted her to her car, according to a probable cause affidavit.

• His attorney, Shane Wilkinson, said Austin McCollum left while Ragen McCollum was there and returned only after a staff member told him he could. Robinson argued he knowingly entered the school despite seeing her car.
• On Sept. 28, a day care employee reported seeing Austin McCollum driving through the parking lot around Ragen McCollum's usual pickup time.
• The next day, Ragen McCollum's friend reported seeing him across the street from the day care around drop-off time. Austin McCollum said he was on a public sidewalk and attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at a nearby church. Robinson argued choosing that location wasn't a good-faith effort to follow the protection order.

What's next

Economic diversification will be critical to Northwest Arkansas retaining its success, according to a new report from economics-focused organizations.

Why it matters: While growth at large employers like Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt has contributed significantly to NWA's economy, the region shouldn't rely too heavily on a few major employers, Ross DeVol, founder of consulting firm Encore Economics, told Axios.

Context: The Milken Institute named the Northwest Arkansas area as among its best-performing U.S. cities earlier this year, noting its strong labor market.

• Increasing business services like accounting, legal and engineering in addition to already-growing sectors like health care and education will be key to maintaining that, DeVol said.

Zoom in: The report by Encore Economics and Emeraude, released Tuesday, notes that demand for housing will increase the need for construction.

• "A key consideration for quality of life in Northwest Arkansas will be avoiding urban sprawl by building higher density along transportation corridors and downtowns," the report reads.

What's next: Bolstering the region's startup ecosystem through founder support and more early-stage investment will be critical for diversification, according to the report.

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🗳️ Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders changed the special election date to fill the vacant state Senate seat representing District 18, formerly held by Republican Jonathan Dismang, from Jan. 5 to Dec. 15. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

🧑‍⚖️ Arkansas is set to receive between $32 million and $80 million in a settlement over claims that now-banned industrial chemicals caused environmental contamination. (Arkansas Advocate)

🩺 A cosmetic surgery clinic plans to open in Bentonville in 2028. (Bentonville Bulletin)

The Fayetteville City Council meets tonight and will take up:

📸 Prohibiting the use of city funds or property for automated license plate readers like Flock cameras.

• The proposed ordinance exempts the system already being used by the Parking Management Department, given that the data is only used for parking citations and is deleted after 48 hours.

🐶 Buying nearly 9 acres on East 15th Street for $700,000 for the planned new animal shelter. Voters in March approved an $18.1 million bond issue for a new shelter. The money will come from that.

• The city is also negotiating to buy a separately owned adjacent acre northeast of the property, according to city documents.

📍 If you go: 5:30pm at City Hall or online.

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Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.

📚 Alex is reading "Simplify" by Axios' founders.

🤷‍♀️ Worth is on sabbatical. Maybe he's reading "Simplify."