Speaking of Arkansas

In Fayetteville, city leaders are nearing decisions about rezoning the former U.S. 71B (College Avenue/Nelson Hackett Boulevard/South School Avenue) to promote high-density residential development along that corridor, which today doesn’t allow residential buildings in most areas. In Rogers, city leaders are preparing for continued growth with a comprehensive rezoning and street plans for the city. On Today’s edition of Speaking of Arkansas, host Greg Harton speaks with Britin Bostick, long-range planner, city of Fayetteville; John McCurdy, director of community development, city of Rogers; and Joe Rexwinkle, deputy director of community development, city of Rogers. Our discussion focuses on how these changes will, in many ways, redefine how those cities grow in the coming decades. The plans, if adopted, will dramatically change the way city leaders evaluate new properties and promote residential development along commercial corridors to deal with the expected population growth of the region and the existing housing crunch.   For more information on Fayetteville’s plans, visit:   • 71B Rezoning Project — https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/4339/71B-Rezoning-Project • 71B Corridor Master Plan — https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/3444/71B-Corridor-Plan • 71B Corridor Street Plan — https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/3588/Highway-71B-Corridor   For more information on Rogers’ plans, which were tabled at the July 10 City Council meeting to allow for more discussion, visit:   https://informrogers.transportationplanroom.com/   Speaking of Arkansas is a production of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, where Greg Harton serves as the editorial page editor.

Washington County Judge Patrick Deakins says it’s time to look into the potential benefits of a regional jail for Northwest Arkansas. Deakins, a former Quorum Court member who took office as county judge in January 2023, discusses that idea as well as his proposal for a new form of zoning in Washington County. In this edition of Speaking of Arkansas, host Greg Harton speaks with Deakins about his desire to explore the regional jail concept that has, over the course of many years, generally been treated as a nonstarter among county and law enforcement leaders. Washington County’s detention center population summary data cited by Deakins can be seen here and there’s also a story from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette when the county first posted those details. Also, the latest new development involving the former Washington County jail’s use by the state and the pending closure of the Northwest Arkansas Crisis Stabilization Unit can be found here.

March is observed as Arkansas Archeology Month. In this episode of Speaking of Arkansas, host Greg Harton speaks with Dr. Mel Zabecki, the state archeologist in Arkansas since 2021. She’s only the third person to hold that position since it was created in 1967. The interview covers how Zabecki went from archeological digs in Egypt to promotion of preservation in Arkansas. We discuss her views on threats to historical preservation arising from development, the harm posed by amateur treasure hunters scouring lands for souvenirs or private collections and the kind of people who might want to consider careers in archeology.   Additional links for information include:   • Arkansas Archeological Survey calendar of events — https://archeology.uark.edu/learn-discover/eventscalendar/   • Arkansas Archeological Society — https://www.arkarch.org/   • Read more about Arkansas Archeology Month here.   In the podcast, Zabecki mentions the archeological dig for the Arkansas Highway 112 project at Greathouse Springs. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist Fran Alexander wrote a column about the project in August 2023 at https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2023/aug/15/opinion-fran-alexander-arkansas-112-project/

Sept. 22-Oct. 23, 2023, is recognized by advocates of electric vehicles as National Drive Electric Week. Perhaps there’s no better time to visit with someone who has chosen to drive an electric car. Gary Berger of Bentonville is the founder and a board member of the Tesla Owners Club of Arkansas, a group that advocates for electric vehicles overall and doesn’t require members to own a Tesla or any electric vehicle. In this edition of the Speaking of Arkansas podcast, host Greg Harton discusses Berger’s experience owning an electric vehicle and many of the comments heard from skeptics, some of whom declare they will never own one as they question their viability. For additional information about the club and an event mentioned in the podcast, visit https://teslaownersarkansas.com/ and https://nwacouncil.org/drive-electric/

On this episode of Speaking of Arkansas:   A new police headquarters in Fayetteville   Fayetteville Police Chief Mike Reynolds, in a tour of Fayetteville's new $37 million police headquarters, describes some of the building's key features and how they apply to the law enforcement demands and expectations of the 21st century.   Join host Greg Harton to discover more about a building Reynolds says will give Fayetteville a boost in recruiting new officers and training their entire force.   Don't miss the latest news in Northwest Arkansas, sign up for our free newsletters at: nwaonline.com/email/   Support you local news, subscribe at: https://www.nwaonline.com/podcast23/

     Just how much do you love where you live? To what extent does that love extend to fellow residents who profess to love the same place you do? Does it affect the way you interact with people who hold different perspectives than you?        Questions like that have inspired Main Street Eureka Springs to devote the month of August to what it's calling "civic love," with a series of events examining what love of where one lives looks like and whether people can take steps to grow the love and pride they feel for the place they call home.        On this episode of Speaking of Arkansas, Jacqueline Wolven, who has served as executive director of Main Street Eureka Springs for 15 years, joins host Greg Harton of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Wolven discusses a series of events scheduled in February to explore the concept of civic love, which she suggests is needed in communities across Arkansas.   •••   In addition to this site, Speaking of Arkansas is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe so you'll know when each episode is released.   Don't miss the latest news in Northwest Arkansas, sign up for our free newsletters at: nwaonline.com/email/   Support your local news by subscribing at: nwaonline.com/subscribe    

Benton County proposes an expansion of its jail to deal with crowding. Benton County Judge Barry Moehring, Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway and Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Smith are advocating for voters to approve a temporary sales tax for construction and a permanent sales tax for operation.

Voters in Benton and Washington counties will be asked on Nov. 8 to support new taxes to pay for jail expansions. This episode of the Speaking of Arkansas podcast features Sarah Moore, executive director of the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition, and Mac Mayfield, a board member of the coalition and a leader of a new group called Neighbors Against New Taxation. They oppose jail expansions in both counties, advocating instead for judicial system reforms they say can hold people accountable while also addressing the root causes of their involvement in the judicial system. To listen to an argument for the Washington County jail expansion, visit: nwaonline.com/105forjail/ Don't miss the latest news in Northwest Arkansas, sign up for our free newsletters at: nwaonline.com/email/ Support your local news by subscribing at: nwaonline.com/email/  

Voters in Benton and Washington counties will be asked on Nov. 8 to support new taxes to pay for jail expansions.In this episode of the Speaking of Arkansas podcast, Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder and Chief Deputy Jay Cantrell, who becomes the sheriff in January, discuss the expansion proposal in Washington County. To listen to an argument against jail expansion in Washington and Benton Counties, visit: https://www.nwaonline.com/105againstjail/ Don't miss the latest news in Northwest Arkansas, sign up for our free newsletters at: nwaonline.com/email/ Support your local news by subscribing at: nwaonline.com/subscribe

On this episode of Speaking of Arkansas, Joanna Bell discusses her new role as the city of Fayetteville's arts and culture director as well as The Ramble, the city's voter-approved cultural arts corridor project. Join host Greg Harton, editorial page editor of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, as they discuss charting a path for promoting and producing the arts in Fayetteville.

     Bill Clinton's presidency ended more than 20 years ago, but he remains the first and only Arkansan to have made it to the political Mount Everest, the White House. Well before he and Hillary Clinton were residents at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., they got married inside a small brick house at 930 California Drive in Fayetteville, Arkansas.       Today, the house is the Clinton House Museum, a local effort to preserve and commemorate the place where the couple joined friends and supporters to plot out the early days of Bill Clinton's political journey. A house in Hope, Arkansas, is where William Jefferson Blythe was born, but it could be said this house in Fayetteville became the birthplace of his political success, the setting for his first successful run for public office to become Arkansas' attorney general.     The house is owned by the University of Arkansas, which also owns a number of other older houses in the area adjacent to the UA campus. The university leases the home to the board of directors of the Clinton House Museum, which is working to ensure the property's future as a stop on the so-called "Billgramage" is preserved.       In this episode of Speaking of Arkansas, that board's president, former UA professor Stephen Smith, discusses the museum's future, the house's place in political history and the efforts to build an endowment to fund operation of the small museum.For additional information, visit clintonhousemuseum.org. The museum at 930 W. Clinton Drive is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

On this episode of the "Speaking of Arkansas" podcast, Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks about:   • Sarah Huckabee Sanders, viewed as his likely replacement in 2023, and her qualities as a potential governor. • Issues he plans to work on during his remaining months in office. • Jail and prison overcrowding and whether Arkansas over-incarcerates its population. • His advice on how to approach Ukraine and Russia. • Mobile sports betting's entry into Arkansas. • His nephew Jim Hendren's Common Ground Arkansas organization. • Whether anti-intellectualism is an problem in Arkansas. • Arkansas' positioning to be heavily involved in the future of transportation.   Join hosts Greg Harton and Rusty Turner of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as the governor covers a multitude of topics, including his post-gubernatorial plans (can you say "New Hampshire?).

Will climate change adversely affect Northwest Arkansas so much that cities need specific plans for the meteorological, environmental and ecological effects? Fayetteville City Council member Teresa Turk believes so, and now isn't necessarily too soon to map out a strategy. The City Council recently adopted a resolution she offered to build "climate resilience" into the city's future. It will set aside $100,000 next year for the city staff or a consultant to draft a new chapter of city code to inform future city actions that impact environmental and ecosystem issues; to expand the footprint of lands of high ecological value; and to create a permanent capital improvement project budget for the purchase of lands with high environmental or ecological value.   To read a copy of Turk's resolutions, click here.   Turk was our recent guest on the "Speaking of Arkansas" podcast to discuss the resolution, the plan she hopes it produces and whether anything about it might complicate new development within the city.

     As more people and businesses make Northwest Arkansas their home, regional planners and decision-makers ponder what role public transit will play. Can it become a true alternative that inspires automobile owners to leave their cars parked for the ease of letting someone else do the driving? Can a robust bus system diminish the number of vehicles on the region's crowded highways?             In this episode of "Speaking of Arkansas," host Greg Harton speaks with Joel Gardner, executive director of the Ozark Regional Transit Authority, which serves as the bus system in urban and rural areas of Washington, Benton, Carroll and Madison counties.        Jeff Hatley, the authority's public information officer, also sat in on the discussion about today's mass transit system, its shortcomings and the opportunities that exist to address transportation challenges as the region grows.     Ozark Regional Transit Authority - https://www.ozark.org/   Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission 10-year transit development plan —https://www.nwarpc.org/transit/connect-northwest-arkansas/

What will it take to reduce the number of police traffic stops that devolve into a use of force, sometimes with deadly consequences? Is there a way to overcome concerns of how race and other biases affect who gets pull over by law enforcement officers? Is there a better way to serve the public's needs for enforcement of traffic laws? In this episode of "Speaking of Arkansas," Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editorial editor Greg Harton visits with Dr. Jordan Blair Woods, a law professor and criminologist at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Dr. Woods proposes creating local and state agencies focused solely on enforcement of traffic by unarmed "traffic monitors," eliminating the traffic stop as either a tool or an excuse for larger investigatory purposes. Doing so, he says, would at least reduce traffic stops of over-policed populations, such as racial minorities and poorer people. If you'd like to read his full 70-plus page research article, titled "Traffic Without the Police," visit http://ssrn.com/author=946203. Woods' full bio on the University of Arkansas School of Law faculty site can be found at https://law.uark.edu/directory/directory-faculty/uid/jbwoods/name/Jordan+Blair+Woods/ Questions or show suggestions for "Speaking of Arkansas" can be directed to Greg Harton at gharton@nwadg.com. Follow "Speaking of Arkansas" on Twitter @SpeakingofArka1

William Harris, who lists a variety of past jobs before moving to Fayetteville and working as an author, is running for the mayor of Fayetteville. In 2016, he ran for Washington County constable in District 2. The mayor’s race also includes candidates Ron Baucom, Lioneld Jordan and Tom Terminella. Baucom did not respond to requests for an interview.

Tom Terminella is a real estate developer making his second run for the office of mayor. The mayor’s race also includes candidates Ron Baucom, William Harris and Lioneld Jordan. Interviews with Harris and Jordan can be found here [insert hotlink to mayor interviews landing page]. Baucom did not respond to requests for an interview.

Lioneld Jordan is running for a fourth consecutive term as mayor of Fayetteville, a position he’s held since he first took office in 2009. Prior to that, Jordan served as a member of the City Council, beginning with his first term in 2001. The mayor’s race also includes candidates Ron Baucom, William Harris and Tom Terminella.

Hawley Woods of Johnson is a Democrat running in District 88 for the Arkansas House of Representatives in the Nov. 3, 2020, general election. Woods is a small business owner who operates a pet-sitting and personal assistance service. Woods is challenging Republican incumbent Clint Penzo of Springdale in the District 88 race. Penzo did not respond to our requests for a recorded interview.

John Carr of Rogers is a Republican candidate in District 94 for the Arkansas House of Representatives in the Nov. 3, 2020, general election. Carr is an independent information technology consultant. Carr faces Democrat Jené Huffman-Gilreath for the District 94 House seat.