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....

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...

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 t...

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...

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 w...

     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 examin...

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 c...

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 Cou...

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...

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...

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 a...

     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?             I...

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 De...

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.

Jené Huffman-Gilreath of Rogers is a Democratic candidate in District 94 for the Arkansas House of Representatives in the Nov. 3, 2020, general election. Huffman-Gilreath is shared services manager for Rogers Water Utilities. Huffman-Gilreath faces Republican John Carr for the District 94 House seat.

Josh Bryant of Rogers is a Republican candidate for District 96 of the Arkansas House of Representatives in the Nov. 3, 2020, general election. Bryant has served since 2014 as the elected justice of the peace serving District 2 on the Benton County Quorum Court. He’s a former U.S. Marine and is a partner in a Northwest Arkansas construction company. District 96 was formerly served by Rep. Grant Ho...

Jon Comstock of Rogers is a Democratic candidate for District 96 of the Arkansas House of Representatives in the Nov. 3, 2020, general election. Comstock is an attorney and mediator who previously served as legal counsel to Walmart Stores Inc. He served an appointed term as a circuit court judge in the 19th Judicial District West. District 96 was formerly served by Rep. Grant Hodges, who stepped d...

Daisy Bonilla of Bentonville is a Democrat candidate for District 93 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. A map of District 93 can be found here. Bonilla is a licensed social worker in the mental health field. She faces Republican Jim Dotson of Bentonville. Dotson declined to be interviewed.

Michael Bennett-Spears of Siloam Springs is a Democratic candidate for District 87 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Bennett-Spears is a marketing and events director at a restaurant. Bennett-Spears faces Republican Robin Lundstrum of Elm Springs.