Rogers voters have a little work left to do with runoffs in two City Council races from the general election. In the Ward 3, Position 2 race, Keith Jackson and Andrew Hatfield advanced to the runoff in what proved to be a very tight three-way race. Incumbent Bob Goodwin faces Carlos Chicas in the race for the Ward 4, Position 1 seat, surviving a four-person field. The election in Nov. 27. Early voting starts Tuesday.
In the Ward 3 race, we endorse Jackson. We like his experience as a former police oft cer, which also helps him with understanding the ins and outs of city government. We think that gives him a slight edge. However, if voters choose Hatfield, they wouldn’t go wrong. He’s a longtime Rogers resident who cares deeply about the community.
In the Ward 4, Position 1 contest, we choose Goodwin. He’s served 27 years on the council, so no one can doubt his experience or his dedication. We are confident he’s got only Rogers’ best interests at heart. Chicas, a local broadcaster, ran the most active campaign of any of the Rogers candidates. We think Goodwin’s long service, coupled with his clear dedication to the community, make him the better choice.
UA’S MOVE STOPS LAWSUIT
The University of Arkansas is going to end up owning a disputed piece of property just north of its campus near Cleveland Street and Garland Avenue. That’s probably a good thing.
Specialized Real Estate Group of Springdale planned to buy the 2.7-acre parcel and build a 122-unit, six-story apartment complex there, obviously looking to serve college students. Residential property owners nearby didn’t like that idea and fought the plan, known as the Cleveland Project, as it wound through the city of Fayetteville’s approval process. When they couldn’t stop it there, the neighbors filed suit in Washington County Circuit Court.
That suit was dropped last week after the University of Arkansas said it wanted the land. It offered the owner, Fadil Bayyari, the same $2.25 million the private developers had to buy it, but also said it would pursue eminent domain proceedings to condemn the property if necessary.
That’s understandable. The UA campus is growing by necessity as the school pushes to increase enrollment past the 25,000-student mark. The UA has been buying neighboring parcels of land all along. This purchase makes sense. It seems unlikely at this point that anything other than the UA taking possession will occur. By dropping the lawsuit, the neighbors seem to be saying they are OK with that.
The plan for the Cleveland property now seems to be a UA parking lot, but who knows what the future holds? It will be interesting to see what will happen if the UA decides to do something diff erent with that land someday.
CASUALTIES OF WAR
To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers is publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations.
Army Pfc. Shane G. Wilson, 20, of Kuna, Idaho, died Oct. 18, in Khost, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.