Stories by Brenda Blagg
RSSWhere Did All The Voters Go?
Four out of five registered voters in Washington County sat out this last round of elections. In Benton County, three out of four stayed home. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Support Strong For ‘Regnat Populus’
FAYETTEVILLE — Somewhere in your public education, you should have heard the Latin words “Regnat Populus,” or “The People Rule.” That’s the motto of the state of Arkansas, one adopted way back in the state’s history and being used this year to advance a proposal for ethics and campaign reform. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Alcohol Vote Seems Almost Certain
FAYETTEVILLE — The hard part always was gathering signatures for a wet-dry vote in Benton County. Continue reading...
Some Petitions Should Be Ignored
Beware, voters. Not all petitions are worthy of your signature. Come Election Day, and perhaps even during these last days of early voting, the petitioners will be out in force. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Cross Ross Off Candidate List
FAYETTEVILLE — Mike Ross is out of the 2014 race for governor. Who’s in? Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Rural Post Offices Win Reprieve
FAYETTEVILLE — The U.S. Postal Service showed a little common sense with its latest cost-saving proposal for rural post offices. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Ballot Features One Statewide Race
FAYETTEVILLE — Here’s an election quiz for you. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: ‘Pay To Stay’ Should Be Put Away
FAYETTEVILLE — A Benton County Quorum Court committee has wisely put the kibosh on a plan to charge inmates for their stays in the county jail. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Happy Birthday, Gov. Rockefeller
FAYETTEVILLE — Who could have imagined the impact a baby boy born to a prominent New York family a century ago might have on a state like Arkansas? Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Income Rising Here And Statewide
FAYETTEVILLE — Did you catch this news? Continue reading...
Tug Of War Over Art Nearing End
FAYETTEVILLE — Georgia O’Keeffe’s art and other prized pieces in a Fisk University collection might actually make it to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Immigration Issue Takes UA Stage
FAYETTEVILLE — A half-dozen young Latino men and women bravely exposed themselves to deportation Monday, explaining what it is like to be undocumented in the only country they’ve ever really known. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Transportation Projects Await Money
FAYETTEVILLE — Population growth will make Northwest Arkansas eligible for a new pot of federal transportation money. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Law Provided Us Petrino Details
FAYETTEVILLE — Aweek into the post-Bobby Petrino era, much remains unsettled in the football program at the University of Arkansas. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: CodeRed A Potential Lifesaver
FAYETTEVILLE — Another weekend of dark and foreboding clouds, complete with menacing rotations in some places, was a good enough reminder for anyone who is eligible to sign up for mass alert warning systems. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Police Captain’s Role Scrutinized
FAYETTEVILLE — Bobby Petrino’s decision-making was bad enough, lying as he did to his boss and to the public about that motorcycle accident that threatens to cost him his multimilliondollar coaching job. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Asking Too Much Of Inmates?
FAYETTEVILLE — Benton County prisoners may have to pay for their transportation, room and board. Continue reading...
Petrino Has Created A Big Mess
Initial reports of Bobby Petrino’s motorcycle accident indicated the head coach of the football Razorbacks was hurt. Until Thursday, few could have imagined how much. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Little Support Seen For Tax Hike
FAYETTEVILLE — Supporters of a ballot proposal to increase funding for state highways couldn’t have been pleased with results of a recent poll. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Mall Has Grown Up With Region
FAYETTEVILLE — Recent celebration of the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Northwest Arkansas Mall is a reminder of just how much this region has changed in the intervening years. Continue reading...
Number Of Officials Is Changing
Recollections of a soon-to-retire justice of the peace prompt a fl ashback to a diff erent time and a bit of a history lesson. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Desegregation Fight Back In News
FAYETTEVILLE — That decadesold settlement agreement intended to bring about desegregation in three Central Arkansas schools is back in the news and in court again. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Congress Faces Deadline Again
FAYETTEVILLE — Once again, a critical deadline looms. And, once again, we wait for the U.S. Congress to act. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Hiwasse-Gravette Match Likely
FAYETTEVILLE — Thanks, but no thanks. Continue reading...
Millage Supporters Face Challenge
Supporters of a second high school for Bentonville have their work cut out for them. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: University Reporting Policy Is Clear
FAYETTEVILLE — Who would have thought it necessary to have a written policy to tell adults to report suspected child abuse to authorities? Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: It’s Always Sunny In Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE — Sunshine Week, a national celebration of the people’s right to know, serves each year as a reminder of how well we are served in this state by the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: McDaniel Spends Big For Your Back
FAYETTEVILLE — A dust-up last week over a promotion launched by Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is worth a chuckle. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Tax Could Fund Buses - Or Not
FAYETTEVILLE — The election is on. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Bella Vista Bypasses Annexation
FAYETTEVILLE — Bella Vista apparently has learned a lesson some of the region’s older municipalities long ago discovered. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Republicans Making Progress
FAYETTEVILLE — This year’s filings for the Arkansas Legislature shore up the potential for Republicans to gain control of one or both of the two chambers. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: The Middle Narrows Once Again
FAYETTEVILLE — U. S. Sen. Olympia Snowe’s announcement last week that she would not seek another term was yet another depressing signal of how our national politics have devolved. Continue reading...
Big Push For Grand Old Party
Election “news” for one county isn’t news at all in another, as proven by last week’s candidate fi lings. Continue reading...
Trucking Tax Fix Slipping Away
A last gasp effort to delay rather than rescind a tax break for truckers died in the Legislature Thursday.
Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Truckers Keep Their Free Ride
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas truckers will apparently get to keep a $4 million-a-year tax break. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Complaints Are Rare, But Needed
FAYETTEVILLE — It is not everyday practice for a newspaper to file a criminal complaint against a public official. Continue reading...
Can I Get Your Signature?
Prepare for the assault. Any time now, someone with clipboard in hand will be approaching voters around the state, seeking signatures for first one then another proposed ballot issue. Continue reading...
Walton Arts Center Shifting Plans
What’s going on with these shifting plans for arts facilities in Fayetteville? Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Change Coming As Regions Meet
FAYETTEVILLE — The times they are a-changin. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Arkansas Truck Tax Needs Fixing
FAYETTEVILLE — Is any issue worth the extraordinary vote necessary to get it before the Arkansas Legislature in the ongoing fiscal session? Continue reading...
The Corner, The Core Start Talking
A gathering in Fayetteville last week could be hugely significant. Or not. Continue reading...
Benton County’s Long Dry Spell
Maybe this time. A new effort is under way to allow retail alcohol sales in Benton County, long described as the “wettest dry county in Arkansas.”
Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Fiscal Session Is Work And Play
FAYETTEVILLE — Heads still shake over the 2008 passage of a constitutional amendment requiring fiscal sessions of the Arkansas Legislature. Continue reading...
Back On Trail Of Public Transit
Let the debate go on. Washington County Quorum Court will take at least another month to decide if or when to send a proposed transit tax to county voters. Continue reading...
Cities Partner On Transportation
The partnership announced this week between Fayetteville and Fort Smith is more evidence of how much change has occurred in this region of the state. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Director Pay Cap A Good Idea
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Lottery Commission took a significant step this week to restore confidence in the lottery that took such a hard public relations hit under its former leadership. Continue reading...
Drive-By Shooting Reported
SPRINGDALE — Police are investigating a drive-by shooting reported on Braxton Drive on Friday night.
Continue reading...
Education Leads To Jobs
Need proof that education pays? Consider the fact that participants in certain postsecondary programs can, upon graduation, pretty much count on getting a job. Continue reading...
Quorum Court Faces Decision
Developments this week put the onus squarely on the Washington County Quorum Court to decide whether there will or won’t be a May vote on a proposed transit tax. Continue reading...
BETWEEN THE LINES: Lawmakers Dodge Jobs Pay Issue
FAYETTEVILLE — As state lawmakers prepare for this year’s fiscal session of the Legislature, some of them seem bound and determined to authorize jobs without funding them. Continue reading...
