The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - Arkansas' Best News Source

State’s death toll from virus passes 300; record rise in hospitalizations reported The death toll from the coronavirus in Arkansas passed the 300 mark on Tuesday, the same day the state reported the largest single-day increase in hospitalizations, according to state officials. by Erick Taylor 8 hrs. ago

Fraternity rebuild on Arkansas Avenue in Fayetteville source of neighborhood concern A University of Arkansas fraternity wants to replace its house at the edge of campus, and neighbors worry a rezoning could open the historic street to commercial uses and big buildings. by Stacy Ryburn 16 hrs. ago

Washington County jail reports 11 new covid-19 cases Another 11 detainees at the Washington County Detention Center tested positive for the covid-19 virus, according to the Sheriff's Office. by Tom Sissom 16 hrs. ago

Rogers passes ordinance to require masks The Rogers City Council unanimously passed an ordinance requiring anti-coronavirus masks, effective immediately upon its passage Monday afternoon. by Doug Thompson 16 hrs. ago

WAC puts Broadway season on hold The Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville announced Tuesday that all Broadway shows -- and any performance with an anticipated audience of more than 200 people -- will be postponed until January. by Becca Martin-Brown 9 hrs. ago

Absentee vote lawsuit moot, Thurston says; he calls virus fear accepted reason to skip going to polls Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston says a lawsuit over absentee balloting during the covid-19 pandemic is unnecessary now that he's acknowledged that fear of infection is justification for voters to cast ballots by mail or by drop-off. by John Lynch 16 hrs. ago

State earns a higher grade on special education More Arkansas students in special education programs were able to take ACT Aspire exams in 2018 rather than an alternative assessment -- putting the state in the "meets requirements" category in regard to the federal IDEA Act. by Cynthia Howell 16 hrs. ago

Walmart forms insurance agency Walmart Inc. has formed an insurance agency in Texas that will sell Medicare-related products and services, broadening its foray into the health care business. by Serenah McKay 21 hrs. ago

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439 virus cases reported; Conway passes mask ordinance 16 hrs. ago

Hospital beds filling as cases of virus surge 16 hrs. ago

439 virus cases reported; state notes dip in testing 16 hrs. ago

Holiday weekend slows virus testing in Arkansas; cases grow by 439 1 day ago

State logs 605 more cases of coronavirus 1 day ago

Lament rises over nation's rush to reopen 1 day ago

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State shuts Little Rock pub, cites virus-directive violations The state Health Department has shut down Brewski's Pub & Grub in Little Rock after three employees tested positive for covid-19, and because the pub was substantially out of compliance with Health Department directives on capacity and mask-wearing. by Eric E. Harrison 16 hrs. ago

State mask wearing ordinance supersedes Fayetteville mandate Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Friday he signed an executive order to allow Arkansas cities to adopt a model ordinance to require the wearing of face masks in response to the covid-19 pandemic. by Mary Jordan

Hutchinson order lets cities require masks Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued an executive order Friday allowing cities to adopt limited requirements for people to wear masks in public places. by Andy Davis

Type 2 diabetes a risk factor for covid-19 Diabetes is a common underlying health condition of people who are dying of covid-19 in Northwest Arkansas, records show. by Alex Golden

City mask ordinances now allowed, within limits, Hutchinson says Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued an executive order on Friday establishing a model ordinance for cities that want to require the use of masks in public places. by Andy Davis

Virus OK as excuse for voting absentee in Arkansas, Hutchinson says Any Arkansans who fear going to the polls this fall during the coronavirus pandemic can use their concerns as an excuse to vote absentee, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday. by John Moritz

Arkansas prison system below capacity for first time since ’07 Arkansas' state prison system had more beds than prisoners on Thursday, ending a yearslong streak of overcrowding, thanks to hundreds of releases because of the coronavirus. by John Moritz

Arkansas virus cases soar by 878; 2 new deaths reported Arkansas' count of coronavirus cases rose Thursday by 878, setting a new one-day record, even as Northwest Arkansas health care providers announced that they would tighten their criteria for testing to conserve supplies and manpower for hospitalized patients and others with urgent needs. by Andy Davis

Fayetteville School District crafting policy to require masks at school The School District is developing a policy requiring students and employees to wear a mask or face covering while in a school building or riding a school bus. by Dave Perozek

Northwest Arkansas covid-19 testing priorities shift amidst testing supply concerns Health care officials adjusted covid-19 testing priorities Thursday in Northwest Arkansas amid concerns about the availability of testing material. by Mary Jordan

Texas governor issues statewide mask order to fight covid-19 AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday ordered that face coverings must be worn in public across most of the state, a dramatic ramp up of the Republican’s efforts to control spiking numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. by JIM VERTUNO, The Associated Press

State sees highest single-day rise in virus cases; tally increases by 878 Arkansas recorded 878 new cases of covid-19 on Thursday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said, the highest daily increase since the pandemic began. All Arkansans will be able to cite concerns about covid-19 as an excuse to vote by absentee ballot in the November elections, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Thursday. by Nyssa Kruse

Governor urges caution on 4th; says data hopeful Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday pointed to decreases in the number of new coronavirus cases reported, the number of Arkansans hospitalized with covid-19 and the number of active cases in the state as signs that the spread of the virus in Arkansas could be slowing. by Andy Davis

Fayetteville holds first city board of health meeting Members of the city's Board of Health said they want to more effectively reach and protect residents during the covid-19 pandemic, citing a lack of response from the state. by Stacy Ryburn

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Brother of Little Rock mayor charged with kidnapping, theft Prior to his arrest Monday for kidnapping and theft charges related to the theft of a vehicle with two children inside, the younger brother of Little Rock’s mayor spoke with a guardian of the children over the phone, telling her, “Don’t worry, I’m the mayor’s brother,” according to police records released Tuesday. 8 hrs. ago

WAC puts Broadway season on hold; SoNA and APT follow suit, waiting for 2021 The Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville announced Tuesday that all Broadway shows -- and any performance with an anticipated audience of more than 200 people -- will be postponed until January. by Becca Martin-Brown 9 hrs. ago

Richmond removes statue of Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart Work crews on Tuesday took down a monument to Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, the third major statue to be cleared away in less than a week as the Confederacy's former capital rushes to remove symbols of oppression in response to protests against police brutality and racism. by The Associated Press 11 hrs. ago

Body of missing teen recovered from Greers Ferry Lake, authorities say The body of a 17-year-old boy was recovered from Greers Ferry Lake on Monday night, authorities said. by Erick Taylor 11 hrs. ago

Amazon facility at Port of Little Rock to be state's first fulfillment center; site to employ 1,000 Amazon.com confirmed Tuesday that the 826,000-foot facility under construction on a 80-acre site at the Port of Little Rock will be its first fulfillment center in Arkansas and employ 1,000 people when it opens next year. by Noel Oman 14 hrs. ago

Springdale woman dies in crash A 33-year-old woman died Sunday after the vehicle she was riding in crashed along Interstate 40 in Franklin County, authorities said. by Erick Taylor 16 hrs. ago

'Lift Every Voice and Sing' hymn ignites hope across nation LOS ANGELES -- The Black national anthem was born more than a century ago, but the popular hymn within the African American community called "Lift Every Voice and Sing" has resurrected a beacon of hope during nationwide protests. by NATHAN LANDRUM JR. The Associated Press 19 hrs. ago

Bentonville Planning Commission approves large-scale plans BENTONVILLE -- The Planning Commission on Tuesday night unanimously approved two large-scale developments and a series of rezonings. by Mike Jones 19 hrs. ago

Facebook groups pivot to attacks on Black Lives Matter CHICAGO -- A loose network of Facebook groups that took root across the country in April to organize protests over coronavirus stay-at-home orders has become a hub of misinformation and conspiracy theories that have pivoted to a variety of new targets. 19 hrs. ago

Argentines have balcony parties amid quarantine BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- A few days of the silence and solitude of quarantine was all that Marcela Alvarez could stand. by DEBORA REY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 20 hrs. ago

Supporters of redistricting ballot measure submit petition signatures Proponents of a proposed constitutional amendment that would change how legislative and congressional districts are redrawn said they turned in more than 98,000 signatures of registered voters on their petition on Monday. by Michael R. Wickline 1 day ago

No more delays: What to know about the July 15 tax deadline It's time to do your taxes — no more delays. by The Associated Press 1 day ago

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Northwest Arkansas Outdoors

River's gems sparkle on War Eagle Airlines have their frequent flyer miles. River paddlers in the Ozarks redeem their frequent floater miles on some of the most beautiful streams in the nation. by Flip Putthoff

Drawing selects 23 for state elk hunt The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has selected 23 state residents to participate in this year's annual public land elk hunt. by Flip Putthoff

NWA fishing report The latest fishing reports from across Northwest Arkansas. by Flip Putthoff

Summer treats come out of their shell One fine summer evening, I watched my neighbors at our community fish fry gobble up the platter of deviled eggs I'd set on the table with all the other side-dish treats. by Flip Putthoff

Balance bikes the best Do you remember that feeling as a kid when you finally learned to ride a bike? I sure do. by Dane Eifling

NWA outdoor briefs: Beaver Lake gets striped bass; Elmdale tops for catfish The latest outdoors news in Northwest Arkansas. by Flip Putthoff

ARKANSAS SPORTSMAN: Round-table meeting cuts through disease haze After its virtual round-table discussion on chronic wasting disease, nobody can accuse the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission of not being informed about CWD. by Bryan Hendricks

Line error: Outdated braid no match for White Oak’s bass BLUFF CITY -- I learned the hard way that braided line has a shelf life. by Bryan Hendricks

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