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

Fayetteville Public Library expansion almost complete The expanded library that voters asked for four years ago is almost ready. by Stacy Ryburn 1 day ago

662 more covid-19 cases reported in Arkansas Arkansas' covid-19 cases grew by 662 Saturday and five additional people died of virus-related illness, according to the Arkansas Department of Health's online portal tracking the outbreak. by Joseph Flaherty 23 hrs. ago

Voters to decide Bethel Heights' fate Springdale surrounds Bethel Heights on three sides and might erase the town from the map if voters approve. by Laurinda Joenks 1 day ago

Bella Vista leads state's cities in census response Bella Vista has the highest response rate to the U.S. Census of any city in Arkansas, the most recent federal figures show. by Doug Thompson 1 day ago

Spring shutdown led UA to slash spending Cuts to professional services, supplies and contract food services helped lower spending at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville four months ago during the first full month of the pandemic, expenditure records show. by Jaime Adame 1 day ago

SpaceX capsule and NASA crew make 1st splashdown in 45 years CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to close out an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk's SpaceX company. 13 hrs. ago

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Officials: 2 Arkansas inmates die while hospitalized with covid-19 Two hospitalized Arkansas prison inmates who tested positive for covid-19 died Wednesday, according to a Department of Corrections spokeswoman. by Nyssa Kruse

Pre-elective surgery testing rule scrapped Arkansas no longer will require patients undergoing elective surgery to take coronavirus tests before their procedures, officials said Thursday, citing the need to preserve testing capacity for people more likely to have encountered the virus. by John Moritz, Jeannie Roberts

NWACC board reviews plans ahead of school year The Northwest Arkansas Community College board had a chance to review the school's plans and policies Thursday at an annual retreat. by Alex Golden

Covid-19 testing event set for Saturday The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks and the Arkansas Department of Health plan to hold a drive-through covid-19 testing event Saturday, according to a news release from the system. by NWA Democrat-Gazette

State's cases grow by 791 as governor deploys more troops to fight virus Arkansas recorded an increase of 791 cases of covid-19 on Thursday, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced he would deploy an additional 14 National Guard troops to assist the Department of Health’s coronavirus operations. by NWA Democrat-Gazette

Tyson Foods to increase virus testing in U.S. meat plants Tyson Foods says it plans to administer thousands of coronavirus tests per week at its U.S. facilities under an expanded effort to protect workers and keep plants running. by The Associated Press

Hutchinson tells of U.S. assurances on testing ramp-up; state cases up 787 Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday that the White House assured him in a conversation the day before that covid-19 testing across the nation will ramp up significantly by next month, delivering faster results to get ahead of the virus. by John Moritz, Jeannie Roberts

RESTAURANT TRANSITIONS: Oyster Bar still on cusp to reopen “Coming soon” signs now hang in the windows of The Oyster Bar, 3003 W. Markham St., Little Rock, but co-owner Chris Tanner says he’s still dealing with the detail work in getting the place open and hasn’t yet finalized a timeline. by Eric E. Harrison

State’s virus count rises by 787; tally includes 170 in correctional facilities Arkansas recorded 787 new cases of covid-19 Wednesday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said, including 170 cases in correctional facilities, the largest jump among inmates in several weeks. by Nyssa Kruse

Day's toll of 20 a state record Arkansas' coronavirus latest statistics were deemed "not good numbers" Tuesday by the governor, who noted that the total of cases since the pandemic began topped 40,000, current hospitalizations rose above 500 and the death toll jumped by a single-day record of 20. by Jeannie Roberts

Files show official's virus reticence Arkansas' interim health secretary privately expressed concerns in June that continuing to lift restrictions on businesses statewide could lead to an increase in covid-19 cases, potentially overwhelming the health care system, according to email records. by Joseph Flaherty

Opinion sought on county coroners' redactions After weeks of pushing off requests to release complete coroner reports for those who died with covid-19, Garland County officials have requested an attorney general's opinion on whether those records must be made public. by Ginny Monk

Key puts emphasis on ability to adapt; safety paramount, education chief says Arkansas' schools must be nimble this fall, state Education Secretary Johnny Key said during a virtual "town-hall meeting" Tuesday night. by Bill Bowden

Northwest Arkansas firm's test approved for EU Springdale-based NOWDiagnostics Inc. has gained European Union approval for its single-drop test for the covid-19 antibody. by JOHN MAGSAM ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

State's virus deaths rise by 20, a new single-day record Gov. Asa Huchinson on Tuesday reported the number of Arkansans who have died from covid-19 rose by 20, a new single-day record for the state since the pandemic began. by Erick Taylor

Lawmakers reverse course, approve $7M in virus aid to minority communities State lawmakers agreed Tuesday to spend $7 million in federal funds toward managing the coronavirus outbreak among Hispanic and Marshallese populations in Northwest Arkansas. by John Moritz

Students to get home Wi-Fi aid; state sets $10M for devices Arkansas will spend $10 million in federal aid to purchase Wi-Fi-access devices for families with school-age children, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday as the state's total number of active covid-19 cases grew slightly, about a month before the start of school. by John Moritz, Thomas Saccente

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Debate begins for who's first in line for COVID-19 vaccine Who gets to be first in line for a COVID-19 vaccine? U.S. health authorities hope by late next month to have some draft guidance on how to ration initial doses, but it's a vexing decision. 13 hrs. ago

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Listen Here: Rena Strober Gives 'Sesame Street' Broadway Treatment "American Advertisement"

A Friend Indeed: Girls on the Run inspires joy, health, confidence Tell us about your organization: by Carin Schoppmeyer

Getting back together Some Bella Vista groups couldn't wait for the rest of the covid-19 restrictions to be lifted. Although their usual meeting spot in Riordan Hall is still unavailable, they have found a way to gather. by Lynn Atkins

Anthems For Our Times: Guy Ames' new band blossoms with debut CD Guy King Ames didn't expect his new band, Sycamore, to record a CD when they did. And he certainly didn't expect it to be a panacea in a time when fans need anthems to sustain them. But both things have happened during the coronavirus quarantine, much to his surprise. by Becca Martin-Brown

Doomed To Repeat It? Historical lessons resonate in T2's 'The Interrogator' "The Interrogator," the next installment in TheatreSquared's virtual 2020 Arkansas New Play Festival, is set in World War II. But it might not always feel like it. The playwright, Russell Leigh Sharman, says "whole sections of the transcripts [on which it is based] could be lifted out of context, and you might think they were recorded just yesterday. I began work on the story in 2015, but I returned to it as a play late last year. I was surprised, and honestly a bit disheartened, at how much more resonant the material had become in those four to five years." by Becca Martin-Brown

Hybrid Still High Impact: Covid can't stop Bentonville Film Festival's 'great stories' As the Bentonville Film Festival takes its turn -- as many festivals, events and gatherings before it -- to face the coronavirus pandemic head on, programmers are determined to continue furthering the festival's mission of championing underrepresented voices in filmmaking while maintaining the magic of cinema to bring people together. The sixth annual festival, co-founded by Trevor Drinkwater and Geena Davis, was supposed to take over downtown Bentonville in early May, but it was moved to Aug. 10-16 in the hopes of mitigating the spread of covid-19. by Jocelyn Murphy

Podcasts: New Podcast Seeks To Solve 1954 Lynching Fourteen months and 23 days before 14-year-old Emmet Louis Till was lynched in Money, Miss., accused of somehow offending a white woman, a prominent Black farmer and entrepreneur met a similar fate 135 miles away in Marion, a small Delta town on the eastern edge of Arkansas. by Jerry McLeod

Lasting Local Impact: Bentonville not left behind as festival moves online "It's global so I think everyone's more understanding -- they're not like, 'Oh, you didn't show up. The festival didn't do what it's supposed to do.'" by Jocelyn Murphy

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