We've been keeping our thumbs up and down chilled just waiting for a chance to offer them today, so here they are:
Perhaps there remain more questions than answers, but Alice Walton's announcement that the Walton Family Foundation is turning its attentions to the way health care is delivered means some serious resources will be devoted to improvements. The daughter of the Sam and Helen Walton, the founding couple of Walmart Inc., announced the formation of the new Whole Health Institute in Bentonville. Is this birth of a new Mayo Clinic-like facility? The current approach is "a disease care system, not a health care system," Alice Walton told the Northwest Arkansas Council. The push is to deliver better, goal-oriented health care at lower costs than traditional treatment. We look forward to more details amid the visions of advancements in health care.
The Show Me State is demonstrating just how serious it is about getting that all-important, interstate-quality connection to the Bella Vista bypass made at the Arkansas-Missouri border. They're putting another $7 million into the pot to build their portion of Interstate 49 north of Bella Vista and up to Pineville. The project has sat dormant for years, waiting for the moment when both Arkansas and Missouri had the money together to complete a key section of Interstate 49. Eventually, in 2021 or early 2022, Arkansas' and Missouri's portions will meet at the state line, completing a project that's been talked about for about three decades.
It's fantastic when a moment, such as the first all-female space walk by astronauts last October on the International Space Station, is recognized for its historic achievement . It represents quite a milestone. When, however, after that does such a moment simply become another space walk? Last week when astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch exited the space station to work on batteries, it was reported as the third all-female space walk. By trip No. 3, we think it's OK to recognize it's just astronauts doing their jobs, having proven themselves as capable as anyone.
OK, so yes, it would have been nice for the Arkansas Razorbacks to have beaten the University of Kentucky in the recent game at Bud Walton Arena. It was a hard-fought game and disappointing to lose. But wasn't it fun with about eight minutes left in the game to see UK Coach John Calipari ejected for arguing with the officials? It wasn't so much in the act of him being ejected, but in the response of the Bud Walton crowd. That sold-out arena was extraordinarily loud at several points in the game, but it exploded when the officials booted him from the game. Watching as a UK player at center court used his fingers to plug his ears was a nice bonus. What a place to watch and play basketball! Way to go, fans.
"The days of Noah's Ark in the air are hopefully coming to an end," said Sara Nelson, president of the 50,000-member Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. She referred to the U.S. Department of Transportation's proposed rules to crack down on what will qualify as a "service animal" in the future. Lax rules in the past have left room for passengers to make all sorts of claims about various animals, regardless of a training. That's meant airline attendants have faced problems from miniature horses, turkeys, cats and other animals. Under the new rules, an approved service animal will be defined as a "dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability." NBC News reported DOT has seen the number of complaints from passengers about unruly service animals on domestic and foreign airlines skyrocket from 719 in 2013 to 3,065 in 2018, which suggests to us that it's about time for a change.
Commentary on 01/23/2020