On Feb. 9, 2021, The Bentonville, Arkansas City Council asked voters to consider a bond extension that will allow infrastructure, public safety, and efficiency improvements without a tax increase - utilizing the extension of a city 1% sales tax. Among those improvements are a new radio system, new police training facilities and a library expansion.

• A special election to be held on April 13 will ask residents to approve approximately $266 million in bonds by extending a 1% city sales tax. Included in that proposal will be $4.9 million for library expansion, used towards a 6,400 sqft addition and renovation to 10,000 sqft of the interior.
• To Library Director, Hadi Dudley, this is a really important vote and pivotal to Bentonville's growth. "An expansion is necessary to better align the library with growth in population, school enrollment and city development cited in the 2018 Bentonville Community Plan." -NWA Democrat-Gazette
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• Another $6.6 million will be allocated for the new radio system, $3.9 million for the fire training facility and $1.6 million for the police training building. A new system is desperately needed for inter-operations and communications in the department, and new technology will assist officers in virtual deescalation and judgmental use-of-force training simulations. -NWA Democrat Gazette
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More to come on this as the vote approaches next month, but in the meantime you can read the current statement HERE.

The Momentary museum in Bentonville, located in the former Craft Cheese facility, just had its one year celebration in late February. The museum announced on Monday its 2021 summer exhibitions schedule and a new outdoor installation. 2021 is already beginning to look totally different than 2020 did for this museum.

• Abigail Deville: Light of Freedom. This outdoor exhibit is a "13-foot-tall reference to the Statute of Liberty's torch encased in scaffolding and filled with found objects." Light of Freedom reflects on the American promise and recent events within the Land of the Free. The exhibit can be viewed March 25 - July 25, 2021.

• Cauleen Smith: Space Station, Radiant behind the Sun. "Filmmaker Cauleen Smith immerses audiences in a world that draws from Afrofuturism, science fiction, and experimental cinema. Visitors will walk through a transformed gallery space - a 'space station' with a 1970s aesthetic, new installations, drawings, banners, and immersive elements - while two of Smith's films, Sojourner and Pilgrim, play on alternating loops." The exhibition can be seen June 26 - October 17, 2021.

• Kenny Rivero: The Floor Is Crooked. This is a solo exhibition of "drawings, paintings, and sculptures that focuses on works made over the last 10 years" by Kenny Rivero. The exhibit is "intended to be an investigation of Rivero's artistic practice and a focused look at themes that have been present in his work for the last decade." The Floor Is Crooked can be viewed July 10 - October 24, 2021.

• Garrett Bradley: American Rhapsody. Garrett works across "narrative, documentary, and experimental modes of filmmaking to explore the social, economic, and racial politics of everyday life." His exhibit, American Rhapsody features a selection of "three recent works by the artist - two single-channel videos and a multi-channel video installation." You can see his work this summer starting July 3 - September 9, 2021.

As a reminder, these art experiences come at no cost to the public and the museum is free to enter.

On March 8, the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust announced that 700 acres of forest north of Devil's Den has been donated by Fayetteville lawyer Jack Butt as part of an expansion of the wildlife corridor project, which now includes more than 1,700 acres overall.

• Marson Nance, Director of Land Protection and Stewardship with the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, said her group is hoping to convert, if possible, a significant amount of neighboring properties to public land with intentions to create another outdoor space like Devil's Den and the Ozark National Forest. "We're working to protect water quality for our area, to preserve the scenic value of the area and to protect wildlife habitat," said Nance.

• Jack Butt, the donor, mentioned that the land was settled in the years after the Civil War and has found remnants of rock walls, hand-dug wells, foundation stones and crumbled chimneys. Lee Creek, a source of drinking water for the Fort Smith area, also runs through the property. After buying his partners out of the property over the years, Butt said he and his wife Anne agreed they would be happy with the natural land preservation. Land preservation is a hot-topic among many NW-Arkansans, and the area's rising population is stirring concern among residents. -NWA Democrat-Gazette

• Fayetteville's 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan includes a section dedicated to the environment and details a number of conservation achievements since the adoption of the Open Space Plan in 2016. "People in Northwest Arkansas definitely support the concept," said Elizabeth Bowen, Project Manager with the commission.

Read more about the announcement and other works by the NWA Land Trust, HERE.

San Antonio Bound: The Arkansas Women's Basketball Team has been selected to compete in the 2021 NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.

• The Lady Hogs will dance with Wright State Raiders in the first round in the Alamo Region as the No. 4 seed next Monday, March 22 at 2pm CT. A total of 64 teams were picked to play in the tournament. 40/29 News

• This will be Head Coach Mike Neighbors' first appearance at the tournament with an Arkansas team. The Razorbacks finished the regular season 19-8, coming to an abrupt end in the SEC Tournament. Pig Trail Nation

• What does national success mean for Northwest Arkansas? Steve Clark, President and CEO of Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce mentioned that having both teams make the NCAA March tournament has a direct correlation on business transactions in Northwest Arkansas. "You will see it in more beverages sold, in food sales, and in general more people out and about" said Clark.

Correction: There was a typo in yesterday's article about the Men's Basketball team. Their game is this Friday, March 19 at 11:45a CT, not Thursday. Thanks for the subscribers to caught this!

St. Patrick's Day is a holiday that one deeply loves or never remembers. I tend to fall into the latter category; however, I am looking to change that and have found some events happening in the region that even someone like me would enjoy.

• Cycling: Join the St. Patrick's Day Ride - Slaughter Pen (Bentonville) Wednesday Night Group Ride with Friends of Arkansas Single Track. Each group (A, B, & C) will be meeting at a different location in Bentonville to take on the trails together. Masks are required in the event you are unable to maintain 6 ft social distance.

• Pot O'Gold: St. Patrick's Day Pot 'O Gold Tournament (Bentonville) - The axe-throwing tourney starts at 7pm on March 19th. There will be cash payouts for the top four throwers. Nothing like mixing beer and axes..

• Brews: Bentonville Brewing Company, Crisis Brewing Company, Puritan Coffee & Beer, Natural State Beer Company, Crossroad Tavern and more are throwing down and slinging pints this St. Patty's Day.

• Get jiggy: Blue City Limits will be grooving in the Grove, Park House is partying non-stop during Shamrock Week, and Chelsea's in Eureka Springs will round out the must-see live music this week.

If none of these events caught your eye, you can view more local happenings HERE.