For the first time in program history, the Arkansas Razorback Softball team can lay claim to the SEC Regular Season Championship Title!

• It happened last night after No. 7 Arkansas beat No. 14 LSU. Arkansas wrapped up the regular season with a 40-8 record and went 19-5 in the SEC.
• Quote: "They came here to change this program, and I am so incredibly proud of these players..." - an emotional Coach Courtney Deifel. We are too coach, we are proud too!

You can watch the team's reaction - they were excited to say the least. Well done!

As if we don't have enough reason to be excited for summer, Experience Fayetteville has announced the return of "First Thursday" in Downtown Fayetteville on August 5th.

• Business as usual: First Thursday is always FREE and open to the public - while the season is shorter this year, the event will still celebrate Fayetteville's local arts culture, music, food, and beer.
• What to look forward to: August 5 - Dog Daze of Summer / September 2 - Tight Knit / October 7 - Light

Want to get involved or learn more? The vendor, sponsorship packet, and more can all be found HERE.

New Beginnings, a Fayetteville-based nonprofit, has received its largest donation in the history of the organization.

• The nonprofit announced Monday that Jane Hunt donated $1 million to help support the completion of a capital project to build a public housing shelter in south Fayetteville.
• What's included: The complex will include 20 temporary shelters, a kitchen, a shower house, and a laundry facility. Additionally, the donation will aid in providing sustained programming at New Beginnings.
• Quote: "This gift allows us to complete construction and the initial capital campaign and shift our focus to ongoing, sustained programming support for the staff and services that will make the difference in our residents’ lives," said Aaron Marshall, New Beginnings’ board president.

Read the full story HERE - it'll put a smile on your face.

Just this week, a new government grant has been made available to restaurants and other food establishments, bringing hope for owners that have been hit hard by the pandemic in Northwest Arkansas.

• Tell me more: The $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund, facilitated by the Small Business Administration, is part of coronavirus relief package signed into law by President Biden in March. If you're a restaurant owner in NWA, this is for you!
• Quote: “You think about some of the businesses that this affects like our bars and caterers and consider the fact that they have been under certain limitations that other small businesses might not have been under,” said Caleb Talley, the director of marketing and events for Startup Junkie.

You can read all about the aid package and how to apply HERE.

The Tyson Family Foundation has awarded the U of A $300,000 to create the Tyson Digital Library Fund and the Tyson Art Publications Fund. Both of these funds will help support the U of A Press in the Division of Research and Innovation.

• Quote: "These funds will be used for two purposes: to digitize our entire collection of books, making them more widely available and accessible than ever before, and to advance our potential in the field of art publishing," said Mike Bieker, U of A Press Director and Assistant Vice Chancellor.
• The gift will be used to recoup previous investments in digital book technologies, but there's more - the funds will also support books in the press’s art list with an emphasis on those books authored or contributed to by Tyson Scholars.

Read the full story HERE.