Travel numbers are looking good at the Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA), though still waning below the record-breaking days of 2019. 

• Looking good: With the gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the numbers at XNA are slowly rising. Last month, 83,224 passengers departed XNA, the airport’s highest number of boardings since October 2019. 
• To consider: Flights have been packed in recent weeks, giving officials hope of reaching the 91,000 passenger figure from June and July 2019. Staffing issues and airlines grounding planes have resulted in trimmed schedules, so there are about 500 fewer seats available a day than in 2019. We’ll see if travel demand will outweigh the negative staffing issue effects.

Read the whole Fare Flight story HERE. 

A Fayetteville local recently returned home after winning a gold medal in the Special Olympics in Orlando, Florida. 

• Our neighbor, a winner: The Special Olympics USA Games were June 5-12, and Mary Borman from Fayetteville won the gold in standup paddle boarding. Borman started paddling when she began training for the Special Olympics and fell in love with the sport so much that she became the best. 
• Champions of life: The games united over 5,000 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean. Team Arkansas won a total of 143 medals and came home with a testament to a more inclusive world where all people can shine. 

Learn more about the Special Olympics USA Games HERE. 

Arkansas Arts Academy is a K-12 charter school in Rogers that is the ultimate choice for excellence in arts and education. This summer, the school is hosting a variety of events as a part of its Summer Enrichment Programs.

• Enriched: With programs in art, dance, music, food, storytelling, and more, there's something for everyone this summer. Open to any student K-12th grade, these programs are great for exposing your children to a variety of different art forms.
• There's more: These programs are conducted by professional artists, so you can be sure your kids will be learning a ton and fully exploring their artistic interests. Oh, and breakfast and lunch are provided for participants!

If you'd like to learn more about the events and sign up, check them out here.

Fayetteville is a brand new location for a Creative Mornings chapter and is the first location in The Natural State. 

• Over breakfast: Creative Mornings is a monthly breakfast series for anyone and everyone to gather for a complimentary morning meal and hear a local speaker talk on a globally-assigned theme. There are 200 chapters worldwide, each devoting time to networking and creating collectively. 
• Meet local: Each Creative Mornings chapter has a local host who organizes the events in their respective areas. Regina Buono is a lawyer, scholar, and writer, among other things, and is Fayetteville’s local host. Fayetteville’s first Creative Mornings event will be on June 24 at the Likewise co-working space on College Ave. 

To register and for more information about the event, click HERE. 

Early voting for Arkansas’s 2022 primary runoffs starts today, marking another opportunity for you voters to get involved in local government and make a difference in your community. 

• Going again: Primary elections were last month, and because Arkansas candidates must get 50% of the vote or at least 20% more than the second-place candidate, the top two candidates in each race advance to a runoff. 
• Resources: 4029 News has created a voting guide for the Arkansas primary runoffs. The official voting day is on June 21 in Washington and Benton counties. Check out Ballotpedia to see who will be on your ballot. 

For more info, click HERE.