The dog days are over - Yancey's Dickson Street Dogs has returned to Dickson Street in Fayetteville, and all is well in the neighborhood. After closing up cart in March 2020 with the rest of the world, owner Cody Yancey said he wasn't sure if he'd ever serve another dog on Dickson.

• After announcing his return via Facebook, Yancey opened up cart again this past weekend to hungry college students. To his surprise, he sold out by 2am.

• "I took a week or two off and as COVID continued to develop, I realized it was going to be a more permanent closure than I originally thought. But, everybody showed up like I hadn't been gone a single day, and it's incredible," Yancey said.

• Yancey's Dickson Street Dogs is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and is located on the corner of Dickson and West by the Train Bank.

Quote: Yancey's is "like one of the godfathers of Dickson Street." - A loyal customer.

Northwest Arkansas is consistently the overall healthiest part of the state, according to an annual report conducted by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Both Benton and Washington Counties held the top two slots in terms of health outcomes - which is largely based on a social and economic factors.

• Health outcomes include the rate of premature deaths and how much of the population is in poor or fair health. Ranking h
  ealth factors takes into account other components such as smoking, access to exercise, children in poverty and how many doctors practice in the county.

• Although Benton County ranked No. 1 in the state, adult obesity increased from 29% to 31% in one year in the county. Washington County's obesity rate rose from 30% to 31%. But health is more than just going to the doctor. Those with higher incomes are more likely to be able to afford healthy food and live in neighborhoods where proper education and support is more readily available.

• Caught our attention: Benton and Washington County's performed well when compared to the state averages, except it seems we drink more. Benton and Washington County's had a higher excessive drinking rate than the state average.

You can view the full report HERE.

A year full of challenges for most of the economy, somewhat surprisingly, set NWA's already hot housing market on fire, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. So what exactly is going on?

• Homebuilding permits are hot: Residential building permit activity in Northwest Arkansas’ four largest cities is ahead of last year’s pace through the first two months of 2021.

• Bentonville's housing market is unprecedented: In the area, real estate agents admit that Bentonville is in the midst of the largest seller’s market they’ve seen in the past 33 years. For comparison, the average price per sqft in the city was $180 at the end of 2020. The market is expected to grow more than 7% next year.

• On the flip side: Many NWA residents are being pressed by the exponential rise in home prices, so the region needs more affordable multifamily housing in neighborhoods that include retail, office and commercial developments. How these forces will play out will be interesting to observe. You can read the full story HERE.

Seattle-based Hellion Bikes will soon call Bentonville home, says CEO Michael LaSalata. As a semipro downhill racer, LaSalata knows a thing or two about bikes - “It’s just a no-brainer from a business standpoint to be in Arkansas,” he said.

• What's the draw? As if the answer isn't obvious. Turns out, Arkansas is the perfect mix of business and pleasure. LaSalata noted that over the last two decades, the Seattle market has filled with multiple brands, and an analysis showed the business would quadruple quarterly over the next four years in NWA.

• In addition to market opportunities, LaSalata highlighted the quality of life, the central-U.S. location, distribution opportunities, and said the trail system better supports the company's technology.

• Quote: “We’re going to invite the public into our restaurant, our bar and our taproom,” Lasalata said. The bike manufacturing facility will be “open for 40 hours a week to the public to view as well as a retail space on site and quite possibly amusement features that feed the building.”

• 1,000: The number of bikes Hellion expects to produce within the first year of relocating.

You can read the full story HERE.

Early voting begins today (4/6) in Bentonville, and there are a number of important issues on the ballot including asking voters to amend an ordinance and deciding on a bond extension that will catalyze improvements across the city.

• Bond extension: The Bentonville City Council is asking voters voters to consider a bond extension that will allow infrastructure, public safety, and efficiency improvements without a tax increase, utilizing the extension of the City's one-cent sales tax. This is a bond extension previously approved by voters in 2003 and 2007. Election day is a week from today (4/13).

• Amend away: Voters will be asked to yay-or-nay an ordinance that would amend ordinance No. 2003-108, allowing a 1% sales and use tax to extend within the City of Bentonville. The extension will finance capital improvements for municipal purposes and/or to pay and secure the repayment of capital improvement bonds approved by voters. 5 News

Consider it done: All information regarding polling places, registration and more can be found HERE.