Now there’s talk that the commission may buy the landmark building outright, rather than lease it for a year, as was originally planned.”

via The City Wire

via Melissa and Kenny Oliver find diamond in Arkansas park | ksdk.com.

via The Arkansas Traveler.

Since the site’s creation several years ago, the online portion of the county’s inmate roster has become very popular, with more than one million hits in just one year. Jak Kimball, IT Manager with the Sheriff’s Department, said that it began “as a way to facilitate the media, to get the information to them.”

via The Arkansas Traveler.

The plan approved Tuesday renews a 1999 package that fixed 350 miles of four-lane highways. That plan marked the first time in 50 years that Arkansas strayed from a pay-as-you-go funding plan for roads

via Arkansans Renew $575 Million Plan For Highways – Local News Story – KHBS NW Arkansas.

The new space, which includes a stage, a bar, a restaurant kitchen and two large ground-floor rooms, will allow the Oxford American to broaden its reach, publisher Warwick Sabin said.

“I’m looking to continue to develop the Oxford American as more than just a magazine, to establish it as a cultural institution dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Southern culture in all its expressions.”

via The Oxford American expands beyond print | Media | Arkansas news, politics, opinion, restaurants, music, movies and art.

via Candy Lee returns to Fayetteville for solo shows, Sweets reunion this week | Fayetteville Flyer – News, Art & Life.

I’ve been assimilated into the University of Arkansas system.

On October 19, I was offered and I accepted, a position in the University Relations office as a web developer and communicator. I’m thrilled. Frankly, it was the right strategic choice.

Sometimes the secure income of an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. gig outweighs the entrepreneurial uncertainty of a month-to-month scramble for dollars.

I took my time and cherry picked this job. The hybrid web and writer position is perfect for where I am professionally.

Keep in mind I created my first web link in December 2008. Now I’m fluent in WordPress, can code some HTML and CSS and am even dangerous in PHP. It’s been a crazy, bumpy ride and I have a growing love of the technical side of the Internet.

I know that over the next years, my web skills will grow and I’ll better be able to communicate stories online as a result.

Further, I can continue to put content out on Ozarks Unbound. Don’t expect scathing muck-raking exposes on University of Arkansas politics, but you can expect quality journalism to continue at Ozarks Unbound on all other topics.

Ozarks Unbound has always been a passion project of mine since State Rep. Greg Leding and I created it in June 2009. It’s the sort of calling that will continue for me whether I make a living at it or not.

I write because I have no choice and knowing I can take some of the monetary pressures off of the site for the next few years is a relief.

OU was always a full-time gig with part-time pay. Now, I can continue to grow and water it as a calling and less of a commercial entity.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who donated to the site in March of this year. Also, a huge thanks to my sponsors who watered this experiment with their advertising dollars. And of course the readers who are the backbone of the entire effort.

It’s because of you that Ozark Unbound continues to sustain itself. 2011 was the best financial year we’ve ever had.

So what changes can you expect?

Not too many really. You might see less unedited press releases and more original, but sporadic, content.

I can now focus more on what interests me the most, namely creative economy news, political commentary and food.

I also made a commitment to pay contributing writers for content about six months ago. I’m pleased to say that’s been a successful goal and a good relationship with aspiring, young writers.

So Ozarks Unbound will remain a small, part-time business like so many others where people moonlight after and before work to pursue their creative interests.

I’m hopeful you will continue to stop by and see where things go in the future.

Today is All Saints’ Day and this evening you’ll get a chance to be both charitable and well fed at the Empty Bowls of NWA fundraiser for LifeSource International.

This year the event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the parish hall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. 224 N. East Ave. A $25 ticket at the door buys you a custom ceramic bowl  and access to delicious soups from 14 local restaurants.

Local musician Jed Clampit will perform at the event. The bowls were made and donated by local potters
and the Boston Mountain Potters Association (BMPA).
 

via UA Professor Kills Self After Police Seize Computers – Local News Story – KHBS NW Arkansas.

It continues to appear that former Fayetteville Public Library director Shawna Thorup’s only fault was promoting a young librarian with merit over an older employee where seniority would be assumed. That employee appears to have been slighted enough that signatures were gathered and powerful people on the board were convinced it was worth dropping Thorup over it all.

Otherwise, why would Thorup’s most recent evaluation be so stunningly positive?

It’s all speculation amid too few details.

Board Finds Money For Thorup | NWAonline.

via Arkansas cooling down; freeze possible in Northwest Arkansas.

Offshoot organizer Jason Suel talks Friday at An Affair to Remember about the Offshoot Film Festival.

Seedling Film Association (SFA) will host the second annual Offshoot Film Fest– four days of films, education, and fun held October 27 through the 30 in the Global Campus building on the Fayetteville square (2 East Center Street).

The association is also looking for volunteers for the event. A volunteer meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Tim’s Pizza on the Fayetteville Square. All volunteers receive a free Offshoot Weekend Pass  worth $35.

The Offshoot Film Fest includes over 120 films from around the globe and brings together an eclectic mix of world-renowned filmmakers and artists, professional arts educators, esteemed members of the community, as well as students and film lovers from across the region.

Individual screening/workshop tickets are $7.00 each and weekend passes are $35.00. Both are available on the website (www.seedlingfilm.com) or at the door.

In addition to the film screenings, many educational opportunities are available to both schools and community members.  The majority of educational opportunities will be occurring on Thursday, October 27th and Friday, October 28th.

Schools from around the region have secured their spot to learn from industry professionals. In addition to screening independent films from around the country and around the globe, Seedling Film Association is proud to be screening many Arkansas-made films at Offshoot Film Fest 2011.

Offshoot Film Fest 2011 begins with a day of educational workshops on Thursday, October 27 and the first professional independent film to kick the festival off properly will happen at 7 p.m. with the screening of the film ‘Karaoke Man.’

(www.karaokemanthemovie.com)

Offshoot will culminate with the Awards Ceremony at 7 p.m. Sunday October 28th.

More information to come.

The event is the first of a series of panel discussions: “Hunger in the Land of Plenty.” Feed Fayetteville was formed to help alleviate hunger and create food security in the local community by cultivating a local sustainable food network.

Admission is free, but participants are invited to donate a shelf-stable protein source, such as a can of tuna or beans, a jar of peanut butter, or a box of powdered milk. Donated non-perishable food items will be given to the pantries represented by participating panelists.

Panelists will focus on hunger in local educational systems, from preschool to adult learning environments. These professionals work at Head Start, the Fayetteville Public Schools, the University of Arkansas, and Fayetteville’s Adult and Community Education Center. They will describe hunger situations they face every day and answer questions from the audience.

Sponsors of the event are the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arkansas and Ozark Natural Foods.

[This announcement courtesy of Feed Fayetteville.]

A group of 30 requests are now being considered by the commission. A decision is likely next month on who will receive money generated by the 1 percent of sales tax generated by the Hotel Motel and Restaurant tax that goes to the commission. Another 1 percent goes to the city’s park’s department.

The $434,000 in requests come hot on the heels of the commission dropping $500,000 on the Arkansas Music Pavilion (AMP) by the request of their new owners, Walton Arts Center.

It’s uncertain how much money will be available for distribution. The money given to the AMP for renovations came out of reserve funds.

The requests

Download the full request package

TheatreSquared Managing Director Martin Miller and Artistic Director Robert Ford today announced the hiring of a new full-time Development Officer, supported by a three-year grant from the Walton Family Foundation.

via T2 Welcomes Elizabeth France – Press Room – TheatreSquared News – TheatreSquared: Northwest Arkansas’s Regional Theatre.

The public is invited to participate in this service for proper destruction of secure documents and to help protect against identity theft.

The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office advises “Don’t let ‘one man’s trash become an identity thief’s treasure.’ Shred or otherwise destroy any statements, documents, or records, which contain personal information after they are no longer needed.”  While many residents and businesses do not have a shredder, this free service offers something that can help many people inFayetteville while also providing assurance that such shredded paper will be recycled.

Even if you do own a shredder, this opportunity offers large-scale shredding with the use of a shredding van to serve our community.

Please plan on attending and utilizing this free service provided by the City of Fayetteville.

This free service will only be offered at the Solid Waste and Recycling site on October 22^nd during these designated times.

[This announcement courtesy of the City of Fayetteville.]

Fayetteville Public Schools will team up with local farmers, producers and organizations Feed Fayetteville and Apple Seeds Inc. to celebrate the first National Farm to School Month. Students will learn about the importance of eating local foods in a dynamic, interactive lesson and eat a delicious lunch made with locally sourced ingredients from Northwest Arkansas Farmers.

The Farm to School program and special menu will be featured at three elementary schools:

• Owl Creek Elementary, October 19
• Happy Hollow Elementary, October 20
• Butterfield Trail Elementary, October 21

The students will enjoy the action packed lesson about food miles and why locally grown food is more nutritious and better for our environment, and then eat the locally grown meal in the cafeteria with Lunch Buddy volunteers. The Lunch Buddy volunteers will sit at the table with the students encouraging tasting of the different foods and providing opportunity for further discussion about nutrition and local foods.

[This announcement courtesy of the Fayetteville School District.]

The Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas together with UA’s Geshe Thupten Dorjee and Dr. Sidney Burris in the Fulbright College of Humanities, is hosting Rinpoche Ngawang Tenzin (rihn-POH-shay ne-WAHNG tehn-zihn), a top Buddhist lama, on Oct. 22-23, where he will lead several sessions as part of the institute’s dedication of its new meditation hall in Madison County.

Tenzin, a meditation master from Bhutan, will teach at Mount Sequoyah retreat center in Fayetteville on Saturday, Oct. 22. Among his workshops will be Lo Jong, or mind training. Donations are requested for Tenzin’s sessions.

At 10:30 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 23, the rinpoche will conduct a consecration of the TCIA Retreat Center, Land of Infinite Bliss. The retreat is off Arkansas Highway 295 at Crosses in Madison County. The public is invited to this free event. Road directions are available at TCIA’s website artibet.com or call (479) 587-8920.

Following the ceremony Sunday, all are invited to a potluck lunch, and tours will be given of the center. The meditation hall is complete, and cabins will follow. Details are at artibet.com.

His Holiness Ngawang Tenzin Rinpoche

Fayetteville, Arkansas

October 22-23, 2011

His Holiness Ngawang Tenzin is recognized as a high reincarnation of the Drukpa Kagyu Lineage and is regarded as one of the most revered teachers of his lineage in Bhutan. He is a great scholar and meditation master having spent 28 years in retreat. His Holiness radiates great peace, joy, love, compassion and tolerance.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, October 22

10:00 – 11:30 am.   Teachings of Milarepa. Suggested donation $15 .

2:00 – 5:00 pm.  Lo Jong/Mind Training Teachings.  Suggested donation $20.

Location:  Auditorium at Mt. Sequoyah Conference & Retreat Center, 150 NW Assembly Drive, Fayetteville.  For map go to www.artibet.com for map.

Sunday, October 23

10:30 – 11:30 am. Consecration of the Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas Retreat Center, Land of Infinite Bliss (near Crosses in Madison County.)

His Holiness will chant and dedicate the center.  Also, Lama Karma will perform a Bhutanese ritual dance  for overcoming obscuration.

11:30 am  – 1:00 pm. Lunch and discussion. Bring a dish to share. Take a tour of the retreat center grounds.

1:00 – 3:00 pm.  Vajrapani  Initiation.  Empowerment given by His Holiness  Ngawang Tenzin Rinpoche.

Location: Sunday events are free, open to all, and will be at the retreat center near Crosses. Donations are welcome. For directions  to retreat center, go to:   www.artibet.com.

[This announcement courtesy of the Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas.]

Fayetteville, AR – The City of Fayetteville will be holding a Bulky Waste Clean Up in Ward 1 this Saturday, October 22nd, from 7:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Root Elementary School (1529 E. Mission Blvd ) and the Solid Waste and Recycling facility (1560 S. Happy Hollow Road).

There will also be a free Paper Shredding event located at the Solid Waste and Recycling facility (1560 S. Happy Hollow Road) from 10 am until 2 pm in conjunction with the Bulky Waste clean up.  The public is invited to participate in this service for proper destruction of secure documents and to help protect against identity theft.

If you are a resident of Fayetteville, you can bring bulky items to any of the clean ups since they are all citywide bulky item clean ups.  Please bring a recent copy of your water bill to verify your residency.  These bulky waste clean ups are specifically for large bulky items that cannot fit into a residents normal trash cart.  There are limitations on what can be accepted, see below for details on the requirements.

Items allowed:       Couches, chairs, mattresses, large appliances; such as, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, carpet, padding, vinyl flooring, drywall, paneling (Limited amounts only, no contractors allowed), lawn mowers, hot water heaters, plumbing fixtures. 

Items not allowed:   Household Hazardous Wastes; such as, paint, thinners, solvents, batteries, cleaning chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, automotive fluids, etc., household garbage, commercial garbage, medical waste, dirt, rocks, brush, leaves and grass, tires.

These clean ups will not accept bags of normal household garbage, as that is handled through normal weekly curbside collection.  Limit one (1) Freon-bearing appliance per household since only one Freon-bearing appliance is accepted for free.  Additional appliances are $20 each to cover Freon removal.

E-Scrap is no longer accepted at these clean ups.  Due to costs beyond our control, we are no longer able to accept E-Scrap for recycling (including T.V.’s, computers, etc.) at Ward Bulky Waste Clean Ups.  The Washington County’s HHW facility accepts E-Scrap for a fee during normal operating hours.  Please contact them at 444-1725.

WashingtonCountyoperates a Household Hazardous Waste Collection center and a tire trailer.  Their site is located at 2615 Brink Dr.in south Fayetteville.  The hours of operation for their site is Mon.-Fri. from 8:00am to 4:00pm and the first Saturday of each month from 8:00 am until noon.  Their phone number for more information is 444-1725.  For more information about the City’s Bulky Ward Clean Up, please contact the Solid Waste and Recycling Office at 575-8398 or visit us at http://www.accessfayetteville.org/government/solid_waste/index.cfm

[This announcement courtesy of the City of Fayetteville.]

via What Year Was Your House Built? A Historic Interactive Map of Fayetteville | The Ozark Echo.

No. 9 going into the Ole Miss game Saturday.

“There has been a lot of talk about the Fayetteville Underground lately. A lot of talk from artists, friends, patrons, supporters, media and board members: you name it, people are talking. It has been as interesting to be a part of, as it has been to overhear and watch. As Andy Warhol was quoted as saying, “Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.” With all of this buzz in the air, sometimes I just need to cut through the chatter and remember what I know is true of my experience at the Fayetteville Underground. There are many amazing things that I have been a part of at the Fayetteville Underground and some that I am directly responsible for. This is a list for me, so I can remember.”

via Megan Chapman’s Studio Blog: What I know is true….

The inaugural Gone in 60 Seconds elevator-pitch contest for entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs took NWA by storm back in August. Round 2 is coming up on Oct. 27, and event organizer Jeff Amerine, IA’s very own Techpreneur, is hoping to surpass the attendance of more than 200 for the first edition.

Winners again will be determined by audience voting via SUMOTEXT (an IA client), and the top prize is $1,000 (plus important exposure to potential investors and local business leaders). The contest will go down, once again, at Fayetteville’s Buck Nekkid BBQ

via Watch the ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ Pitch Contest Video | Innovate Arkansas.

The Annual Art Walk produced by the Northwest Arkansas Artists Association, will occur in the north lawn of the park the same day.

Puppets in the Park is the brainchild of Art and Play Therapist Jo Ann Kaminsky, director of Fayetteville’s Art Experience Inc.  She explains:  “Puppets help unleash the powers of art and play in people of all ages so we created this free, all-day event to share them with the community.”

From 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Kaminsky will lead a hands-on puppet-making and story creating workshop for those who want to dive into the fun.  A variety of puppeteers will present puppet shows from noon to 4 p.m. followed by a giant puppet pageant grande finale.

George Meyer, a puppeteer from Eureka Springs who also works with Heart of the Beast in Minneapolis, collaborated with Kaminsky to create last year’s giant puppets, and returns again this year.

“I love working with George to tell stories of myth and transformation, said Kaminsky.  “Something about the combination of playfulness and their grand scale makes the giant puppets very powerful.”  She added that last year the audience was moved to tears by the giant puppets.  A special band with instruments as varied as the dijeridoo, violin, drums, trumpet and toy piano created unique sounds that shaped the story line without words.

This year Puppets in the Park will also raffle several items to raise money for Pathfinders art therapy for youth, and Puppet Camp.  Raffle items include Gator Golf tickets, art work by Hank Kaminsky, puppets by Jo Ann Kaminsky and a basket of goodies from Jammin Java.

Puppets in the Park has a well-rounded program that reveals the many forms of puppetry and includes wonderful folk music as well to complete the experience. Volunteers can join the fun by calling Maryevelyn Jones at 479-966-1950.

[This announcement courtesy of The Art Experience.]

The City of Fayetteville’s Transportation Division will begin construction of a pedestrian trail tunnel near the intersection of Garland Avenue and Knapp Street (the north side of Agri Park) on Monday, October 17, 2011.  This project will require a substantial excavation across Garland Avenue in order to set the pre-cast tunnel sections in place.  Because of this extensive work, it is necessary that we close part of Garland Avenue.

The tunnel excavation and installation process will begin on Monday, October 17 and require approximately two weeks to complete. During this two-week period, traffic on Garland will be rerouted through the University of Arkansas’s Agri Park, and appropriate signage will be in place to safely direct motorists through the construction zone.

We appreciate your patience while the City works on this important project that will link the Scull Creek Trail to the west side of Interstate 540, thereby providing an important east-west connection of Fayetteville’s Alternative Trails and Transportation Plan.

Please consider an alternate route to avoid your travel delay; however, we will work hard to assist all traffic is detoured safely and as efficiently as possible.

 [This announcement courtesy of the City of Fayetteville.]

via Man Found Guilty In IHOP Assault Case – Local News Story – KHBS NW Arkansas.

It’s like Storage Wars, but for real.

The locks are coming off twelve units at All Around Storage, 2650 S. City Lake Road in Fayetteville. The public will have a chance to bid on the storage units for the contents inside.

“We do these auction from time to time. You never know what you might find in one of the units,” said manager Patrick Hall.

The auction begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29.

All Around storage is located south of the intersection of 15^th Street and Morningside Drive. It’s on the left side of the road.

The facility has 422 units, including climate-controlled units for electronics, 24-hour gated access and on-site management. The business began in 2008 and offers month-to-month billing and monthly pest control around the entire facility.

The auctioned units include:

• 1- 15 X 30 UNIT
• 2 – 10 X 20 UNITS
• 1 – 10 X 15 UNIT
• 4 – 10 X 10 UNITS
• 4 – 10 X 5   UNITS

For more information, call 479.443.9300.

Alice Walton was arrested Friday night in Texas for driving while intoxicated on Interstate 20 in Weatherford, Texas, west of Fort Worth. Friday was her 62nd birthday. She was released on a $1,000 bond.

She was convicted in a DWI case in Springdale in 1998. She was involved in a fatal accident in 1989, but no charges were filed.

via Alice Walton arrested in Texas for DWI | Arkansas Blog.

via Eat Out Northwest Arkansas: Kosmos Greekafe.

Roland Smith

Award winning young adult author, Roland Smith will make his third appearance at McNair Middle School on Wednesday, October 12^th.  The author of numerous popular fiction and nonfiction titles, Smith will present to 6^th grade students at 8:30 in the morning and to 7^th grade at 12:30 in the afternoon.  Book signing will take place in the library following the presentations.  In addition, twelve students will be selected from essay entries to have a personal lunch at 11:15 in the library with the author.  Some of Roland Smith’s best known titles include Jaguar, Thunder Cave, Sasquatch, Cryptid Hunters and Peak.   The action adventure books, Storm Runners and Storm Runners: The Surge are among his most recent releases.  This presentation is being sponsored by The Starr Foundation (Mrs. Billie Jo Starr) and the McNair PTA.

For more information about the author and his books, please look at his web page at www.rolandsmith.com

[This announcement courtesy of McNair Middle School.]