Welcome to Roger's Arkansas

NWACC-FARMINGTON CAMPUS ALL CLEAR

2012-01-26T09:00:00.001-06:00

ALL CLEAR AT FARMINGTON CAMPUS. RESUME NORMAL CLASS SCHEDULE. REPEAT, ALL CLEAR AT FARMINGTON CAMPUS. CAMPUS IS OPEN.

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Important message from BC Alert

2012-01-26T08:23:00.001-06:00

FARMINGTON CAMPUS IS ON LOCKDOWN UNTIL FUTHERE NOTICE. DO NOT GO TO CAMPUS POSSIBLE STUDENT WITH A WEAPON

Northwest Arkansas Community Rallies Around Gay Couple

2012-01-25T11:17:00.001-06:00

Folks both gay and straight up here are steamed over the sourpuss policies at a cross-town local rag.

The target of all the ire is the Northwest Arkansas Times.

Here's the story: An online petition has gained over 1,000 signatures in support of the Northwest Arkansas gay couple, Cody Renegar and his partner Thomas, who wants to announce their engagement in the Northwest Arkansas Times.

According to published reports, the Northwest Arkansas Times publisher Rusty Turner says its policy is to only print announcements for marriages legally recognized by the state.

Some advertisers are so twisted up that they're cancelling ad programs. We've heard readers are stopping subscriptions, while some folks may be removing the paper from newsracks in front of their stores.

Some folks around the Pinnacle Country Club today are calling the paper embarrassing to Arkansas, homophobic and out of touch. Folks think they need some educatin' What do you think?

Read more: http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=502222

Benton County Red Flag Burn Ban

2012-01-22T07:22:00.001-06:00

Benton County is under a red flag burn ban until tomorrow morning when conditions will be reevaluated.
Sent on: 01/22 07:20

City Council Meeting tonight

2012-01-16T13:57:00.000-06:00

There will be a city council meeting tonight 7:00 at city hall.

Benton County Red Flag Burn Ban

2012-01-16T07:19:00.001-06:00

Benton County is under a red flag burn ban until tomorrow morning when conditions will be reevaluated.
Sent on: 01/16 07:17

Benton County Red Flag Burn Ban

2012-01-15T13:09:00.001-06:00

Benton County is under a red flag burn ban until tomorrow morning when conditions will be reevaluated.
Sent on: 01/15 13:07

Important message from BC Alert

2012-01-15T13:01:00.001-06:00

Benton County has been placed under a burn ban until 0800hrs tomorrow 01/16/2012

Winter Weather Advisory issued January 11 at 3: 20PM CST until January 12 at 6:00AM CST by NWS

2012-01-11T15:34:00.001-06:00

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Benton County.

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST THURSDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST THURSDAY... FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

City of Bentonville storm warning siren test Friday, January 6, 2012 at 1: 00 PM

2012-01-06T08:02:00.001-06:00

The City of Bentonville will test the storm warning sirens Friday, January 6, at 1:00 PM, with weather permitting.

During the test, or an actual emergency, the sirens will sound twice.

The first sound will be a steady blast for 3 minutes. This activation of the storm warning system means that an imminently dangerous storm is approaching the City. All citizens should take protective shelter at this time.

The second sound will be alternating high/low tones which will last 45 seconds. The 45 second activation of the storm warning system means that the weather has passed, and the City is no longer in danger. All citizens may leave their area of shelter and proceed with daily routines.

The City of Bentonville would like to remind the citizens of Bentonville that this warning system is designed to alert people that are outside. People inside of a building might not hear the storm warning sirens and should use a radio, television or weather alert radio as means of monitoring weather conditions.

Benton County Red Flag Burn Ban

2011-12-30T18:31:00.001-06:00

Benton County is under a red flag burn ban until tomorrow morning when conditions will be reevaluated.

City Council Meeting Tonight

2011-12-19T16:03:00.000-06:00

City Council Meeting tonight. 7:00 at City Hall. Last time we will be discussing the trash service.

Buddy

Little Flock Drive Closing

2011-12-16T21:04:00.001-06:00

Little Flock Drive will be closed tomorrow between Moffitt Lane and Hilltop Drive. The fire dept. will be doing a practice burn on a house. The road will be closed to through traffic from 7:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

1,500 birds die crashing into Walmart parking lot, nearby roads

2011-12-15T05:28:00.001-06:00

Utah wildlife officials were cleaning up thousands of dead and surviving migratory birds that crashed into a Wal-Mart parking lot after mistaking it for bodies of water.

Thousands of eared grebes, a duck-like aquatic bird, were migrating toward Mexico when they apparently mistook solid areas around the Cedar City Walmart as water.

About 1,500 of the birds were killed, but officials had rescued more than 3,000 by Wednesday evening.

Wal-Mart Heiress’s Museum a Moral Blight

2011-12-12T19:39:00.001-06:00

Jeffrey Goldberg, a Bloomberg View columnist and a national correspondent for the Atlantic writes, "Alice Walton, who is worth about $21 billion, has achieved her dream of building a top-tier museum that unabashedly celebrates American art in the American heartland. Crystal Bridges, in many ways, is an aesthetic success.

It's also a moral tragedy, very much like the corporation that provided Walton with the money to build a billion-dollar art museum during a terrifying recession. The museum is a compelling symbol of the chasm between the richest Americans and everyone else.

It is certainly the handsomest building ever built with Wal-Mart money. I suspect it is also the only building associated with Wal-Mart that is devoted solely to American-made goods."

Tourist to-dos in Rogers, Arkansas: Betty and Will Rogers Marriage House

2011-12-12T19:22:00.001-06:00

It was in a house on the corner of "C Street and East Walnut Street where Betty Blake married Will Rogers in November 1908. The house was torn down years ago. Now the vacant lot is used by Arvest Bank to store repossessed boats, trailers and other vehicles. Stop and take a snap of the stone set into the ground at the corner that tells the history of the site.

Six Wal-Mart heirs are wealthier than U.S.' entire bottom 30%

2011-12-12T19:13:00.001-06:00

Six Wal-Mart heirs are wealthier than a combined 100 million Americans representing the U.S.' entire bottom 30%, so says the Los Angeles Times...

The wealth of the 1% is about 225 times greater than that of the typical family, compared to 125 times in 1962, according to economist Sylvia Allegreto of UC Berkeley.

Here's some more stats:

The cumulative wealth of the Forbes 400 was $1.54 trillion -- equal to the worth of the bottom half of American families.
That means the $69.7 billion held by the six Walton relatives of Wal-Mart founders Sam and James Walton in 2007 was equal to the net worth of the bottom 30% of Americans.
The Walton pot is estimated to be around $93 billion, including the $1 billion trust managing the Crystal Bridges Community Center. Er, I mean art museum.
Household net worth from July to September fell 4% to $57.4 trillion in its sharpest drop since September 2008, the Federal Reserve said last week.
The U.S. median household income is $50,221, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Arkansas median household income is $37,888, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
18.5% of Arkansas residents live below the poverty level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Walmart Home Office Associates Exposed To Tuberculosis

2011-12-07T19:30:00.001-06:00

4029 is reporting the Arkansas Health Department said a few employees working at the Walmart world headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas were exposed to tuberculosis.

Message from Town of Avoca - Parade, Saturday, December 10

2011-12-07T12:21:00.001-06:00

Avoca Christmas parade is Saturday, December 10. Please join us. Contact 479-621-5921 or 479-619-8498 for more information.

Foreclosures represent 34% of all homes for sale in Rogers, Arkansas

2011-12-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

283 Bank-Owned Homes are currently For Sale in Rogers, Arkansas. That represents 34% of all homes for sale in the formerly booming, but now economically struggling city in Northwest Arkansas.

According to RealtyTrac, 283 Bank-Owned Homes are currently For Sale in Rogers, Arkansas. A total of 823 homes are listed for sale on the MLS, the Realtor's official place to post homes for sale.

Benton County overall is still hemorrhaging under the weight of foreclosures. There are 2,843 homes currently for sale in Benton County. Unfortunately, 894 homes are bank-owned, says RealtyTrac. That basically about one of every three homes for sale are bank owned across the county.

Rogers has the worst foreclosure rate in the county, according to RealtyTrac.

Local startup company that might be of interest?

2011-12-02T23:30:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to reach out to let you know about a local start-up called myDealCompass (www.myDealCompass.com). They enable local businesses (like the TCBY in Rogers) to connect with nearby consumers and offer them deals and offers.

They are currently running a promo for Arkansas based companies where they can get a year's subscription for only $1/month. The code? "GoHogs" of course! You can see it in action at:

http://www.mydealcompass.com/northwest-arkansas-tcby-73-2.html

Things to see when Visiting Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

2011-11-26T08:37:00.002-06:00

The Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce has been digging deep into their Rolodex to come up with a handful of things for tourists to do and see here in Rogers, Arkansas.

Being the civic-minded business boosters that we are, we've come up with a list of our own "must see" tourist attractions here in Rogers, Arkansas.

Here are Rogers' top ten things for tourists to see and do in Rogers, Arkansas when in town visiting the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art:

10. Chicken Coop tours - you saw them in the movie "Food Inc." Why not see (and smell) a real chicken coop for yourself. They're sprinkled all over town. You don't need directions... just roll-down the windows of your rental and follow the sweet smell of real live chickens. When you're done, I know a great vegan place down in Fayetteville for lunch, because you ain't ever eatin' more chikin' after visiting one of these attractions.

9. Chicken Processing Plant in Downtown Rogers - Almost as memorable as the chicken coop tour, our local Chicken Processing Plant in Downtown Rogers is a must see, although the owners don't actually give official tours of the place (sneak in the open gate off of Walnut Avenue). The local business boosters brag about the fifty or so jobs the plant creates for my friends from Guatemala. There's nothing like the smell of chicken broth brewing on a hot, sweaty summer Arkansas afternoon. Soup anyone?

8. Monte Ne - From 1901 until the mid-1930s Monte Ne was a health resort and an ambitious planned community owned and operated by William Hope Harvey, a one-time U.S. Presidential nominee. All that remains today are foundations and one severely vandalized structure. Don't go to visit another Northwest Arkansas real estate investment gone bad. Instead, go to see the local hillbillies. Warning: If someone holding a shotgun asks, "You ain't from around here?" Just tell 'em you're from Springdale visiting a cousin.

7. Empty Storefronts - Back in the good 'ol days around 1910, downtown Rogers was the place to spend a Saturday afternoon. Not anymore. Why not grab a local real estate agent for a free tour and let them show you how you can invest a few dollars and buy a vacant building or three. You won't be the first out-o-towner who's fallen for that line.

6. Rabbit Food Processing Plant - Hey, if you think I'm talking about a place that makes food for your rabbit, you got it all wrong. I'm talking about a place that makes food out of your rabbits. But, it doesn't stop there. The place turns a broad range of animal species into "products" that are used globally in the development of in-vitro diagnostic kits, drug discovery, vaccines, HLA typing, and more in the biotechnology research and diagnostic markets. Directions: head down Walnut and turn left at the chicken plant. Then, look for the crazy guy chasing rabbits around with an ax.

5. The world's first Walmart store - If you thought the world's first Walmart store is in the square in Bentonville, you got it all wrong. The real ground zero in the flight of American goods (and jobs) to China is located at the northeast corner of Walnut and Eighth Street in Rogers. Today, it's a electrical supply store. For you Walmart historians, the building on the corner with the McDonald-esqe arch is Sam Walton's first sporting goods department. Take a picture, just for sport.

4. Pinnacle Hills Promenade - Just in case you forget what a JCPenny, Target, and Home Depot looks like.

3. Foreclosed Homes - With overbuilding and a foreclosure rate that rivals Las Vegas, there are plenty of foreclosed and distressed properties for sale in just about every direction. I suggest starting on the west-side, where local bankers lost their lunch on investments gone nowhere.

2. Drive-Thru Window at Arvest Bank in downtown Rogers - This is the most popular place in downtown Rogers. Not sure why, but since it gets more visitors than the BB-gun museum across the street, there must be something to see.

1. Rogers Municipal Airport - Here's where Walmart parks it's fleet of 36 corporate jets, and where country music stars and corporate titans fly-in to visit the buyers at WMT's headquarters. Not much to see, really, but I'm running out of things for you to visit.

Officials Grope For Ways To Attract Crystal Bridges Visitors to Rogers, Arkansas

2011-11-25T23:06:00.004-06:00

Rogers, Arkansas lacks any semblance of a central attraction, but it does dig deep to point out that it thinks it has a variety of places and things to see and do, such as:
    * The Daisy Airgun Museum (boring unless you're under eight years old or over ninety).
    * The downtown historical district (with a never-ending revolving door of going-out-of-business mom-and-mom "art" galleries, cheesy decorating shops and restaurants only my grandmas and her friends like, notwithstanding a street food vendor. At least there's always plenty of parking, which in this case is not a good sign.)
    * Lake Atalanta Park (which needs a good work-over with a bulldozer and a few more police patrols after dusk).
    * Rogers Historical Museum (what out-o-towner wants to visit that place? Who cares about Rogers "history" - except that time the cops shot a bear cub out of a tree?).
    * Parks and trails (Tourist alert: forget them - go to Hobbs instead - nicer visitor center and safer parking).
    * Pinnacle Hills Promenade (but why? it's identical to a thousand other malls littered across the U.S.).

I gotta give the locals credit: Their seemingly endless supply of wishful thinking and turning the cheek.

Bentonville Police Investigate Walmart "Black Friday" Bomb Threat

2011-11-25T17:56:00.002-06:00

"Black Friday" shoppers were evacuated from the Walmart Supercenter located just steps from Walmart's world headquarters on S. Walton Blvd in Bentonville, Arkansas for a brief time after a bomb threat was made.

Bentonville Police were called to the store located across from the retailer's headquarters around 9:45 a.m., according to local cops. When they arrived, Walmart shoppers were already waiting outside.

Police secured the building while the bomb squad searched the store but found nothing suspicious or out of place. Duh.

Woman pepper-sprays, injures 20 other Wal-Mart shoppers to get a Black Friday edge

2011-11-25T10:07:00.001-06:00

A woman who pepper-sprayed other shoppers Thursday night at the Walmart in Porter Ranch, California had armed herself with the caustic spray to gain an advantage in the fight for merchandise at the Black Friday sale, a fire captain said. The woman, who is still being sought, used the spray in more than one area of the Wal-Mart "to gain preferred access to a variety of locations in the store," said Los Angeles Fire Capt. James Carson. Officials said 20 people suffered minor injuries. Fire department spokesman Shawn Lenske said the injuries to least 10 of them were due to " rapid crowd movement."