Michael Tilley, with our partner Talk Business and Politics , tells us about a proposal for new management at the Fort Smith Convention Center and discusses home sales in the Arkansas River Valley, which have gone up during the pandemic.

The Northwest Arkansas COVID-19 Task Force is collecting face coverings to donate to area school districts to give to students. Residents can donate handmade cloth masks or purchased single-use masks. The drive ends on August 7 and donations can be dropped off at the following locations: Fayetteville Fire Station 1, 303 W Center St., Fayetteville, AR 72701 - Leave the donations inside the entry from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday Rogers Police Department, 1905 S Dixieland Rd., Rogers,

Becca Martin-Brown from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette tells us about the Ozark Natural Science Center virtual campfire concert , which will take place via Facebook this Saturday. The event will feature performances by Still on the Hill, and Tater, Mater and Squarsh.

The first artist-in-residence of the Trillium Salon Series is Thomas Echols , who will preform a new piece of music, virtually, Saturday night at 7 p.m. Echols will examine the idea of breath following a week-long residency at a cottage at Mount Sequoyah in Fayetteville.

After months of resisting a statewide mask mandate, but facing mounting COVID-19 cases, Governor Asa Hutchinson has issued an executive order requiring face coverings in both indoor and outdoor public spaces if social distancing can't be observed. The mandate goes into effect Monday. Hutchinson said the rising number of cases, which included 817 new coronavirus cases Thursday, deaths and hospitalizations speak for themselves. The mandate includes a list of exemptions and fines of $100 to $500

In a two-part report, we examine the findings and recommendations made by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team, which spent three weeks in Northwest Arkansas investigating the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the Latino and Marshallese communities. In part one, we speak with a representative from the Arkansas Department of Health about their next steps and get reaction from Latino community leaders, who worked with the CDC during their visit. For the full report from the CDC,

In part two of our report, we learn more about the CDC team's investigation into why a disproportionate number of Marshallese migrants in Arkansas have been sickened or died from COVID-19. Marshallese physician, Dr. Sheldon Riklon, who helped guide the study, and Republic of the Marshall Islands Secretary of Health and Human Services Jack Neidenthal provide cultural context and reaction to the findings. For the full report from the CDC, click here .

Lia Uribe explores blue in the latest "Sound Perimeter." She considers Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue , Jennifer Higdon's Blue Cathedral and more.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is term-limited in her current job. She tells Roby Brock, with our parter Talk Business and Politics , she's seeking the Governor's Mansion in 2022. That conversation is part of this week's Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Report.

Governor Asa Hutchinson delivered Wednesday's coronavirus response briefing from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway where he announced the state had surpassed 30,000 cumulative COVID-19 infections with the addition of 564 new cases. The state completed 5,146 tests in the latest 24-hour reporting period, which the governor said is not enough to meet the state's goal of conducting 200,000 tests in July. Pulaski County once again reported the greatest number of cases with 78, Sebastian