The Fort Smith Symphony will launch the new season in early September. It will be the 22nd year John Jeter has been the conductor. He gives us a preview of the Sept. 9 season opener.

Fort Smith officials met in early August with Environmental Protection Agency representatives to request renegotiation of a consent decree that resulted from years of Clean Water Act violations. City Director Carl Geffken says the city has made a lot of progress on how much wet-weather sewer runoff gets in the Arkansas River and would like to see the EPA cap the cost of sewer rates to be about 1.9 percent of median household income.

The original Elkhorn Tavern , built in 1833, was a popular stop for the Butterfield Overland Stageoach. It also served as a staging site for Union troops during the Civil War until Confederate guerrillas torched it in 1863. Rebuilt soon after the war, the structure was transferred to the National Park Service in 1960, and the historic tavern is now undergoing complete reconstruction. Park Superintendent Kevin Eads provides a guided tour.

Jazz-funk, country-folk, grunge rock and more will all be on stage this weekend. Here is our list of live music options for the next few days. Wednesday, August 29 Xuluprophet, Jeff Kearney at Stage 18 (Fayetteville) - $8, 8 p.m. Thursday, August 30 The Toadies at George’s Majestic Lounge (Fayetteville) - $20 adv, $25 day of, 8:30 p.m. Friday, August 31 34th annual Frisco Fest in downtown Rogers - Friday and Saturday Rozenbridge at Bike Rack Brewing Co. (Bentonville) - $10, 7 p.m. Caddillac

Commercial wild turtle trapping remains legal in Arkansas, although it is outlawed in a growing number of states. However, public concern and pressure from conservation groups have caused the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to consider taking more measures to protect wild turtle populations. A pending decision this month was delayed by AGFC until mid-October, giving time for the agency to examine the latest data and more time for public comment.

This week, President Trump announced a preliminary U.S. trade agreement with Mexico after calling for a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Melvin Torres, the director of Western Hemisphere Trade at the World Trade Cente r, discusses ways in which the agreement modernizes NAFTA by including protections for intellectual property, digital trade and financial services, as well as what all this means for Arkansas farmers and manufacturers.

Leigh Wood gives us a preview of this week's Vinyl Hour (5 p.m. Saturday on 91.3) that traces a record collection through the years.

A Wednesday roundup includes an inventory of commercial real estate vacancies, new trails for Bella Vista and a medical deadline for some Arkansans.

The Black Apple Awards are coming back. Many of the elements from previous years return, but there are some changes.

Electrical engineering professor Yue Zhao was awarded $3.9 million to advance solar power technology that could further modernize the nation's electric grid. Part of the award comes from the U.S. Department of Energy, which has a goal of cutting the cost of solar electricity by 50 percent by 2030. Zhao's research focuses on developing a silicon-carbide solar inverter with the intention of lowering the cost of electricity produced by solar parks.