The 479 Show

Coming up on this week's episode, Election Day brought a number of new mayors in the region along with a new makeup in the Washington County Quorum Court, while statewide voters resisted the national urge toward a different path.

Among more immediate business, the Springdale City Council returned to consideration of overtime for the fire department and reviewed the budget for Ozark Regional Transit. The Siloam Springs Board of Directors approved a moratorium on data centers, and took steps to punish its newly-hired City Administrator for negotiating with the data center developers behind their collective backs. The Fayetteville City Council would establish a new local historic district while the Tontitown City Council lost one of its members.

Meanwhile, the Arkansas Transportation Summit took place during the week in Rogers while the reprieve meter for America's Car-Mart went up to eight and the stock price would rise faster than the price of a postage stamp or the latest tank of gas.

The University of Arkansas System will be looking for a new president after the incumbent took a job leading Purdue University, where he would likely be asked whether he planned to change the mascot of the Boilermakers to the Razorbacks in light of the success enjoyed on the gridiron.

Our Benton County Extension report continues its discussion on changes in agriculture due to the region becoming more urban.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Fordham, England, where any referees assigned to soccer matches in the town are praying the town crier is not in attendance.

Coming up on this episode, a lot of voters weren't waiting for the Election Day rush and getting their ballots cast during the final full week of early voting. The Bella Vista City Council approved a resolution calling for a forensic audit of the city's Advertising and Promotion Commission. The Bentonville City Council had a major rezoning of property on the southern end for future development. The Rogers City Council accepted a grant for infrastucture to help bring in more affordable housing and the Fayetteville City Council heard about its 2027 budget.

Other news involved layoffs at the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, a Fayetteville woman's faster than legal trip through the Show-Me State ending with a full house...misdemeanors over felonies, and former employees of J.B. Hunt taking the Lowell-based carrier to court over a data breach.

Our Benton County Extension Report gets into fall gardening.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Bow, New Hampshire, where a trucker learned a way to get 116 miles to the gallon on his trip from Texas, but his choice of fuel wasn't for the truck, and it wouldn't be a replacement for diesel barring a revival of the Volstead Act.

Coming up in this episode, the first week of early voting featured the Springdale City Council Ordinance Committee introducing a measure to allow golf carts on city streets, the Siloam Springs Board of Directors approving the second reading of its moratorium on data centers and shutting off the Flock safety cameras while tabling any final action on the surveillance devices and the Tontitown City Councill ordering its officials to undergo Freedom of Information Act training.

The Rogers Board of Education would have a busy week hiring a search firm for its superintendent that would be the subject of unwanted publicity while discussing moving its high schools to a block schedule. The Fayetteville school district would celebrate the topping out of the new Woodland Junior High School.

On the other side of the aisle, voters in Lowell might have been treated to a performance of what seemed to be an orchestra of scorched cats in the midst of their early voting, while the Board of Aldermen in Noel, Missouri looked at Tontitown and Lowell and said, in effect, hold my beer.

America's Car Mart enjoyed another week in the newspapers as several of its stockholders got to stepping while the lights were still on.

Our Benton County Extension report continues its discussion on water quality as the region becomes more urban in character.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Talladega, Alabama, where the local racetrack was paying tribute to the most iconic sports movie since D3: the third in the Mighty Ducks trilogy.

Coming up on this episode, the government business featured the update on the wastewater system updates in Greenland, a more successful rezoning request in Bentonville, grant funding for transportation projects in Rogers, the endorsement of a tax-back program by Springdale to allow Tyson to convert its newly-acquired Cargill turkey plant on Randall Wobbe Lane for chicken, and Washington County Judge Patrick Deakins discussing reforms in the purchasing and disposal of county assets to limit fraud, which he hoped might be adopted elsewhere in the state.

It was Fraud Week in the courts, as a couple of high-profile swindlers were presented their rewards for their fundraising efforts.

The business news featured the third-quarter earnings for J.B. Hunt Transport and the same old same old from America's Car-Mart.

Our Benton County Extension report discusses the effects of stress on older adults.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where the local papers reported on a citizen who accomplished his version of the Unholy Trinity.

Coming up on this week's episode, while the heat wave was making a brief return to the region, the real heat was inside a couple of municipal buildings with mayors in Tontitown and Lowell getting flamed by council members, leading to a censure in the former case and a continuing investigation in the latter creating heartburn less than two weeks from early voting.

Our crime news ranged from the political, with the bonding out of a former state legislator and sole candidate for Benton County Judge, to the end of two careers for a substitute teacher after the end of his second, and allegedly more lucrative career, and the latest on a suspected murder in Sulphur Springs this past August. Meanwhile, an ex-professor at the University of Arkansas fired over what university officials said were her violent and anti-Semitic posts was hoping to earn a living as a professional plaintiff via the federal courts.

There was also some more legitimate business being conducted with the Springdale City Council Committee of the Whole endorsing the participation of Tyson Foods in the tax-back program to allow for its repurposing of its newly-acquired plant on Randall Wobbe Lane, the Fayetteville City Council prohibiting the use of city funds and resources on automated license plate readers, which the Police Department had no plans for. and the Siloam Springs Board of Directors giving the matter a couple of weeks while starting the process toward a moratorium on data centers. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy toured the area to discuss three major projects to help move more people and cargo.

Our Benton County Extension report focuses on the continuing changes in the region as more agricultural land is dedicated to housing and commercial developments.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Douglas County, Georgia, where a diner's attempt to skip out on a Red Lobster bill resulted in his spending the next few meals without any cheesy biscuits.

On this week's episode, a light week of government action featured the Bella Vista City Council and Washington County Quorum Court holdings meetings.

Ground would be broken on a new Walton-family inspired STEM-based university that aims to be more than a BIT player in workforce development...you'll understand the pun in a bit...er, in a few minutes.

The courts were even busier this week, with the lead story of the week seeing the lone candidate for Benton County Judge posing for more unwanted photographs which would wind up on opposition campaign fliers were there any opposition this year, or should he remain eligible and willing to stand for public office.

Creditors allowed what may appear to be the corpse of America's Car-Mart to live another week, but shareholders continued their sell-off in what may soon become a race to get while the getting's still possible

Our feature event of the week was the Benton County Fair, with the KURM microphones returning to Vaughn after missing the last two annuals.

Our Benton County Extension report asks our listeners, how do you like them apples.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Nitro, West Virginia, where the local deer and varmint population had to not only worry about becoming roadkill, but waking up the next morning with one heck of a hangover, or in the case of the deer, waking up next to a strange doe or buck that they swore was more attractive a few hours ago or wondering what possessed them to punch that bear in the nose..

Coming up on this week's episode, the week was busy with the main event featuring the Benton County Quorum Court decision on an immigration enforcement program and potential to expand its jail that hasn't grown since it was built in 1999.

Other action included the Springdale City Council purchasing hardware for its information technology upgrades, the Bentonville City Council hearing about and approving transportation projects, the Rogers City Council approving a rezoning to accommodate low-income housing.

In the school boards, the Gravette board would continue negotiations on the sale of property it purchased for a future building while the Fayetteville board heard updates on its capital projects and renamed the Performing Arts Center at its high school.

The Illinois River watershed pollution case is back in the hands of a Tulsa-area federal judge with both sides asking him to accept a settlement in lieu of his judgment.

Our Benton County Extension report previews the upcoming County Fair in Vaughn.

And our trip off the beaten path takes on a road excursion from Hulbert, Oklahoma to London, Arkansas, which featured a $1.2 million harvest of Puff the Magic Dragon Weed.

Coming up on this week's episode, the heavy week of government meetings generated a lot of discussion but not too much immediate action, with the Fayetteville City Council allocating funds for its bonds, the Siloam Springs Board of Directors approving a memorandum of understanding on a major law enforcement task force, the Lowell City Council discussing and tabling its proposal to pull the plug on the Flock cameras while Washington Countny's Quorum Court pulled the trigger despite the use of the devices not even on the agenda or any of the current or potentially elected officials.

The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees had a busy two days, upholding the dismissal of a former political science professor after questioning why the research expenses he turned in coincided with his wedding and reception, which might not have been money well spent after he got his name in the paper, not to mention a few more invitations to court with his lady love in line to collect some future alimony and child support payments. The board would then turn to the critical matter of the state of the UA athletic program, particularly the football program whose next coach might as well be Art Turf.

Our Benton County Extension report takes us to more serious matters with the emergence of a nasty food allergy.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Mankato, Minnesota, where an Albanian visitor attempted a marketing scheme that led to the latest variation of the Arthur Miller tome, Incarceration of a Salesman.

Coming up on this week's episode, the Labor Day holiday might have shortened the work week for our government agencies, but the Bentonville City Council could have probably used another vacation after the marathon session the next night.

The Springdale City Council had a much shorter session as it approved the contract to work on the eastern gateway to downtown, while the Board of Education heard the update on the Westwood Elementary construction.

Rogers-based America's Car-Mart would also see its name in the paper as it attempts to stave off the wolves at the door in advance of its shareholder's meeting.

The crime highlights featured the retirements of a couple of suspected cocaine dealers while there was more drama involving the Benton County Judge's race with the retiring incumbent offering to delay his departure if the heir apparent renounces his gavel.

We also marked the 25th anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania with area organizations marking the occasion with ceremonies and acts of service.

Our Benton County Extension report offers some advice for homeowners as the drought continues to tighten its grip on the region.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Waiblingen, Germany, where the descendant of the Stihl company's founder commemorated Labor Day with comments suggesting that Stihl wasn't just a noun, but also a verb.

On this week's episode, the latest major transportation project in the region reached a milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of two highways.

The heat continued its grip on the region, continuing the worsening conditions of the drought not seen in a decade.

Government business was quick with Springdale's City Council moving forward its East Emma Streetscape project, the Benton County Planning Board dealiing with telecommunications towers and Siloam Springs was the latest to join the Flock.

Area colleges would release their enrollment numbers and Benton County voters may need to wash their hands after casting a ballot for County Judge in November.

Our Benton County Extension report previews an upcoming herbicide applicator class while the Comment from the Capitol recaps the short week in D.C.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Clearwater, Florida where we an ultra-specialist in the criminal activity game had residents facing their final days wondering if their cold body would be riding to the hearse on some hot wheels.