Bentonville AR

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Sanders confirms eight Arkansans dead from tornado

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KUAR | By Matthew Moore

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed in a press conference Sunday in Bentonville that eight Arkansans died during an EF-3 tornado early Sunday morning.

The tornado crossed the Oklahoma border around 12:30 a.m., first touching down in the small town of Decatur in Benton County. Sanders was flanked by local, county, state, and federal leaders as she described the importance of constant coordination between the levels of government needed to recover from a tornado of this magnitude.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the fact that we have such great relationships with our mayors, county judges, county sheriff, and our federal delegation," Sanders said. "We have already have a number of contacts with the federal administration.”

Sanders confirms eight Arkansans dead from tornado

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Bentonville welcomes notable speakers, including Boris Johnson and Matthew McConaughey, to kick off Heartland Summit

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by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)

Boris Johnson may not be the person who comes to mind when discussing the American Heartland.

But the former London mayor (2008-2016) and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2019-2022) did make an appearance in downtown Bentonville on Wednesday (Nov. 8) at the opening session of the Heartland Summit.

Approximately 350 policymakers, investors, business and thought leaders and entrepreneurs from across the country are in Bentonville for the two-day, invitation-only gathering. It is the signature annual event of Heartland Forward, a nonpartisan “think-and-do” tank in Bentonville.

Bentonville welcomes notable speakers, including Boris Johnson and Matthew McConaughey, to kick off Heartland Summit

Steuart Walton, left, and Boris Johnson discussed several topics during Wednesday's Heartland Summit in downtown Bentonville.

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The Momentary names longtime Crystal Bridges executive Jill Wagar new director

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by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)

Jill Wagar, a member of the founding executive team of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, is the new director at the Momentary, a Crystal Bridges sister organization in the city featuring contemporary arts and an entertainment venue.

Museum officials announced Wagar’s appointment Tuesday (Nov. 7) following a national search of nearly two years. Lieven Bertels was the founding director when the Momentary opened in February 2020. He departed in the spring of 2022.

According to the news release, Wagar was the interim director for the past several months as the venue hosted several events, including Format Festival and Live on the Green.

The Momentary names longtime Crystal Bridges executive Jill Wagar new director

Jill Wagar

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Division of Agriculture staff score 12 awards in APW annual competition

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By the U of A System Division of Agriculture

BENTONVILLE, Ark.  — Seven University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture staffers shared a dozen awards in the 2023 Communications Contest held by Arkansas Press Women.

Mary Hightower, chief communications officer for the Division of Agriculture, was presented the APW’s highest honor, the Communicator of Achievement.

Hightower is now among 15 finalists for the National Federation of Press Women Communicator of Achievement. There have been four previous winners from Arkansas: Roberta Forster, 1960, honored for her coverage of the 1957 Little Rock desegregation crisis; Charlotte Schexnayder,1970, a state lawmaker and co-owner of the Dumas Clarion; Margaret Woolfolk, 1977, journalist, attorney and historian; and Eva Marie Pearson, 2002, formerly of the Pine Bluff Commercial.

The awards were presented May 20 at NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville. Work produced in a variety of communications fields during 2022 was eligible for the competition.

Several Division of Agriculture staffers came up winners at the 2023 APW Communications Contest.

First-place winners in the APW Communications Contest are eligible to advance to the National Federation of Press Women competition if they are members of NFPW. National winners are announced during the NFPW’s annual conference  June 22-24 in Cincinnati. 

Kristin Netterstrom Higgins, Public Policy Center program associate at the Division of Agriculture won:

Mary Hightower, chief communications officer for the Division of Agriculture won:

Fred Miller, science editor of the Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, won:

For a complete list of the award recipients throughout the state please visit https://arkansaspresswomen.org/apw-celebrates-2023-award-winners/.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

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Asa Hutchinson to formally launch Presidential bid April 26 in Bentonville

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KUAR | By Talk Business & Politics Staff

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will officially announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination for U.S. President on April 26 in Bentonville.

The event will be on the square in downtown Bentonville at 10:30 a.m.

“Bentonville holds a special place in my heart and my story,” said Hutchinson. “I have experienced many firsts here: my first law practice, launching Bentonville’s first FM radio station, my first home with Susan, and announcing my first run for public office. I owe so much to Bentonville, it is only right to make my formal announcement among my many friends and supporters from this amazing community.”

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-04-18/asa-hutchinson-to-formally-launch-presidential-bid-april-26-in-bentonville

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CJRW CEO Darin Gray highlights importance of data, insights in evolving industry

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by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

Darin Gray has seen a lot of changes in marketing over the past five years, most of which have been good for the industry.

Gray has led 60-year-old ad agency CJRW through the ever-changing industry since joining the Little Rock-based company as president eight years ago. He was named chairman and CEO in July 2015.

“We now, especially in this industry, are in a constant flux of change,” he said. “Data analytics, data itself, insights, access to that information and monitoring that information keeps it changing on a constant basis.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/07/cjrw-ceo-darin-gray-highlights-importance-of-data-insights-in-evolving-industry/

Darin Gray of Bentonville joined Little Rock-based CJRW as president eight years ago. He was named chairman and CEO in July 2015.

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Crystal Bridges Museum Hosts Marshallese Nuclear Victims Commemorative Event

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KUAF Staff

A Marshallese Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day program will take place Saturday March 5th from 5 to 9pm in the Great Hall at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. The event, hosted by KBE Annex and the Four Atolls will commemorate with speeches and performances the ten year-long history and devastating radiologic impact of nearly 70 nuclear weapons tests conducted by the U.S. military on the Marshall Islands during the Cold War.