Northwest Arkansas

When Ryan Mallett was growing up, he'd go to Houston Nutt's football camps and no matter who was on his team, the youngster always seemed to win. Now Mallett is the quarterback at Arkansas, and his determined attitude hasn't gone away — even as he prepares to face Nutt and Mississippi this weekend. "I go back with coach Nutt a long ways, but he knows I'm like him. We're both competitive," Mallett said. "So on Saturday it's going to be no holds barred. Let's go." Mallett went to high school in Texarkana, Texas, just across the Arkansas state line. He was a Razorbacks' fan ... Read Full Story

Bentonville, Arkansas is the world headquarters of Walmart, a company who proudly declares it's leading the world in green and sustainable practices.   Apparently what's good for the Walmart public persona is not good for their very own hometown.   According to the Tahlequah Daily Press, where on-line news is still free, "A new sewage plant in Arkansas that violates the Clean Water Act will further pollute Oklahoma's scenic Illinois River, and sewage from the plant should not be discharged until a scientific study of the watershed is completed, a Tahlequah based conservation organization said in an appeal filed this week."   Over the ... Read Full Story

Marjorie Rosen addressed criticism of her Bentonville, Arkansas-bashing book at the Fayetteville Public Library yesterday, and continued her rants today at the University of Arkansas.    Rog joined in on the fun on both counts and thought it was amusing to see how she's seriously ruffling the chicken feathers off of our local community.  I for one thought she was honest and not afraid to stick her tongue out at our local leaders, while describing the demographic changes taking place around town.    Rog interprets the ethnic changes taking place in the region occurring on the lowest steps of the economic ladder, and not a ... Read Full Story

News has been slow in Northwest Arkansas since the merger of the two local newspapers and the deportation of most of the decent reporters and staff on a one-way ticket to someplace else.   A few newspaper veterans and holdouts are headed to Orlando to work Christmas at Disney World as a costumed character for the holidays, with plans to return to Northwest Arkansas when the local economy can support another newspaper or when hell freezes over, which ever comes first.   So we've now resorted to making up news about Northwest Arkansas. Hey, local business leaders have been doing it for years.  So, we figure ... Read Full Story

Would you like to receive daily tips on things to do and places to go with kids in Northwest Arkansas? If so, Click here to sign up for Life+Kids by Email . It's FREE! Thanks for visiting! FREE Theatre at the Fayetteville Public Library Saturday @ 11:30. The show will last approximately 40 minutes. ARTS LIVE THEATRE Broadway Conservatory classes present PROM:THE MUSICAL and PROJECT SHAKESPEARE, performed by Alt Live Theatre’s teen actors. Share This! Read Full Story

In about a month, Arkansas will play its first basketball game of 2009-10 after an offseason full of negative headlines. The program's reputation has taken a hit thanks to a number of off-court issues, but guard Courtney Fortson insists there's an easy solution to all the bad publicity. "Win," said Fortson, one of three players who met with the media Thursday along with coach John Pelphrey. "That's it." Although the Razorbacks are eager to improve on the court, they'll also be judged on their performance off it. Pelphrey handed out multiple suspensions last season for various reasons. Then, allegations were made against three players ... Read Full Story

Dennis Johnson might be Arkansas' most important player this weekend against top-ranked Florida. He gives the Razorbacks a chance to score before the Gators' stifling defense even takes the field. Johnson has already run one kickoff back for a touchdown this season, and last week against Auburn he broke free for a pair of long returns that helped Arkansas to a decisive victory. With Florida allowing a paltry 6.4 points per game, the Razorbacks could use a big play or two on special teams if they're going to pull off the upset. "I think that's going to be the key," Gators coach Urban Meyer ... Read Full Story

Michael Smith rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown, and Arkansas held off a late Auburn rally to hand the No. 17 Tigers their first loss of the season, 44-23 Saturday. Arkansas jumped out to a 34-3 lead before Auburn (5-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) responded with a three-touchdown flurry toward the end of the third quarter. Dennis Johnson helped the Razorbacks (3-2, 1-2) regain momentum with a 70-yard kickoff return, and Arkansas shut out the Tigers in the fourth. Ryan Mallett threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns for the Razorbacks. Ben Tate ran for 184 yards and two TDs for Auburn. Smith rushed ... Read Full Story

We suppose it was inevitable, but the merger of the two major newspapers in Northwest Arkansas has saddened me. Readers and advertisers alike will no longer have a choice of newspapers. Competition is virtually good – keeps everyone on their toes and helps keep prices down. The merger includes the Northwest Arkansas Times in Fayetteville, Benton County Daily Record in Bentonville, Morning News in Springdale plus several weekly or twice-weekly newspapers, a Spanish language weekly and a monthly magazine devoted to Arkansas Razorbacks athletics. Another sad result of the merger is the loss of jobs. More than 500 people are employed either full- or part-time ... Read Full Story

No. 3 Alabama tight end Colin Peek doesn't think anyone should pay attention to that rout of Arkansas last season. That was pre-Ryan Mallett, after all, and coach Bobby Petrino's offense hadn't yet clicked into gear. Plus, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban insists the Razorbacks' defense is much improved. On the final point, it's best to overlook last week's 52-41 loss to Georgia heading into Saturday's Southeastern Conference Western Division matchup. "A lot of people may remember last year's game, but this is a completely different team," said Peek, referring to the Tide's 49-14 win. "This is not Arkansas from last year. "This is ... Read Full Story