On this week's episode, our busy week began with the Bella Vista City Council rushing through the creation of an Advisory Green committee while taking its time discussing a sales tax reduction proposal, the Springdale City Council approving its updated land use plans, the Bentonville City Council turning down the noise, the Benton County Quorum Court sitting through the sound and fury while approving a bond issue to help build more health care facilities and the Fayetteville Board of Education approving a maximum price construction contact for the future Ramay Junior High School.

We also had plenty of crime to keep our police busy while the latest shoe dropped in the case involving Benton County's lone County Judge candidate who may be closer to sitting behind bars than the podium at future Quorum Court meetings.

Our Benton County Extension report celebrates the accomplishments of some area 4-H youth.

And our trip off the beaten path might be better known as a trip to the Roadkill buffet with a couple of food haulers dropping off their cargo sooner than expectted.

On this week's episode, it was a mixed bag of news this week with Springdale officials hearing about plans for the Rabbit's Foot Lodge, Fayetteville would adopt tighter restrictions on data centers, Siloam Springs would place their sales tax extension on the ballot and Washington County's legislative branch would exert more control over its budget.

In the school house, Rogers would approve new courses as part of its advanced curriculum while Bentonville approved a contract for the expansion of one of its newer elementary schools.

Statewide news would see the apparent end of the proposed mega-prison in Franklin County and the setback in Arkansas ballot measures in federal district court.

Our Benton County Extension Report weighs in on the mental health crisis.

And our short trip off the beaten path takes us to Crawford County, where a young Fort Smith flimmer-flammer was stuffed in the slammer while preparing for what may be a tour of court houses across the state for a series of command performances before a black-robed audience.

Coming up on this week's episode, our busy week saw the Washington County Quorum Court look to assert greater control over capital outlays, the Springdale City Council back to full strength, the Rogers City Council moving its bond issue and sales tax extension to the hands of the voters, the Centerton City Council joining the growing flock of communities to pluck the feathers of its surveillance camera system and the Lowell City Council changing its rules of procedure.

Meanwhile, Tyson Foods would consolidate its beef processing facilities as the segment continues to struggle while row crop famers in the state planted more soybeans while pulling back on corn and rice sowing.

The Benton County Extension Office previews a meeting of the area Cattleman's Association in September.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Jefferson City, where the subjects of our story learned the lesson...you snooze, you lose...the hard way.

Coming up on this episode, the Springdale City Council may have complicated matters in their bid to fill a vacancy while the Pea Ridge Planning Commission approved a controversial rezoning for a proposed development next to its city park. Benton County officials would discuss the proposed re-allocation of its one-cent sales tax but have a short time to place the question before the voters.

Officials in Fayetteville would break ground on the future Ramay Junior High School while Springdale opened its repurposed Elementary School.

Municipal filing season ended and we have a nunber of significant mayoral races in Benton County. But most of the eyes are on a now-former state representative and for-the-moment only candidate for county judge as his problems continued piling up.

Our Benton County Extension report focuses on getting kids ready to return to school and the accompanying routines, while the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks held its latest drive in Fayetteville.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Florida, which may be in such bad shape now that it had to import people to star in the "Florida man" stories that usually provide entertainment value for the big city journalists.

Coming up on this week's episode, the end of the month saw the Bella Vista City Council play to a packed room due to the interest over the short-term rental proposal that would increase the number of permits.

In other news, the Rogers City Council presented its bond referendum request while the Springdale City Council left the vacant seat in their membership run for another couple of weeks, the Bentonville City Council approved administrative fees for people not mowing their grass and progress on the future Ramay Junior High School cleared another hurdle when the Washington County Circuit Court dismissed an appeal intended to stop it.

Arkansas election laws were on the spotlight as the two sides in the legal battle over laws intended to combat petition fraud or improve direct democracy depending on which side of the fence one is standing made their arguments in U.S. District Court while the Secretary of State rejected the petitions filed by one advocacy group in support of a constitutional amendment tossing out the new laws.

Municipal campaign season got started with the opening of the one-week filing period while the race for Benton County Judge took an unexpected turn into the county jail.

Our Benton County Extension report gives parents tips on food safety as their children return to school.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Bakersfield, California, where a former college basketball assistant will have the chance to coach a prison team after he pleaded to supplementing his income the old-fashioned way....as a patron of the tarts.

Coming up on this week's episode, another full week of government action saw the Springdale City Council discuss its vacant seat during its Committee of the Whole meeting, the Prairie Grove Council amend its door-to-door solicitation ordinance, the Tontitown City Council approve some significant changes in its meeting calendar, the Fayetteville City Council adopted its ordinance limiting the use of non-disclosure agreements and approve a major rezoning, the Siloam Springs Board of Directors introduce the extension of its five-eighth cent sales tax for wastewater treatment work and the Benton County Quorum Court move forward its accounting of the 287g program.

In the school house, the Bentonville Board of Education sold one of the two parcels of property that received unsolicited offers to purchase, the Rogers Board signed on to a class-action lawsuit targeting social media companies and the Fayetteville Board approved the sale ot construction bonds and heard the update on its efforts to prepare its elementary students for success.

We also had a busy week in the courtroom as an opponent of the future Ramay Junior High School took the city and school district to circuit court to stop the process while a Fayetteville property owner whose home was a frequent stop for first responder agencies was accused of turning his dilapidated structure into a home flambe in order to cash a check from his insurance company that may result in an even larger check for his barristers.

It was a more difficult week for responders, as Springdale Police were called to a couple of shooting deaths that resulted in a couple of teen boys facing adullt consequences while a moped driver and pedestrian in Rogers were fatally injured in motor vehicle accidents and a rookie police officer gave his life while trying to save another swimmer in the Elk River north of the state line.

Our Benton County Extension report previews a seminar on the new world screwworm that is causing trouble for cattle producers.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us across the state to Jonesboro, where a friendly neighborhood Spiderman was caught on video playing Boy Scout and helping a disabled pedestrian across a busy street

On this week's episode, a number of government agencies took care of business quickly while others had more on their collective plates. Greenland approved an agreement with West Fork in one area while there might be some tension on another front. Springdale's City Council changed the name of a street and agreed to pay for the school resrouce officers at its junior high schools. Bentonville's City Council approved a couple of pedestrian capital projects while officials in Rogers previewed a list of items that could be financed with a bond issue it plans to put before voters in November. The Washington County Quorum Court would approve a conditional use permit for the Genesis Ranch to operate a residential treatment home for teenaged girls.

School districts also got together as they prepared for the coming year. The Gravette board celebrated completion of its capital projects and approved a new math curriculum for its middle school. Springdale's Board of Education would hear updates to its renovation of Westwood Elementary School and updated bus routes for students moving from Jones to Bayarri and Knapp elementary schools.

Business news saw financial reports for America's Car Mart and J.B. Hunt Transport, along with the opening of a new office building in Rogers.

Our Benton County Extension Report previews the Pullet Show in August while our Comment from the Capitol recaps the week in Washington.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to San Francisco, where a tourist wished he'd adapted a famed Bush Administration education program and Left No Meth Behind.

Coming up this week, the Springdale City Council learned it would have to fill the vacant Ward Teo seat before the November elections, while the Committee of the Whole set up a public hearing to change the name of a street on the east side. The Fayetteville City Council would approve the issue of $191 million in bonds for capital projects the voters approved this past March. The Siloam Springs Board of Directors would approve new rules governing electric bicycles and mobility devices on its sidepaths and trails. Planning commissioners weren't able to accomplish much in the region as incorrect information provided by the law firm representing developers of a property in downtown forced the board in Bentonville to table the rezoning request while a lack of a quorum doomed the Washington County Board.

A light week of state work saw the Board of Education endorse a new rule to help parent districts who have isolated schools opt to break away, with Kingston planning to leave the vast Jasper district that it was consolidated into a long time ago.

Our Benton County Extension report comments on the early cuttings of this year's hay crop and offers producers the chance to test the forage for nutrients.

And our trip off the beaten path takes us to Baltimore, Maryland, where even a burglar can't escape being the victim of a crime, so police were able to find him a much more secure career making license plates.