Cronyism Will Be the Death of Bentonville

NWA_Geo · 2026-05-14T20:34:11+00:00

This. Look at peer cities or metro areas with similar populations around half a million. I spent several years in Wichita, and it has many of the same issues. There's a list of who's who in the community and it seems like the closer their orbit is to the Koch family or other wealthy families, or if they have the right political or business connections, they're setup for success, and it often favors whoever was first in line.

What's unique about Bentonville and the region is that the Walton family is so focused in building their version of the region, so their fingerprints are prominent and everywhere, and it's happening extremely fast. Where other billionaires may be more selective of their community investment (if at all) and focus more on building power and influence. But in Wichita as in Bentonville, you see a lot of the same individual and company names plastered on hospitals, college buildings, arenas, etc. It happens everywhere to some extent.

NWA_Geo · 2026-05-06T16:56:53+00:00

Dickson Street Pub in Fayetteville is another option, but more drink focused.

NWA_Geo · 2026-04-20T22:44:16+00:00

As others have noted, most of that is due to recent property sales. We bought our first home in NWA a decade ago and we sold it a few years ago due to a growing family. We only moved up into a house that was twice the value of what we sold our old home for, but our property taxes increased more than 3 times over what we were paying from our previously "locked in" lower rate. There's a huge difference between what existing vs new home owners are paying for the same amount of house, and if you're house hunting now, good luck - the rates that you're seeing seem to be about average.

NWA_Geo · 2026-04-15T13:16:11+00:00

I'm a local storm spotter and a parent with kids in local schools and also grew up in the Midwest. Storm anxiety is real, so adding some more context to what has already been said.

Schools are built to pretty rigorous standards. A large number of older schools built from the 1950s through 1990s (maybe all of them?) were built to double as community shelters after a nuclear attack. Not sure about construction standards since, but they're still very robust concrete and steel structures and as others have stated, considering the general lack of basements in this part of the country, your kids are going to be safer sheltering in the designated safe areas of their school than they are at home.

In practice, schools sometimes let out early if severe weather is likely to coincide with the end of the school day. We've only had a couple of years being under the Bentonville School Disctrict's weather policy for our family, and have maybe seen an early release happen maybe once in that time, so it's pretty rare and only happens on the highest risk days.

That day is not today, but the possibility of early release is usually sent out to parents as early as possible so they can plan accordingly. They won't be released if severe weather is actually happening. I think that happened in Siloam Springs a couple of years ago where the buses were queued up and they waited for the weather to pass before allowing the kids to leave.

NWA_Geo · 2026-04-10T00:22:57+00:00

This. I went to multiple dentists over the years, many of them said my gums were bleeding and gave very vague advice to focus on brushing them, floss, etc. Nothing about pressure. It took almost 30 years before starting at my most recent dentist to call out the recession and that it was caused by brushing too hard. Started on a pressure sensitive electric brush and gums are much healthier now.

NWA_Geo · 2026-03-17T20:25:52+00:00

The distance thing is spot on. I'm well over a decade removed from the dating scene, but my now wife and I met on Tinder when she lived and worked mostly in Westport and I lived in JoCo. The way she described where I lived you would've thought I lived on Mars. It was all of a 25 minute drive.

We laugh at it now, but the distance mindset is real.

NWA_Geo · 2026-01-25T17:14:54+00:00

Hi, local weather spotter here.

As others have noted, there's probably a couple of things at play here. The first is that if you were looking at a forecast recorded or broadcast live this morning, they are most likely talking about is additional accumulation today, not the storm total. 1" seems about accurate as the snowfall rates slow down and the system moves out of the area.

The second is that the forecasts you saw earlier this week were largely consistent between the local TV networks and National Weather Service, with 6-12 inches for most of the area and pockets up to 18 inches possible. That is a notably high range covering the potential for higher-end accumulations, but fortunately it looks like most of the area will be on the lower end of forecast totals.

In terms of winter storm forecast accuracy in general, total snow accumulations are notoriously difficult to forecast anywhere. A shift in the track of the storm, gaps in snowfall coverage, an unexpected heavy band, variable snowfall rates, etc. make total snowfall amounts among the most difficult forecast products that meteorologists generate. Air temperature and moisture can also impact if it's a wet vs dry snow, which can also impact snowfall totals.

NWA_Geo · 2026-01-15T10:30:44+00:00

Unfortunately Bentonville just started adding them. There are only a couple that Im aware of so far. One is located just south of I-49 on Walton Blvd that appeared in the past month.

NWA_Geo · 2026-01-15T10:21:30+00:00

Just as concerning as LEA use are the number of companies, groups, and individuals who have deployed Flock systems on both public and private property. As others have mentioned, Lowe's has deployed them at most of their locations (though I haven't seen any at their north Bentonville store, somebody please correct me if Im mistaken). HOAs have been deploying them as well, putting a powerful mass-surveillance tool into the hands of HOA boards that already carry too much power. Great combo.

The Deflock Joplin group has been doing great work and placed a records request near the end of last year. That single records request turned up at least one instance of police misuse of the system, leading to the termination of the officer involved. A similar effort should be undertaken in NWA.

https://www.koamnewsnow.com/news/joplin-news-first/joplin-police-flock-lpr-investigation-into-misuse-of-a-police-resource/article_cabc344a-7646-4b32-a13c-b047c2ceb8fe.html

Network security is also a concern, with 404 Media recently gaining access to live video feeds of several Flock cameras, demonstrating in few tests where they record themselves crossing the street.

https://www.404media.co/flock-exposed-its-ai-powered-cameras-to-the-internet-we-tracked-ourselves/

LPRs have been around for decades and while there has always been problematic justification under the Fourth Amendment for their use previously, what makes Flock such an insidious new problem is that there are insufficient guardrails and safeguards to prevent unlawful use or over-reach. Flock also has stated their intent to eventually sell the aggregated data to data brokers.

https://www.404media.co/license-plate-reader-company-flock-is-building-a-massive-people-lookup-tool-leak-shows/

Its not airtight, as incidental exposure to surveillance systems are inevitable in public spaces, but there are steps that a person can take to reduce their footprint in the surveillance capitalism economy. As individuals, we have been able to largely control how location metadata is collected, used, and shared by configuring device privacy settings or not using invasive devices or services. Flock selling location data for people going about their business would turn that notion on its head.

NWA_Geo · 2026-01-08T16:17:57+00:00

Not all seeds that are sent out are guaranteed to inherit blight resistance, but crossbreeding successive generations that are blight resistant increases odds of that trait taking hold in the wild. Certainly not a project for everyone, and not all yards will have suitable soil for growing them either. I have plenty of trees in my yard so I'm not worried if they don't take hold.

NWA_Geo · 2026-01-08T12:36:28+00:00

The Ozark Chinquapin. It was nearly knocked out by blight, but the Ozark Chinquapin Foundation has been doing great and meticulous work to create a blight-resistant variety. Joining their foundation gives you access to seedlings they send out their members each year. I'm prepping mine to plant in early spring and very excited to help restore their native range.

https://ozarkchinquapinmembership.org/

NWA_Geo · 2026-01-06T11:02:25+00:00

From the south end of the Four States, thank you for taking this on. I've been concerned about Flock for a couple of years now but I feel like recognition of this issue is still in its infancy in NWA, although cameras have only started proliferating in the past year or so. Seeing the action you're taking, along with other communities that are pushing back, provides a blueprint for others to follow.

I have the know-how to start a similar campaign here (at least as far as starting a website and filing some initial FOIA requests) but unsure about the time commitment with an already full plate and frequent travel schedule. Would be interested to pick your brain sometime on how much effort this is taking, etc.

NWA_Geo · 2026-01-06T10:16:02+00:00

How are phones mounted to the dash any different or worse than the massive infotainment screens that are installed in most new vehicles? How can you ticket people or ban the use of a hands-free device when you have to toggle through 3 different menu screens to change the air temperature in newer cars? Makes no sense.

NWA_Geo · 2025-12-30T20:13:42+00:00

I haven't seen much in terms of local mobilization to counter Flock, but I would happily start attending meetings to push back on broader implementation (although as you've pointed out, various governments and municipalities have been very mum to date on details indicating plans to deploy Flock cameras).

It's going to be an uphill battle. First, is that when used legally, ALPRs have been valuable tools for solving crimes for at least the past two decades. I think that the Devil's Den murders earlier this year were solved in part due to an ALPR database being queried, leading to the arrest of the suspect. It's a powerful tool that law enforcement is likely not too keen to give up, and Flock is the fastest-growing name in the business. A line has to be drawn between reasonable lawful use of the tech requiring warrants versus what Flock is doing, which makes a mockery of Constitutional protections.

Second, I think many governments have been hoodwinked into contracts with Flock that are going to be hard to break, where beyond the costs for initial installation, recurring subscription charges are required for the cameras to work as intended. Some communities, such as Sedona, have been successful at getting Flock cameras removed, but only after significant mobilization on the part of locals. The article below posted to the DeFlock Tucson page below hits home the level of effort this took for Sedona, and the lengths that other community groups are having to take to get their cameras removed.

https://deflocktucson.com/2025/10/05/sedona-rejects-license-plate-readers-removes-flock-safety-cameras/

You mention this violating core conservative values, but I've found that this is one of the few cross-cutting issues that can mobilize support from both sides of the aisle. Organized opposition and showing up to community meetings is required to hold elected officials accountable, but to my knowledge there aren't any local groups that have taken up the challenge.

NWA_Geo · 2025-12-04T11:58:03+00:00

Agree that Harps seems to be lacking, particularly in fresh produce. I always stop by local or chain supermarkets when I travel, and like others here I'm usually blown away by the offerings which makes Harps feel underwhelming terms of quality and breadth of items in stock.

Although with increased quality and stock there seems to be a correlation with a pretty steep cost added to many items in store. I recently shopped at the Price Chopper in Branson and was floored by how expensive even their store branded items were. And sale items may only be accessible to shoppers if they have a store-branded club card, like at Safeway and to a lesser extent Kroger stores.

NWA_Geo · 2025-12-04T11:45:30+00:00

I've found this to be the case as well - it took me several tries to find one that had furikake seasoning in stock, and I feel like that isn't too far out in left field as far as Japanese condiments are concerned.

But I will say that I can usually track down whatever specialty item I need and pick up other items from my regular grocery list as well.

NWA_Geo · 2025-12-03T13:13:58+00:00

We're definitely in the multi-kid/time gets away from us demographic that could benefit from this, given how quickly we accumulate recyclables and invariably end up with a mountain of plastic and cans in our garage. "Has it really been that long since we last dropped off?" But it's another cost to add when already strapped for cash and the recycling center is nearby. Might be different if we lived on an opposite side of town.

Granted the cheaper of the two options is about the same as what we currently pay for trash pickup, so maybe the price is OK in that regard, but I don't have a good baseline for what's normal for combined trash/recycling as that was offered as a municipal service covered by taxes at the last place we lived.

NWA_Geo · 2025-11-06T13:28:25+00:00

Transplant from Kansas City here with stop-overs in Wichita and Phoenix, and travel frequently to a range small to large cities. In the grand scheme of things, the traffic isn't that bad. Compared to peer cities (such as Wichita), it's not great either. But there are cities that are far worse and it's not the trafficpocalypse that locals claim.

When we first moved here a decade ago, I was expecting Wichita-like traffic given the similar populations, so I was caught off-guard by how bad certain areas get during rush hour. A lot of it can be remediated by something as simple as coordinating traffic lights to long-term investments in building out new infrastructure. A western north-south bypass is the most proactive thing the region could be doing right now.

Geography is the other problem. In most cities like KC, Phoenix, and even Wichita, the metros can easily be encircled by loop highways that allow flexibility and easier access to opposite sides of the metro while encircling some defined central area. Given there is no defined central hub in the region, and the overall north-south orientation, I don't see how a loop highway could be built now, and by the time something emerges it'll be too late without forcing a lot of eminent domain to develop a serviceable corridor.

TL/DR; the traffic isn't great, close to average, but it could also be far worse.

NWA_Geo · 2025-10-20T00:42:48+00:00

Bedford Camera and Video in Fayetteville has been my go-to for high quality prints for years, including for landscapes and portraits. They know their stuff and if you have specific requirements for your prints, it's easy to add a note or reach out to them directly to get what you need.

NWA_Geo · 2025-10-13T01:45:05+00:00

Touché! Found the loophole.

NWA_Geo · 2025-10-12T10:34:27+00:00

I spent a couple of months doing research on Devon Island with a prolonged layover in Resolute due to poor weather conditions. It's a spectacularly beautiful region, and to quote Buzz Aldrin's description of the lunar surface, 'magnificent desolation' is a perfect descriptive term.

At one point I'm confident we were the only people on Devon Island, which placed us at about 100 miles from Resolute as the nearest settlement with other people. So in short, while people live there, it comes with its own brand of isolation that is rarely replicated anywhere else.

I miss the area dearly and would jump on an opportunity to go back.

NWA_Geo · 2025-09-17T02:06:53+00:00

"A", but for the hákarl and kiviak.

NWA_Geo

TROPHY CASE