Tuition Hike, First Thursday Expands

Colleges across the nation are increasing tuition once again and Arkansas is no exception. NorthWest Arkansas Community College approved raising tuition by 6 percent for in-county students and 7 percent for students outside Benton County. NWACC has an estimated 10 percent increase in enrollment. The University of Arkansas will also undergo increases at all locations. The proposed rates average 4.3 percent increase in tuition and 10.5 percent in fees. The UA defends the increase as a reflection of an increase in expenses, particularly energy costs and decreased state allotments based on enrollment.

Farmers’ Market

The Fayetteville Farmers’ Market on the downtown square is already luring a crowd. The Mill District will strike its opening night on May 6. New this year is a downtown Farmington Market opening May 1. The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks is also expected to open its Sunday market soon.

Beautiful Buffalo River

Concerns about the E. Coli bacteria being found in dangerous levels in the Buffalo River have been quieted. Last year the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality filed a lawsuit against Marble Falls for a faulty sewage pump that emptied into Mill Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo. Although the lawsuit is still pending, the levels of bacteria are well below the state regulations. The Democrat-Gazette reported that Faron Usrey, water ecologist for the National Park Service, believes that “the Buffalo is generally as clean as one can find in the Ozarks.”

First Thursday Expands

Fayetteville’s First Thursday art walk will expand outdoors to East Avenue in front of the Fayetteville Underground beginning May 7. Local artists can submit applications to show their work by applying by the 20th of each month. Applications are available at www.firstthursdayfayetteville.com/apply.html.