Good morning, Bentonville.

Walmart’s marketplace launched the Premium Musical Instrument Shop online Tuesday, Jan.

20, offering a curated selection of new and used professional-grade instruments and accessories such as (Fender, Roland, Boss). The store expands access to quality gear for third-party sellers and music enthusiasts.

Arvest Bank announced on Jan.

21 that it hired Aileen Wilkins as its chief people officer; she started on Jan. 5 and brings over 30 years of HR experience in healthcare, tech (and financial services) to align talent management with the bank's growth.

A studio visit featured painter Rachel Borntrager, a 36-year-old abstract expressionist who used somatic awareness as a tool to capture emotion; she had an eventful 2025 that shaped her unique creative style in the local arts scene.

Arkansas high school students from Bentonville and Little Rock were chosen as delegates for the Senate Youth Program Washington Week from March 7-14 in Washington.

They will join 104 peers, receive a $10,000 scholarship, and meet top officials + study the federal government.

Benton and Washington counties are preparing for snow by testing equipment and planning road pre-treatment in the coming days.

Benton county will start treatment after confirming clear weather while Washington crews (80 employees in shifts) work to keep roads safe.

Local government reports show January sales tax revenue for four cities totaled $9.507 million — a 2.27% drop from last year that marks the slowest start in seven years.

Bentonville, Fayetteville, and Springdale posted declines while Rogers recorded a 0.91% rise based on November retail data.

Late Wednesday morning, thousands in Benton County lost power when a main transmission line went down — service was mostly restored by 1:15 p.m., with Centerton among the affected areas.

At Bulldog Arena on Tuesday (Jan.

20), Fayetteville won 61-40 against Bentonville West by outscoring them in the third quarter to remain unbeaten in conference play, while in the girls game Bentonville West edged Fayetteville 59-53 after Addison Greeley hit a clutch three-pointer.

No. 20 Arkansas routed Vanderbilt 93-68 at Bud Walton Arena Tuesday, with key plays from Meleek Thomas and DJ Wagner – the team will play LSU Tigers at home Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Three Razorbacks earned Preseason All-American honors in softball, with Herron, Kennedy & McDowell also named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List.

The Great American Conference moved six basketball doubleheaders from Saturday to Monday due to an expected winter storm.

Winter weather is expected in Arkansas this weekend and high school basketball schedules have been adjusted accordingly: five of the six Class 6A games are now set for Thursday while Bentonville and Bentonville West have updated Friday times + teams are preparing to play safely.

Candlelight Concert: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons

6:30-7:45 p.m. — Fayetteville Public Library — Check with ticketing for costs — Experience a unique candlelight concert featuring the music of Coldplay and Imagine Dragons performed by the Listeso String Quartet.