Good morning, Springdale.

The 5NEWS Weekend Guide lists many events happening across Northwest Arkansas from October 10 to 12—these include live music, farmers markets, and family activities.

In Springdale, locals can attend the HWOA Annual Conference at the Jones Center and visit the Springdale Farmers Market on Saturdays.

On Tuesday, Gov. Sanders and AG Griffin kicked off the Arkansas Social Media Summit by outlining plans to better protect children’s phone use in schools through the Bell to Bell, No Cell Act and by noting a drop in school incidents since its start.

They added that the state sued tech companies like Meta and TikTok and will work with big tech so that adult content does not reach kids—efforts that have gained broad bipartisan support.

Northwest Arkansas will receive over $3 million in federal funds—through the Transportation Alternatives Program and Recreational Trails Program—to support transportation and recreational trail projects with improvements to sidewalks, bike lanes and safety features.

Springdale will get $116,000 for the Thunderchicken Trail rehabilitation as part of the distributed grants.

At a Northwest Arkansas housing summit in Bentonville on Wednesday, Utah planner Ted Knowlton stressed that residents must have a real choice in shaping housing reforms rather than having plans imposed from above—advocating for options like modular homes to address rising costs.

Hosted by Groundwork, the summit highlighted how public input builds consensus for effective reforms.

On Wednesday, the Highway Commission got an update from ADOT about 230 active projects including bid letting, maintenance, and construction—one project is the widening of Interstate 57 in Central Arkansas.

Officials said the update will guide future work on improving road safety.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management is urging Arkansans to join the international Great Shakeout Drill on October 16 at 10:16 a.m. to practice stop, drop and hold on and review plans for a possible quake from the New Madrid Fault Line—known for high seismic risk.

Chickamauga Nation leaders will hold a news conference today at 6 p.m. at the Charleston Community Center to update on their talks with state officials about the Franklin County site chosen for a new 3,000-bed prison—addressing cultural concerns over potential sacred grounds.

Between 2012 and 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a 28% drop in divorce rates nationwide while 14 states—including Arkansas—continued to show rates above the national average of 7.1 per 1,000 women.

In 2022, Arkansas had about 12 divorces per 1,000 women, reflecting ongoing marital challenges in the state.

Matt Jones and Ethan Westerman discussed lingering questions about the Razorbacks as they head into their game at Tennessee—Ethan also shared his views on the Arkansas basketball event from last week.

Fall Fun at Farmland Adventures

3-9 p.m. — Farmland Adventures — Ticket required — Enjoy a giant corn maze, pumpkin picking, pony rides, and family-friendly activities this fall.

35th Annual Ozark Regional Arts & Crafts Festival

9 AM – 8 PM — Northwest Arkansas Convention Center — $18.6M predicted spend — Celebrate local artistry with a wide array of handcrafted goods at this beloved festival.

Halloween Boxing Show

6-10:30 p.m. — Springdale Civic Center — Costumes encouraged — Experience a night of boxing, community fun, and trick-or-treat festivities.

Gobbler Race Series 5K, 10K, & Half Marathon

8 a.m. — Shaw Family Park, Springdale, AR — Registration required — Lace up your running shoes for a festive community challenge with 5K, 10K, and half marathon options.