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Bentonville & Northwest Arkansas · The Daily BriefUpdated Aug 1, 2026 · 19:07 CT
The Bentonville Observer.
No. 130Saturday, August 1, 2026 · Bentonville, Ark.Every claim linked to a public source
FollowingAll-time
45,721
NWA organizations, places, and topics
Showing up together30 days
3,124
Local pairs appearing together in news and public records
PredictionsLive
7
On the record with deadlines — grade us later
Did we call it?Verified
86%
6 right · 1 wrong across 7 verified; 2 unverified not counted
Civic Signal Desk / Predictions

Prediction ledger with visible evidence and public scorekeeping

This board only shows promoted predictions. Each call has a public deadline, supporting evidence, and a falsification test; outcomes only enter the scorecard after a public verification pass can cite the result.

How this board works

Only calls that clear review count toward the public ledger. Drafts stay out of view until they do.

The confidence badge is a calibrated evidence-strength estimate assigned at filing time, not a promise of certainty. Lower-confidence calls can still belong on the board when the evidence is public and the deadline is testable.

At deadline, every call is verified against public reporting and scored a hit or a miss. Calls that expire without public confirmation are marked Unverified and excluded from the accuracy score — misses stay on the board either way.

Ground Rules
These are public, falsifiable calls based on current reporting, not recommendations to buy, sell, hire, fund, or accuse. Promoted predictions count toward public accuracy, and misses remain visible alongside the hits. Expired calls that cannot be verified either way are labeled separately instead of being counted as misses.
Active board
7
Promoted predictions currently live on the public desk.
Verified resolutions
7
6 hits · 1 miss, each verified against public reporting.
Accuracy
86%
Share of verified resolutions that landed as hits; 2 unverified expirations excluded.
Next deadline
Aug 15, 2026
The Fayetteville City Council will pass the nondisclosure agreement ordinance sponsored by Council Member Sarah Moore — requiring a council majority vote before city staff or elected officials may sign any nondisclosure agreement — at or following its next scheduled meeting in July 2026, with the measure formally adopted as city policy.
Town promises
5
Government commitments extracted from public minutes and packets that are still pending verification.
Promises on the record
100%
3 kept · 0 broken across 3 resolved promises; 13 unresolvable excluded.
Town promise ledger

Government commitments with source documents

Every row cites the public document that created the commitment; kept and broken calls only enter the score once we can cite public evidence of the outcome.
OpenContract ExtensionDue in 151 days

Section III Item 2 from the City Council Agenda: Resolution Authorizing a Contract Amendment to the Water and Wastewater Capacity Fee Analysis

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-06-23
Due
2026-12-31

...essional services agreement Amendment with Raftelis Finances Consultants, Inc. (Raftelis) reducing the contract amount by $16,200.00 for a revised amount not to exceed $43,400 and extending the contract time to December 31, 2026. Utility Board approved 4-0. A budget adjustment is needed. Attachment 17678: Bid Award Change Order Budget Adjustment Waiver of Bid Emergency Clause Ordinance Resolution $ $ Expe...

OpenPayment DeadlineDue in 394 days

Resolution to Accept Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Grant

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-06-23
Due
2027-08-31

...lease visit https://sam.gov/content/help. The FY 2025 award may be used for National Institute of Justice (NIJ) compliant armored vests which were ordered after April 1, 2025. The deadline to request payments from the FY 2025 award is August 31, 2027 or until all available funds have been requested. Awards will not be extended past that date, and any unused funds will be forfeited. As a reminder, body armor vests purchased wit...

OpenPayment DeadlineDue in 394 days

Section II Item 2 from the City Council Agenda: Resolution to Accept Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Grant

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-06-23
Due
2027-08-31

...lease visit https://sam.gov/content/help. The FY 2025 award may be used for National Institute of Justice (NIJ) compliant armored vests which were ordered after April 1, 2025. The deadline to request payments from the FY 2025 award is August 31, 2027 or until all available funds have been requested. Awards will not be extended past that date, and any unused funds will be forfeited. As a reminder, body armor vests purchased wit...

OpenCompletion Windowwithin 360 days from the date of the issuance of the Notice to Proceed

The contract documents require the furnishing of 100 percent performance and payment bonds prior to authorization of the Notice to Proceed. Completion of the project is to be within 360 days from the date of the issuance

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-07-07
Due
within 360 days from the date of the issuance of the Notice to Proceed

20. The contract documents require the furnishing of 100 percent performance and payment bonds prior to authorization of the Notice to Proceed. Completion of the project is to be within 360 days from the date of the issuance of the Notice to Proceed. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, BURNS & McDONNELL Jonathan Ely, PE Project Manager enclosures cc: Mr. Trevel Young – City of Fayettevi...

OpenCompletion Windowwithin 360 days from the date of the issuance of the Notice to Proceed

The contract documents require the furnishing of 100 percent performance and payment bonds prior to authorization of the Notice to Proceed. Completion of the project is to be within 360 days from the date of the issuance

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-06-30
Due
within 360 days from the date of the issuance of the Notice to Proceed

20. The contract documents require the furnishing of 100 percent performance and payment bonds prior to authorization of the Notice to Proceed. Completion of the project is to be within 360 days from the date of the issuance of the Notice to Proceed. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, BURNS & McDONNELL Jonathan Ely, PE Project Manager enclosures cc: Mr. Trevel Young – City of Fayettevi...

KeptPublic Hearing ScheduledChecked Jul 5, 2026

Planning Commission agenda item (2026-07-07): i. RZ26-00236 - 3.67 acres west of 701 W. Hudson Rd. A request by Louis Froud to rezone 3.67 acres west of 701 W. Hudson Rd. from the T5.2 (City Medium-Intensity) zoning dist

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-07-07
Due
2026-06-16
Case RZ26-00236

...teville, AR 72704 DEPT. OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING DIVISION 301 W. CHESTNUT PHONE: (479) 621-1186 FAX: (479) 986-6896 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held before the Rogers Planning Commission in the Rogers City Hall at 301 West Chestnut Street on June 16, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. on the application by Bates and Associates, Inc on behalf of Louis Froud (Case #: RZ26-00236) to rezone ±3.67 acres west of 701 W. Hudson Road from the T5.2 (City Medium-Intens...

Resolution

The City of Rogers' official Legal Notices page confirms that a public hearing for Case #RZ26-00236 (Louis Froud rezone request, ±3.67 acres west of 701 W. Hudson Road) was publicly noticed and scheduled before the Rogers Planning Commission on June 16, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. — exactly on the promised due horizon. The notice was posted on the official City of Rogers website, satisfying the public_hearing_scheduled commitment. No evidence of cancellation or postponement was found.

Resolution evidence
KeptPublic Hearing ScheduledChecked Jul 5, 2026

Planning Commission agenda item (2026-06-16): a. RZ26-00260 - 835 S. 40th Street and the 26.15 acres surrounding parcel A request by Blockwright Studio to rezone 835 S. 40th Street and the 26.15 acres surrounding from th

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-06-16
Due
2026-06-16
Case RZ26-00260

...Attachment 4588: DEPT. OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING DIVISION 301 W. CHESTNUT PHONE: (479) 621-1186 FAX: (479) 986-6896 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held before the Rogers Planning Commission in the Rogers City Hall at 301 West Chestnut Street on June 16, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. on the application by Blockwright Studio (Case #: RZ26-00260) to rezone 835 S. 40 th Street and the +26.15 acres surrounding from the T2 (Rural) zoning district to the T4.2 (Ne...

Resolution

The City of Rogers' official legal notices page confirms that a public hearing for Case #RZ26-00260 (Blockwright Studio's rezone application for 835 S. 40th Street and surrounding 26.15 acres) was formally noticed and scheduled before the Rogers Planning Commission for June 16, 2026 at 5:30 p.m., consistent with the promise. No evidence of cancellation or postponement was found, and the promise type requires only that the public hearing be scheduled and held on that date.

KeptPublic Hearing ScheduledChecked Jul 5, 2026

Planning Commission agenda item (2026-06-16): a. RZ26-00236 - 3.67 acres west of 701 W. Hudson Rd. A request by Louis Froud to rezone 3.67 acres west of 701 W. Hudson Rd. from the T5.2 (City Medium-Intensity) zoning dist

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-06-16
Due
2026-06-16
Case RZ26-00236

...Attachment 4590: DEPT. OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING DIVISION 301 W. CHESTNUT PHONE: (479) 621-1186 FAX: (479) 986-6896 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held before the Rogers Planning Commission in the Rogers City Hall at 301 West Chestnut Street on June 16, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. on the application by Bates and Associates, Inc on behalf of Louis Froud (Case #: RZ26-00236) to rezone ±3.67 acres west of 701 W. Hudson Road from the T5.2 (City Medium-Intens...

Resolution

The City of Rogers, AR published an official legal notice confirming that the public hearing for Case #RZ26-00236 (Louis Froud rezone, ±3.67 acres west of 701 W. Hudson Road) was scheduled before the Rogers Planning Commission on June 16, 2026 at 5:30 p.m., consistent with the promise. The city's own policy states that scheduled public hearings will not be tabled or postponed, and no cancellation or postponement notice was found. The promise type was 'public_hearing_scheduled,' and the official legal notice from ar-rogers.civicplus.com confirms the hearing was duly noticed and placed on the...

UnresolvableTabled UntilChecked Aug 1, 2026

RZ26-00354: a. Approving July 21, 2026 meeting minutes

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-08-04
Due
2020-08-04
Case RZ26-00354

...process. Burckart emphasizes the intent to build a community with mixed housing types and pedestrian-oriented development. Commissioners and Burckart further discuss the request. Motion by Jensen, second by Burnett to table the request to the August 4, 20206 Planning Commission meeting. Voice vote: Unanimous – Yes, Motion carried. TABLED. Reports ADJOURN There being no further business, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 6:53 p.m. ATTEST: APPROVED: ____________________________ _____________________________...

Resolution

The Rogers, AR Planning Commission August 4, 2026 meeting — at which approval of the July 21, 2026 minutes (Case RZ26-00354 agenda item) was tabled — is confirmed as scheduled per the city's official legal notices page (rogersar.gov), but has not yet occurred as of the review date of August 1, 2026. No minutes or outcome record for the August 4 meeting are publicly available, making it impossible to verify whether the promise was kept. The 'due horizon' of 2020-08-04 in the tracker is a clear data-entry error; the intended due date is August 4, 2026.

UnresolvablePublic Hearing ScheduledChecked Jul 29, 2026

Upcoming Public Hearing for a Right of Way Vacation & Establishing a Utility Easement Vacation Council will hold a Public Hearing on July 28, 2026 for an Alley Right of Way Vacation located at Lot 13, Block 11 of the Gil

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-08-04
Due
2026-07-28

III. Consent Agenda 3. Upcoming Public Hearing for a Right of Way Vacation & Establishing a Utility Easement Vacation Council will hold a Public Hearing on July 28, 2026 for an Alley Right of Way Vacation located at Lot 13, Block 11 of the Gilmore's Addition (VAC26-0035).

Resolution

The July 21, 2026 Bentonville Planning Commission consent agenda formally noticed a City Council public hearing for VAC26-0035 (Alley Right of Way Vacation, Lot 13, Block 11, Gilmore's Addition) on July 28, 2026, which falls on the fourth Tuesday of July consistent with Bentonville's regular Council meeting schedule. However, no publicly accessible search results confirmed the hearing took place or was cancelled — the Bentonville CivicClerk portal (event/1642) exists for that meeting date but does not render its agenda or minutes content to web indexing. Insufficient public evidence was fou...

UnresolvablePublic Hearing ScheduledChecked Jul 28, 2026

Upcoming Public Hearing for an Alley Right of Way Vacation

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-07-21
Due
2026-07-28

...Government meeting. Category: Planning Commission. Agenda item: Upcoming Public Hearing for an Alley Right of Way Vacation. Meeting: Government meeting. Meeting date: 2026-07-21. Upcoming Public Hearing for an Alley Right of Way Vacation Council will hold a Public Hearing on July 28, 2026 for an Alley Right of Way Vacation located at Lot 13, Block 11 of the Gilmore's Addition ( VAC26-0035 ) Attachment 18050: Bid Award Change Order Budget Adjustment Waiver of Bid Em...

Resolution

The July 21, 2026 Bentonville Planning Commission agenda explicitly announced a City Council public hearing for VAC26-0035 (Alley Right of Way Vacation, Lot 13, Block 11 of Gilmore's Addition) on July 28, 2026, and the Bentonville CivicClerk portal lists a Combined Committee of the Whole & City Council meeting occurring today (July 28, 2026). However, no confirmed post-meeting minutes, agenda packet, or official record directly verifying that the public hearing took place as scheduled on July 28 could be retrieved from available search results, making a definitive 'kept' or 'broken' verdict...

UnresolvablePublic Hearing ScheduledChecked Jul 15, 2026

Upcoming Public Hearing for a Right of Way Vacation & Establishing a Utility Easement Vacation Council will hold a public hearing on July 14, 2026 for a General Easement Vacation located at Block 3, Lot 18 of Hazel Park

Promised by
Government meeting
Filed
2026-07-21
Due
2026-07-14

III. Consent Agenda 5. Upcoming Public Hearing for a Right of Way Vacation & Establishing a Utility Easement Vacation Council will hold a public hearing on July 14, 2026 for a General Easement Vacation located at Block 3, Lot 18 of Hazel Park Subdivision (VAC26-0031).

Resolution

Multiple searches of Bentonville's official city portals, CivicClerk agendas, and regional news did not return a publicly indexed agenda, minutes, or news report confirming or denying that the City Council held the public hearing for VAC26-0031 (Hazel Park Subdivision, Block 3, Lot 18) on July 14, 2026. A regional news article from approximately July 8, 2026 noted the Planning Commission had discussed 'upcoming public hearings regarding right-of-way vacations and utility easements,' consistent with the hearing being scheduled, but no post-meeting record was accessible. Insufficient public e...

Active board

Active public predictions (7)

OpenDue in 90 days

Citizens Bank will publicly confirm — via a press release, its own website, or local media coverage — that its newly announced Fayetteville branch has opened to customers and is operational, with a named address in Fayetteville, by October 31, 2026.

Filed
2026-07-20
Deadline
2026-10-31
Open prediction details
What would make this wrong

No public confirmation of a Citizens Bank branch opening in Fayetteville — via the bank's website, a ribbon-cutting announcement, or local media report naming an operational branch — appears by October 31, 2026.

OpenDue in 13 days

The Fayetteville City Council will pass the nondisclosure agreement ordinance sponsored by Council Member Sarah Moore — requiring a council majority vote before city staff or elected officials may sign any nondisclosure agreement — at or following its next scheduled meeting in July 2026, with the measure formally adopted as city policy.

Filed
2026-07-04
Deadline
2026-08-15
Open prediction details
What would make this wrong

The council votes the measure down, tables it indefinitely, or the measure is withdrawn before a vote is taken by August 15, 2026.

OpenDue in 29 days

The Sam M. Walton College of Business will publicly announce that Cory Cassell has assumed the chair of the Department of Accounting and that a named interim or permanent chair for the Department of Finance has been appointed, completing the two leadership transitions announced in mid-July 2026, with both names confirmed in a university news release or faculty directory update by August 31, 2026.

Filed
2026-07-03
Deadline
2026-08-31
Open prediction details
What would make this wrong

The University of Arkansas faculty directory or Walton College news feed does not confirm Cassell in the Accounting chair role, or no finance department chair appointment is publicly named, by August 31, 2026.

OpenDue in 74 days

Walmart will publicly announce the completion or operational launch of the Vibe.co acquisition integration — including a named business unit, product rebrand, or leadership appointment connecting Vibe.co to Walmart Connect — by October 15, 2026.

Filed
2026-06-30
Deadline
2026-10-15
Open prediction details
What would make this wrong

No public announcement of integration milestones, organizational structure, product rebrand, or named leadership connecting Vibe.co to Walmart Connect by October 15, 2026.

OpenDue in 29 days

University of Arkansas College of Engineering will announce new research partnerships or funding initiatives by August 31, 2026, following its climb to 99th overall in U.S. News graduate engineering rankings.

Filed
2026-06-01
Deadline
2026-08-31
Open prediction details
What would make this wrong

University of Arkansas College of Engineering does not announce any new research partnerships or funding initiatives by August 31, 2026

OpenDue in 44 days

University of Arkansas School of Law will announce additional faculty hires or administrative appointments by September 15, 2026, following the appointment of Katheleen Guzman as interim dean amid ongoing institutional transitions.

Filed
2026-06-01
Deadline
2026-09-15
Open prediction details
What would make this wrong

No new faculty hires or administrative appointments are announced by the University of Arkansas School of Law by September 15, 2026

OpenDue in 44 days

Center for Business & Economic Research at University of Arkansas will announce expanded quarterly analysis programming or new regional economic partnerships by September 15, 2026, following the June 2026 Quarterly Business Analysis Luncheon examining economic uncertainty and consumer trends.

Filed
2026-05-31
Deadline
2026-09-15
Open prediction details
What would make this wrong

No announcements of expanded programming, new partnerships, or additional analysis initiatives by CBER by the deadline date

Desk method

Each public prediction carries a calibrated High / Medium / Low confidence badge, visible evidence, and explicit falsification criteria. At deadline the desk verifies the outcome against public reporting: hits and misses are scored with cited evidence, and calls that cannot be confirmed either way are marked Unverified and left out of the accuracy math.