Walton Family Foundation

In this week's edition of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, Roby Brock interviews Robert Burns, director of the Walton Family Foundation Home Region, about the organization's recent survey regarding how northwest Arkansans feel about their quality of life.

The Walton Family Foundation’s latest quality of life survey indicates that most northwest Arkansas residents are happy with life in the region. Approximately 64% of respondents termed life in the region as “excellent” or “very good," but this shows a slight dip from years past. Ozarks at Large's Kyle Kellams spoke with Robert Burns, the foundation's Home Region Program Director, about the survey’s results.

On today's show, going county to county building civic engagement in Arkansas. Also, a five-year update on what northwest Arkansas residents think about their quality of life. Plus, connecting a diet with a steady helping of processed red meat increases the chances of dementia.

Today on The Outline: Arkansas tax revenue is up 4%. Also, the next few days will be the hottest of the year for NWA and the River Valley. Plus, the Walton Family Foundation is investing more than $1 million in a K-12 education initiative.

The 45,000-square foot Market Center of the Ozarks, under construction on east Emma Avenue in Springdale, will open next summer. The state-of-the art facility funded by the Walton Family Foundation will offer a wealth of resources to regional farmers, food entrepreneurs and surrounding communities. Ozarks at Large's Jacqueline Froelich takes a tour of the center's Spring Creek Food Hub which recently opened in temporary quarters on West Shady Grove Road.

This month, the Walton Family Foundation announced a big gift to create a new theater building at Opera in the Ozarks campus near Eureka Springs.

A legislative package addressing criminal sentencing is progressing at the Arkansas Capitol, and continued tornado relief efforts are taking place in Central Arkansas.

NorthWest Arkansas Community College is celebrating the first decade of its LIFE Program, a near-peer mentorship program with an aim to empower Latino youth and increase Hispanic enrollment at the school by going into area high schools to discuss the prospect of going to college. The program recently received a $432,883 grant from the Walton Family Foundation to grow their efforts.

More new programs are coming to northwest Arkansas aimed at helping both growers and consumers of local food.

More new programs are coming to northwest Arkansas aimed at helping both growers and consumers of local food.