Good morning, Fayetteville.

This Friday, Pleasant Crossing Walmart in Rogers will host the 11th annual 40/29 and The Arkansas CW Toy Drive from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.—online donation links are available through Monday, with all gifts supporting the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter and its services for children in need.

Fayetteville will host the annual Lights of the Ozarks parade on Dec.

4—starting at 6:30 p.m. on East Avenue near the Graduate Hotel and looping around the square to finish near Spring Street with local groups, Santa, and Mrs. Claus in attendance. Snack and beverage vendors will serve on the north side of the square from 5 to 9 p.m.

At the Arkansas Lithium Innovation Summit in Little Rock last October, nearly 900 attendees heard U of A experts and state leaders outline plans for commercial lithium extraction set to begin next year from the Smackover Formation, a resource that could meet global demand many times over. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the state will build a local supply chain + create jobs to support the emerging industry.

Don Willis joined the human development and family sciences faculty at U of A as an assistant professor after working at UAMS on social determinants of health and survey research.

He will begin teaching Research in HDFS—Methodological Approaches in the spring and brings a strong record of high-impact research and grants.

Samuel Abram, a Walton College graduate with a double major in accounting and information systems, won the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award for his high CPA exam score in 2024—one of only 11 winners among over 74,000 candidates.

He credited Walton College for thorough preparation that helped him succeed.

Faculty from the College of Education and Health Professions, Kristin Higgins and Julie Hill, received nearly $1M from the U.S. Department of Education to train 25 graduate students in psychiatric rehabilitation—this grant will help build skills to support Arkansas residents with mental health challenges.

The USDA’s NRCS is accepting applications for four Regional Conservation Partnership Program projects that will give financial help for conservation in fiscal 2026 — the MidSouth Development District project has a Jan.

15 deadline while the other three projects have Jan. 30 deadlines. Eligible landowners and agricultural operators must contact local NRCS field service centers to apply.

Fayetteville City Council did not take action on the rezoning request for the new Ramay Junior High school site after nearly three hours of discussion and public comments.

The council will review the request again at its 5:30 p.m. December 16 meeting—school officials warned that further delay could push back the target opening to August 2028 while residents share mixed views on traffic and open space.

The University of Arkansas is seeking adults to volunteer for a non-invasive 4D scanning session—lasting about 30-45 minutes—in HOEC 023 to help researchers study human movement.

The study will support the development of new methods for product improvements and biomechanics.

Bentley Morris, an eighth-grade student from Pea Ridge, is competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center from Dec.

4 to 13. He returned to school after Thanksgiving break and now represents his community at a national event.

Postmodern Jukebox: Magic, Moonlight, and Mistletoe Tour

7-9:30 p.m. — Ozark Music Hall — Ticketed event — Experience a vintage musical journey featuring genre-twisting covers of holiday classics and pop hits.

Kimberly Akimbo Musical

7:00–8:30 p.m. — Walton Arts Center — Ticket prices vary — Experience the five-time Tony-winning musical featuring an engaging story and stunning performances.

Super Saturday: Ozark Ballet Theater's The Nutcracker

10-11 a.m. — Fayetteville Public Library — Free entry — Enjoy delightful excerpts from The Nutcracker performed by the Ozark Ballet Theater.

The Nutcracker: International Ballet Stars

7 p.m. — Jim & Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center — Tickets required — Celebrate the magic of the holiday season with a delightful performance of The Nutcracker.

MeatEater Live: The Christmas Tour

7 PM – 12 AM — Ozark Music Hall — Ticket prices vary — Celebrate the holidays with Steven Rinella and the MeatEater crew in a night filled with laughs and outdoor insights.

Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings

6:30-7:29 p.m. — TheatreSquared — $51.4 — Experience the magic of Christmas carols performed by a string quartet under candlelight.