Thursday’s thumbs

Northwest Arkansas has a lot going on

Northwest Arkansas continues to shine not because of one aspect or the other, but because the region’s organizations, leaders and events seem to be firing on all cylinders. Let’s be thankful to live and work in a place that’s growing and has outstanding options for the future. And here are some thumbs up to some of the organizations making a difference.

The Child Advocacy Studies Program at Northwest Arkansas Community College earned high marks from a review by the Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center, which suggested someone going through the college’s two-year program ends up with knowledge and experience equivalent to a professional who has spent five years on the job. Arming law enforcement officers, prosecutors, nurses, social workers and others with the skills necessary to recognize and respond to child abuse is critically important. Just look at the too frequent headlines about adults arrested for the ways they treat youngsters. Kudos to the community college for a job well done.

Hunger or a lack of certainty about whether one will have enough to eat from week to week is a silent affliction, unless one counts the rumbling of an empty stomach. Even here in Northwest Arkansas, perceived as the land of milk and honey, it persists. And organizations like the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank are responding. The food bank recently began a monthly food pantry service at the Springdale Senior Center and at the Carroll County Senior Center in Berryville. The two locations are part of the organization’s mobile food bank stops at 10 locations in Carroll, Madison, Benton and Washington counties. We applaud the efforts and the individuals and companies whose donations help the food bank serve as a safety net against hunger.

Yes, it’s a museum about the history of service by the U.S. Marshals, but what great news that the planned museum in Fort Smith will feature a statue from the Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma of a native lighthorseman, a reference to members of tribal law enforcement who worked with federal marshals to keep order in the Indian Territory. The statue’s base will include tribal seals of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes. A museum official said the statue will be set in a 60-foot-square outdoor plaza that will include spaces for each tribe to tell their stories. What an outstanding, and fitting, tribute.

The task force in Bentonville set up to evaluate the city’s animal control needs and whether Bentonville needs its own animal shelter appears to be a serious effort. The 11-member panel met last week to get organized. Subcommittees formed will look into potential locations, the range of services needed, funding possibilities and examination of private or public ownership options, including a blend of the two. The first community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. July 12 at the Bentonville Community Center. Who knows what the outcome will be, but we appreciate the earnest approach to look into every aspect of the city’s needs.

And in this cavalcade of upturned digits, why not finish off with the Arkansas Razorbacks, who roared back Monday night to claim the NCAA Super Regional from a slow-paced South Carolina team to earn a spot in the College World Series. A lucky few fans from Northwest Arkansas are no doubt busy figuring out whether a trip to Omaha can be worked out in the days to come. The Hogs advance as the home team to play Texas at 1 p.m. Sunday. The national champions will earn the title on either June 26 or June 27. Hopefully, Hog fans will have every reason to tune in to those last games of the collegiate season.