To start off this week’s From the Front …
I would like to thank all of the Arkansans who visited my Washington office during their visits to our nation’s capital, including Marty Nagel from Rogers, Brad Garard from Garfield, the Moore family from Greenwood, Fred and Sherry Sieber from Rogers, the Kobe family from Bentonville. Safe travels back to the Natural State.
This past week was a district work period, and I had the opportunity to visit with constituents, schools, and local businesses.
On Monday morning, I hosted Coffee with the Congressman in Alma along with Congressman Bruce Westerman. These smaller, more intimate gatherings, allow for purposeful engagement with constituents. I would like to thank everyone who came out to Coffee with the Congressman to partake in the meaningful dialogue.
Following the Coffee with the Congressman, I drove over to Tate Elementary School to celebrate the installation of a Captain Planet Foundation Learning Garden. Tate Elementary School is currently one of two schools in the Van Buren School District that are participating in the FoodCorps program, which emphasizes nutrition education and healthy living across curriculum.
Wednesday, I visited Harps Foods in Bentonville, which is the company’s newest large-scale store. I was privileged to have the opportunity to speak with the employees about their time working at Harps Foods and tour the new facility.
After touring, I attended the ribbon-cutting on the Bella Vista bypass. The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department unveiled the 6.4 mile section of the bypass, which has been under construction for the past three years
The Bella Vista bypass will help alleviate traffic along U.S. Hwy. 71 in Bella Vista, and provide much quicker access to I-49 for residents of Bella Vista, Hiwasse and Gravette.
Ultimately – when fully completed and part of I-49 – the Bella Vista bypass will help link the region with Kansas City and destinations further north. I look forward to driving on it when I am home traveling the district!
On Thursday morning, I spoke at the Fayetteville Rotary Club, updating the members on the current events in Washington, DC.
Later that morning, I was invited to tour and meet with employees at Novozymes in Fayetteville. Novozymes is the world leader in developing biological solutions for industrial processes. I was excited to see all of the new innovative work being done in Fayetteville.
I ended the day visiting the Don Tyson School of Innovation, where I spoke to the Capitol Hill Challenge Class. These students are participating in the SIFMA Foundation’s Capitol Hill Challenge. They are hypothetically investing $100,000 in listed stocks, bonds, and mutual funds while learning about the capital market. Good luck team!
Thursday night, I was invited to be a ‘Celebrity Reader’ at the annual Math and Literacy Night at Old Wire Elementary School. I chose to read “O, Say Can You See?” by Sheila Keenan, a story about the writing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It was great to read to the students and to answer questions from them.
