TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need Allegheny County has galvanized Springdale Township’s pursuit of a state grant to eliminate the Carson Street sewage pump station The township received a letter from Nicolas Binfield of the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development The station has been used to pump sewage to the Lower Allegheny Valley Joint Sanitary Authority’s treatment plant in Harmar Township commissioners said that during heavy rains the pump station experiences persistent overflows that overwhelm it The overflows result in the discharge of raw sewage into the surrounding area which violates state and county environmental regulations the sewage would be channeled to the Harmar plant through a new sewer line by way of gravity flow the township is applying for a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development you can’t even apply for the grant,” said township engineer Matt Pitsch “These are the projects that the county likes,” Township Manager Bill “Red” McElligott said the township has had to spend money on work to return the pump station to service after being flooded “This project will save the township money,” Commissioner Ken Igo said the project will involve installing 2,025 feet of 10-inch PVC pipe seven manholes and concrete anchors for slope stabilization It also will include trail restoration along the Rachel Carson Trail and erosion and sedimentation control measures After the receipt of the county’s letter the commissioners unanimously approved application for the DCED grant Stay up-to-date on important news from TribLIVE 1-800-909-8742 © 2025 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved About Us Advertise Career Opportunities Contact Advertising Contact Circulation Contact Newsroom Contact Us Feedback Request Correction Resource Center Scholarship Opportunities Send Letter to the Editor Send News Tip Subscribe Subscriber Services Blog eFeatures Email Newsletters eTrib Facebook Home Delivery Instagram LinkedIn Marketing Minute Store Locations TribLIVE App - App Store TribLIVE App - Google Play X (formerly Twitter) Arts & Entertainment Best of the Best Business Directory Circulars Contests Coronavirus Lifestyles Local News YaJagOff Obituaries Opinion Our Publications Photos Real Estate Sports Video Weather Cookie Settings Privacy Policy Terms of Service KARK (KNWA/KFTA) — A Fort Smith man received a life sentence on April 21 in federal court in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a Springdale man in 2021 Court records show 46-year-old Daniel Blanks was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for aiding and abetting kidnapping resulting in death He pleaded guilty to that charge in federal court on Oct Court documents say that in November 2021 drove to Richard Phillips’s apartment They then dragged him down a staircase and put him in the bed of Blanks’ truck Documents say the two took Phillips to the Mark Twain National Park in Barry County Phillps’ body was left for days until a hunter eventually found him in a heavily wooded logging road The two were later arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma Baker and Blanks were charged in Washington County with capital murder kidnapping and residential burglary on Nov Baker pleaded guilty to accomplice to first-degree murder He was sentenced to 60 years in prison with 40 years of supervised release During Blanks’ sentencing hearing on April 21 Judge Timothy Brooks cited his affiliation with white supremacist groups as an aggravating factor in deciding the life sentence Bentonville Police Department and Arkansas Office of Probation and Parole investigated the case Blanks still faces charges in Washington County He had a status hearing scheduled for April 22 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" these are the actual most popular baby names so far in 2025 Whether it’s a short vacation or they’re jetting off to begin their career show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift National Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 5 take advantage of these freebies and deals SPRINGDALE — A bond hearing has been set for Friday in the case of a Rogers man accused in a Springdale shooting that left one person dead and another injured was arrested Tuesday in connection with capital murder perpetrating a crime with a machine gun and first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor according to an preliminary report from 4th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Brandon Carter in Springdale for a call about gunshots in which the caller said her “sister’s boyfriend shot her,” the report states officers found two people with gunshot wounds and began life-saving measures on the victims according to a news release from the Springdale Police Department The other person — a female who was not named in either the release or preliminary report — was transported to a local hospital for treatment A witness at the site of the shooting advised police that earlier in the day Tuesday he received a request through his PlayStation to play the online video game Fortnite from a person he later recognized as Balentine — the female victim’s ex-boyfriend The witness told police Balentine asked about the female and the witness told Balentine she was at the house with her new boyfriend broke down a bedroom door and started shooting The witness told police he heard a lot of gunshots and observed Balentine use an “automatic” weapon with an “extender” to shoot the victims The female victim’s child was in her crib near where the shooting took place while the victims themselves were on the bed Balentine initially fled the scene but later turned himself in to authorities He was interviewed and led investigators to the location of the firearm Police identified the weapon in the preliminary report as a Glock 17 handgun with a “Glock switch” device attached A “Glock switch” is a piece of equipment attached to a semiautomatic Glock-style handgun to convert it to fully automatic fire Matt Ray of the Police Department said several Springdale schools went on lockdown after news of the shooting spread Tracy Neal is an award-winning reporter who covers criminal justice (courts and crime) for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette He’s been a reporter in Northwest Arkansas for more than two decades This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing No one was hurt when a building partially collapsed in Springdale on Sunday afternoon the borough’s emergency management coordinator said The collapse of the building on Railroad Street between James and Center streets was reported around 1 p.m The middle of the roof of the storage building owned by R.I emergency management Coordinator Bruno Moretti said Because the collapse compromised the roof and floor of the building an excavator was brought in to tear the building down after power to it was cut Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com Mark Schbert will be inducted into the A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025. Schubert turned to coaching as a way of passing along his kicking knowledge to “any kid who needed it.” One of his pupils has gone on to have a pretty good career “Maybe the last kid I coached was Pat McAfee when he was at Plum,” the 69-year-old Schubert said He had the same energy that he has now.” McAfee kicked at West Virginia before becoming an All-Pro punter with the Indianapolis Colts he’s one of the most popular personalities in sports media hosting “The Pat McAfee Show” and serving as a football analyst on ESPN’s “College GameDay.” “What Pat has done doesn’t surprise me at all,” Schubert said “He always had the drive and intensity.” Schubert will stake his own claim to fame May 17 He’ll be inducted into the Alle-Kiski Sports Hall of Fame during its 54th awards ceremony beginning at 7 p.m at the Pittsburgh Shriners Center in Harmar there was just a great legacy of sports and football,” he said “I had relatives who worked in the steel mills You respected the work ethic and how important sports was to the communities.” Schubert said he began kicking in the ninth or 10th grade and I liked doing something that you could keep getting better at with repetition,” he said I wasn’t aware of how it would become a dying breed.” Schubert played offensive and defensive line for the Dynamos Springdale opened Schubert’s senior year with a loss to Richland before winning the rest of its regular-season games to capture the Allegheny Interscholastic Conference title The Dynamos opened the WPIAL playoffs with a 22-12 victory over Burgettstown at Kittanning “We had a close team with great players,” he said “Most of them were better athletes than me Schubert was scheduled to kick at Division II Millersville the Marauder coaches suggested he sit out a year of school to get surgery on an injured knee Schubert began training with then-Pitt kicker Carson Long “Carson was kind enough to work with me,” he said we’d be out there at Pitt Stadium shoveling the snow off the field.” Schubert began writing letters to major colleges looking for an opportunity to walk on as a kicker “I remember receiving a letter back from (Alabama coach) Bear Bryant,” he said and others said they weren’t interested I ultimately settled on going to Tennessee.” Pitt coach Johnny Majors had been an All-American running back at Tennessee Schubert asked Long if Majors would provide a letter of recommendation Long suggested that he show off his leg for Majors they offered me a scholarship to come to Pitt,” Schubert said Schubert redshirted during Pitt’s 1976 national championship season “I was in awe to just be in the locker room and see great players like Tony Dorsett,” said Schubert referring to the eventual Heisman Trophy winner the nationally ranked Panthers boasted star-studded rosters featuring future Pro Football Hall of Famers Dorsett “There’s a special spark in those players an extra gear that makes them exceptional,” he said “Danny had that presence from the beginning.” Schubert served as the Panthers’ main placekicker from 1977-79 he converted on 93 of 98 extra points and made 30 of 40 field goal attempts delivering victories with late field goals against Syracuse and Temple Schubert led Pitt with 71 points during the 1979 season The Panthers closed out that year by playing Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl on Christmas day Schubert booted three field goals and one extra point in a 16-10 victory “I was surprised that we didn’t dominate the game,” he said “I thought I’d be kicking extra points I was kicking field goals the way the game played out My third field goal from 47 yards hit the top of the upright and slid in Schubert received the Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP award “A kicker doesn’t win an MVP award very often,” he said “I think it’s only happened two or three times in a major bowl.” Schubert received tryouts with multiple NFL teams but never made a roster “If you weren’t putting your kicks into the end zone you had a tough time getting to the field goal session the power generated by soccer-style kickers has revolutionized the game of football “Kickers are a lot better today,” he said “We have the best of the best athletes coming out of soccer ecosystem We’re seeing some extraordinary performances.” Schubert retired as an executive for Mastech Digital after a long career with the IT services company Tickets are $40 and can be purchased from the hall’s website: akhof.com If Javascript is disabled browser, to place orders please visit the page where our photos are available to purchase SPRINGDALE -- Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium will become a movie set on Saturday night and the public is invited to be a part of it We are recreating a Friday night football game for a feature film," states a news release from the Springdale School District The film is a Lifetime production called "Secret Life of a Coach's Wife," according to Trent Jones casual Springdale High home game attire – think comfortable jeans maybe even that lucky Bulldog jersey – and prepare for an unforgettable experience," the release states and filming probably will start around 8 p.m.; Mutiny Wrestling Federation returns to the Springdale Parks and Rec Center on April 26 with a new event Tickets are $10 or $20 for ringside seating in advance fans can step into the ring for a $10 photo session — three poses per person Promoters Eric Bowles and David Hernandez promise “lots of hard-hitting action with larger-than-life characters entertaining throughout.” and a headlining showdown between Magnificent Malico and Odinson New faces will share the spotlight with returning favorites a 6-foot-5 powerhouse in the women’s division while fan-favorite Shredder Rich Matthews returns to the ring Bill Ash, a pro wrestler from Arkansas, helped put boots on wrestlers The idea for Mutiny Wrestling Federation was born out of a desire to showcase homegrown talent from Arkansas and the surrounding region After acquiring their wrestling ring in July 2024 Bowles and Hernandez launched their debut event just a few months later — a free outdoor show at the Bikes “It was a fantastic night,” Bowles recalled That night began a steady rise for MWF in the regional wrestling scene Other wrestlers slated to appear include Andy Mack Purple Haze (Stevie Hendrix and Prince Alexander) and Vatos Kinda Loco (Eli Perez and Tino Valentino) will provide tag-team action promising a variety of in-ring styles and stories throughout the night Hernandez noted the need to bring quality production and talent to Northwest Arkansas “There isn’t a talent shortage here,” he said “The MWF has already gotten attention from wrestlers in other states which helps us book more exciting matches in the future.” “What sets us apart is our work ethic and how we treat people,” Bowles added but other wrestlers who want to work with us We seek individuals who will contribute to the community and make a positive impact We want to provide a good experience for our fans and community.” the shows create new fans and cater to a diverse audience “These shows give us a chance to bring someone in who hasn’t watched wrestling in a long time to give them a different experience and wow them,” Bowles said “David and I would have matches in Texas or Florida making it hard for friends and family to see us We wanted to bring family-friendly matches to Northwest Arkansas The Northwest Arkansas fanbase can get loud,” Hernandez said “We want them to feel like we’re throwing a party just for them Forget about the outside world and have fun.” “It’s more fun to watch wrestling with family or a friend,” Bowles said “Maybe you can make a friend at one of our shows,” Hernandez added “That’s the beauty of wrestling — you’ll always find someone to share the good times with.” SPRINGDALE — A Springdale man was arrested Sunday following a domestic disturbance after household members gave police two Glock pistols.. Ron Wood has been a professional journalist in Arkansas for about 40 years He has covered state and federal courts in Northwest Arkansas since 1995 Over the course of his award-winning career he has covered a wide range of beats including city and county governments SPRINGDALE -- A Eureka Springs man was arrested Tuesday after police say he threatened to kill his mother SPRINGDALE -- Some Washington County residents woke to find no power Saturday morning after an early morning thunderstorm caused outages and some damage in Springdale Washington County's director of emergency services said there were some trees and power lines downed from wind during the storm but no injuries and no serious damage Luther said he had received no information that a tornado passed through the area during the storm and with Springdale fire and police," Luther said Ozarks Electric had some power outages from lines being down and Tontitown Fire Department had some trees blown down The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch Friday at 9:06 p.m Tom Sissom has worked at newspapers in Pine Bluff Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas for more than 40 years Beginning as a police beat reporter in Pine Bluff and city and county governments in addition to dabbling in coverage of agriculture a columnist and city editor and an editorial page editor Northwest Arkansas is poised to become a pickleball hub on a national scale thanks to the Big Dill Pickleball Club & Academy a 12-acre development southeast of Interstate 49 and Elm Springs Road in Springdale said the mix of social spaces and state-of-the-art indoor facilities will be the first of its kind “It’s just built to create an experience that does not exist,” he said “In all of the conversations that I’ve had with companies or partners that do pickleball there’s nothing at this scale that’s designed this way.” The complex will include a 70,000-square-foot indoor facility estimating the cost of the facility to be $40 to $50 million including a stadium court with at least 900 seats and the outdoor area will also have a stadium court and show courts The courts will have video streaming and recording capabilities that assist in player training and display highlights and there are some technologies that incorporate artificial intelligence the facility will likely have a sports bar and he is working with local medical institutions to include physical therapy and other aspects of health and wellness The complex will provide training for youth and adult competitors adding that he plans to start by working with middle schools and high schools to implement programs and expand from there “We want to give them an opportunity to have a facility that caters to and offers elite training bring in some professionals and have them have this on-site and really create a system that allows Arkansas to be a place known for developing pickleball players and the sport of pickleball and training to be competitive,” he said He added that pickleball is currently being integrated into colleges and he believes pickleball will eventually become an Olympic sport who played tennis and basketball in college and has taught both sports became interested in pickleball while teaching tennis to Walmart corporate associates He said the game has surged in popularity because it is a fun sociable activity available to people of all economic backgrounds there are about 10 million players and 36 million players who have played the game once the number of dedicated players is expected to increase fourfold to 40 million “Just to see the impact that the sport’s having worldwide “To be a part of something that can really set the bar in the country and it be in Arkansas is amazing.” He estimated that the complex will bring 25,000 to 30,000 tourists to the state each year and he has seen tournaments at other locations bring in 50,000 attendees over a week “If we are able to uphold our part by offering things that don’t exist and being a great steward for the game and the community we think northwest Arkansas will have tons of tourists people who become repeat visitors because they notice some of the great things that not only Springdale but Bentonville Rogers and Fayetteville has to offer,” he said The project will eventually include multifamily housing He added that the development will not only help meet the housing needs of the growing population in northwest Arkansas but also provide residences for youth and adult players who train and perform at the complex The indoor and outdoor facilities will open in spring of 2026 and the multifamily housing will likely open in three to five years Brasfield said the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center helped lay a foundation for the project Fugitt and Associates in Fayetteville is the architect Swope Consulting in Rogers is the engineer and Eldridge Brooks Law Firm in Rogers is the attorney “I’ve also just received an outpouring of individuals that are excited about the project,” Brasfield said “We’re hopeful to build some relationships that will allow this thing to come together not only for our group but for the entire community because this is a community facility but it’s something that we want our home team to be equally as proud of and a part of.” READ ALSO: OrthoArkansas Names Reynolds as New President Copyright © 2025 Arkansas Money and Politics Students take part in Build My Future's fourth annual Construction Career Day and Industry Showcase at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Springdale Click here to see more photos from the day. Andy Shupe grew up in Berea, Ky. and started taking photographs for newspapers and working for his school paper during his senior year in high school. He came to Fayetteville to begin working for the newspaper as a photographer in 1993 after graduating from Berea College with a degree in biology. Copyright © 2025, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. LLCMen's Golf Hosts Princeton Invitational At Springdale April 11 Kellen Robinson scored 25 points as the Hornets seized momentum in the third quarter and defeated Springdale 69-59 in the Class 6A boys state tournament final Saturday at Bank OZK Arena – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are proud to announce that they will be hosting the first-ever Arvest Ballpark Classic on Tuesday March 11th and it’ll feature a high school baseball game between the Springdale Bulldogs and the Rogers Heritage War Eagles First pitch between the two 6A-West clubs is scheduled for 6:00pm while gates will open to the public at 5:30pm Springdale will be the home team and will utilize the first base dugout "We have a lot of families that love coming to Arvest Ballpark to watch the Naturals," said Tim Carver they really enjoy getting a chance to come out and play on the same field as some of the pros." Tickets for the Arvest Ballpark Classic are on sale HERE and student tickets are $5 while kids three and under will get in free All seating for the game at Arvest Ballpark is general admission with select proceeds from the event’s sales going to support both schools Tickets are only available online throughout and will then be available in-person at the Arvest Ballpark Box Office starting on Monday Suite rentals are also available for the game. Suite pricing is based on the number of attendees as a four-person suite will be $100, a 12-person suite is $200, and a 20-person suite is $300. Fans interested in securing a suite can email [email protected] or call (479) 927-4900. The event will be run similar to a Naturals game as a clear bag policy will be in effect. Game Day staff will be on hand and the Naturals will produce this game like a regular home game by incorporating some on-field promotions as well as utilizing music and the videoboard. The Arvest Ballpark Train, Speed Pitch, and Little Arvest Ballpark Wiffle Ball field will also be open. Springdale’s Robby Simmen shoots against Riverview’s Miles Sigal on Tuesday. Springdale’s Caleb Leahy glides by Riverview’s Levi Roupas for a layup Tuesday. Springdale’s Pat Wylly fouls Riverview’s Noah Vespi during the first quarter Tuesday. Springdale’s Liam Dexter looks for room to operate against Riverview’s Alex Schultheis during the third quarter Tuesday. The Dynamos had to fight for every point during a 41-32 Section 1-2A win Springdale coach Scott Ruppert sacrificed the vest he was wearing to help clean the floor late in the fourth quarter Ruppert pulled the garb back on to finish the game “I’m going to bring a backup vest,” Ruppert said “Shout out to our athletic director for bringing the vest today It’s now a full-purpose vest.” 5-5) had lost five of their previous seven entering the game Riverview bullied Springdale inside during a 44-39 win Jan Ruppert wanted to limit the scoring from Riverview’s big men was one of the players tasked with trying to control the glass “Boxing out was a big one,” Dexter said “We sealed our guys off and outrebounded them this time who scored eight points for the Raiders in the first meeting Riverview coach Dre Corbin said he felt his team missed too many opportunities 5-6) moved the ball into the paint but couldn’t score “I think our bigs have to finish,” Corbin said Springdale opened the game on a 7-2 run and never trailed John Duku scored on a layup early in the first quarter to put the Dynamos ahead for good 4-2 Springdale took a 24-20 lead into halftime when Caleb Leahy made a high-arching layup off the glass with a minute left before halftime “As much as we like to play man and get out and guard we have to acknowledge their height,” Ruppert said “We thought the zone was going to be the best opportunity to be successful.” the Raiders cut the lead to two early in the fourth Benjamin Franciscus made a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 30-28 with 5:18 remaining this stretch was stopped by one of Springdale’s three technical fouls but the Raiders were unable to cash in on the ensuing possession “We did the right things to cut the lead,” Corbin said Guys missed some opportunities doing the right things and lost trust in doing it consecutively.” Ruppert said he was proud of how his team was able to hold the lead in the fourth quarter It took a little bit of grit and a willingness to sacrifice to win “We’re using a lot of heart this game given our three technical fouls,” Ruppert said We ran some plays to get our guys downhill What our guys did best was counter-punch their counters.” SPRINGDALE -- Police arrested a man Tuesday who is accused of breaking into a woman's home wearing nothing but a ski mask and sneakers while carrying a roll of duct tape and attempting to rape her