NORTHWEST ARKANSAS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Walton Foundation survey of 1,000 people says that quality of life has slightly dropped.

The survey done every three years, shows the quality of life has dropped for residents in Northwest Arkansas mostly due to the rising cost of living, unfavorable political climate and the perceived worsening state of the economy.

Study shows quality of life in NWA has declined from previous years

In 2018 and 2015, less than 10% of respondents said that their quality of life had dropped over the past year. In the latest survey, nearly 20% of respondents had their quality of life drop.

Some challenges that could be affecting the quality of life for residents include the lack of public transportation, affordable housing, infrastructure
and early childhood care/education, the report states.

The report states that regional characteristics can influence how residents feel about the community they live in. Those surveyed had the highest dissatisfaction with transportation options and housing options. Other regional traits that had higher rates of displeasure were infrastructure, daycare/early childhood education, healthcare facilities and services and the ability to start a business.

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Although there are negative changes, two-thirds of residents rated their quality of life as “excellent” or “very good.”

“While these results are promising, more work is needed to explore some of the important differences in perspectives among underrepresented populations and communities that have been identified so far,” the report stated.

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Northwest Arkansas is still a welcoming space with 87% of respondents expressing they “completely” or “mostly” feel welcome in Northwest Arkansas, and 84% feel very comfortable. Additionally, 80% feel respected by others in Northwest Arkansas and 73% feel connected to others. Only 10% expressed feeling like an outsider.

Northwest Arkansas is the 18th fastest-growing metro in the U.S. with its population growing by 2.3% from 2022 to 2023.

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Jana Duggar is a wife!

The 34-year-old tied the knot with Stephen Wissmann in Prairie Grove, Ark., on Thursday, People reports.

The couple said “I do” in front of 500 guests during a “classic, elegant” ceremony at The Grand at Willow Springs, per the outlet.

Jana’s father, Jim Bob Duggar, walked her down the aisle to the song “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

The bride’s sisters were also involved in the nuptials, with Jessa Duggar Seewald serving as the maid of honor. Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jordyn Duggar were bridesmaids along with Jana’s sister-in-law Abbie Duggar.

The wedding news comes after the US Sun reported that the newlyweds obtained their marriage license in their home state of Arkansas on Wednesday.

Duggar and Wissmann, who got engaged in June, first sparked romance rumors after they were spotted together in December 2020. However, they have kept their romance off of social media and never publicly addressed their relationship status.

People reports the two first met years ago through their families. The “19 Kids and Counting” star’s brother Jeremiah Duggar is married to Wissmann’s sister Hannah.

Like Jana, Wissmann also comes from a large, religious family with 13 children. According to his Instagram, he owns a business and is a private pilot.

Jana sparked engagement rumors last month after posting a series of photos with a diamond ring on that finger.

In the pictures, the soon-to-be bride posed with her brother John and his wife, Abbie. Although she hid her left hand in two of the pictures, eagle-eyed fans still noticed the sparkler in one of the pictures.

Jana is the eldest daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and was often called “Cinderella Duggar” for not prioritizing marriage like a lot of her siblings, who mostly wed in their early 20s.

However, in July 2020, the TLC star told Us Weekly she was “not that worried” about finding “The One.”

“Yes, I long to be married and one day I think that will come, but I think … I’m just also just trying to stay busy with whatever comes along my path,” she told the outlet.

Despite feeling “a little more pressure” to find a husband, Jana said she wanted to make “the most” of her single years. 

“I think if I sit there and I’m like, ‘Oh no, I’m not married’ and just [get] all worried about it, it makes things way worse,” she shared.

Jana explained that she didn’t want to settle and hoped to find a love as strong as her parents, who wed in 1984.

“The genuine love that they still have for one another … this young love and they still have that, you know, today. I think that’s rare to see couples that are their age and been married that long.”

HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. (KAIT/KARK) – An Arkansas teen with cancer has gone viral after her reaction to receiving a thoughtful gift was posted online.

Content partner station KARK reported a TikTok of 13-year-old Kaylee Walker receiving a gift over 5.8 million views.

Walker said when her hair fell out due to her cancer treatment she felt insecure about going back to school.

Her reaction was caught on camera and viewers donated to get Walker another wig.

You can read more about the reaction to this story, you can visit KARK’s website.

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