Fayetteville 2015: The year in photos

Time flies, especially in a city like Fayetteville where there’s never a dull moment.

It’s always a shock to realize that the year has come to an end, and that it’s time to put together our annual roundup of the most popular stories in Fayetteville.

As usual, the Flyer was around to capture most of what happened in town from January through December. Here’s a photographic look at the news, events and happenings in 2015.

January

The world lost a writing giant on New Year’s Day in 2015 when Fayetteville poet Miller Williams, a longtime University of Arkansas professor and inaugural poet for President Bill Clinton, died after several years battling Alzheimer’s disease. He was 84.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

The Fayetteville City Council added a new alderman when John La Tour replaced Rhonda Adams in the Ward 4, Position 1 seat.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

The annual MLK Day March traveled from Dickson Street along Arkansas Avenue and Maple Street to the Verizon Ballroom in the University of Arkansas Union for the traditional noon vigil on Jan. 19. More photos here.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan delivered his annual State of the City address before the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

February

Ownership of one of the most prominent student housing developments in Fayetteville changed in early February when Sterling Frisco was sold to GMH Capital Partners of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

A broken water pipe created an odd scene just off the downtown square early one morning in February.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Frigid weather set the stage for some world-class fishing in Arkansas in February. Flyer contributor Devin O’Dea wrote a great piece with some cold weather fishing tips that should come in handy again in the coming months.

Photo: Jeff Rose

Fayetteville roads were covered with snow and ice in mid-February after a winter storm rolled through the area the previous weekend. See more photos.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

That same winter storm brought just enough snow for sledding. We stopped by the big hill just north of Razorback Stadium on the University of Arkansas campus and snapped a few photos of the fun.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

March

Another round of winter weather led to the fifth public schools closure of the year in early March,

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Fayetteville officials held a groundbreaking ceremony in mid-March for a regional park project that had been in the works for 15 years.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

The 280-space lot at the southwest corner of West Avenue and Dickson Street was converted to a pay-by-number kiosk system to match the rest of the city’s paid parking in the entertainment district in late March.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

April

2015 brought one of the best April Fools’ jokes we’ve seen after a sign appeared on an abandoned EZ Mart location on College Avenue advertising an “Arkansas grown” marijuana dispensary that was set to open on 4/20. Our post made the top 10 in our list of the most popular stories on the Flyer this year.

Dustin Bartholomew, Fayetteville Flyer

Flyer contributor Brian O-Dea shared his list of three great hiking trails within 30 minutes of Fayetteville in a feature article published in April. Make sure to revisit this one in a few months once the weather warms up.

Photo: Trent Sugg

Residents gathered for a public input session in April to discuss Fayetteville’s ambitous goal of increasing the city’s trash diversion rate from 20 percent to 80 percent by 2025.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Some local residents were surprised to find that the Marvin’s IGA grocery store on College Avenue had closed in late April. The store re-opened the following month to show off a major renovation of the entire building.

Dustin Bartholomew, Fayetteville Flyer

May

The Razorback Regional Greenway was officially opened in 2015. While parts of the trail had been open for several years, completion of the entire 37-mile route was celebrated on May 2.

Dustin Bartholomew, Fayetteville Flyer

Flyer contributor Devin O-Dea wrote up a great guide to five favorite floating spots near Fayetteville shortly after spring had sprung in May. Bookmark this one for 2016.

Photo: Trent Sugg

A month-long celebration of National Bike Month kicked off May 4 with a group ride along Frisco Trail near West Dickson Street.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Dave Matthews Band played a sold-out show on May 19 at the AMP. See more photos.

Photo: Clayton Taylor

June

Following an extraordinary amount of rain the previous month, Flyer contributor Brian O’Dea was inspired to write a feature on nine nearby waterfalls to explore in the spring and summer.

Photo: Andres MacLean

The number of craft beer drinkers in Arkansas is on the upswing. And so too is the frequency of beer festivals across the state. Flyer beer writer Brian Sorensen in June outlined seven beer festivals in Arkansas.

Photo: Brian Sorensen

Three Fayetteville properties were officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in June, including Fire Station No. 1, located at 303 W. Center Street.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Photographer Art Meripol unearthed a set 40-year-old photos he took one fall morning in 1974 at the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market on the square. Take a look and see what’s changed in the past 40 years.

Photo: Art Meripol

The annual NWA Pride Parade returned for another year of festivities on Dickson Street in late June just 24 hours after the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

July

The Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce in July announced it would purchase the Bradberry Building on the downtown square. The plan is to move the chamber offices into the second floor of the building, and dedicate a portion of the ground level to a Fayetteville branch of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, a North Little Rock-based nonprofit organization that supports Arkansas entrepreneurs and innovators.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Apartment occupancy hit another all-time high in Northwest Arkansas this year. Despite the addition of over 3,000 student bedrooms in Fayetteville alone since 2012, occupancy rates continue to rise.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Construction began in July on a $23 million expansion and renovation of the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Bank of Fayetteville officials announced in July that the longtime local bank had been acquired by Farmers and Merchants Bank of Stuttgart.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

August

The annual Tontitown Grape Festival returned for its 117th year in early August. See more of Clayton Taylor’s photos here.

Photo: Clayton Taylor

We published a feature article in August about the University of Arkansas’ 110-year-old practice of engraving each graduate’s name into the sidewalk on the campus in Fayetteville.

Dustin Bartholomew, Fayetteville Flyer

We sat down with Aaron Kuder one morning in August for a feature story about the self-taught artist who works 10-hour days from his home studio in Fayetteville drawing Superman for the DC Comics title Action Comics. Who would’ve guessed the road to Metropolis veers through Fayetteville?

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Thousands of people waited in line Aug. 30 for a chance to slide down Dickson Street on a 1,000-foot-long slip-and-slide as part of Slide the City’s tour across the country.

Photo: Clayton Taylor

September

City officials celebrated the completion of a $4.6 million extension of Van Asche Drive on Sept. 23. The new roadway provides a straight shot from Garland Avenue (Arkansas 112) to the shops and restaurants near the Northwest Arkansas Mall.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Local artist Jason Jones in mid-September put the finishing touches on a massive mural painted on the west wall of the Executive Square building at the Fayetteville Town Center plaza.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Jennifer Price (left), Washington County Election Coordinator, speaks with For Fayetteville representatives Danielle Weatherby and Kyle Smith inside the Washington County Courthouse shortly before early voting totals were released for the special election to approve Fayetteville’s Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance. Voters approved the measure 7,666 to 6,860.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Officials broke ground in early September on the first phase of the Rupple Road Improvement Project, which includes a 1.5-mile southern extension of Rupple Road from where it ends at Owl Creek School to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Fayetteville homebrewing shop The Home Brewery celebrated 20 years in business with a celebration at the store’s location at 455 E. Township Street. Here’s our feature from Sept. 15.

October

Both lanes of the Pig Trail Scenic Byway were reopened to traffic in October after crews completed most of a $1.8 million project to repair damage from a hill slide that occurred earlier this year.

Courtesy, Arkansas Highways

City officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23 to celebrate the opening of a new, 236-space parking deck at the corner of Spring Street and School Avenue.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Fayetteville aldermen made a major change to the way the city handles commercial parking when they approved a proposal to completely eliminate minimum parking requirements for nonresidential properties.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Despite a threat of rain, downtown Fayetteville was packed on Oct. 30 for the annual Trick or Treat on the Square event. See more photos.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

November

Nov. 3 got off to a strange start after an airplane piloted by former Walmart CEO Bill Simon parachuted onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard during an emergency landing.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Plans were announced in mid-November for a mixed-use development that will include a new Apple Blossom Brewing Company taproom on West Prairie Street next to Greenhouse Grille.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Members of the Northwest Arkansas Chain Gang Disc Golf Club in November proposed an official name for the new, 18-hole disc golf course being built at Walker Park in south Fayetteville. The name – Waxhaws Disc Golf Course – was by the City Council.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

December

The 22nd-annual Lights of the Ozarks festival returned to the Fayetteville square for another season. See our feature story for a history of the event.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Fayetteville resident Barrett Baber played two back-to-back welcome home shows at George’s Majestic Lounge after placing third in the nationally televised singing competition “The Voice.” Here’s our feature from a month earlier.

Photo: Clayton Taylor

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared 12 counties disaster areas following severe storms in December that caused heavy flooding and damage throughout the state.

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Happy Holidays from the Flyer!

Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer