A planned soccer stadium for Ozark United FC in Rogers has grown to include a $250 million to $350 million sports-anchored entertainment district on 36 acres in the Pinnacle Hills area. The shift in site location has pushed the targeted start date to 2027.

It is still a 5,000-seat stadium with room for growth. The expanded site will allow for the addition of restaurants, breweries, and other amenities that developers say will enhance the game day atmosphere and position the district as a vibrant destination beyond the match.

Ross Cully, founder and CEO of The Harvest Group and one of the investors in this transformative project, sat down with Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Editor-in-Chief Roby Brock to explain his vision for the stadium and district, why he’s bullish on prospects for soccer and how the timing is right for this concept.

Roby Brock: For people who are not familiar, Ozark United FC started as this investment in a soccer stadium and a soccer team in Northwest Arkansas, but it has expanded greatly to a full-blown real estate and retail development. Give everybody a little background on what is going on with this project.

Ross Cully: The project has expanded. Originally, the idea was we had an opportunity as a community in Northwest Arkansas to expand into one of the professional tiers of U.S. soccer. We were pursuing that project and got a ton of initial interest from our community, from season ticket holder interest to corporate sponsorships. But when you’re looking at a development of this size, the location matters, and the land that you’re looking at matters a ton.

So we went through a couple of iterations of finding the right spot, and we are looking at a piece of land now that enables us to really diversify the investment and make, I think, the fan experience even better. Now, it’s planned to not just be a soccer stadium, but to be a multi-use real estate investment as well. As an investor, I think that’s a great move. As a community member, I think it’s a great move because as you look at professional stadiums, that’s really the wave that they’re going. You want the ability to not just go see a game, but also grab a bite to eat, grab a drink. People want to live near a stadium and this project now enables that.

Brock: And it will also add another professional sports franchise in the area, and it’s got some potential other uses for that stadium as well. Can you speak a little bit to that?

Cully: I think what you’re looking at from a venue standpoint is the ability to host a variety of events – be that concerts, be that corporate events – and so we’re really wanting to really develop the stadium to be a multi-use facility that hopefully the community can use in a variety of ways.

Brock: You are making a big investment in this as are many other people in the region. Tell me why you’re bullish on this project and why you think this particular concept’s time has come. Maybe five or 10 years ago, this might not have been the right kind of development for Northwest Arkansas, and 15 or 20 years from now, we might’ve missed the train on this.

Cully: I think your question, your setup there, and the question is right, is there is some timing to this? I think a lot of us would’ve loved to have been investors in NBA franchises and NFL franchises, and that ship has sailed. But I think when you look at the sport of soccer in the United States, I do think that we’re at a unique time. There’s really a shift going on when you study youth sports. Soccer has climbed to the number two most participated youth sport in most surveys right behind basketball. And you’re seeing demographic shifts along with youth. As our country becomes more diverse, the global sport of soccer is very popular to be played and to be cheered upon. So when you look at the U.S. and the top couple of tiers, there’s about 80 teams. You look at Europe, and there are 700 teams in the top two tiers. So there’s massive headroom for the sport of soccer here in the U.S., and I think you’re seeing a groundswell that comes up with the younger generation that is going to see the sport continue to get more popular.

You also have the World Cup that’s coming here in 2026. You see a lot of U.S. players blossoming on the global stage. With all of those changes as an investor and as a community member, I’m really excited about our opportunity to have a professional soccer franchise here in Northwest Arkansas. I do think the time is ripe. When you look at the population growth here looking to be a million people in a number of years, the ability to have more diverse housing options that include the excitement of being near a stadium, I think it’s going to be a great project.

Brock: What are we talking about timeframe wise? To put a little context, there will be the initial stadium and the soccer franchise and some of the things around it, but this is a multi-year, maybe even a multi-decade development because things are just going to keep layering and adding to it. Speak about the initial expectations and then what you kind of hope happens in terms of your vision.

Cully: Right now, obviously we’ve announced a name and a logo. We have the ability to sign up for those that are interested in tickets and sponsorships as we benchmark where we are and the interest we have in those areas versus other clubs that have started. We’re well ahead of pace. And so it’s very exciting to see the initial momentum we have right now. We’re in the fundraising and development stage, so really going through the land that we’ve secured to make sure that all of the development boxes are checked and continuing to have investor conversations.

Once we get to a place where that financing is secured and the development is ready to go, then obviously we will break ground. I don’t think there’s a determined timeline on that, but we are going to build the stadium in a way that it can expand as we have more and more interest.

So the fan experience of a soccer match is unique. That’s something that’s been great here in the U.S. is even the top tier of soccer of MLS [Major League Soccer] started playing in NFL stadiums. That’s just not the great fan experience you want when there’s five, 10,000 people in a 70,000-seat stadium. But if you’ve ever attended a soccer match in a city like Portland or Seattle or Kansas City, it has a specific soccer stadium. It’s a fun experience. We’re going to build a stadium that can expand as we have more ticket interest so that we have just hopefully a loud and fun atmosphere.

So we’re looking forward to continuing to progress and, as you said, it can take some time for these things to develop. But we are bullish on Northwest Arkansas as we talk to investors on a national scale and host investors from around the country. They’re excited about this project, they’re excited about our area, and I’m looking forward to hopefully building something that’s an asset to our community. It was neat to see the Oklahoma City Thunder win the NBA championship just a couple of hours down the road, and I’m excited to showcase the soccer talent of Northwest Arkansas hopefully for years to come with this club.

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KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo County commissioners have appointed the members of the new authority board for the youth sports complex planned for the west side.

The 11 members will be responsible for making the plan a reality over the next few years, guiding construction and infrastructure to support it, hiring staff and turning it into an operating facility.

It will house basketball and volleyball tournaments on the weekend and provide a space for local youth during the week.

Discover Kalamazoo’s Jane Ghosh, who is one of the new appointees, thanked the commission this week.

“We look forward to working to move this project forward as quickly as possible and we’re very excited about it we think it’s the right thing for our community.”

Tentative plans are to have the new facility open about the same time as the new Kalamazoo Event Center downtown, sometime in 2027.

The board is:

County Commissioner Monteze O. Morales

Kalamazoo Vice Mayor Jeanne Hess

Oshtemo Township Supervisor Cheri Bell

Brian Persky – Director of Business Development, Discover Kalamazoo

Jane Ghosh – President & CEO, Discover Kalamazoo

Fred Rahme – Area Director of Sales & Operations, Fairfield Inn & Suites

Devshya Patel – Regional Manager, Comfort Inn & Suites Downtown Kalamazoo

Rich MacDonald – Chief Operating Officer, The Hinman Company

Jill Bland – Executive Vice President, Southwest Michigan First

Corey Person – Director, United Persuit and Persuit of Excellence Foundation

Annemarie Boarham – General Manager and Integrator, Next Level Sports Center

Two months after a collision with a GreenWaste Recovery truck killed Dylan Taylor, a beloved Menlo Park and Atherton youth athletics coach and paraeducator, his family has filed a lawsuit against the waste management company and its driver. 

“What happened nine weeks ago has torn our family apart,” said Michael Taylor, Dylan’s father. 

The Taylor family alleges the accident happened due to GreenWaste’s negligence and the driver’s failure to make a safe turn.The lawsuit was filed by San Francisco-based attorney Mary Alexander in San Mateo County Superior Court on July 8. 

The complaint details the occurrence of the GreenWaste driver colliding with Taylor, who was riding his bicycle, as the truck turned right onto Prior Lane in Atherton. The complaint alleges that when the truck turned in front of Taylor, it caused him to collide with the passenger door, throwing him to the ground, leading the garbage truck to run over him. This caused significant internal injuries leading to his death, according to the complaint. 

According to the lawsuit, the family believes that the driver failed to give Taylor the right of way, take steps to avoid the collision and to stop the truck after the initial collision. 

The complaint states that the California Highway Patrol’s investigation found that the driver was “at fault for the collision and was in violation of California Vehicle Code section 22107 — Unsafe Turning Movement.”

After the accident, the Atherton Police Department also began an investigation on the incident and found no indication of alcohol or drugs as contributing factors to the collision. The full report has since been forwarded to the San Mateo Count District Attorney’s Office for review, said Atherton Police Department Commander Dan Larsen.

“What we hope will come out of this lawsuit is that trucks like this that are supposed to be serving the community are also protecting the community from drivers that are inattentive,” said Alexander.

The lawsuit alleges that the driver was unfit and incompetent to operate a Freightliner garbage truck. This type of truck generally weighs over 40,000 pounds and can weigh approximately 25 tons when fully loaded, according to the suit. 

“We are looking to hold GreenWaste accountable and responsible for what happened,” said Michael Taylor. “We consider that their driver was negligent and the company was negligent for hiring him.”

While the police report is being reviewed by the district attorney, Alexander explained that the Taylors felt it was best to move ahead with a lawsuit while “it was all fresh.” Although the family is still grieving their son’s death, they want to make sure there is accountability for his death, she added. 

During a press conference announcing the lawsuit, Taylor’s mother, Kristy, recalled the worst day of her and her husband’s life. 

“The grief is still all encompassing and overwhelming and we will never be the same,” she said in her public statement. “The pain of losing him is unbearable and we miss him more than words can say. Nothing can bring him back, but GreenWaste needs to be held accountable.” 

Michael Taylor told this news organization that with this lawsuit, he hopes that GreenWaste will accept liability for the accident and change necessary procedures and protocols to prevent something like this from happening again. 

Alexander hopes that the company will increase training and education for its truck drivers as well as implement a stronger screening process when hiring candidates. She believes that is necessary for all waste management companies, not only GreenWaste. 

GreenWaste declined to comment on the lawsuit due to pending litigation. The company shared the following statement: “The safety and well-being of the communities we serve is central to GreenWaste’s mission. We are deeply saddened by this accident and offer our condolences to all those affected.” 

The community continues to keep Taylor’s legacy alive through sports, scholarships and conversation. In May, a local family helped start the Dylan Taylor Fund at the Reikes Center in Menlo Park to raise money for a scholarship that will support youth programs. The local Ultimate Frisbee League that he created also renamed itself the Dylan Taylor Ultimate Frisbee League, according to his parents. 

PORT ROYAL– The annual Juniata County Youth Fair begins on Monday, July 21, at the Juniata County Fairgrounds in Port Royal.

The event features fair foods, rides and games, but the Youth Fair is unique for its 4-H showings that take place during fair hours.

Along with the loads of fun that come with playing fair games and riding fun rides, the Youth Fair offers a learning experience. The showings highlight goats, horses, rabbits, cows and sheep.

The theme this year is ‘Stars Stripes and Fair Nights,’ and the 4-H and FFA members will begin their exhibit on Monday, July 21.

The 4-H shows will run Monday through Thursday.

The pre show fun kicks off Monday at 9 a.m. with a rabbit show and a dairy market feeder show at 1 p.m.

The opening ceremony is set to begin at 5 p.m. at the livestock barn, with a dairy show to follow. To conclude Monday night, an ice cream social will take place immediately following the dairy show.

Visitors continue to see the animals that the 4-H members work so hard to raise and train, with a goat show on Tuesday at 9 a.m. A sheep show is to follow, set to begin at 1 p.m.

Wednesday is jam packed, starting again at 9 a.m. with a poultry show, followed by a beef show which is scheduled for noon. A silent auction will occur from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., which will include a baking contest, decorated cakes, butter, and club baskets. This event will be held in the commercial building. Check out the swine show at 5 p.m., and stick around for the “Ag Olympics,” sponsored this year by the Juniata FFA.

To wrap up a jam-packed week, there will be a supreme showmanship contest beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Immediately following the showmanship contest, an animal costume contest will begin.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m., there will be a buyer registration to prepare for the livestock sale, which is set to begin at 6 p.m..

The events will take place at the Juniata County fair grounds, located at 308 West Eighth St., Port Royal, 17082.

4-H and FFA members work year round, raising, training, and preparing their livestock for events like the Juniata County Youth Fair, so stop in Monday, July 21, through Thursday, July 24, to see how their hard work and dedication has paid off.

Emily Shoop, of Juniata County Penn State Extension, explained, “We had a really good turn out last year, with people coming in to see their friends and family. It looks like rain this year so it would be a good place to camp out and skip the rain.”

Shoop also explained that the Youth Fair benefits the children in many ways.

She explained what she is most excited for this year.

“It’s always nice to see the kids showing off all of their hard work and progress and what they have learned. We just love to see what all they have learned throughout the meal. I’m also excited for the livestock sale. We have a simulated live market and we sell until all the animals are gone. This year we have more sheep and more goats than last year which is exciting. That’s on Thursday, the check in starts at 4:30 and then we just go until all of the animals are sold,” Shoop said.

The order of the livestock sale is as follows: dairy market feeders, market lambs, market rabbits (pen of two rabbits, then single fryers), market poultry (pen of two broilers, then single market turkeys), market steers, market swine, and finally, market goats. The sale kicks off at 6 p.m.

Shoop added, “I think they (attendees) also like to buy when they can because they know that all the money made is donated back to the kids, so it all goes back into their learning and growth.”

Youth began Saturday, July 12, with a horse and pony show at the Mifflin County Youth Park, and Sunday, July 20, will be spent setting up, decorating, and doing weigh-ins to prepare for opening night on Monday.

Nike and Special Olympics have announced a new three-year global partnership aimed at expanding access to youth sports and improving training for Unified Sports coaches. Unified Sports, a Special Olympics program, places athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams.

The initiative builds on Nike’s more than 20 years of support for Special Olympics Oregon and will focus on Oregon, Berlin, Johannesburg and Tokyo.

“For Oregon as our backyard, that was really not a big shift,” said Vanessa Garcia-Brito, chief impact officer at Nike. “It was a natural ‘What are we going to do next?’ We also know that the Unified coaching experience is a really powerful one. And so thinking about, ‘How do we take what we’ve learned here in Oregon and take that to the world?’”

The announcement came during Special Olympics’ Global Week of Inclusion, celebrating 57 years of the organization. The partnership will update coaching materials, train more volunteer coaches and increase opportunities for girls and young women in sport.

“With the four locations, we are going to be proactively helping to recruit 600 new Unified coaches,” Garcia-Brito said. “We will be reaching 118,000 Special Olympic Unified Sport coaches, which is important, but more important is that they will be reaching 176,000 athletes.”

With guidance from coaches in Oregon, the updated training materials will build on local experience to train new coaches around the world.

“Coaching and supporting players in Unified Basketball games has been one of the most rewarding parts of my role,” Jamaal Goodlow, Unified Basketball Coach of Parkrose High School, said in a news release. “As a properly trained Unified coach, I know how essential it is to foster inclusion, teamwork, and mutual respect on and off the field.”

Oregon-based Nike employees are among the first to volunteer under the new initiative, beginning with the Special Olympics Oregon Summer Games that took place July 12-13.

“We have a shared vision,” Garcia-Brito said. “We believe that sport is for all, and that it can be really transformational for not just young people, frankly, but all stages of every individual’s life.”