The Washington Regional Medical Center board of directors accepted an offer by the Fayetteville Public Library to purchase the former City Hospital property for $2 million. Arkansas's U.S. Senators are hopeful about passing a farm bill when Congress reconvenes next month. The state's new voter ID law is being implemented by the Arkansas Secretary of State's office. Siloam Springs joins the list of area cities holding a special sales tax election this year. And the Northwest Arkansas metro area makes another list, this time for being one of the top real estate markets for wellness and wealth in the country.
Ozarks At Large
KUAF's Katy Henriksen recently traveled to Chicago for the annual Pitchfork Music Festival. Here's some of the sound she found there.

Even though the 2013 minor league baseball and college football season aren't over (or even begun in the case of football) this week 2014 schedules were released.

We get a peek at the new green roof on the University of Arkansas campus. It is visually pleasing, but also has practical implications.
Reach Out Northwest Arkansas will spend time this weekend connecting to students in the region who didn't show back up for the new school year.
Roby Brock talks to Kyle Kellams about possible political repercussions following the resignation of State Senator Paul Bookout.
Opposing sides give their views on the safety of oil pipelines. Central Park-Morning Star Elementary in Bentonville is named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School, while the Sebastian County Quorum Court appoints members to the Hartford School Board. And the city of Fort Smith replaces a record number of sidewalks this year.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Friday, November 22, 2013
On this edition of Ozarks, the Bentonville High School Chamber Choir prepares for their final madrigal dinner and we’ll hear a preview from the Firmin Garner Performance Studio. Plus the holiday lights are turned on in Fayetteville and Bentonville this weekend and Becca Martin Brown from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers has the details on those and other events worth our attention this last weekend before Thanksgiving.
One Arkansas senator is pressing election officials to resolve issues with the state's voter ID law. Other legislators are pushing to prevent the state lottery commission from implementing video gambling games throughout the state. The FASTER Arkansas committee continues its push for changes in state law to allow public schools to connect to an existing, state-funded fiber optic network. And one Eureka Springs alderman is trying to move forward a decades-long debate on what to do about parking in that city's downtown area.
More than twenty Northwest Arkansas specialty shops sell electronic cigarettes, both disposable and rechargeable. The popular devices deliver a smooth warm nicotine-laced white vapor in variety strengths and flavors. We visit the Velvet Vapor in Rogers and also talk to an Arkansas Department of Health tobacco specialist about pending regulations and potential risks associated with “vaping.”
Our history doctor, Bill Smith, explains the relationship between politics and money is an American tradition.
Becca Martin Brown, from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, directs us to performance art and fireworks this weekend.
Jonathan Story sits down at the Mary Baker Rumsey Steinway.