It's been a bordello, a restaurant and now a visitors center...and it's one of our favorite spaces in the region. We spent an afternoon at Miss Laura's in downtown Fort Smith,
Ozarks At Large

The Arkansas Department of Human Services has released numbers that show thousands of low-income Arkansans have shown intent to sign up for the state's Private Option insurance plans. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families releases a report detailing inequality of enrichment opportunities between schools across the state. And furloughed work-study employees at Northwest Arkansas Community College returned to work this morning after a two-day suspension and before negotiations in Washington showed promise.


An effort to improve understanding in the classroom led to astonishing art.
Becca Martin Brown from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers has still more Halloween events to tell us about today.
Disney's Beauty and the Beast comes back to Walton Arts Center this weekend and we talk with the set designer about what we see behind the characters.

Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Friday, January 3, 2014
On this special edition of Ozarks at Large we listen again to some of our favorite stories from 2013, including: how to make it to age 100 in Huntsville, an odds-defying collaboration between a renown musician and Trike Theater and the creation of the Ozarks at Large quiche cup.
Yesterday, Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration officials yesterday outlined Governor Mike Beebe's budget priorities to state legislators. Funding for the state's Private Option expansion of Medicaid could be in danger after a special election for state Senate yesterday. And the University of Arkansas Fort Smith is in the process of developing its its first Master's degree program.
"All Points" by James Vincent McMorrow
Roby Brock from Talk Business Arkansas speaks with blogger Michael Cook about Lt. Governor Mark Darr's resignation.
Solar energy installation is on the rise in Arkansas—a solar rich state. But unlike other solar states, Arkansas lacks incentives for solar development as well as utility standards. Add to that, this year, renewable energy advocates will face organized opposition from carbon producers, who don’t want them on the grid.
"High Hopes" by Bruce Springsteen
A Tom Bresh concert in the River Valley and the Waka Winter Classic in NWA are on Becca's music agenda this week.
"J Smoov" by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
A workshop this month in Fort Smith is designed to help candidates, and potential candidates, of all kinds learn more about the electoral process.