Wayne Bell comes to the studio to give a preview of Sunday night's Grammy Awards.
Ozarks At Large

The Arkansas Legislature considers a ban on the parental rights of convicted rapists, as well as a bill barring school districts from considering home school students as public school students. Plus, University of Arkansas chancellor G. David Gearhart calls for an independent audit of the university's advancement division.


An audit of the state's Medicaid program that was set to be released late last week has been held until later this week. Also later this week, Governor Mike Beebe is expected to meet with state lawmakers to discuss details of a $1.1 billion dollar project that would see Big River Steel bring a steel mill to Osceola. Plus, there are more bald eagles on Beaver Lake this year, as reported by a recent survey by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Following Thursday's Energize NWA Summit in Rogers, plans begin for healthy initiatives in northwest Arkansas.
Here is the key to our mail montage on today's show:
- The song "Please Mister Postman" by the Marvelettes.
- Wayne Knight as Newman, the postman, on Seinfeld.
- Elvis, of course, singing "Return to Sender."
- Lana Turner and John Garfield up to no good in the 1946 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice.
- R. B Greaves' biggest hit: "Take a Letter Maria."
- John Ratzenberger, as Cliff Clavin the postman, on Cheers.
- Frank Cady, the postmaster general Frank Drucker, on Green Acres' first episode
- Kevin Costner in the movie The Postman.
- Reba the Mail Lady, played by S. Epatha Merkerson, on Pee Wee's Playhouse.
- "The Letter" by the Box Tops .
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Friday, March 14, 2014
Ahead on Ozarks, Becca Martin Brown of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers gives us a list of St. Patrick's Day events happening this weekend, and we have a preview of the William S. Paley Collection exhibit at Crystal Bridges. We also learn about the latest plans for the new high school in Bentonville.
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.