An administrative law judge with the Arkansas Public Service Commission on Friday ordered SWEPCO to proceed on its proposed plan to build a massive new power transmission line through portions of northwest Arkansas. Also, Governor Mike Beebe says that recent cost analyses of operating the state's Private Option expansion of Medicaid justifies the program's passage during last year's session of the state legislature. And the state Attorney General's office warns residents about rapid-refund tax providers.
Ozarks At Large
We speak with An Na, author of A Step From Heaven, a book that was awarded the Michael L. Prince Award when it was published a decade ago. Critics and reviewers commended the book's characters for speaking like a child without being too precocious or condescending. The author will speak in Fayetteville later this month.
Though the plans are in the early stages, The University of Arkansas Fort Smith may begin offering its first Master's degree in a few years.
Our ten clips saluting sailors and sailing:
1. The theme to Popeye the Sailor Man.
2. Bob Denver and Alan Hale hatch a scheme on Gilligan's Island.
3. Christopher Cross creates the all-time yacht rock song with Sailing.
4. Gregory Peck, as Captain Ahab, ponders his life with Starbuck in Moby Dick.
5. Sloop John B by the Beach Boys.
6. Hercules ignores the orders of Jason in the 1963 version of Jason and the Argonauts. (later, the GREATEST MOVIE SCENE EVER with the sword-weilding skeletons).
7. Jimmy Buffett is Aa Son of a Son of a Sailor.
8. Russell Crowe catches up to a ship in Master and Commander.
9. Bogart and Hepburn on The African Queen.
10. Lyle Lovett sings If I Had a Boat.
Apologies to: Horatio Hornblower, Sinbad (the sailor, not the comic) and Errol Flynn. Maybe next time.
1. The theme to Popeye the Sailor Man.
2. Bob Denver and Alan Hale hatch a scheme on Gilligan's Island.
3. Christopher Cross creates the all-time yacht rock song with Sailing.
4. Gregory Peck, as Captain Ahab, ponders his life with Starbuck in Moby Dick.
5. Sloop John B by the Beach Boys.
6. Hercules ignores the orders of Jason in the 1963 version of Jason and the Argonauts. (later, the GREATEST MOVIE SCENE EVER with the sword-weilding skeletons).
7. Jimmy Buffett is Aa Son of a Son of a Sailor.
8. Russell Crowe catches up to a ship in Master and Commander.
9. Bogart and Hepburn on The African Queen.
10. Lyle Lovett sings If I Had a Boat.
Apologies to: Horatio Hornblower, Sinbad (the sailor, not the comic) and Errol Flynn. Maybe next time.
Today's week in review looks back at the school-related news we've aired over the past seven days.
The Benton County Children's Advocacy Center recently received reaccreditation. Lake Wedington in Washington County and Shores Lake in Franklin County will soon be partially drained to allow the U.S. Forest Service to allow for some winter maintenance. And Bentonville Public Schools begins to think about names and mascots for its second high school that will be built in Centerton.


Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks, the 2014 Cancer Challenge aims to add to the $10 million raised with the event over the past 20 years. The three-day event this year encompasses a variety of locations and activities including golfing, running, trap-shooting and wrapping up with the more traditional gala. Plus, uncovering stories at Oak Cemetery, and if you're unsure of which stages to make it to during this weekend's Wakarusa Music Festival, Becca offers some suggestions.
Becca Bacon Martin from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers tells us country music legend George Strait will be around northwest Arkansas soon.
A Game of Thrones Theme by Ramin Djawadi
Today marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year, and this year’s the Year of the Dragon. Kyle Kellams compiled clips of voices of people who were born in the Year of the Dragon. Do you recognize any of these individuals?
The voices, in order as we heard them are:
1) Peter Lorre (from the Maltese Falcon). Born in 1904
2) Fats Domino (singing Walkin’ to New Orleans). Born in 1928
3) Tom Brokaw (from his final night as anchor). Born in 1940.
4) Diana Krall (singing Fly Me to the Moon from her CD, The Very Best of Diana Krall). Born in 1964.
5) Dan Ackroyd (on Saturday Night Live in 1976). Born in 1952.
6) Tom Jones (singing It’s Not Unusual from the CD, Along Came Jones). Born in 1940.
7) Dick Wilson (as Mr. Whipple). Born in 1916.
We report on alarming new figures, just issued by US Fish and Wildlife Service, on the number of hibernating bats in the eastern U.S. killed by White Nose Syndrome, as well as a new monitoring program launched in northwest Arkansas.
“Beautiful” by Fruit Bats
Ozarks at Large’s Christina Thomas spoke with Dr. Tim Yeager of the University of Arkansas to learn more about why U.S. banks are losing billions in annual revenue due to the Federal Reserve’s 2010 changes to overdraft policy.
The Arkansas Razorback women’s basketball team defeats Vanderbilt; Arkansas legislators request a grant to study the idea of a federal health insurance exchange; and more – on today’s Ozarks at Large Half-Time.
“In Motion” by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross