In honor of the unusually cool temperatures, Becca offers a list of outdoor activities for this weekend's entertainment.
Ozarks At Large



An area school district that intended to arm teachers and other staff can no longer do so, after the board that issued a private security firm license to the Clarksville School District has revoked that license. The Arkansas State Police rolls out a fleet of new, more discreet cruisers. One of Springdale's farmers' markets closes, but could potentially reopen in the future. A non-profit aimed at serving women from disadvantaged situations gets ready to open in Rogers. And a new state law taking effect tomorrow means drivers will have to move over for more than just emergency personnel.
A spokesman for Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin says that the office should be able to use outside counsel that questions the office's compliance with the state's Freedom of Information Act. Benton County officials continue to assess damage done by recent floods, with the cost of said damage estimated at $5 million and rising. The same rains that caused damage in Benton County has given a rare opportunity to floaters of the Buffalo River. And while yesterday's elections resulted in a runoff next month in Springdale, voters in Paris and Huntsville approved more taxes in their own cities.
Governor Mike Beebe says that while four sites are currently under consideration for a new state veterans' home, that potential still exists for other options should they arise. And, the Seville Hotel in Harrison is back on the market, some seek denied school transfer requests to be overturned in Little rock, an awareness campaign aims to decrease drivers illegally passing school buses and Mark Darr sets off another waterfall of political candidacies with his announcement that he will run for Congressman Tom Cotton's seat in Washington next year.


After listening to speculation about Tom Cotton's political future for months, he finally, formally announced his intention to run for a Senate seat. This week's montage focuses on other cottons:
- Zooey Deschanel's Cotton commercial
- Michael Jordan's Hanes Lay Flat T-shirt commercial
- Golden Corral cotton candy commercial
- "Cotton Candy Land" by Elvis Presley
- :Peter Cottontail" by Gene Autry
- A clip from Francis Ford Coppola's movie The Cotton Club
- "Cotton Mouth Man" by James Cotton (featuring Joe Bonamassa)
- "Cotton Fields" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Pickin' Time" by Johnny Cash
- "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks, how members of clergy, support organizations and a T-shirt maker are helping spread relief to towns devastated by Sunday's tornadoes, and information about how anyone else can aid recovery efforts.
Justin Minkel, a Springdale elementary school teacher and 2007 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, has just written a new book aimed at young readers.
Here are out ten clips relating to Buffalo, New York and the War of 1812.
1) Ten Thousand Maniacs (from the Buffalo area) sing Because the Night,
2) Robert Redford and Wilford Brimley in The Natural (filmed in Buffalo).
3) Bruce Springsteen sings about Buffalo's Erie Canal.
4) A trailer, featuring Marilyn Monroe, for the movie Niagara…set in nearby Niagara Falls.
5) Buffalo native Rick James ponders a Super Freak.
6) A BBC documentary about the assassination of President McKinley. The shooting happened in Buffalo. (as did the subsequent swearing-n ceremony of Theodore Roosevelt).
7) The only electronic song we know of about Buffalo native Grover Cleveland.
8) Judy Garland sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow…written by Buffalo native Harold Arlen.
9) Amanda Blake, another Buffalo native, as Miss Kitty on an early episode of Gunsmoke.
10) Johnny Horton sings The Battle of New Orleans, about the final battle of the War of 1812. Arkansas connection: written by Jimmy Driftwood.
Roby Brock, from our content partner Talk Business Arkansas, offers a preview of the state's politics in the coming year.
"The Boxer" by Editors
Becca Martin Brown from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers suggests 12 things you should do in 2014.
Kevin Kinder and Kyle Kellams compare their lists of favorite music for 2013.