
Ozarks At Large



In today's week in review, Timothy Dennis looks at the past week's headlines involving money, from federal grants for XNA to tax-free reparations to Mayflower residents from ExxonMobil.
Heads of some of the state's community health clinics say that one aspect of the private option for Medicaid expansion won't reimburse the clinics enough for them to stay open. Arkansas lawmakers continue to explore ways to administer the death penalty, though the drug commonly used to administer lethal injections remains unavailable. The board of Ozark Regional Transit looks at taking management in-house next year. And the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department announces several road construction projects to be started in the next few years.
In the first story of our new, monthly "Locally Made" series, we profile the "noble-hearted country folk" who create handmade items for their business,
Opponents to Arkansas' 12-week abortion ban are asking a federal judge to issue a permanent injunction to prevent the law from ever being enforced. Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport gets a $3.4 million grant that will be used for pavement upgrades, a master plan and more. Mount Sequoyah Gardens in Fayetteville is getting upgrades to make it a more appealing overlook. And, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is holding several public meetings around the state regarding a revised statewide ten-year solid waste plan.
Early next month the organization called the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. Inc. will hold its annual convention in Rogers. We talked to John Bircher, National Spokesman for the Military Order of the Purple Heart.


Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Ahead on Ozarks, a business degree from the University of Arkansas without ever seeing Old Main or setting foot on senior walk: an online degree is now a reality. Plus, we get an update on updating Cane Hill, one of the oldest communities in the region.
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.