Ozarks At Large

In January, the Old Fort Homeless Coalition held its annual Point-in-Time Count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people in the community. Overall, the number of homeless in Fort Smith decreased from last year, though the need for a homeless campus is still apparent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released statewide jobless numbers Friday, showing a slight improvement to the unemployment picture in Arkansas. And Washington County records dating to before 2009 are now available online after necessary redactions were made.

Here is the list of the ten clips we used as our salute to The Wizard of Oz (and the explanation for each):

1. Pinball WIZARD by the Who
2. Jed Clampett as played by Buddy Ebsen, the actor originally cast as the...
3. ...TIN MAN, also the inspiration for a song by America.
4. A 1961 documentary about Ham, sent into space by NASA...a real-life FLYING MONKEY.
5. John Cougar Mellencamp sings Rain on the SCARECROW.
6. Famous television doctor, Dr. OZ.
7. The song Africa by TOTO.
8. A 1966 commercial for the game TWISTER. (as in the phenomenon that sent Dorothy to Oz)
9. The Tokens sing the (cowardly?) LION sleeps tonight.
10. Elton John with the title song from his album Goodbye YELLOW BRICK ROAD.

Apologies to the band Kansas and the song Witchy Woman by the Eagles. Maybe next time.

In the olden days, your local apothecary prepared all your medications. Now, your pharmaceutical industry mass produces everything from prescription Ambien to Xanax.
But as Jacqueline Froelich reports, the lost art of individualized compounding is undergoing a revival—and more intense review. (Photo: Collier Drug Compounding Lab Staff-- front row left to right: Denise Roark, Jana Evensen, Corrie Stout, Melissa Mashburn, back row: Andrew Mize, Justin Bolinger.)