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.
Ozarks At Large

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
William Lyle, the current executive chef at Ella's Restaurant has been hired as the new executive chef at Eleven.

Artists find inspiration in all kinds of places, including the produce section of the world's largest retailer.
From millage elections to sales tax votes and even a run for U.S. Senate, we've covered a lot of political ground in the past seven days.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Friday, April 11, 2014
Ahead on Ozarks, Roby Brock discusses the latest poll results on Arkansas elections, and we explore a new educational standard that aims to bring about a revolution in science education.
The efforts to restore Johnny Cash’s boyhood home in eastern Arkansas are paying off.
The trio Piano and Drums is just that…but more. Formed by Fayetteville-based drummer Nate Wong who recruited his friends Jonah Wei-Hass and Yaniv Taubenhouse, will perform two concerts in the region this weekend.
Arkansas' senators unveil a bill that would make reparations paid to Mayflower residents from ExxonMobil tax-free. Arkansas lawmakers are trying to fix problems with the state's parole system. The University of Arkansas announces a successful year of fundraising. And Rogers' historic district could soon be a bit larger.
“Wild Things” by Noah and the Whale
One hundred forty-five closed sanitary landfills pock Arkansas’s landscape. Jacqueline Froelich takes us to one long-neglected site southwest of Fayetteville--now consumed by heavy forest--to learn what happens to such places.
The city of Springdale is ready to begin work on the connecting parts of the Razorback Greenway. By spring the 36-mile trail will connect south Fayetteville to the edge of Bella Vista.