Arkansas receives recognition for its work to combat human trafficking in the state, and several new laws go into effect today.
Ozarks At Large
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Amina Figarova has 12 recordings and has performed with her quintet on the main stage of the Newport Jazz Festival. Friday night she closes the KUAF Summer Jazz Concert Series at Walton Arts Center.
A water trail along the Arkansas River in Fort Smith allows canoeists and kayakers a chance to experience some wilderness inside the Fort Smith city limits.
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.
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Zeek Taylor discusses preparing for an art show in Bentonville, why he likes animals in his work and the difficulty involved with painting a black dog or white cat.
The plans for the Charlie Craig State Fish Hatchery in Centerton began in the middle of the Great Depression, long before large man-made lakes were part of the landscape in northern Arkansas. The hatchery has been a part of Benton County for years, but in coming ones a replacement could be built near Highfill.
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.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Weekend Ozarks at Large, we visit Baum Stadium during the opening weekend of Razorback baseball; not for the game but rather to see how the stadium came to be. Plus, three things to keep in mind when taking in a theatrical show, and a history of Cubans in Fort Smith.
Becca Martin Brown from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers tells us about upcoming musical performances in Tulsa and Dallas.
The Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in Arkansas. The Civil War Sesquicentennial will be celebrated between 2011 and 2015.
Kyle Kellams speaks with freelance writer Evin Demirel about the reasons for the low participation of African-Americans in baseball.
Relevant links:
www.arkansaslife.com
www.thesportseer.com
Turnout expected to be low for today’s runoff elections in Arkansas; the Arkansas Razorback baseball team heads to the College World Series in Omaha this weekend; and more – on today’s Segment A.
“Omaha” by Tapes n’ Tapes
This morning, just after eleven, the big next step in the creation of a 36-mile trail system linking the major cities along the Interstate 540 corridor took place. Groundbreaking for a phase of the trail in Rogers was held with several mayors in attendance. Ozarks at Large's Antoinette Grajeda spoke with John McLarty, transportation study director for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, prior to the ceremony and has this report.
To listen to more from the groundbreaking ceremony, click here.