Ozarks At Large
The head of the Hatcher Agency, the state's largest independent insurer, says that many of his clients are providing insurance to employees rather than paying penalties associated with the Affordable Care Act. Senator Mark Pryor talks about his push for answers from the Air Force regarding the 188th Fighter Wing in Fort Smith while Senator Boozman says he is concerned about a backlog in disability claims for veterans. And Elton John is coming to Fayetteville in just a few weeks.




Two public meetings were held late yesterday in Jasper to address concerns about the large CAFO in Newton County. Picasolar took home several thousand dollars from an MIT competition earlier this week. Fort Smith has finished automating trash collection, but now the city's sanitation department is turning its eye to automating recyclable collection. And speaking of Fort Smith, Senator Mark Pryor demands answers from the U.S. Air Force regarding the future of the 188th Fighter Wing.

Ozarks at Large's Meredith Martin Moats recently sat in on a conversation with Bud Rector, who will turn 99 later this year and has lived almost all his life in Yell County. We conclude her two-part report on his recollections of an Arkansas that has nearly vanished.

Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Remembering Some of the People We Lost in 2013
On this special edition of Ozarks we hear again some of the voices we lost during 2013, including Bill Harrison, Curley Miller, Ivan Denton and Dick Renko.
The Reverend Michael Dowd, a popular author and itinerant preacher, will give a talk in Eureka Springs next weekend.
Dowd’s religious journey took an unconventional turn, leading him to pursue a life of what he calls religious naturalism. Reverend Dowd will speak at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 4th at the Eureka Springs Unitarian Church.
Web Exclusive: Extended Interview With Reverend Michael Dowd
"Car Wheels On A Gravel Road" by Lucinda Williams
A “swabbing” drive will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday in the University of Arkansas Student Union. Donors at this event will be swabbed for blood type, this information will then go into the DKMS database, registering people to be potential donors in the future to patients undergoing treatment for various types of blood cancer. Ozarks at Large’s Christina Thomas spoke with organizers of the event, who said they would like to register 250 people on Thursday.
Becca Martin brown has a pair of last-minute Tuesday suggestions for staying off the couch.
"Today Today Blues" by Memphis Minnie
Our tech ambassador Tyrel Denison fills us in on all the details about Facebook's new Graph Search feature.
The concealed carry bill for college campus staff moves forward in the Arkansas General Assembly after passing a House vote on Friday. Governor Mike Beebe acknowledges the work of family farmers in the state, and the Razorback Foundation announces its next director.
"White House" by The American Analog Set