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.
Some Republican state lawmakers are still floating the possibility of a partial Medicaid expansion while others want to see tax reforms during this legislative session. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality gives a clean bill of health to a piece of formerly contaminated land in southeast Fayetteville. And the diamond Hogs get even more props in two new preseason polls.
"This Ain't The Blues" by Speedy Wast and Jimmy Bryant
All major cities in Arkansas report bulked-up sales tax collections. Michael Tilley from The City Wire discusses that plus homes sales figures and guns in city parks in his weekly conversation with Kyle.
The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank staff knows their services are needed in the winter as much as any other time of year. Two porjects could help stock the food pantry this month.
"Table" by The Beautiful South
Becca Martin Brown from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers has the rundown on the Rogers Little Theater's 28th season, Wizard of Oz is included in the highlights.
Representative Charlie Collins from Fayetteville, the chair of the House Revenue and Tax Committee, talks to Roby Brock from Talk Business about possible tax policy legislation.
"Mantiqueira Range" by Antonio Carlos Jobim