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.
A collection of University of Arkansas graduates is making headway in the digital world. Their new company, TTAGG, helps clients understand what their customers are saying about them.
"Twelve" by Elephant Revival
Becca Martin Brown from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers advises us on the ongoing holiday events in the region.
"Twelve" by Red Mountain Church
For the first time the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market will have a presence through winter.
The Little Free Library project has small, neighborhood libraries on street corners in Fayetteville, Africa, Australia and almost everywhere else.
"The Dirty Dozen" by Count Basie
Wayne Bell is back to continue a review of the year in entertainment. This time he examines the music of 2012.