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.
Arkansans will still see a measure to approve or deny casinos in the state on next month's general election ballot, but the state Supreme Court quashed the issue yesterday. And the 12th annual Northwest Arkansas International Fair will take place ttomorrow in Rogers, regardless of the rain.
"Seven Come Eleven" by Charlie Christian
Michael Tilley from TheCityWire.com explains how the region is doing with employment figures and what a report this week about bank depositis may tell us about the economy.
Although Northwest Arkansas and the Fort Smith regions have received nearly ten inches of rain in the past two months, the area ranchers and farmers are still suffering the effects of a drought that has affected the area for two years.
Becca Martin brown advises to not try to take advantage of every entertainment opportunity this weekend. She also advises that staying at home would mean you miss too much.
"October Song" by Incredible String Band
Monday night’s concert by the University of Arkansas Symphonic Band and U of A Wind Symphony will feature works by well-known composers like Holst and Grainger. There will also be 21st century works like the very new Jingo by Magen Miller.