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 annual Northwest Arkansas Gridiron will put material about newsmamkers written by local journalists on stage. The annual lampooning is Friday and Saturday, October 5th and 6th.
"Yakety-Sax" by Chet Atkins
Ozarks at Large's Christina Thomas talks with James Dashner, an accountant turned children's Author, who is the featured guest at the Rogers Public Library Foundation's Conversations fundraiser.
Becca Martin Brwon tells us of a few events happening today that aren't a part of Bikes, Blues and BBQ.
"Rumble" by Link Wray
Because we mostly zoom by them in our sealed vehicles, nature recordist and essayist Joe Neal takes us into an Ozarks meadow for a listen. Joe Neal is coauthor of “Arkansas Birds,” published by the University of Arkansas Press. His latest book is “In the Province of Birds, a Western Arkansas Memoir.”
The Walton Arts Center is silent during the motorcycle rally, but makes up for it during the month of October.