Ozarks At Large
New standardized public education testing will be tried in Arkansas public schools under the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. As Jacqueline Froelich reports, one million students across 18 states, including Arkansas, will participate in the “Next Generation Assessment” field tests.
The university system's board voted yesterday to start offering online courses. And, the state departments of health and education partner on educating schools about the dangers of heat-related illnesses.
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks: a walk around the trails at Lake Fayetteville will take you past acres of charred land. We learn about the benefits of prescribed burns such as these. Plus not one, but two area towns are in the running to take over the March Madness bracket of the Greatest Southern Town. And, we climb a tree to visit the serene world of a children's treehouse, and get ready for Spring Break with options for movie lovers.
Trading on the popularity of the NCAA Tournament, the magazine Garden and Gun has its own bracket. This one pits southern towns against each other.
Wings, and other films, will be shown at area libraries during next week's Spring Break Vacation. Becca has a full list.
We go off into our own world with Josh Hart, a carpenter and owner of Natural State Treehouses, who builds play structures for people of all ages.
It’s that time of year, like it or not, when foresters and conservationists burn the land. But as Jacqueline Froelich reports, prescribed burning not only helps to restore and maintain native habitat, it can help to sequester carbon.
Roby Brock with out content partner Talk Business Arkansas leads a roundtable discussion with Grant Tennille, director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, to talk jobs and the economy, including a state workforce program and minimum wage.
As promised, the state legislature overrode a line-item veto by Governor Mike Beebe to allow sand used in natural gas drilling to be exempt from sales tax. And, several organizations through the state accrue grant funding.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Monday, May 26, 2014
For a holiday edition of Ozarks at Large we hear highlights from a show at Fayetteville Public Library featuring songwriters Candy Lee, Shawn James and Barrett Baber.
Bishop Gene Robinson, elected in 2003 as the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church will speak at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville February 9th and 10th. He took an early retirement from his post late last year and is now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington D.C. We speak to him by phone about his life and vocation, in advance of his visit.
"Untitled" by Kaki King
A new exhibit at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale includes many items from the University of Arkansas Museum collection.
Foxygen, a duo of 22-year-olds who've been playing music together since high school, have a new album out called "We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Love." "Ozarks at Large's" Katy Henriksen reviews the upbeat album, which she deems a perfect antidote to the winter blues.
Here's a video for Foxygen's song "San Francisco."
An audit of the state's Medicaid program that was set to be released late last week has been held until later this week. Also later this week, Governor Mike Beebe is expected to meet with state lawmakers to discuss details of a $1.1 billion dollar project that would see Big River Steel bring a steel mill to Osceola. Plus, there are more bald eagles on Beaver Lake this year, as reported by a recent survey by the Army Corps of Engineers.
"Monday" by The Sea and The Cake
Two companies announce relocation and expansion plans that will bring several hundred jobs to Arkansas. Roby Brock of Talk Business Arkansas gives us the details in his weekly update