Though Arkansas is still 30% above the rest of the nation, the state is finally seeing declining rates when it comes to new lung cancer diagnoses and moralities due to lung cancer. We hear from Dr. Gary Wheeler with the Arkansas Department of Health.
Ozarks At Large
State legislators are beginning to make plans for how to use a revenue surplus in the coming fiscal session of the Arkansas General Assembly. A special election today could affect the state's Private Option expansion of Medicaid. Gubernatorial hopeful Asa Hutchinson calls for more computer science courses to be taught at the high school level. The Arkansas Department of Health urges people between the ages of 25 and 50 to get flu shots this year. And Fayetteville will look for a new superintendent after the current one announced her resignation.


Sabrina Billings, an Assistant Professor with the department of African and African American Studies at the University of Arkansas, has spent years researching her new book Language and Globalization in the Making of a Tanzanian beauty Queen.

The Arkansas Department of Health says that rates of lung cancer are decreasing in the state, due in part to higher anti-smoking awareness campaigns. Governor Beebe calls for more Arkansans to get a higher education. The Greenland School District is set to spend nearly a million dollars on a new football field. And Lieutenant Governor Mark Darr formally gives his resignation from office amid a string of ethics violations.


To celebrate the 175th anniversary of the first photograph of the moon, here are the clips we included in our montage devoted to earth's favorite satellite:
1. Nick Drake sings Pink Moon.
2. A classic scene with Tom Hanks from Apollo 13.
3. Ella Fitzgerald's take on It's Only a Paper Moon.
4. Excerpt from a promotional film about the 1964 World's Fair.
5. REM's tribute to Andy Kaufman, Man in the Moon.
6. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed dream about the future in It's a Wonderful Life.
7. Elvis (happy belated 79th) and Blue Moon.
8. Lon Chaney, Jr. worries about the next full moon in Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.
9. Creedence Clearwater Revival also worries about a Bad Moon Rising.
10. Neil Armstrong lands.
11. Frank Sinatra takes off.
Apologies to: Jules Verne, William Shakespeare, Henry Mancini, Bill Monroe, G. Melies and those little green guys on Rocky and Bullwinkle. Maybe next time.
1. Nick Drake sings Pink Moon.
2. A classic scene with Tom Hanks from Apollo 13.
3. Ella Fitzgerald's take on It's Only a Paper Moon.
4. Excerpt from a promotional film about the 1964 World's Fair.
5. REM's tribute to Andy Kaufman, Man in the Moon.
6. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed dream about the future in It's a Wonderful Life.
7. Elvis (happy belated 79th) and Blue Moon.
8. Lon Chaney, Jr. worries about the next full moon in Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.
9. Creedence Clearwater Revival also worries about a Bad Moon Rising.
10. Neil Armstrong lands.
11. Frank Sinatra takes off.
Apologies to: Jules Verne, William Shakespeare, Henry Mancini, Bill Monroe, G. Melies and those little green guys on Rocky and Bullwinkle. Maybe next time.
Winter classes are just about to begin for young thespians, those wanting to learn more about art, and more. Becca Martin Brown gives us the details.

Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks, golf is a sport, but it's also a vehicle for life lessons about honesty and perseverance. We visit the green as First Tee of Northwest Arkansas spends an afternoon teaching values to area youth. Plus, a look at the senate race in Arkansas.
Tyson Foods announced declining income in its third quarter earnings call, a section of Lake Fayetteville trail could potentially be moved, three Razorbacks move on to semifinals in London, and more.
“Steeplechase” Charlie Parker
Extracting methane from shale preserves locked deep underground in north Central Arkansas requires tremendous amounts of water, diverted from streams and rainwater catchments. But what is the effect on aquifers during prolonged drought?
Fifty years ago, the Delta was the economic engine for Arkansas. Skip Rutherford, the Dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, says it is still an important part of the state.
For more information, visit talkbusiness.net.
“Rowing Song” by Patty Griffin
Thousands of people are expected to attend the third annual “Community Block Party” at the First United Methodist Church campus in downtown Springdale this weekend.
For more information, visit the church's website here.
The staff at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Academy of the Arts is already noticing the end of summer. Dr. Rosilee Walker Russell says this semester offers more than any previous term.
Audition dates for upcoming ensembles at UAFS Academy include:
Teen Theater, Scrooged, The Musical: August 14, 16, 21, 23 6-8pm.
Teen Honor Choir and Teen Jazz Vocal: August 23, 5-8pm and August 25 9am-noon
Instrumental music auditions for grades 4th and up: August 23 5-8pm and Augustr 25th 9am-noon.
For more information, visit the academy's website here.
“Discus” by Inoran