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.
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks, Springdale claims the lead in job creation for Arkansas, plus a story of moving from small-town Arkansas to post-punk fame: this week’s edition of Arkansongs highlights the career of Beth Ditto…and in about six minutes, an update on the rollout of the Affordable Care Act in Arkansas now that the calendar has turned.
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.
Tens of thousands of Arkansans are enrolling onto the new state insurance marketplace. The latest ACA enrollment figures through December are pending, but newly released data for the Arkansas’s novel Private Option reveal robust Medicaid expansion.
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.
Ahead on weekend Ozarks, how nurse practitioners will fill a potential shortfall of primary care physicians, the 2014 renovation plans for the Arts Center of the Ozarks, how Scrabble is being used as part of an annual fundraiser for the Literacy Council of Benton County, how one business is cashing in on the latest juicing craze and more.
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.
Though fresh squeezed juice has been around for a while, the recent growth in popularity takes juicing to a whole new level. We visit with Wilson Wood co-owner and head juicer of Native Nectar Juice.
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.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's new PLUS app allows readers to view extra content via their smart phone or other mobile devices. More information is available at www.arkansasonline.com/plus.
“Only You Can Make You Happy (Deradoorian Remix)” by Au Revoir Simone
Becca Martin Brown says local libraries are the places to be for your entertainment today.
The second concert in the KUAF Summer Jazz Series is Saturday night at Walton Arts Center. The annual “Composer’s Showcase” will feature compositions by James Greeson. Last week, Robert Ginsburg, host of KUAF's Shades of Jazz, spoke with James and Ben Harris, musical director of the Fayetteville Jazz Collective, about the event. More information is available here.
Much of Arkansas is under extreme drought, with portions of the Arkansas River Valley listed as exceptional. Ponds and creeks are drying up. Lake and river levels are dropping. But what about your water well? We talk with the experts about our drought-threatened water supplies.
In addition to serving as Sebastian County Circuit Court Judge, Jim Spears is the author of “Justice Divided: A Judicial History of Sebastian County.”