The bill proposing changes to the state's lottery scholarship program moves forward as it passes the Arkansas House, while a bill aimed at capping spending growth by the state government likely heads back to committee. And, two bridges in downtown Fayetteville could soon see rehabilitation.
Ozarks At Large
Ahead on Ozarks, a new series of bills designed to tighten ethics in state government are circulating at the state capitol and we’ll hear from some of the authors of the legislation. Plus a hike to see a stand of Ozark chinquapin trees…a species that’s hard to find these days.The 2013 Point-in-Time Homeless Census numbers show more children in grades K-12 are homeless in Washington and Benton counties in 2013 compared to previous years.
To access data from the homeless census, visit, sociology.uark.edu.
Roby Brock from our content partner Talk Business Arkansas takes stock of the fifth week of the Arkansas Legislature and the past seven days in Arkansas business.
Biologist Joe Neal occasionally hikes up Kessler Mountain to scout for birds. But on a recent night time expedition—in the rain—while searching for spotted salamanders (pictured) he encountered a melodious spring harbinger. 
Eco-preservationists, recreationists and scientists are collaborating on a project to save Kessler Mountain, a 387-acre forest southwest of Fayetteville, from urban development. We take a short expedition along a scenic escarpment to an ancient grove of chinkapin oak, with geoscientist Dr. David Stahle and grad student Allen Edmondson. They want the UofA to dedicate an outdoor natural laboratory on Kessler—similar to Harvard Forest and Duke Forest.
To receive permission to explore Mount Kessler, contact Frank Sharp here.
Web Exclusive: Sampling an Ancient Chinquapin Oak Forest on Mt. KesslerA handful of bills regarding election ethics reform are making their way through the state legislature. But although the bills have been introduced, Timothy Dennis reports that those bills are without a certain future.
The concealed carry bill for college campus staff moves forward in the Arkansas General Assembly after passing a House vote on Friday. Governor Mike Beebe acknowledges the work of family farmers in the state, and the Razorback Foundation announces its next director.
Ahead on Weekend Ozarks: music with Mike Shirkey and Friends inside the Firmin-Garner Performance Studio, and the planet Pluto is discovered and recategorized. Plus, Becca Martin Brown has what's up for your plate.
Here is our out-of-this-world list of material that made up our space montage this morning. If you correctly identified them all, buy yourself a cold glass of Tang.
- "Major Tom," as performed by David Bowie
- Neil Armstrong lands on the moon.
- Charlton Heston just before his space ship crashes into future earth. Spoiler alert: there are APES. This is the opening scene from the original Planet of the Apes
- A commercial for Tang
- HAL takes over in 2001: A Space Odyssey
- The Shocking Blue with their biggest hit, "Venus"
- A piece of the trailer for the disaster movie Armageddon. That's nativa Arkansan Billy Bob Thornton explaining "It's a meteor shower."
- Pluto, the dog, barking in his 1952 cartoon, "Pluto's Party."
- The worst bit of dialogue ever in a movie ("Future events such as these will affect you in the future.") from Plan 9 From Outer Space"
- Holst's Mars from "The Planets"
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Ahead on Weekend Ozarks at Large, a student-led sex education week at the U of A, two brothers building canoes in Avoca, and we step inside of Son's Chapel outside of Goshen.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services has released numbers that show thousands of low-income Arkansans have shown intent to sign up for the state's Private Option insurance plans. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families releases a report detailing inequality of enrichment opportunities between schools across the state. And furloughed work-study employees at Northwest Arkansas Community College returned to work this morning after a two-day suspension and before negotiations in Washington showed promise.
"Homecoming Heroes" by The Head and the Heart
Roby Brock from Talk Business Arkansas and David Goins talk to Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Jason Rapert about the state's public school employee insurance crisis.
Becca reminds us it's the start of the fall arts and crafts festival season.
"No One's Saying Nothing" by The Dismemberment Plan
It's been a bordello, a restaurant and now a visitors center...and it's one of our favorite spaces in the region. We spent an afternoon at Miss Laura's in downtown Fort Smith,
The fifth annual Eureka Springs' Voices from the Silent City Cemetery Tour, which portrays Depression-era Eureka, is set for Friday and Saturday evenings, October 18th and19th, as well as October 25th and 26th. Jacqueline Froelich provides a preview. For tickets call 479-253-9417.
"Good To You" by The Avett Brothers
