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.
Here are the ten clips (and eleven threes) included in our montage this week:
1. Bob Dorough sings Three is a Magic Number.
2. Larry, Curly and Moe in trouble in A Plumbing We Will Go.
3. Al Pacino utters the most memorable line from Godfather III.
4. The Three Degrees’ biggest hit, When Will I See You Again.
5. Kendall Trainor gives Arkansas a win with his field goal (worth 3 points) in the 1985 Holiday Bowl.
6. An early 1980s jingle for Three Musketeers candy bar.
7. Steve Martin, Martin Short and Chevy Chase as the likeable, but slow-witted, Three Amigos.
8. The Oscar-winning song It’s Hard to Be a Pimp by Three Six Mafia.
9. Speaking of Oscar, the opening comments from Three Faces of Eve, an Oscar-winner for Joanne Woodward.
10. DOUBLE THREE ALERT! The Three Tenors sing We Three Kings.
Apologies to the little pigs, the bears and Goldilocks, Jan Stenerud, Babe Ruth and that band that sang that song in the 90s.
Becca Martin Brown tells us that July is her favorite time of the year for all of the season announcements that are made.
A recent study suggests that comprehensive immigration reform could mean significantly more revenue for Arkansas and the rest of the nation. Another study shows that Arkansas has seen more police deaths this year than other states. A master plan for downtown Siloam Springs is in the works. SWEPCO gets approval to extend the life of its Flint Creek power plant in Gentry. And, drought returns to Arkansas.
"Beds are Burning" by Midnight Oil
Michael Tilley from The City Wire discusses dramatic increases in foreclosed homes on the market in the region and the latest in the 2014 race for governor.
Becca Martin Brown gives us the usual "Chinese menu" of entertainment options for the weekend.
"Jumbucco" by Waak Waak Jungi
