Two state lawmakers weigh in on the debate about proposed expansions to the state's Medicaid system as the 89th General Assembly begins its second week in session. The unemployment rate for the state rose in December, but a state economist says the increase is not statistically significant. And 2012 housing sales figures for Northwest Arkansas have been compiled; overall sales and median home prices are up in some areas, but not all.
Ozarks At Large

We welcome back our tech ambassador to discuss this month’s Consumer Electronics Show, the annual showcase for what’s next in the digital world.

Here's the list of our presidential songs, quotes and miscellany for our montage:
- President Dwight Eisenhower's farewell address on television on January 17, 1961
- President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address three days later.
- James Brown sings "Funky President."
- President Franklin Roosevelt's first fireside chat on radio on March 12, 1933.
- The band They Might Be Giants performing the catchy (and educational!) song "James K. Polk."
- Ronald Reagan speaks on June 12, 1987.
- Johnny Cash performs the standard "Mr. Garfield."
- Henry Fonda predates Daniel Day Lewis by more than 70 years in Young Abe Lincoln, directed by John Ford.
- The song "Peaches" by the band . . . The Presidents of the United States of America
- Herbert Hoover addresses voters in 1928. (bonus points if you knew that one)
With all of the acts announced for this year's Wakarusa music festival on Mullberry Mountain, Kevin Kinder of NWA Newspapers gives us his thoughts on this year's lineup.

Thursday is Arkansas Clarinet Day. As part of the celebration, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith will host internationally acclaimed clarinetist Guy Yehuda. Ozarks at Large's Christina Thomas speaks with him prior to his recital and master class.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks at Large,a report on former president Bill Clinton's address on the Affordable Care Act from his Presidential Library yesterday. And, we visit a local bike shop to learn what it takes to get back on a bicycle after not riding for years.
Becca Martin Brown has some (but not all) of the suggestions for warm-weather music here.
The winning slogan will be included in a logo and outreach materials. Slogans must be five words or less and include a form of the word recycle. Entry forms and more information on the contest can be found on ADEQ’s website, under the Hot Topics section on the homepage.
John Brown University will host a series of art workshops this summer.
The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services points to a handful of reasons as to why employment and unemployment numbers in the state keep improving. The Arkansas Supreme Court grants a stay on a Pulaski County Circuit Court ruling that allowed same-sex marriages to occur in the state last week, and Arkansas Tech's board of trustees approves tuition increases for the coming academic year.
"The Machine" by Garage A Trois
A study released by Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families says that the state’s juvenile detention system is broken. But as Jacqueline Froelich discovered, two Northwest Arkansas detention centers have found a fix.