Republican state lawmakers remain skeptical about Governor Beebe's push to expand the state's Medicaid system, and Speaker of the House Davy Carter says that he's unsure about the long-term costs of the program. The Fort Smith Police Department unveils a new online service aimed at saving time for people involved in some minor auto accidents. The Rogers Historical Museum has a record-breaking year. And, two convenience store chains vie for the same piece of land in Fayetteville.
Ozarks At Large


A new exhibit at Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale takes patrons along the length of the White River.
Web Exclusive: Seeing Images of the White River Before the Dams
Becca Martin Brown from NWA Newspapers is intrigued about a discussion at the Shiloh Museum about a small community she has not heard of.
Last week, Fort Smith officials were introduced to the idea of holding an urban deer hunt to help control deer populations in the Chaffee Crossing area. There was some concern about the safety of conducting such hunts in the city, but Ozarks at Large’s Timothy Dennis discovers that safety is not an afterthought in planning these urban hunts


Richard Sander is a law professor at UCLA and the author of the book Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It’s Intended to Help, and Why Universities Won’t Admit It. He recently visited the University of Arkansas.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Monday, September 2, 2013
On this special Labor Day edition of Ozarks at Large, we hear selections from the rest of our live events from the Fayetteville Roots Festival weekend, including performances by Joe Crookston and Mary Gautier, a discussion with David Johnson of the Fayetteville Public Library about the library's plans for the future, and we talk with Hank Kaminsky about his new project on Kickstarter. And, we have a special "Labor Insecurity Day" montage, containing film and musical references to people who will likely soon be looking for work.
Those allusions are:
Jerry Reed singing "Guitar Man," a tune made famous by Elvis Presley
Jerry McGuire trying to keep his cool after being canned from his management agency
Johnny Paycheck and his hit "Take This Job and Shove It"
Olive Stanton (played by the venerable Emily Watson) trying to determine if she's in the right line at the employment office in Cradle Will Rock
Woody Guthrie singing his song "Blowin' Down The Road," decades before Andy Griffith or the Grateful Dead made the song their own.
Future Marty gets the ax in Back to the Future Part II
Jim Croce rapping on the difficulties of finding a decent-paying job in "Working at the Car Wash Blues"
The Dude gets lectured by "The Big Lebowski" on the merits of gainful employment in the movie of the same name
Bob Dylan singing about rambling around the country in an alternate of his tune "Tangled Up in Blue
Members of the Arkansas General Assembly selected a new Speaker of the House yesterday, and state officials assess Governor Mike Beebe's proposed 2013 budget. Also, Fayetteville Public Schools get thousands of federal dollars to help expand a program designed to bring locally farmed food to the cafeteria. And in Fort Smith, city administrators discuss the city's own budget for next year, which will include money for sidewalks.
"Prove It All Night" by CMH Musicians
Michael Tilley, from TheCityWire.com, addresses a busy week. There was positive news on housing prices and hospitality tax collections, Wal-Mart released earning numbers and there was intrigue at the State Capitol.
Many gathered yesterday in the Epley Building for Health Professions on the University of Arkansas campus as the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing received the George M and Boyce W Billingley endowed chair. The school also welcomed Dr. Pegge Bell as its new director.
Fayetteville is one of the cities worldwide hosting an event in support of people displaced by the violence in Syria.
Becca Martin Brown, from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, says the Lights of the Ozarks are turned on tomorrow night . . . and then the holiday cascade begins.