
Ozarks At Large

A bill to repeal the ban on firearms in churches advances to the state Senate today. U.S. Senator Mark Pryor announces the beginning of his reelection campaign, though its not starting quite yet. U.S. Senator John Boozman speaks out in favor of a plan to temporarily suspend the nation's debt limit on borrowing. And J.B. Hunt Transport Services announces a record fiscal quarter as it releases its fourth quarter 2012 financials.

A cooking lesson at the Bella Vista Public Library is on the menu for Becca's Wednesday entertainment picks.
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.

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.

Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Ahead on Ozarks, the Nobel director and secretary talks about the selection process for the annual Nobel Peace Prize; he's on the University of Arkansas campus today. Plus, the Northwest Arkansas Council on jobs created in the area in the past year, and the differences between education in the U.S. and the European Union.
Jacob Kaufman from KUAR provides a recap of the state legislature's recently concluded special session.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is stepping up enforcement this weekend on the state's lakes and rivers in an effort to decrease incidents of boating while intoxicated. Plus, the Rogers Fire Department embraces new technology with a smartphone app that informs people in public of nearby incidents of cardiac arrest.
Earthquakes in Oklahoma have dramatically increased since last autumn, likely linked to gas and oil development the U.S. Geological Survey says. And as Jacqueline Froelich reports, larger quakes there could shake western Arkansas. We hear from both the director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey in Norman and an Arkansas seismologist.
The Legislature began discussing the items on the special session agenda yesterday in Little Rock.
The Beaver Watershed Alliance has been working on assessing ways to improve water quality of the West Fork of the White River. As part of the project, the group is holding public meetings to engage residents and landowners alike.