In honor of the unusually cool temperatures, Becca offers a list of outdoor activities for this weekend's entertainment.
Ozarks At Large



An area school district that intended to arm teachers and other staff can no longer do so, after the board that issued a private security firm license to the Clarksville School District has revoked that license. The Arkansas State Police rolls out a fleet of new, more discreet cruisers. One of Springdale's farmers' markets closes, but could potentially reopen in the future. A non-profit aimed at serving women from disadvantaged situations gets ready to open in Rogers. And a new state law taking effect tomorrow means drivers will have to move over for more than just emergency personnel.
A spokesman for Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin says that the office should be able to use outside counsel that questions the office's compliance with the state's Freedom of Information Act. Benton County officials continue to assess damage done by recent floods, with the cost of said damage estimated at $5 million and rising. The same rains that caused damage in Benton County has given a rare opportunity to floaters of the Buffalo River. And while yesterday's elections resulted in a runoff next month in Springdale, voters in Paris and Huntsville approved more taxes in their own cities.
Governor Mike Beebe says that while four sites are currently under consideration for a new state veterans' home, that potential still exists for other options should they arise. And, the Seville Hotel in Harrison is back on the market, some seek denied school transfer requests to be overturned in Little rock, an awareness campaign aims to decrease drivers illegally passing school buses and Mark Darr sets off another waterfall of political candidacies with his announcement that he will run for Congressman Tom Cotton's seat in Washington next year.


After listening to speculation about Tom Cotton's political future for months, he finally, formally announced his intention to run for a Senate seat. This week's montage focuses on other cottons:
- Zooey Deschanel's Cotton commercial
- Michael Jordan's Hanes Lay Flat T-shirt commercial
- Golden Corral cotton candy commercial
- "Cotton Candy Land" by Elvis Presley
- :Peter Cottontail" by Gene Autry
- A clip from Francis Ford Coppola's movie The Cotton Club
- "Cotton Mouth Man" by James Cotton (featuring Joe Bonamassa)
- "Cotton Fields" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Pickin' Time" by Johnny Cash
- "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks, how members of clergy, support organizations and a T-shirt maker are helping spread relief to towns devastated by Sunday's tornadoes, and information about how anyone else can aid recovery efforts.
Becca Martin Brown from NWA Newspapers gives us a preview of the Walton Arts Center's 2013-2014 season.
Recently, the band Little Chief came to the Firmin-Garner Performance Studio for a conversation and performance. Their EP, “Somewhere Near the River,” is now available on iTunes.
With federal budget sequestration looming around the corner, Arkansas' U.S. Senate contingent sounds off about the issue. We also look at how budget sequestration could impact research at the University of Arkansas. And, the Arkansas Legislature moves forward with two anti-abortion bills.
"Loud Pipes" by Ratatat
The pipeline, which will pump heavy crude oil mined from Canadian tar sands through Cushing, Oklahoma to Texas Gulf Coast refineries is providing hundreds of jobs for Oklahomans and sourcing steel pipe in Arkansas. Opponents claim the project is environmentally disastrous and only serves petrochemical industry interests.
(Photo courtesy of David Druding)
Small business owners in Arkansas express concern over the federal healthcare law. Maggie Carroll from our content partner KUAR in Little Rock has more.