We continue our series previewing this weekend's poetry festival at Nightbird Books. Katie Nichol grew up in St. Cloud, Minnesota and says she started writing poetry when she was about 12 years old:
Ozarks At Large
Arkansas' U.S. Senators speak out in favor of the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would require online retailers to collect state and local sales tax on purchases anywhere in the country. Officials with the WestArk Area Boy Scout Council voice their feelings about changes to the national organization's membership policy regarding sexual orientation. The Rogers Farmers' Market will be in a different location when it opens Saturday, and the Bentonville School District gets state funding approved for construction of a second high school, though the battle for building bucks continues.
Nathan Vandiver from our content partner KUAR in Little Rock provides a wrap-up of this year's Legislative Session.


Governor Mike Beebe and the state legislature tie up some loose ends at the conclusion of the legislative session, the Northwest Arkansas Council holds a summit for area leaders to figure out how to connect immigrants--either international or domestic--to resources in the area. A group of concerned area residents held a protest on the U of A campus yesterday in an attempt to draw U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack's attention to the confined animal feeding operation set to operate in the Buffalo River Watershed, and a group of UAFS students plan a run to benefit victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing.
The state's Department of Human Services holds a rally on the steps of the state capitol to raise awareness that April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. One of Northwest Arkansas' two public transit operators get ready to expand certain bus routes in an efficiency reorganization. One economist at the University of Arkansas thinks that construction will help the state, and the nation, recover from the lingering effects of the economic recession. And Walmart sets a record for the amount of donations given by a retailer in a given year.


Recent numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Arkansas' unemployment rate remains lower than the national average, though the size of the state's workforce has shrank. Governor Mike Beebe touts the state's growing art tourism industry, Senator Mark Pryor's reelection bid will determine whether a Democrat can still be competitive in the state, and the Razorbacks split a series over the weekend, while the Naturals drop another three-game set at home.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Friday, April 4, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks: the former president of Heifer International speaks on the University of Arkansas campus. Plus, we take a walk through history that begins in Jasper.
The independent film Come Morning was filmed in Arkansas and will have a one-night only showing in Rogers next week.
Here are our 12 clips for the montage inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas.
The opening theme to the PARTRIDGE Family.
Alabama sings the TURTLE DOVEing lyrics from their song Dixieland Delight.
Foghorn Leghorn chats with a HEN (not French, true) in a Warner Brothers cartoon.
The Beatles sing Blackbird. Our research indicates COLLY BIRDS are blackbirds.
The Olympic Theme, representing FIVE RINGS.
GOOSE from Top Gun talks to Maverick.
The opening go Tchaikovsky's SWAN Lake.
Shirley Booth as the MAID Hazel in the television program of the same name.
Rosemary Clooney, a LADY, sings about DANCING.
LORD Grantham, for Downton Abbey, gets ready to go…perhaps to LEAP?
Rowdy Roddy PIPER yells at another wrestler.
Todd Rundgren sings Bang the DRUM All Day.
Apologies to Arkansas-born Goose Tatum of the Harlem Globetrotters, the cast of Black Swan and bagpipers everywhere (but Roddy Piper was louder). Maybe next year.
"December" by Tim Janis
Pete Earley's book Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness was this year's One Book, One Community selection at the University of Arkansas. Earlier this month Ozarks at Large's Kyle Kellams., talked to him about the book in front of a live audience at the Fayetteville Public Library.
"I Remember You" by Stephen Trask, and "If You Won't I will" by Daryl Shawn
This fall Eric Brace and Peter Cooper, both Grammy nominees, came to northwest Arkansas to play a few shows. Their tour included a session inside the Firmin Garner Performance Studio.
"Speedcat" by Alan Grubner
The Clarksville-Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Rogers, and Nightbird Books are all participating in events designed to support local shopping this weekend including Plaid Friday and Small Business Saturday.