Ozarks At Large
Simultaneous tax cuts and hikes, charter schools and the latest on Medicaid expansion from the state legislature; jockeys prepare for this weekend's Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn; more sidewalks in Fayetteville and the population continues to grow in Northwest Arkansas; all in today's Segment A.
The Arkansas General Assembly moves forward with a controversial voter ID bill, education and education supporters rally against a proposal that would shift money from the state's general fund into highway construction, and Arkansas' U.S. Senate contingent speaks out about efforts to pass a federal budget.


State lawmakers continue to weigh the issue of Medicaid expansion two weeks after receiving word from Washington that federal Medicaid expansion funds could be used for a privatized expansion of the system. A pair of lawmakers also weigh in on how recent anti-abortion legislation has affected Arkansas' reputation in the rest of the country. And a controlled burn is set for tomorrow in one local city.
Late last week, the Northwest Arkansas Council released the results of a study on the area's Business Retention and Expansion Efforts. The study was compiled from interviews by area chambers of commerce with 459 area companies. We speak with Mike Harvey, chief operating officer of the council about the survey and what the results mean for the area moving forward.
Another area city plans to speak out against a bill in the Arkansas Legislature that could mean a rollback of city development regulations. Governor Mike Beebe touts the state's efforts to make sure fewer children in Arkansas go hungry, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art again gets national recognition, not for its paintings but for the construction of the museum itsself.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Ahead on Ozarks, distance education will have a strong presence in a program on the University of Arkansas campus next fall, plus Rogers Little Theatre brings a comedy classic to the stage. We go behind the scenes with The Man Who Came To Dinner.
Downtown Rogers plays host to a regional conference about downtown development, a new animal shelter will soon open in Washington County and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport receives federal grant money for ongoing rehabilitation projects.
"Dash and Dot" by The Beau Hunks
Today we begin a six-part, five-day series about poverty in Arkansas. Iti Agnihotri Mudholkar, the producer of the series, explains what we’ll hear and why she was drawn to the subject.
"Tenderly" by Oscar Peterson
According to a U.S. Census Bureau report released last week, in 2010 and 2011, close to 15 percent of Americans were living under the federal poverty line, but in Arkansas, that number was as high as 17 percent. The state has consistently ranked among the states with the highest rates of poverty. On Ozarks at Large this week, we will examine Arkansas' poverty problem.
Today, Ozarks at Large's Iti Agnihotri-Mudholkar examines the various definitions of poverty and the adequacy of the country's poverty measurement system. We also find out what poverty looks like at the human level.
"Dark Was The Night" by Ry Cooder
Becca Martin Brown, features editor at Northwest Arkansas Newspapers says a busy week begins today with many options.
The past week Governor Mike Beebe announced the Medicaid expansion plans for Arkansas. That’s one of the stories Roby Brock from TalkBusiness.net reviews in his weekly checklist of the state’s biggest political and business stories of the past seven days