Members of Arkansas' Congressional delegation react to President Obama's State of the Union Address earlier this week, as well as the President's pick to lead the Department of Defense. And, Fort Smith city and Sebastian County officials plan their next step inn moving forward with a regional aquatics center following public dissatisfaction with recently revised plans.
Ozarks At Large

A survey released this morning by the Walton Family Foundation measures residents of Northwest Arkansas' happiness and opinions.
Arkansas legislators move forward with a bill that would cap annual growth of the state government, and the controversial bill that would allow some to carry concealed firearms on college campuses in the state moves forward as well. Plus, John Brown University in Siloam Springs gets a gift to help renovate the oldest dormitory on the school's campus.
A bill that would initiate a study of the state's public schools' readiness to acts of violence is one step closer to becoming law. The Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas selects cities to be a part of a program studying municipal sustainable energy consumption. And Lincoln residents will get the chance to see one of the Academy Awards nominees, weeks before the ceremony takes place in Holywood.

Becca Martin Brown from NWA Newspapers says tonight's entertainment suggestions include auditions for “Goodbye Charlie” at Rogers Little Theater, and the band Spoken returns to Fayetteville.
A recent bill in the Arkansas legislature would reward state employees who report waste or inefficiency with state money, and lawmakers speak out on a recently released audit of the state's Medicaid system. And, smaller beef cattle herds in the state caused by last year's drought may result in higher beef prices at the grocery store.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Monday, March 17, 2014
On this St. Patrick's Day edition of Ozarks, a conversation with Christopher Leonard, author of “The Meat Racket: The Secret Takeover of America's Food Business.”
Today is the 45th anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Otis Redding and four members of the Bar-Kays outside of Madison, Wisconsin. The sole survivor of that crash was Bar-Kays trumpet player, Ben Cauley. Cauley turned 65 this year, and Sara Hoover from our content partner WKNO in Memphis brings us his story.
Becca Martin Brown from NWA Newspapers reminds us about an exhibit on Arkansas' first great entrepreneur, which is on display at the Bentonville Public Library today.
Adam Vines’ collection of poetry "The Coal Life" was published by the University of Arkansas Press and has earned critical praise. He was recently in Fayetteville and talked with Ozarks at Large’s Kyle Kellams.
We survey four state advocacy groups about their legislative action items leading up to the Regular Session of the 89th General Assembly scheduled to convene on Monday, January 14th.
On its surface, today's week in review may look like a retread of last week's, but these education stories offer a twist of innovation.