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.
A sizable grant from the Walmart Foundation will help the NWA Children's Shelter continue to provide essential services for the area's children. The Benton County assessor's and collector's office in Gravette will soon move. The City of Fayetteville installs a charging station for electric vehicles, only the fifth in NWA. And a religious scholar weighs in on Pope Francis's recent comments in Brazil regarding homosexuals.
"Water of Life" by Wuthering Heights
The Arkansas Department of Human Service’s Medicaid Division is organizing a new "premium assistance" program. Arkansas is the only state to take an innovative market-based approach to Medicaid expansion under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Bill Halter has withdrawn from the race for the Democratic nomination for governor. Roby Brock, from our content partner Talk Business Arkansas, examines what the development means for the 2014 Arkansas political landscape.
From a folk music festival, to aspiring musicians playing on the square, running through the Boston Mountains and getting a free lunch box in Springdale, several events are happening soon throughout the area.
"Bronte" by Gotye
A quick preview of events at Rogers Historical Museum and the Fort Smith Museum of History.
"Little Boy Blue" by Robert Lockwood, Jr.