Ozarks At Large
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.

This is our list of items for this morning’s montage of snakes:
- Kaa, the snake from The Jungle Book, sings a hypnotic tune. The voice is provided by the legendary Sterling Holloway.
- Harrison Ford, as Indiana Jones, ponders his next adventure.
- Jim Stafford, now of Branson, sings one of his biggest hits, "Spiders and Snakes."
- The character Snake, from The Simpsons, watches his car get stolen.
- A highlight of Kenny “The Snake” Stabler running for a touchdown for the Oakland Raiders.
- A big (talking?) snake gets zapped in the Harry Potter movie Chamber of Secrets.
- Electric Light Orchestra performing "Don’t Let Me Down."
- The famous Spam skit from Monty Python. (python, get it…)
- The only part of *the* quote from the movie Snakes on a Plane we could put on the air.
- Duran Duran with the song "Union of the Snake."

Abortion, capital punishment and guns all had the attention of lawmakers. Ozarks at Large’s Timothy Dennis had this week in review at the capitol.

This afternoon a new effort to raise funds for the creation and installation of a monument dedicated to General William O. Darby was announced.

Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks at Large, though the next presidential election is more than two years away, some are already ready for HIlary. And as the Bentonville School District grows, so too does its course offerings. We visit a junior high school as students prepare for mountain biking. Plus, we learn about a Bentonville before Sam Walton.
The third annual KUAF Fulbright Summer Chamber Music Festival is set to begin this week.
Hazel Dickens died earlier this month, She wasn't the most famous singer/songwriter of her time, but as Meredith Martin Moats points out in this musical essay, she was an important figure in music for decades.
To hear today's Writer's Almanac, visit their website here.
“Indian Sunset” by Rick Cutler
Sheffield Nelson tells us why there should be an increased severance tax on natural gas removed from Arkansas.
To hear more from our conversation with Sheffield Nelson, click here.
The businesses of Block Street in Fayetteville will host the inaugural Block Street Block Party Sunday.