Bob Clinard, Benton County Judge, declared the county a disaster zone Friday, after the county saw more than 6 inches of rain in the latter half of the week. A recent report shows meaningful long-term benefits for children taking part in the state's "Better Chance Pre-K" program. Rahm Emanuel, mayor of Chicago, spoke at the graduation for the Clinton School of Public Service over the weekend. Governor Mike Beebe likens the recently passed Arkansas Private Option to the successful ARKids First program, though he says that the children's insurance program has room to improve.
Ozarks At Large



In her latest book Cached: Decoding the Internet in Global Popular Culture, Stephanie Schulte says that examples of pop culture like the movie War Games played prominently into how the world perceived the Internet in its earliest days.
Bear hunts, mermaids and dinner, Becca Martin Brown offers plenty to occupy your Mother's Day afternoon. Plus, the upcoming season at the Arts Center of the Ozarks.
Charles Banks Wilson, an American artist, was laid to rest on Tuesday in his hometown of Miami, Oklahoma. He was born and passed in Arkansas. Wilson is best known for his works of the American Indian. Wilson's works are housed in some of the most renowned museums and art galleries in the world, including New York's Metropolitan Museum, Washington's Library of Congress, the Corcoran Gallery, the Oklahoma State Capitol where four 13 feet tall and 27 feet wide murals line the rotunda, and the Gilcrease Museum, which owns more than 300 pieces of the artist's work.

The head of the Hatcher Agency, the state's largest independent insurer, says that many of his clients are providing insurance to employees rather than paying penalties associated with the Affordable Care Act. Senator Mark Pryor talks about his push for answers from the Air Force regarding the 188th Fighter Wing in Fort Smith while Senator Boozman says he is concerned about a backlog in disability claims for veterans. And Elton John is coming to Fayetteville in just a few weeks.


Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks, how education and employment are more connected than ever in Arkansas. We have a report on yesterday's Career and Technology Education summit in northwest Arkansas. Plus, our technology ambassador Tyrel Denison breaks down some of the new technology that was on display at South-by-Southwest. And, a new report looks at children's healthcare issues in Arkansas.
Becca Martin Brown gives us the scoop on a new exhibit in Fort Smith about Hattie Caraway, the first woman ever to serve as a U.S. Senator, featuring the writer formerly of Fayetteville.
Monday is Pi Approximation Day (a.k.a. Casual Pi Day) because when written in the day/month format (22/7) the date equals 3.14 or the mathematical constant known as pi (hooray math jokes!). In honor of the day, today's montage focuses on pi(e).
1. "American Pie" by Don McLean
2. Clip from The Three Stooges
3. Clip from the television show What Would You Do?
4. "Amore" by Dean Martin
5. Clip from the movie American Pie
6. "Cherry Pie" by Warrant
7. "The Worst Pies in London" from the movie adaptation of Sweeny Todd
8. Clip from The Life of Pi movie trailer.
9. Clip from the movie Blazing Saddles
10. "3.14 Apple Pi" by Bo Burnham
During a recent visit to the studio, Don't Stop Please performed an original song called Henry and the Great Salt Lake.
Changes have already been made to the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, with more changes still to come. Although the state's unemployment rate didn't change from May to June, that doesn't take into account several layoffs that have happened in the past month. Gas prices have been on the rise across Arkansas, with still higher prices on the horizon. And 39 permits have been issued for retail liquor sales in Benton County, leaving 16 potential permits still up for grabs.
“200,00” by The Rocket Summer
Michael Tilley from The City Wire discusses unemployment figures released this morning.