Ozarks At Large
Tonya Lewis Lee helped bring Christopher Paul Curtis' novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham to Tv this month. Tonight the film is being shown, for free, at Bentonville High School and today we talked with Ms. lee about the project that premiered earlier this month on the Hallmark Channel.
Late last week, the federal Department of Health and Human Services accepted Arkansas's plan for Medicaid expansion. The city of Bentonville will give away compost and wood mulch this week. A couple of roads close or otherwise reroute in the River Valley starting today. And gas prices dropped slightly in Arkansas over the past week.
With this morning's montage, we say several goodbyes; to Summer, to a famed Yankees pitcher, and to one of our longest-tenured colleagues at KUAF. Here are our 10 pop culture references we used to say goodbye.
- "So Long, Farewell" from the Sound of Music
- Lou Gehrig's farewell speech
- "Goodbye my Lover" by James Blunt
- ET says his goodbye
- The famous words from Gone With The Wind
- "Hello, Goodbye" by The Beatles
- The Friends leave the apartment for the final time
- "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John
- Jim Carey tells his fare goodbye at the beginning of Dumb and Dumber
- Leaving Casablanca for the final time
- Johnny Carson bids his final farewell to the audience during his final time hosting The Tonight Show
The Arkansas Center For The Book this week made its selection for the 2013 If All Arkansas Read The Same Book Program. Kyle Kellams spoke with Vivienne Schiffer, the author of the novel Camp Nine, this year's selection.
State officials continue to seek a solution to the teacher insurance crisis in Arkansas. New numbers are out regarding Arkansas students' achievements on Advanced Placement tests. And, the Connecting Arkansas Internet Conference is being held in Little Rock this week.
You can go to a workshop at NWACC to learn about the state's Freedom of Information Act, or you can participate in one of many lake and other outdoor cleanups in the next few days.
Ahead on Ozarks: the approaching enrollment period for new Arkansas health care plans means many people in the state have questions about how they'll be affected. Roby Brock, from our content partner Talk Business Arkansas, seeks answers to some of the questions from three people close to the health-care issue. Plus theater returns in full force. No fewer than thirteen productions will be on area stages in the next month. We'll have a rundown and meet the young, earnest cast of the University of Arkansas’ Clean House…the first play of the U of A season. And how mammals in the University of Arkansas’ museum collection are being preserved.
Well, maybe not lions and tigers, but the UA collection does have more than 250 river otters. They recently received a grant to rehouse their mammal collection. Ozarks at Large's Christina Thomas has more. Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Friday, May 9, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks, Michael Tilley talks about a new owner for some long-abandoned real estate in Fort Smith, and the official announcement of a Whole Foods in Fayetteville. Plus, Cletus Got Shot gets ready to perform at a few festivals in the next month.
Here's the list of our presidential songs, quotes and miscellany for our montage:
President Dwight Eisenhower's farewell address on television on January 17, 1961
President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address three days later.
James Brown sings "Funky President."
President Franklin Roosevelt's first fireside chat on radio on March 12, 1933.
The band They Might Be Giants performing the catchy (and educational!) song "James K. Polk."
Ronald Reagan speaks on June 12, 1987.
Johnny Cash performs the standard "Mr. Garfield."
Henry Fonda predates Daniel Day Lewis by more than 70 years in Young Abe Lincoln, directed by John Ford.
The song "Peaches" by the band . . . The Presidents of the United States of America
Herbert Hoover addresses voters in 1928. (bonus points if you knew that one)
Northwest Arkansas is ranked among the 200 best performing cities in the state, and several cities within the area get state and national recognition. And the Arkansas Supreme Court rules that it will not reconsider its ruling regarding school districts and excess property tax revenue.
"The Best Things Happen When You Are Dancing" by Danny Kaye
Michael Tilley from The City Wire talks about the latest in the fate of the 188th at Fort Chaffee, the mysterious super project mentioned by the governor and more.
The first week of the 89th General Assembly has ended, but in the coming weeks will bring a flood of filed bills. One of those expected bills will deal with the problem of wage theft.
Governor Beebe selected a new Highway Commsioner as discussions continue about revenue for roads in the state.
