
Ozarks At Large

The Washington Regional Medical Center board of directors accepted an offer by the Fayetteville Public Library to purchase the former City Hospital property for $2 million. Arkansas's U.S. Senators are hopeful about passing a farm bill when Congress reconvenes next month. The state's new voter ID law is being implemented by the Arkansas Secretary of State's office. Siloam Springs joins the list of area cities holding a special sales tax election this year. And the Northwest Arkansas metro area makes another list, this time for being one of the top real estate markets for wellness and wealth in the country.
Even though the 2013 minor league baseball and college football season aren't over (or even begun in the case of football) this week 2014 schedules were released.

Roby Brock talks to Kyle Kellams about possible political repercussions following the resignation of State Senator Paul Bookout.
Opposing sides give their views on the safety of oil pipelines. Central Park-Morning Star Elementary in Bentonville is named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School, while the Sebastian County Quorum Court appoints members to the Hartford School Board. And the city of Fort Smith replaces a record number of sidewalks this year.


Becca Martin Brown from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers says you can find entertainment here…and away.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
On this edition of Ozarks, a task force on race is working in Harrison to discuss the past, present and future of that city. And a student organization at the University of Arkansas is working to make sure a small town in Belize will have an ample supply of safe water in the future.
Though the repainting the interior of a water tower is, relatively, routine, the exterior of the Hill Street water Tower in Siloam Springs has not been repainted since its construction in 1967. Ozarks at Large’s Christina Thomas finds out more.
For the past two years the artistic director of the Reykjavik Blues Festival has also been in Eureka Springs for that town’s blues festival. During his most recent visit Halldor Bragason came to our studio.
Daniel Hintz of Downtown Bentonville tells us that the best way to cure a fireworks hangover is to see some live blues this weekend.
Arkansas home sales are up by 10 percent according to the Arkansas Realtors Association. The half-cent highway sales tax kicks in this month and will continue for the next ten years. The Fort Smith Fire Department honors one of its own who rescued a child from a 30-foot utility shaft. And a familiar term to Fayetteville residents: construction zone.
"Middle Man" by Jack Johnson
The popular resort town of Eureka Springs is a prime Ozarks vacation spot filled with pretty B&Bs, cottages and cabins for overnight guests. But as Jacqueline Froelich reports, some say a glut of tourist accommodations and vacation rentals are dislocating residents, forcing them to live out of town.