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.



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.
Becca tells us that Tales From the South is coming soon to Springdale.
In this installment of What's in a Name, we look at the history of Benton, the county and the ville.
"Five and Dime" by Port O'Brien
The Michigan-based band discusses how they came together as a family band, and they perform "My Love is a Tall Ship" by Jimmy Crowley.
Here is our list of famous Patricks:
Pat(rick) Sajak spins the Wheel of Fortune.
Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard on Star Trek: Next Generation.
Danica Patrick answers a pre-race question.
The Smiths, including Steven Patrick Morrissey, sing How Soon is Now.
Patrick McGoohan is The Prisoner.
Patrick Swayze defends Baby in Dirty Dancing.
Patrick Star, comic relief, from Spongebob Squarepants.
Patrick Duffy as a fictional Ewing, Bobby on Dallas.
Patrick Ewing as a real Ewing, Patrick...with the Knicks.
Orson Welles on a vinyl record delivers Patrick Henry's speech.
Apologies to: Patrick Roy and Dan Patrick. Sorry, we already had two sports figures. maybe next time.
The Arkansas Forestry Commission is warning state residents that March is prime time for wildfire conditions. The Arkansas Election Commission is being taken to court over rules for absentee ballots under the state's new voter ID law. And a new report details the challenges and successes the state faces in regards to childrens' health.
"Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" by Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt