We continue our series previewing this weekend's poetry festival at Nightbird Books. Katie Nichol grew up in St. Cloud, Minnesota and says she started writing poetry when she was about 12 years old:
Ozarks At Large
Arkansas' U.S. Senators speak out in favor of the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would require online retailers to collect state and local sales tax on purchases anywhere in the country. Officials with the WestArk Area Boy Scout Council voice their feelings about changes to the national organization's membership policy regarding sexual orientation. The Rogers Farmers' Market will be in a different location when it opens Saturday, and the Bentonville School District gets state funding approved for construction of a second high school, though the battle for building bucks continues.
Nathan Vandiver from our content partner KUAR in Little Rock provides a wrap-up of this year's Legislative Session.


Governor Mike Beebe and the state legislature tie up some loose ends at the conclusion of the legislative session, the Northwest Arkansas Council holds a summit for area leaders to figure out how to connect immigrants--either international or domestic--to resources in the area. A group of concerned area residents held a protest on the U of A campus yesterday in an attempt to draw U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack's attention to the confined animal feeding operation set to operate in the Buffalo River Watershed, and a group of UAFS students plan a run to benefit victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing.
The state's Department of Human Services holds a rally on the steps of the state capitol to raise awareness that April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. One of Northwest Arkansas' two public transit operators get ready to expand certain bus routes in an efficiency reorganization. One economist at the University of Arkansas thinks that construction will help the state, and the nation, recover from the lingering effects of the economic recession. And Walmart sets a record for the amount of donations given by a retailer in a given year.


Recent numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Arkansas' unemployment rate remains lower than the national average, though the size of the state's workforce has shrank. Governor Mike Beebe touts the state's growing art tourism industry, Senator Mark Pryor's reelection bid will determine whether a Democrat can still be competitive in the state, and the Razorbacks split a series over the weekend, while the Naturals drop another three-game set at home.
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Friday, April 4, 2014
Ahead on this edition of Ozarks: the former president of Heifer International speaks on the University of Arkansas campus. Plus, we take a walk through history that begins in Jasper.
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