Ozarks At Large

Fourth Congressional District Representative Tom Cotton weighed in on several prescient national issues over the weekend during a stop in Texarkana. Congressman Tim Griffin urges President Obama to disclose more to the American public about the nation's financial situation. State House Speaker Davy Carter says that the issue of a Medicaid funding shortfall is the biggest issue facing the upcoming legislative session in Little Rock. And the Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History has a new director.


Here is the list of pop culture references included in today's montage honoring food service workers:
- Billy Joel sings "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant."
- Kermit, Miss Piggy and Steve Martin confer in The Muppet Movie.
- Jennifer Aniston complains (understandably) about her flair in Office Space.
- The very underrated band The Bus Boys and the song "Minimum Wage."
- Meg Ryan defines high maintenance as a customer in When Harry Meets Sally.
- The Austin-based Asleep at the Wheel sings "House of Blue Lights."
- Judge Reinhold gets a raw deal in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
- Homer is disappointed with the slow service at Moe's Family Feedbag in a classic Simpsons episode.
- Arlo Guthrie and the most famous restaurant song ever, "Alice's Restaurant."
- Linda Lavin, Vic Tayback and Polly Holiday inside Mel's Diner on the situation comedy Alice.
- Cab Calloway sings "Everybody Eats at My House." The best rhyme in the song: Want a pancake, Mandrake?
January is "Be Kind To Food Servers Month." Ozarks at Large's Christina Thomas speaks with local server David Jelinek to talk about the difficulty of the food service industry.

Several cities made news this week with talks of real estate deals. Ozarks at Large's Timothy Dennis takes a look back at some of those stories
Latest Edition of Ozarks at Large
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Ahead on this morning’s show: a rundown of theater as the area’s stages get ready for the autumn season. We’ll also conclude our summer series on what the approach Affordable Care Act means for Arkansas with a report on a little-known provision that provides for long-term care in the home.
If you haven't already, it might be time to get your winter coat out, for good. We speak with Weather Dan Skoff, chief meteorologist with KNWA, about why Northwest Arkansas can see temperatures in the 70s one day and just days later temperatures in the 30s.
All parties involved in a decades-long desegregation case in central Arkansas formally accept a deal to settle the litigation. A new report ranks Arkansas among the best in the U.s. for using technology to improve educational attainment. The Rogers Historical Museum gets a boost for its expansion project with General Improvement Funds from the state. And the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department debuts a new interactive website to give Arkansas drivers a heads-up on construction zones in the state.
"Gettysburg" by Rattatat
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued its final ruling on a long-anticipated federal insurance parity law, which ends discrimination against mental health. Jacqueline Froelich reports.
Wednesday the University of Arkansas recognizes GIS Day with sessions on how GIS technologies help several different disciplines.
Research continues on how the end of the last ice age affected people, plants and animals ten thousand years ago.