Ozarks at Large

Arkansas' climbing virus numbers have the attention of John Brummett, political columnist with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and Roby Brock, with our partner Talk Business and Politics, for their weekly discussion. They also consider the changing face of the Arkansas Senate.

The Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society is starting their monthly jazz jam again this week. Musicians will gather at the Roots HQ Thursday night for the first installment.

KUAF's latest podcast, The Lunch Hour, is about art, food, creativity, cooperation and community. The first episode focuses on the music of Baang and the community-inspired food of Jerrmy Gawthrop of Woodstone Pizza.

On today's show, a call for art to help reflect the Black experience. Plus, plans for celebrating the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Buffalo National River, remembering the legendary career of Bud Campbell, and much more.

A new week begins with virus cases rising in Arkansas, a proposed state budget from Governor Asa Hutchinson and an Arkansas women's basketball win over Missouri.

An exhibition at three downtown Rogers locations will feature art inspired by the Black experience. Kinya Christian, the curator and owner of INTO+VIEW Gallery, says the exhibition is inspired by the 1619 Project. Submissions can be made at artonthebricks.com

This year, the National Park Service is marking the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo National River – America’s first national river established March 1, 1972. Buffalo River park service staff, headquartered in Harrison, have scheduled a seasonal array of celebratory events. Cassie Branstetter, Public Information Officer for the Buffalo National River, provides highlights.

For 20 years Bud Campbell was one of the most familiar figures in Arkansas. This week's offering of archives from the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History reminds us of his versatility.

Arkansas-based Heifer International - a non-profit addressing poverty and hunger through agriculture - recently became a Savory Gloabal Network hub. The project from the Savory Institute aims to train more people on regenerative agriculture and holistic management as a way to combat climate change. Donna Kilpatrick, Heifer Ranch Manager and Land Steward, says the partnerships will make the 1,200-acre ranch in Perryville a leader in teaching restorative farming in the state.

On today's show, we hear from an emergency room travel nurse who lives in Eureka Springs. Plus, Michael Tilley with Talk Business and Politics looks back on the recent past of news, and much more.

The show starts with another Arkansas record for virus cases, more schools adopting mask mandates, early voting in a special election and an addition to the 2022 AMP season.

For our first conversation of 2022, Michael Tilley discusses a record-breaking home sales year for the Fort Smith Metro and some of the biggest stories covered by Talk Business and Politics last year.

Eureka Springs resident Donna Foster is a licensed emergency room travel registered nurse, fulfilling assignments across the country. Over the past 21 months she's dealt with surges of critically ill patients, from elders, immune compromised and children, showing up at her ERs infected with SARS-CoV-2. She's gone public with her arduous journey, to educate and warn the public to get vaccinated. In Arkansas this winter, nearly 90 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations involve people who are unvaccinated.

The first non-holiday weekend of the year offers a musical at Walton Arts Center, a multi-band metal show and more. Becca Martin Brown, the features editor at the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, gives us a road map for entertainment.

Courtney Lanning says the latest Bruce Willis film, American Siege, doesn't provide anything new, but does provide what you might expect.

This week XNA launched a new look that will be rolled out over the year.

Welcome to 2022! On today's first show of the year, the latest surge in COVID cases and how area hospitals are dealing with Omicron. Plus, the consequences of increased foreign-owned forest, An Officer and a Gentleman rings in the new year on the Walton Arts Center stage, and much more.

Our first show back after a holiday break includes another single-day rise in COVID-19 in Arkansas, Dr. Joe Thompson's plea for schools to take virus precautions, and a new look for the XNA brand.

January marks 22 months Arkansans have been dealing with COVID-19, and record high numbers of cases have left hospital leaders concerned. You can find a vaccination clinic near your today at our website.

This week's Northwest Arkansas Business Journal includes a conversation with Jackie Hancock, the president and CEO of United Way NWA about an internship program matching nonprofits with students. He says there is more interest than spots available.

The first musical of 2022 at Walton Arts Center embraces the 1980s. We talk with David Wayne Britton about his portrayal of Marine Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley in the national touring production of An Officer and a Gentleman.

Forestland comprises nearly half of foreign-owned agricultural lands in the U.S., and purchases are increasing. Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center at the University of Arkansas, discusses the regulatory and market implications. Pittman’s webinar on foreign ownership of U.S. forestlands can be found here.

On today's show, the second half of the latest episode of the RefleXions podcast, discussing about the social impact of the arts in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and healing. Plus, plenty of opportunites for holiday hijinks, and much more.

Today we hear part two of the latest episode of the RefleXions podcast. In November, the RefleXions Music Series facilitated a conversation with three distinguished guests about the social impact of the arts in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and healing. The third episode of the RefleXions podcast is a continuation of that conversation. We hear from three international artists who have been creating art as a response to and as a way to confront violence happening in their native countries and across the globe.

There is still time—and plenty of opportunities—for holiday hijinks. Becca Martin Brown, the features editor with the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette fills us in on what's up.

George Clooney directs a quiet new movie (with Ben Affleck and Christopher Lloyd) that critic Courtney Lanning says emerges in blockbuster season and lands on her Best of 2021 list.

On today's show, pushback about sales taxes in Fort Smith with Michael Tilley. Plus, a conversation with three distinguished guests about the social impact of the arts in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and healing, and much more.

Michael Tilley of Talk Business and Politics joins us a day early to discuss taxes in Fort Smith, Haas Hall's newest location, and more.

In November, the RefleXions Music Series facilitated a conversation with three distinguished guests about the social impact of the arts in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and healing. The third episode of the RefleXions podcast is a continuation of that conversation. We hear from three international artists who have been creating art as a response to and as a way to confront violence happening in their native countries and across the globe.

In today's Northwest Arkansas Business Journal we hear from Lou McAllister, CEO of Broadband Development Group, who has been tasked with helping to create a master plan for expanding broadband internet for Arkansans.

Tina Fey's musical, based on the movie of the same name, makes Mean Girls fun. The show is at Walton Arts Center through Sunday.

On today's show, coping with mental health during the holiday season. Plus, Dr. Caree Banton talks about her first season hosting the podcast Undisciplined and what she learned while recording the first eight episodes, a look at live music coming up this weekend, and much more.

At the top of our midweek show, nearly 800 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in the state in the last 24 hours, there will be a runoff for the GOP nomination for State Senate seat seven, and two teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are to begin assessing damage today in northeast Arkansas from last weekend’s devastating tornadoes.

One third of people report a spike in mental health problems around the holidays, says Sacha McBain with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. McBain, a clinical psychologist, explains what triggers people should be on the look out for, resources and ways to cope with mental illness and stress during this season.

The finale of the first season of Undsiciplined airs today, and we catch up with host Caree Banton to hear about her experience as host and what excited her the most.

Our final look at live music for 2021 includes opportunities to see metal, classical, bluegrass, punk, country, and plenty of holiday cheer.

As we consider the last 150 years of the University of Arkansas, Charlie Allison takes us back to the very first commencement.

On today's show, more book suggestions for the holiday gift giving season. Plus, how the lingering pandemic and other 2021 matters will—or won’t—affect transportation this season, new music from John Charles, and much more.

At the top of today's show, The Arkansas Department of Health is reporting an increase of 24 patients in the last 24 hours and adding another 17 deaths from the disease to the state total, a vacant state senate seat leads to primary races in a small slice of northwest Arkansas, and a Rogers native and former University of Arkansas golfer is joining the LPGA Tour.

More than 109 million Americans are expected to travel between Decmber 23 and January 2, according to estimates from AAA. Despite COVID-19 concerns and uncertainty around the new Omicron variant, travelers in Arkansas are gearing up to see nearly pre-pandemic volume of traffic on the road and in the airport.

There's still some time to pick up some books this holiday season, and Pearl's Books co-owner Daniel Jordan gives us a few different book categories for all the readers in your life. Here's a list of the books mentioned:

Kris Mastin has performed in various bands around Fayetteville over the years. Now, as John Charles, he has released his first album of his own original music, an effort that took about ten years to complete. We talk with him about making “Around,” and we hear a track from the album.

Today, we work to learn more about the lynching of 13 Black men in St. Charles, Arkansas in 1904. Plus, a trip to December, 1975 with the Pryor Center and suggestions for books to give and receive this holiday season.

We start a new week with a small number of new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours...work begins to recover from tornadoes in Arkansas....Haas Hall seeks approval for a presence in Fort Smith.

In 1904, over four days, white mobs lynched 13 Black men in St. Charles, Arkansas. Despite being one of the worst such incidents in U.S. history, little has been said about it for more than a century. Mary Hennigan, a graduate journalism student at the University of Arkansas, has spent months researching what happened and talked with descendants of those murdered. Her reporting is part of the Printing Hate project from the University of Maryland's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism.

There's still some time to pick up some books this holiday season, and the ladies at Two Friends Books in Bentonville are offering two different categories of books: those you want to read during the holidays and those you want to give during the holidays. Here's a list of the books mentioned:

Late last week, the Conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court ruled to allow a strict abortion ban in Texas to remain in place. American Civil Liberties Union - Arkansas executive director Holly Dickson says the ruling, which portends the possible outlawing of safe, legal abortions in 2022, is causing great harm.

We use archives from the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History to remember the news of December, 1975. There were concerns about Russia, concerns about inflation and talk of football.

On today's show, the week’s news with Michael Tilley from Talk Business and Politics, a holiday weekend preview with Becca Martin Brown from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Courtney Lanning explains why a star-studded cast doesn’t necessarily make for a great movie and the essential service of Meals on Wheels.

The city of Fort Smith is engaged in another court discussion about the Freedom of Information Act. Michael Tilley, with our partner Talk Business and Politics, gives us details.