Ozarks at Large

Fort Smith residents and city leaders begin recovery efforts as the Arkansas River crests at 41 feet beating all previous records. Plus, two University of Arkansas professors find that placing imperceptible barcodes on products may prevent injuries among cashiers and lead to more retail efficiency. And the inaugural Pacific Islander Youth Summit is held at Har-Ber High School in Springdale.

The governor pledges financial assistance to areas affected by historic flooding in the River Valley and throughout the state. Plus, special elections are vital for funding municipal and county projects, but voter turnout is regularly low, which has some concerned about the process. And more about the IDEALS Institute that is opening this fall on the University of Arkansas campus.

On this Memorial Day edition of Ozarks at Large, a look back at several interviews that aired on the show over the last few months. Patsy Watkins discusses her book of images of Arkansans affected by the Great Depression that were taken by photographers from the Farm Security Administration. Plus, The Hate U Give author Angie Thomas explores the notions of privilege, belonging and code-switching. And Debby Shriver talks about her book about the plight of children involved in Tony Alamo's

A new exhibition that examines American artists' impact on shaping environmental understanding debuts at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Plus, the results of a community health needs assessment survey of the region reveals obesity, mental health and diabetes are top concerns among residents. And a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial makes a stop in Bentonville.

Flooding along the Arkansas River is in the forecast for the River Valley following a stormy weekend that produced five EF-1 tornados. Plus, the outpouring of support for a Fayetteville coffee shop continues after the business was damaged when a car ran into it. And we celebrate World Turtle Day with an appreciation of turtles that inhabit Arkansas.

Top-ranking Haas Hall Academy, which operates four public-enrollment charter school campuses in northwest Arkansas, is being advised by the Arkansas Department of Education to increase student diversity. Plus, Siloam Springs readies for the grand opening of Memorial Park this weekend. And a cage-less cat shelter is taking shape in Fort Smith.

Walmart has released a new global responsibility progress report, which details a variety of environmental goals. Plus, John Brummett and Roby Brock discuss comments made by Arkansas U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton during appearances on national television programs. And information on where you can see a live fire demonstration put on by a local fire department.

On today’s show, a new interactive, online map aims to help with the continued fight against hunger in the region. Plus, we learn how a vaccine could fight the spread of white nose syndrome among bats. And author Elle Nash discusses creating an unlikeable main character.

On today’s show, public schools are being held to stricter emergency planning standards in recent years, but more childcare facilities in northwest Arkansas are also taking measures. Plus, we get a preview of the weekend’s events with Becca Martin Brown from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and we hear music by Drawing Blanks from the Firmin-Garner Performance Studio.

On today’s show, a play inspired and performed by veterans is coming to south Fayetteville. Plus, Geffrey Davis discusses his new collection of poetry, Night Angler. We also hear how the Sisters at Saint Scholastica Monestery in Fort Smith are downsizing, and they’re holding an auction after moving into a new facility earlier this year.