Anna Pope
Growth Impact ReporterBorn and raised in Oklahoma, Anna Pope grew up listening to public radio. Pope earned a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism from Oklahoma State University where she reported for the university’s paper and became its news editor. She also interned at KOSU public radio, covering topics ranging anywhere from Indigenous affairs and rural issues to business and education. She joined KUAF as a Report for America corps member covering the impact of growth in June 2022.
-
About 100 years ago, an armed mob attacked striking union railroad workers in Harrison. Ku Klux Klan members, city government officials and local business interests supported the outbreak anti-union violence. Arkansas historian Kenneth Barnes assembled the history of the railroad strike and attack for a new book. Also, the historic Garfield Elementary School is scheduled to close after the 2023-2024 school year. Plus, the Dallas Black Dance Theatre will perform at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center Thursday night, and more. -
Garfield Elementary is the longest continually operating elementary school in Arkansas, and the 2023-2024 school year is scheduled to be its final year. The Rogers Board of Education voted to close the school because of costs and enrollment numbers. Garfield is about 20 minutes northeast of Rogers which is expanding. Studies from Arkansas’ previous round of school consolidation show losing a school in a small town can decrease the population and property values.
-
State Rep. Jimmy Gazaway, R-Paragould, said he wants to enact stricter sentencing guidelines for violent and nonviolent offenses. Also, Walmart and Tyson Foods expanded their paid parental leave polices for U.S. employees this week. Plus, Arkansas teams jump in the national polls, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will deliver the response to President Biden's State of the Union address and the state's revenue was above January's forecast, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
-
On today's show, Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, and teen pregnancy and infant mortality are nearly the highest, according to Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI). The center's officials raised awareness this Monday for the state ranking last in maternal health. Also, $240 million of the $1.1 billion spent on the region’s Medicare enrollees’ healthcare were spent on services outside region in 2019, according to an analysis from ACHI. Plus, the Fort Smith Symphony prepares for a busy few weeks, the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal and an update of bills from the Arkansas Legislature.
-
Healthcare facilities expanded or have made plans to grow as Northwest Arkansas’ population swells. But many people find care outside of the region. About $240 million of the nearly $1.1 billion spent on the region’s Medicare enrollees’ healthcare were spent on services outside region in 2019, according to an analysis from the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.
-
On today's show, a pop-up procurement museum is displayed at the University of Arkansas’ Walton College of Business. State Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R - Branch, sponsors a bill classifying a drag performance as an adult-oriented business. Also, Buddy Hasten, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas CEO, discusses international, national and state energy policy. Also, collecting comprehensive Ozark folklore, local music and more.
-
Jared Philips grew up around Ozarks folk practices. Philips, a farmer, historian and international studies professor at the University of Arkansas, brought in a couple folklorists to speak about the expanding world of Ozark traditions.
-
On today's show, Buddy Shute and the Motivators album "You Gotta Move" is the record to represent the region at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Michael Tilley, executive editor of Talk Business & Politics, covers persistent water leaks in Fort Smith, commercial tonnage and a record-setting year in construction. Plus, wrapping up the week's news and more.
-
On a road trip, drivers might roll past a place with a community building, cemetery, a couple of houses and a couple old buildings. Some of these areas used to be bustling, but as industries left and community hubs such as schools closed, they faded. Historians are looking into towns no longer in their heyday such as Sulphur Springs in Yell County.
-
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed seven executive orders ranging from setting a general cap on government rules and regulations, to banning the word "Latinx" on all government forms. Courtney Lanning, film critic for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, finishes her top 10 favorite movies of 2022 list. Plus, Northwest Arkansas cities enter 2023 with bigger budgets, and more.
