News

KASU will present a special Bluegrass Monday concert this Monday night.  Feller and Hill & the Bluegrass Buckaroos is one of the top new bluegrass bands in the country.  Their song “The Government Blues” is currently #2 on the Bluegrass Today radio airplay chart.  The band features outstanding vocal harmonies, a big influence from classic country music, and incredible bluegrass pickin’.  Feller and Hill & the Bluegrass Buckaroos will perform Monday night, May 12, at 7:00 at the Collins Theatre, 120 West Emerson Street in Paragould.  Doors open at 6:00, seating is first-come, first-s

As work continues on the restoration of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home in Dyess, members of the Cash family got to see first-hand how the project looks so far.  KASU’s Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

One local non-profit organization is fighting child sexual abuse in northeast Arkansas.  The Northeast Arkansas Children's Advocacy Center serves nine counties in the region and assists local enforcement in the prosecution of crimes against children.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves provides this update with Executive Director Kristi Nichols.

Blood cancer is the second leading cause of all cancer deaths in the United States.  Many of  those who are affected by cancers--such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma--need bone marrow transplants to have save their life.  The process for finding bone marrow matches involves the swab of a cheek.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves speaks with Delete Blood Cancer volunteer Colin Hall in this interview about the process and why it is critical in the fight against blood cancer.

Amnesty International chapters in Arkansas and Mississippi are growing, due to the efforts of a Jonesboro High School Senior.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves talks with Hytham Alhindi about what got him interested in Amnesty International, his work in both states, and a statewide meeting in Little Rock on Saturday, April 12. 

The 7th Annual Health and Fitness Expo takes place this weekend at the ASU Convocation Center in Jonesboro.  It is presented by the St. Bernards Medical Group and is free.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

More information on the expo can be found here.

Stephen Koch, host of Arkansongs heard on KASU, is the author of the new book “Louis Jordan: Son of Arkansas, Father of R & B.”  KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with Koch about Jordan, who was a huge influence on many musicians, yet many people today, even Arkansans, do not know about Jordan or his music.

While the number of people who smoke in Arkansas continues to decrease, Arkansas' rates are still higher than the national average.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report. 

Arkansas State University's Department of English and Philosophy presents the 20th Annual Delta Symposium at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.  The event starts Wednesday, April 2nd and concludes on April 5th.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has details on this year's Symposium.

It can be a sad site to see…an empty building that used to house a bustling business, an empty parking lot that was once full of customers. It is the vacant big box store, or a business that has relocated to a more desirable location.  When those buildings become empty, what happens next, and how can cities address the problem?  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

More information can be found here.

Arkansas State University invites the public to attend a Moot Court competition that will be held Friday and Saturday at Wilson Hall on the ASU-Jonesboro campus.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves tells more in this report.

The Kays House on the A-State Campus in Jonesboro is one of six properties that could be nominated for placement on the National Register for Historic Places.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

Every year, traditional and non-traditional students not only choose where to go to college to pursue their chosen degree, but they also must choose how to pay for college.  Arkansas State University is part of a growing list of universities that are participating in a financial education program for students to help students understand about student loans.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

More information on this program can be found by clicking here.

You typically would not put “space aliens” and “opera” in the same sentence, but those two worlds will collide as the ASU Opera Theatre presents “Help, Help, The Globolinks!” Thursday, March 13, and Friday, March 14, at 7:30 each night in the Drama Theatre of the Fowler Center at ASU-Jonesboro.  KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with Marika Kyriakos, director of the ASU Opera Theatre, about this unique operatic work and its upcoming presentation at ASU.

Alabama-based Peco Foods is brining a $165 million poultry operation to Clay and Randolph counties.  That will mean at least 1,000 new jobs are coming to the area, and officials say this announcement could have a ripple effect.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more on the announcement that was made in Little Rock.

David Bailin, Warren Criswell and Sammy Peters, three prominent central Arkansas artists, will be featured in an upcoming exhibition, “Disparate Acts,” opening Thursday, March 13, and continuing through April 16 at the Bradbury Gallery on the campus of Arkansas State University.  KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with Les Christensen, director of the Bradbury Gallery, about this exhibition.

A new song has been created to celebrate Arkansas State University.  In a feature for the program Arkansas Roots, KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with Dr. Dale Miller, director of choral activities at ASU, who told the story behind the song.  Click the link to hear a 1963 recording from ASU’s past, the discussion with Dr. Miller, and the new song, “Red Wolves Rising.”

The number of Arkansans signing up for health insurance through the online Marketplace and through the Private Option continues to rise in Arkansas.   KASU's Johnathan Reaves has more in this report.

Arkansas State University’s Lecture-Concert Series presents a concert by virtuoso pianist Thomas Brown on Sunday, March 2, at 3:00 p.m. in Riceland Hall of the Fowler Center at ASU-Jonesboro.  Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.  KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with Mr. Brown about his music and the works he will perform at his concert in Jonesboro.

The Arkansas State University Theatre Department will present the play “Steel Magnolias”. Performances will be Friday and Saturday, February 28 and March 1, as well as Monday through Wednesday, March 3-5, at 7:30 p.m. each evening in the drama theatre of the Fowler Center on the ASU-Jonesboro campus.  KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with Molly Simpson, professor of theatre, who is directing this production.

The sixth annual “Friends In Great Places” concert will be this Saturday, March 1, at 7:00 p.m. at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville.  Numerous Arkansas musicians will perform to raise money for various causes at the community college.  KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with concert organizer Danny Dozier.

Courtesy of ASU's Office of University Communications.

Reba McEntire, Bobby Bare and Loretta Lynn will perform at this year’s Johnny Cash Music Festival, according to an announcement made today by concert producer and festival founder Bill Carter. Additionally, legendary singer and comedian Mark Lowry will host the fourth annual event. The concert is set for August 15th and will once again take place at Arkansas State University’s Convocation Center in Jonesboro, AR.  Showtime is 7:00 pm and tickets go on sale Feb 28th (see box office info below).

The 2nd Rockabilly Boogiefest is this Saturday night at the ASU Military Sciences Building in Jonesboro.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has this report.

Folk music super-group Brother Sun will perform in Riceland Hall of the Fowler Center at ASU-Jonesboro on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m.  This admission-free concert is part of the ASU Lecture/Concert Series.  The group’s newest CD was named The North American Folk Music Chart’s Album of the Year for 2013. In addition, their song, “Lady of the Harbor,” was named Song of the Year.  KASU’s Marty Scarbrough spoke with Greg Greenway, one of the three singer-songwriters who make up Brother Sun.

Groundbreaking festivities take place today in a convention center in Queretaro, Mexico.  The progressive Mexican state will be home to the first American University in the country. Arkansas State University joins government and education leaders in Mexico for a celebration of the groundbreaking today.  The campus is being privately funded in Mexico and the total project will cost about $60 million.  Today's groundbreaking will be for the first phase of the project.  KASU's Johnathan Reaves has details.