Arkansas Times

Mystery bells

The Observer got out to the storied halls of Little Rock Central High the other night for Junior's Christmas recital, the young'un lugging his tuba onto the very large stage in the very large auditorium there just off the very large entrance and then performing admirably, along with the choir, the beginning band, and the students of the Pulaski Heights Middle School dance classes.

Paragould patrols

A statement released Dec. 21 by Paragould Police Chief Todd Stovall suggests that his department may be backing away from its earlier hard-line — and almost certainly unconstitutional — plan that would have allowed officers on patrol in SWAT fatigues and carrying assault rifles to demand the ID of people on the street and arrest anyone who failed to comply.

It was a good year for Arkansas Republicans

It was a bad year for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Republican extremists, Arkansas Democrats, Republican extremists and extreme drought.

The year online

As we close out the books on 2012, we decided to take a look back at the traffic on our website to get a tally of the most-read stories of the year. Based on the popularity of these stories, online readers of the Arkansas Times can't get enough scandal and stories about Republicans saying and doing wacky things.

Arkansas Republicans still fighting Obamacare

Why federal-government-hating state Republicans, with direction from national conservatives, oppose the state-run exchange.

• by David Ramsey
• Tags: Arkansas Reporter, Jason Rapert, Timothy Jost, Cecile Bledsoe, Michael Lamoureux, Michael Cannon

Best and Worst of Arkansas, 2012

The highs and lows of 2012.

• by David Koon
• Tags: Cover Stories, Nimrod Lumpkin, Delaware North, Toys for Ta-Tas, Bobby Tullis, Bobby Tullis, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Petrino, Buddy Villines, Bret Bielema, Garland Camper, Jeremy Hutchinson, Patience Beard

In the spirit

The Christmas tree at the Clinton Presidential Library.

• by Brian Chilson

Benghazi TV

Every now and then I watch the Fox News Network. I think it's wise to know what the lunatics are saying. Even a blind man can see that Fox is anything but fair and balanced. "The No Spin Zone"? Are you kidding me?

Just wild about hairy

Our discussion last week of the wild hair v. wild hare controversy produced an insightful comment from Challis Muniz. "But of course 'wild as a March hare' probably got tangled in with the wild hair/hare up everyone's butts, which is quite likely where the confusion comes in. Quite common for the harebrained." She got harebrained right too; it sometimes appears, erroneously, as hairbrained.

• by Doug Smith

Little Debbie in every stocking

There is considerable fear — near-panic in some cases — that the coming legislative session will be the worst in history, and certainly there are indications.

• Tags: Editorials, Minority Health Commission, Sue Scott

Predicting 2013

Here are some predictions for the coming year. On the whole, the list looks pretty encouraging, following all the doom and gloom of 2012.

• by Bob Lancaster

Arkansas's Dems must learn from Obama

Many of Arkansas's Democratic candidates have avoided speaking Barack Obama's name throughout his years on the national scene. However, if the party is to retain two preeminent state offices in 2014, it will need to borrow the techniques of the Obama operation crucial to his 2012 victory.

• by Jay Barth

Lyons: NRA makes bad situation worse

Of all the outrages to decency and common sense during National Rifle Association president Wayne LaPierre's bizarre press conference following the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, the most offensive may have been his depiction of America as a dark hell haunted by homicidal maniacs.

• by Gene Lyons
• Tags: Gene Lyons, Wayne LaPierre, NRA, Adam Lanza, Paul Steinberg

Goodwill toward men

The weather has cooled. For a while, I feared a Louisiana-style Christmas. Invariably, my mother would give me a new sweater. Invariably, it was too warm to wear it. I've had another taste of old-timey Christmas this year — no rush to the season.

• by Max Brantley

The Body and R.I.O.T.S. at White Water Tavern

Plus, Epiphany, American Princes, Cody Belew, Nightflying birthday party, Young Rapscallions and Arkansas Shorts film fest.

• by Robert Bell
• Tags: To-Do List, The Body, Epiphany, American Princes, Nightflying, Cody Belew, Young Rapscallions, Arkansas Shorts

The craziest year in Razorback history

In prior editions of Pearls, I have freely disclosed being a bit of a "newbie", a child of the 1980s who nonetheless has devoted generous portions of his life to studying the overall history of Arkansas Razorback athletics. Therefore, at the risk of offending those whose memories may be longer than my own, I still think I'm qualified to say that 2012 was the most oddball, bass-ackwards mess of a year for that institution since the leather helmet/peach basket era.

• by Beau Wilcox
• Tags: Pearls About Swine, Bobby Petrino, John L. Smith, Bret Bielema

Elise Davis at Stickyz

And Pallbearer at White Water.

New Year's Eve party guide

Everything you need to know about ringing it in.

• by Robert Bell

A gooey epic done right

'Les Mis' goes blockbuster.

• by Sam Eifling

Mommy dearest

Barbara Streisand stars with Seth Rogen in 'Guilt Trip.'

• by Sam Eifling

Southern discomfort at Natchez

New downtown restaurant aims for downhome gourmet but falls short.

Resolutions

• by Tommy Durham

Year in review, part one

• by Tom Tomorrow