I have lived in Northwest Arkansas for 36 years, and in that time I have experienced the remnants of many hurricanes as they dissipate into tame rain showers. Last night, was the first time I can remember where we experienced anything hurricane like.

Hurricane Ike hit Galveston and Houston with some ferocity. There were reports of inland flooding and wind damage, what you would expect from a hurricane making landfall. As soon as Ike was ashore, it almost immediately turned northeast and sped towards Arkansas. It only took 24 hours for the center of Ike to get from the Houston area to Northwest Arkansas.

Like I said before, I have experienced many hurricane remnants so I thought nothing of Ike moving through. I viewed weather reports warning of high sustained winds with a considerably large grain of salt. But sure enough, I awoke at 1:00 AM to the sound of sustained howling winds.

In the NWA, we are used to thunderstorms moving through. They often have high winds. Last night was different. The winds started at 1:00 and didn’t stop. It was constant. I am sure it was a mere hint of what they experienced on the coast, but wow.

At 2:00 AM, I was awakened by the clicking sound of every electronic and electric device in my house shutting off. The electricity has never been knocked out by the remnants of a hurricane, but last night, my electricity was out for two hours.

This morning we got our first chance to see the damage, and sure enough, there are a number of limbs down and leaves everywhere. I was in southern Louisiana just three weeks after Katrina a few years ago to help in the cleanup effort. NWA looks nothing like that, but again I can’t remember ever having any damage from hurricane remnants.

It was a noteworthy storm.

KFSM, a Northwest Arkansas CBS affiliate reported yesterday, February 7th that there was an outbreak of leprosy in Northwest Arkansas in a community of people who have been relocated here from the Marshall Islands. The story broke that there were eight cases of leprosy in the Marshallese community and the news piece was very sensational. KFSM played up the “fact” that leprosy has no cure and that it was very contagious airborne disease. They interviewed people and whether they meant it or not, they painted the Marshallese in a very negative light.

As it turns out, there is no outbreak. No outbreak. What were they thinking? It is absolutely unbelievable that a news outlet would not do its homework when it comes to such an inflammatory story. The story was very sensationalized and came off xenophobic. In this era of political correctness, I thought this type of fear mongering was a thing of the past. It was very unfair.

The Arkansas Department of Health made a statement that there has been no outbreak and that leprosy isn’t as contagious as it was reported.

To add to the tragic nature of this story is that the Marshallese were forced off their island because the United States tested nuclear weapons during the 1950s and ’60s on an unpopulated atoll in the Marshall Islands. The contamination of the from the fallout made the Marshallese sick and forced them off their south Pacific island. The United States relocated them to Springdale Arkansas. What we didn’t do was make them United States citizens which makes them ineligible for healthcare aid. Now, they are the targets of sensationalized news reports that have turned out to be false. It is incredibly sad. We poison their island home and then poison their reputation here in the United States.

In the case of KFSM, they have made a terrible blunder. A blunder that could have been averted if the editorial staff took their time to do their homework and get the story right. To drag the names of people with such a tragic past through the mud is unforgivable and extraordinarily embarrassing. It will be a long time before I see KFSM as a trustworthy source of news.

I was reading Houston Nutt’s comments after the Razorback victory over Mississippi State. Nutt was asked about what it meant to be a head coach in the SEC.

Is it me or does this sound like the rantings of a man driven to the edge?

On coaching at the University of Arkansas and in the Southeastern Conference

“All you want to do is coach football. One of my dreams has been to coach at the University of Arkansas and I’ve had the privilege to do it for ten years. I’m very thankful for that. All I want to do is concentrate on LSU. That’s all I want to do. I just don’t see any need to try to get into the conversation about ‘why this’ or ‘why would you do that.’ To me, it’s just wasted oxygen at this point, it really is, and it just takes away from our team and players and that’s what is upsetting.

“When you win a (Western division) championship last year and win ten (games)—and I don’t think our people sometimes realize how hard it is to get to Atlanta. LSU didn’t get to Atlanta last year. Auburn didn’t get to (Atlanta). LSU is playing with about the same people. Arkansas got to Atlanta last year. To win a championship and win ten (games) in this league is hard. How many teams in the SEC go back-to-back? Florida is not going back to Atlanta. It’s hard. You want to give your players credit. Your players deserve the credit of playing in the toughest league in America. They’re winning games and they’re going to a bowl game again. I just appreciate their effort. I think attention needs to be brought to those guys.”

This quote was taken from www.hogwired.com.

Is it me or does Houston sound flustered and unintelligible? By the time we get to the second paragraph, I have no idea where he is or what he is talking about.

On another subject: Do we really want Butch Davis? …well, judging how the basketball coaching change went, Arkansas might need to go into this coaching change with great humility.

The boards are all a twitter about Arkansas Razorback Head Coach of Football Houston Nutt is about to coach his last two games. He is denying it right now, but of course he would deny it right now. Any good coach would do that. It is his job to deflect any speculations right now, but it makes sense. Nutt has out stayed his welcome at Arkansas as many fans have lost their faith in the head coach.

In my opinion, it is time for Houston Nutt to move on. The Hogs were poised to have a great season only to lose three quick games to teams they should have beat.

The saddest part of this season is Nutt’s inability to coach may have cost Darren McFadden a chance at the Heisman trophy. It is hard for a player, no matter his talent to win the Heisman when his team is a non-factor. Sorry Darren, I wish it could have gone the other way, but you have a great future in the pros.

I wish Houston Nutt only the best in the future, but maybe its time for a change. How about bringing back Gus Malzahn back to Arkansas as an offensive coordinator to prove that he does indeed belong in the college ranks. He has had a good year in Tulsa. I would be very interested to see what he could do in the SEC unfettered by a coaching staff more interested in a pissing match rather than winning.

I don’t know what the origin of this post is… I didn’t write it but on a lot of the points the author is right on.

For those of you who don’t live in Northwest Arkansas, we are in a region that is seeing unprecedented growth which means there are a lot of transplants who are used to driving in the big city driving right next to locals who have never left to two county area… needless to say, hilarity ensues.

DRIVING IN NW ARKANSAS

If your NW ARK map is more than a few weeks old, throw it out and buy a new one. If you’re in Rogers or Bentonville and your map is one day old, then it is already obsolete.

Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. NW ARK has its own version of traffic rules.

All directions start with “Get on 540″ which has no beginning and no end. Everything in NW ARK is “just off 540 or 71B.”

The morning rush hour is from 6 to 10. The evening rush hour is from 3 to 7. Friday’s rush hour starts Thursday morning.

If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear ended, cussed out and possibly shot. When you are the first one on the starting line, count to five when the light turns green before going to avoid crashing with all the drivers running the red light in cross-traffic.

Construction on 540 is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment.

All unexpected or strange sights are explained by the phrase, “Oh, we’re in Lowell.”

If someone actually has a turn signal on, it is probably a factory defect.

All old ladies with blue hair in tank cars have the right of way. PERIOD.

Highway 540 in rush hour is the NWA equivalent of NASCAR. Just shut up and drive like the rest of us.

The minimum acceptable speed on 540 is 85. Anything less is considered downright sissy.

If it’s 90 degrees, Thanksgiving must be next weekend. If it’s 10 degrees and snowing, it’s homecoming at U of A. If it’s rained 6 inches in the last hour, and it’s a Saturday, it’s opening day for garage sales. If it is fall Bikes, Blues and BBQ is going on everywhere at all times.

All parks, stadiums, arenas, airports, etc., are conveniently located as far away from EVERYTHING as possible so as to allow for ample parking on grassy areas.

With these simple rules in mind, you are now ready to drive in NW ARK.

Please try and keep up

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I have gone from scoffing and wondering who Dana Altman was to wistfully wishing we could land a coach of his caliber.

Junior High Coaches: Dust off your resumes…your phone should be ringing soon.

These are indeed dark days…….

Ugh!!

The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas is reporting that Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles has offered the Basketball head coaching job to Memphis’ John Calipari.

I havn’t made up my mind if this is a good idea or not.  But, we would be moving up in the food chain.  Calipari has at least proved that he can make a team winners. 

The question is, will he make the jump from Memphis to Arkansas.  It is a better job, but I am sure he has a perpetual key to the city in Memphis.  We’ll see.

ESPN.com and other news sites are reporting that Stan Heath, former Head Coach of Arkansas’ basketball team has been released by Athletic Director Frank Broyles.

This adds Stan to my list of nice guys who just had to go.

1. Joe Kines - Former interim head coach of the football team. Great guy, had to go.  Unfortunately we replaced him with Danny Ford.  That worked out great…
2. Stan Heath - Great guy, boring coach, nice man, no motivation. I think you are a great guy, don’t let the door hit you on your way out.