Bob Connell / General Manager of KFFB 106.1 FM announces their coverage of the “Marshall vs Mountain View”, to be played at Mountain View, November 25, 2008. This special sports presentation will be carried live on KFFB 106.1 FM and at www.kffb.com. Handling the play-by-play duties will be Dale Gardner, Sports Director of KFFB 106.1 FM.

For more information, call KFFB at 800-356-5106.

Bob Connell, the General Manager of KFFB 106.1 FM, announces their coverage of the “Clinton vs Conway Christian”, to be played at Conway Christian, November 24, 2008. This special sports presentation will be carried live on KFFB 106.1 FM and at www.kffb.com. Handling the play-by-play duties will be Dale Gardner, Sports Director of KFFB 106.1 FM.

For more information, call KFFB at 800-356-5106.

Effective August 21st, Cleburne County Offices will be open Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Like a breath of spring air to lighten up the heat of August, three new shops have opened at the Ozark Folk Center.

First to open was Mike Green’s Ozark Photo Saloon. Yes, now the Ozark Folk Center is home to the only public saloon in Stone County. Dress up in fancy duds, belly up to the bar and let award-winning photographer Mike Green show how you looked back then.

Then Jim Purdom swung into the village and set up the Ozark Gunsmith Shop. Jim’s on hand Wednesday and Thursday to clean and repair your guns in time for hunting season. When he’s not working on your guns, he builds gorgeous rifles by hand, the old-fashioned way. Come by and see some of his rifles or talk to him about what you need from this talented gunsmith.

Finally, Tina Marie’s Garden Shop opened its doors this week. This little haven in the arbor has books, seeds, plants and great tools for the gardener. Come in to buy something for your garden, for planting advice or just to visit.

Everyday is special at the Ozark Folk Center, where more than 24 talented artisans demonstrate traditional crafts that include broom making, basket weaving, blacksmithing, soap making, pottery and much more. Call 870-269-3851 for more information or visit us on the web at www.ozarkfolkcenter.com

The craft village is open from 10:00 to 5:00 Wednesday through Saturday. Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children.

(LITTLE ROCK–) New research shows that Arkansas is making definite headway in its fight against tobacco use in the state. Three separate studies indicate positive outcomes, including significant reductions in adult smoking, lower hospitalization rates for diseases related to tobacco use, and positive results for youth smoking. This news is significant because tobacco use has been linked to the top three causes of death in the state which are heart disease, stroke and cancer.

“From the beginning, Arkansas has pledged its tobacco-settlement funds strictly to health programs, and these are the benefits of that investment,” Governor Mike Beebe said. “Continuing this trend can help curb the spiraling costs of health care for Arkansans.”

A new study shows that there were 84,000 fewer smokers in Arkansas in 2007 than if smoking rates in 2002 had continued unchanged to 2007. Since 2002 the percentage of adults in Arkansas who smoke decreased from 26.3 percent to 22.4 percent in 2007.

“What this tells us is that our programs are all working together to bring rates of tobacco use down,” said Paul K. Halverson, DrPH, FACHE, State Health Officer and Director of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). “The drop in the adult rate is very encouraging, because it is most difficult to change that rate. Evidence has shown that only a comprehensive approach to tobacco control can do that.”

A smaller number of adult smokers is already translating into a significant reduction in hospitalization rates for heart disease, stroke, emphysema and bronchitis, according to a study on hospitalization costs done by ADH. Using hospitalization charges for these conditions, the bottom line savings amounts to $22 million dollars in 2006 alone.

“It’s important to note that these projections apply to only one year, but we are really contemplating a lifetime of savings, and in fact, lives saved for many years to come,” said Joe Bates, MD, Deputy State Health Officer and Chief Science Officer. “As we continue to reduce the numbers of young people who never start smoking, the financial impact on our state is very, very positive.”

The news is even better for reductions in youth smoking. Since 2001 the rate of current cigarette smoking has dropped from 34.7 percent to 20.7 percent in 2007 among Arkansas high school students, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS).

Dr. Joe Thompson, Director of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement and Arkansas’s Surgeon General said, “This is encouraging news and we’re definitely headed in the right direction, but tobacco use continues to place too great a burden on our state.” According to Thompson, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that smoking-caused health costs and productivity losses total $10.28 per pack sold. In Arkansas, that amounts to more than $2 billion a year.

Dr. Paul Halverson said, “Evidence points to the fact that all the different intervention programs must be in place for the best outcomes. Combined cessation and prevention programs are the key to our continued success.”

For more information on how the Arkansas Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program works to reduce tobacco use in Arkansas, visit the website at: www.stampoutsmoking.com .