Shortcuts are hand-picked bits of news, commentary and info from around Northwest Arkansas, the rest of the state and even from places much further away.

Here are today’s Shortcuts:

LOCAL

A view from mid-America
A new season, a new school year and a new local(ish) website. According to the inaugural post on Mid-Riffs.com, the new site “will offer everything from serious news and public policy critiques to not-so-serious commentary about life in the region.” Make sure and read their post on the new Fayetteville High School.

Refunds for all
Kelly Zega, Public Affairs Director for Cox Communications chimed in amidst a barrage of Twitter complaints yesterday to say that the cable company will be “automatically refunding 100% of Saturday’s Razorback pay-per-view game price to all who ordered it.” Cox came under a lot of tweet-fire when Dennis Johnson’s 90-yard opening kickoff return was blacked out because of technical difficulties.

STATEWIDE

Who saw Obama’s speech?
The Morning News has an update on which school districts in the region planned to show the President’s speech in class today.

Who’s covering the Hogs?
The day after the news of the merger between the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Morning News, ADG publisher Walter Hussman told KUAR that his side would take on the primary responsibility of covering the Razorbacks. Shortly afterwards, the companies issued a joint statement to Arkansas Business saying that both would be herding the Hogs. Hmm…

ELSEWHERE

Green jobs adviser quits
From the AP: Van Jones, an Obama administration official specializing in green jobs” resigned early Sunday over what he called a “vicious smear campaign” against him. Arianna, however, says thanks.

Know your states?
Senator Al Franken not only knows his 50 states but he can draw them from memory. Check it out.