ADEM Urges Families to Sign Up for Smart911

Arkansas Division of Emergency Management Urges Families Statewide to Sign Up for Smart911 to Enable Coronavirus Awareness for 9-1-1 and Emergency Responders

“Take Control, Let Us Know” campaign empowers individuals to share critical medical information for more informed emergency response

North Little Rock – As Arkansas responds to the spread of the coronavirus, public health and safety officials ask all Arkansans to sign up for the Smart911 national safety profile registry, a free service that allows individuals and families to provide critical medical information to 9-1-1 and first responders. Arkansas is launching the “Take Control, Let Us Know” campaign to empower the community to take action, and provide valuable and accurate health data that increases the awareness of 9-1-1, first responders, and Emergency Management to an individual’s risk level for coronavirus.

Members of our community are looking for ways to improve the safety of their families, friends and neighbors as the coronavirus spreads. By signing up for Smart911, individuals can help first responders get the key information they need about every person who may need assistance, not only during this outbreak, but during any emergency.

Individuals can create a Smart911 Safety Profile for their household at www.smart911.com or on the Smart911 App that provides critical medical information for those who may be at higher risk of developing a serious COVID-19 illness. As identified by the CDC, the vulnerable population includes older adults, and those with a history of chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, respiratory conditions, and compromised immune systems. When an individual calls 9-1-1, their Smart911 Safety Profile is automatically displayed, allowing our public safety agencies to send emergency response teams to the right location with enhanced medical data.

Individuals can additionally self-identify if they are under quarantine, and whether it is self-imposed or directed by a health professional. The Smart911 App allows quarantined individuals to receive check-in messages on their health status. Smart911 also allows individuals to sign up for alerts from emergency management officials to receive reliable information about the changing coronavirus situation. Individuals who sign up will also receive tailored alerts based on their specific needs and geographic location. With enhanced coronavirus awareness, individuals and first responders have vital information to take proper precautions.

“As the coronavirus continues to be a major public health concern, we are doing everything we can to prepare, respond, and mitigate risk to those in our community who need assistance,” said A.J. Gary, Director of the Division of Emergency Management. “The information provided in a Smart911 Safety Profile enables us to know who is at the greatest risk in our community. We can provide individuals with critical updates based on their location and health history. Ultimately, Smart911 gives our state the chance to be proactive, and lets us know who requires our services. We urge all Arkansans to take action, sign up for Smart911, and help us address the coronavirus outbreak.”

To sign up or update your Safety profile, visit www.smart911.com or download the Smart911 app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Smart911

This service helps 9-1-1 protect your family by providing more information to first responders. You should sign up too, it is free!

A Note from Wilkerson Funeral Home

During these uncertain times, Wilkerson Funeral Home is monitoring guidelines from the Center for Disease Control, the National Funeral Directors Association, as well as state and local organizations regarding the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases and public health. We would like to share some of our thoughts with you.

The Center for Disease Control guidelines are telling us to keep gatherings to 10 or less. We suggest limiting the funeral services to immediate family members and minister, holding the smallest gathering possible. We also recommend doing this at our facility or more preferably at the graveside to reduce risk of spreading the virus and honoring our duty to the general public. At a later date, if you desire, hold a public memorial service at no additional cost. These things at this time are not mandatory, but important for the health of our community.

Also, if you are not comfortable coming to the funeral home to make arrangements, we can come to you or make them over the phone. Another thing to think about is using our online registry to send a condolence or simply calling the funeral home and having us add your name.

We will honor your wishes to the best of our ability to ensure you receive the type of service you wish to have. Again, our family and staff are here to serve each family as we have done for the last 90 years.

Sarah Wilkerson Casteel
Wilkerson Funeral Home

From the Office of the Chancellor

Effective at 3:00 PM on Thursday, March 19th all UA Cossatot campuses will be closed at least until March 30th.
We take the COVID-19 outbreak very seriously and to protect our students, employees, and our stakeholders, we feel it is in everyone’s best interest to shutter our campuses.
Our students have already been moved to our online learning platforms and we will keep that in place for the foreseeable future.
Our employees will be working from home during this time and we will continue to encourage them (and our students) to practice social distancing and proper hygiene in their personal lives.
We know that we are all in this together and will beat this epidemic together. We all have to make well informed and sensible decisions that may not be popular, but they are for the good of us all.
Even though next week is spring break, we will still be closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak. If we must extend the campus closings beyond March 30th, we will make that determination later next week.
In the meantime, we are still teaching and working, we are now just doing it from a distance.
Please be safe and God Bless.
Regards,
Dr. Steve Cole
Chancellor, UA Cossatot

Arkansas Map of Covid-19 Positive Cases 03.19.20

A Message to UA Cossatot Students!

I wanted to personally let each and every student who attends UA Cossatot know that everything we are doing during this crisis is to make sure you stay safe and still receive the education you expect to get from UA Cossatot. Currently we have moved all of our courses online and we will keep offering them online as long as we need to in order to keep you as safe as we can from COVID-19 exposure.

During this trying time, please reach out to us for ANY help you need. I also wanted to remind students that we can’t beat the COVID-19 outbreak without your help. Please take this virus very seriously and please practice good hand-washing habits and PLEASE refrain from meeting closely in large groups. This virus spreads mainly by close human contact and if we can eliminate that behavior, at least for a while, we can limit the spread of this virus.

What you do and how you respond personally to this epidemic will define your entire generation!

Please be safe, call or email me any time, and GO COLTS!

Chancellor Cole

From the City of Ashdown

Declaration Of Local State Of Emergency

City of Ashdown

250 North Second Street - P.O. Box 135 · Ashdown, Arkansas 71822

Phone (870) 898-2622 · Fax (870) 898-4322

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 2020-=1

DECLARATION OF LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY

WHEREAS, the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in China and which has now been detected in 60 locations internationally, including in the United States. The virus has been named "SARS-CoV-2" and the disease it causes has been named "coronavirus disease 2019" (abbreviated "COVID-19"); and

WHEREAS, Governor Asa Hutchinson issued Executive Order 20-03 on March 11, 2020 declaring a state of emergency for the State of Arkansas in response to the COVID-19 outbreak; and

WHEREAS, the safety and welfare of the citizens of the City of Ashdown as well as the employees is of

the utmost importance.

NOW, THEREFORE, by the power vested in me as Mayor of the City of Ashdown, Arkansas, the following protocols are implemented until further notice.

1. All access to Ashdown City Hall is limited to essential personnel.

2. No one will be allowed to enter the city offices without an appointment.

3. Appointments can be made by contacting the office in question

4. Anyone needing to conduct business within city hall will be subject to screenings including

checking of temperature to see that it is below 99.6 degrees, and the individual does not

display any other outward symptoms of the virus.

5. We strongly encourage those needing to conduct business with offices within city hall, water

department, street department, sanitation department or city park to make every effort to

conduct their business via telephone, email, or fax.

6. Other measures may be implemented as needed to provide for the safety and welfare of the

city employees.

IT IS SO ORDERED, this 18th day of March, 2020.

James Sutton

Mayor City of Ashdown

Notice from Little River County

Closed To Foot Traffic
By Order of the County Judge, the Little River County Courthouse is open by appointment ONLY. Please call the number of the office needed, from the list below, to discuss an appointment and an officer will assist you upon entry. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we appreciate your patience and understanding.

Office Phone Number

Assessor 870-898-7204

County Clerk 870-898-7209

Circuit Clerk 870-898-7212

Treasurer 870-898-7215

Collector 870-898-7217

District Clerk 870-898-7230

Veterans 870-898-7261

County Judge 870-898-7202

Sanitation 870-898-7276

Flood Warning for the Area from the National Weather Service

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A * FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN... SOUTHWESTERN LITTLE RIVER COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN ARKANSAS... SOUTHEASTERN MCCURTAIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA... NORTHWESTERN BOWIE COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN TEXAS... SOUTHEASTERN RED RIVER COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN TEXAS... * UNTIL 1015 AM CDT. * AT 718 AM CDT, DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN WHICH WILL CAUSE FLOODING. UP TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN. * SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... NEW BOSTON, FOREMAN, DE KALB, AVERY, ENGLISH, ALMONT, BEAVERDAMS, LYDIA, GOODLAKE AND WALLACE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

UA Cossatot Scholarship Application Open through April 1

The UA Cossatot Scholarship Application is open until April 1 of each year. The deadline to complete the application for the 2020-2021 academic year is approaching, and UA Cossatot encourages all current and incoming students to apply.
The UA Cossatot Scholarship Application is one application where students can apply for institutional and foundation scholarships online and is located at www.cccua.awardspring.com.
For more information about the UA Cossatot Scholarship Application, please contact UA Cossatot Foundation Director, Dustin Roberts, at 870-584-1172 or droberts@cccua.edu.

Bowie County has its First Presumptive Case of COVID-19

TEXARKANA, TX- The first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in Bowie County, TX has been identified. We are awaiting confirmation from the Texas Department of State Health Services. More details will be released as they become available.

Bowie County has its first presumptive case of COVID-19

Texarkana News TEXARKANA, TX- The first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in Bowie County, TX has been identified. We are awaiting confirmation from the Texas Department of State Health Services. More details will be released as they become available. Mar. 16 2020 @ 6:05pm

The Bowie County/City of Texarkana, TX Emergency Operations Center is now operating Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call (903) 255-5560.

UA Cossatot's Center for Student Success Notice

Canceled Events at UA Cossatot this Month

Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, UA Cossatot has closed its campuses to students and the public until after spring break. Certain events have been canceled and will be rescheduled.
The college has canceled the lunch-and-learn event set to take place in De Queen on March 19. The second annual Miss UA Cossatot pageant scheduled for March 28 has also been canceled and will be rescheduled for a later date.
UA Cossatot has also temporarily suspended facility rentals and community events held at all UA Cossatot campuses until further notice.
The college apologizes for any inconvenience and wishes to thank the public for their support.

To All UA Cossatot Students

The safety of our students is our number one concern at UA Cossatot, and the coronavirus pandemic has made this more important than ever. We want our students to learn and we want them to have a safe environment in which to learn. That is why effective IMMEDIATELY all UA Cossatot campuses will be closed to students that take on-campus courses. All UA Cossatot campuses will be locked to outside individuals as well. This mirrors today’s announcement by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson that all K12 schools will be closed at least through spring break.

Students, your education is important to us, that is why we have also created an online component to every in-class course at UA Cossatot. While you are away from campus, your instructors will still be able to work with you to ensure you get the most out of your education during these very trying times. You will be learning even more about that this week.

This campus closure is for ALL campuses and will be reevaluated after spring break. At that time, we will determine whether we need to keep the campuses closed or reopen them at that time. I urge you all to visit our website to learn more about the coronavirus and ways you can protect yourself. Please wash your hands often and practice social distancing if you can.

Thank you for your time. We appreciate you!

Dr. Steve Cole

Chancellor

UAC

From the Office of the Chancellor

In the UA Cossatot update that was sent on March 12th, we indicated that the Coronovirus situation was extremely fluid and could change at a moment’s notice. That moment is now as earlier today Governor Hutchinson and Education Secretary Key announced that all K12 schools will be closed this week. Our institution has a wonderfully close working relationship with all of our K12 districts and we share many of the same students. With that being said, UA Cossatot will follow suit and will close our campuses to students this week. We will continue to be closed to students until after spring break, where, at that time, we will reevaluate the Coronavirus situation. Our campuses will also be locked and closed to visitors and outside entities.

All UA Cossatot employees will be working on Monday. We will assess that situation on a day-to-day basis.

All UA Cossatot courses have been converted to have an online component and faculty will have the ability to teach this week via the Blackboard Learning System. While our maintenance department has already been working overtime to keep our campuses clean, over the next two weeks we will have the opportunity to deep clean our campuses as per CDC guidelines.

Please know that our campus will continue to work closely with the University of Arkansas System Office, UAMS, and other government entities to ensure our pandemic plan regarding COVID-19 continues to protect our students, employees, and other stakeholders.

UA Cossatot will continue to update our status on our cccua.edu website, our ED88 Facebook page, and other media outlets. These are very different times that call for very different measures and we appreciate our community’s understanding of this necessary decision.

Regards,

Dr. Steve Cole
Chancellor, UA Cossatot

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

While the state response to COVID-19 is one that is rapidly evolving, we do want to update you on the latest developments.

Late Friday afternoon, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced he will amend an executive order to allow expanded use of telemedicine in the state. The Governor also announced he is providing additional resources to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) which will create 10 new lab positions and assist with much-needed help at the call center.

Additionally, the state has requested and will receive more personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical personnel and first responders.

As of Friday afternoon, there is a total of 9 presumed positive cases in Arkansas. The patients with presumed positive test results reside in the central Arkansas region. Schools in Pulaski, Grant, Jefferson, and Saline counties are currently closed. Residents in these counties are being asked to limit large gatherings to 200 people or less.

On Monday, the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) issued a public health directive to long-term care facilities across the state to question visitors about their travel over the past 14 days and to screen visitors and staff for signs of illness and fever.

All Arkansans are being asked to reconsider every trip out of state.

Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, Medical Director for Outbreak Response at ADH, advised that if you are showing symptoms (including coughing, fever, and shortness of breath), you should consult your primary care provider instead of county health units or the hospital.

If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

While ADH is currently limited in the number of tests they can administer, physicians can order tests from commercial labs.

UAMS has set up a coronavirus hotline for people who have questions or feel they may have symptoms. The number is 1-800-632-4502. UAMS HealthNow is also available for free COVID-19 screenings.

To access, go to UAMS HealthNow and click on “Begin Screening.”

This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to patients of all ages across the state of Arkansas and is accessible from a smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer with video capabilities.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital announced that any family with children health questions related to COVID-19 can call 1-800-743-3616.

ADH has activated a call center to answer questions from health care providers and the public about the novel coronavirus. During normal business hours (8:00 am – 4:30 pm), urgent and non-urgent calls, please call 1-800-803-7847. After normal business hours, urgent calls needing immediate response, please call 501-661-2136.

UA Cossatot Currently Not Hosting Public Meetings

UA Cossatot is not hosting public meetings in their facilities until further notice due to the Coronavirus, Therefore, Sevier County Extension has moved the Pesticide Applicator Training to the Farm Bureau Bldg. in De Queen. What: Pesticide Applicator Training When: Thursday, March 19, 202 at 5:30 pm Where: Farm Bureau Bldg. in De Queen

UA Cossatot Scholarship Application Due April 1st

The 2020-2021 UA Cossatot scholarship application is due April 1. The online application can be found here: https://cccua.awardspring.com/

Students are encouraged to finish their application early and then follow up with whomever they have chosen to provide their recommendation letters.

Completing this online scholarship application before April 1 is the best time for students to apply for scholarships for the upcoming academic year and gives them access to all the scholarships we have available.

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Miss UA Cossatot Pageant Cancelled

The Miss UA Cossatot Pageant scheduled for March 28 in Lockesburg has been cancelled due to health concerns.

From the Office of the Chancellor

UA Cossatot is working closely with the University of Arkansas System Office, UAMS, and other entities to ensure our pandemic plan regarding COVID-19 protects our students, employees, and other stakeholders. Our team has met non-stop for the past several weeks to enact measures to address the COVID-19 outbreak. These measures include sharing more information campus-wide regarding prevention, altered course scheduling, restricted campus usage, and campus closures, should that need arise.

We have communicated this link on our UA Cossatot webpage to all students and employees: https://www.cccua.edu/novel-coronavirus

This link includes useful information regarding what UA Cossatot is doing locally and it offers students and employees health and safety information about COVID-19.

UA Cossatot campuses continue to prepare for our college community’s safety as well as possible closure as we have:

Created online versions of all non-technical courses offered at UA Cossatot. We are currently working on all technical courses to ensure students can maintain learning, even while being away from campus. Initiated a policy where, until further notice, we will not be allowing the use of our facilities by outside groups.

Directed our Medical Division to cancel clinical rotations at local health care facilities and teach Medical Department lecture courses via Zoom software. Developed an IT plan that allows personnel VPN access to their workstations. This will allow UA Cossatot to operate from a business standpoint while not being on campus.

Cancelled the second annual UA Cossatot Scholarship Pageant that was to be held on March 28th. We do not have a reschedule date. Encouraged UA Cossatot employees to limit non-essential business travel. While no members of the UA Cossatot community have been diagnosed with COVID-19, UA Cossatot is preparing for the potential of local transmission and we are aligning our efforts with local leaders, The UA System, UAMS, and the Arkansas Department of Health.

These are just a few of the preparations we have made to keep our students and campus community updated and better protected from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Campus leaders are meeting daily to assess this very fluid situation. We will continue to monitor and adjust our efforts, keeping student, public and, employee safety in mind.

Regards,

Dr. Steve Cole Chancellor, UA Cossatot

Cossatot Community College

Information as of: March 16, 2020 At UA Cossatot, health and safety of our campus community are top priorities. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak rapidly evolves in the U.S. and worldwide, UA Cossatot will continue to provide the latest updates and guidance for the campus community in one place online: cccua.edu/coronavirus.

UA Cossatot Holds Seventh Annual Come Fall in Love Event for High School Juniors

“Come Fall in Love” is an event that takes place at UA Cossatot every February. It is designed for juniors in high school to fall in love with UA Cossatot. Approximately 500 high school students visited the college to learn about careers, educational opportunities, and how they can achieve their goals by enrolling at UA Cossatot.

This past month, UA Cossatot hosted seven “Come Fall in Love” events to seven local area high schools. The high schools that brought their students to the college included; Foreman, Kirby, Ashdown, Nashville, Dierks, Horatio, and De Queen.

Upon arrival, the students were greeted and welcomed by UA Cossatot staff. Throughout the day, several sessions took place concerning career readiness, financial planning, and testimonies from alumni. The college also designated time for students to learn about programs offered at UA Cossatot, student organizations at the college, and services the college’s Educational Resource Center provides.

Students were able to sit in on college classes, play games, receive program information, and take pictures. The college also provided the students with a free lunch before they returned to their high school.

UA Cossatot Director of Student Services, Suzanne Ward, said, “Providing the basic information regarding college prior to the senior year is crucial. The more students know about career goals, academic programs, college life, and financial planning for college, the better decisions they can make about their future.”

For more information about UA Cossatot, please contact Student Services at 870-584-4471. To learn about college opportunities offered at UA Cossatot while in high school, please contact the Director of High School Programs, Julie Rhodes, at 870-584-1343.