VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Provides COVID-19 Update Tuesday (06.30.20) 130PM
Governor Asa Hutchinson provides an update to media on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, live at 1:30 p.m. regarding Arkansas's COVID-19 response.
Sevier County Edge/Vote For Growth at Tres Gallos Tuesday
Online Summer Courses at UA Cossatot are Still Available
UA Cossatot will begin its summer 2020 July 4-week term on Monday, July 6, 2020. Students still have time to register for classes offered during these four weeks. The last day to sign up for classes in July is Wednesday, July 1, 2020.
UA Cossatot has four available online summer courses that are still open for students to enroll in and take. These courses are one-hundred percent online. The classes include Success Strategies, Arkansas History, U.S. History Since 1876, and Abnormal Psychology.
These four courses can be taken for students who plan to get an early start for this fall, for students who plan to transfer, or for students who need an elective and want to save money by taking a short summer course at UA Cossatot.
Students interested in learning more or signing up for one or more of these classes can do so by contacting Student Services at studentservices@cccua.edu or 870-844-4471.
Tuesday's COVID-19 Updated Numbers and Maps
COVID-19 Metrics for Sevier County
Cases
Total Positive: 693
Active Positive: 162
Recovered: 524
Deaths: 7
Negatives: 3,296
COVID-19 Metrics for Howard County
Cases
Total Positive: 86
Active Positive: 31
Recovered: 54
Deaths: 1
Negatives: 1,133
COVID-19 Metrics for Little River County
Cases
Total Positive: 38
Active Positive: 1
Recovered: 37
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 824
COVID-19 Metrics for Polk County
Cases
Total Positive: 74
Active Positive: 14
Recovered: 60
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 1,402
COVID-19 Metrics for Pike County
Cases
Total Positive: 8
Active Positive: 1
Recovered: 7
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 1,639
Numbers and Maps of COVID-19 Cases Update
COVID-19 Metrics for Sevier County
Cases
Total Positive: 661
Active Positive: 160
Recovered: 494
Deaths: 7
Negatives: 3,257
COVID-19 Metrics for Howard County
Cases
Total Positive: 82
Active Positive: 31
Recovered: 50
Deaths: 1
Negatives: 1,066
COVID-19 Metrics for Little River County
Cases
Total Positive: 38
Active Positive: 1
Recovered: 37
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 819
COVID-19 Metrics for Polk County
Cases
Total Positive: 72
Active Positive: 12
Recovered: 60
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 1,370
COVID-19 Metrics for Pike County
Cases
Total Positive: 8
Active Positive: 1
Recovered: 7
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 1,620
VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Provides COVID-19 Update Monday (06.29.20) 130PM
Governor Asa Hutchinson provides an update to media on Monday, June 29, 2020, live at 1:30 p.m. regarding Arkansas’s COVID-19 response.
Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught
To date, only 56.5% of Arkansans have responded to the 2020 United States Census.
Nationally, the response rate is 61.7%. It is not too late to respond.
Arkansans are encouraged to respond online at 2020census.gov.
If you have not responded, you may soon be receiving a reminder in the mail. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of census taker visits from mid-May to mid-August, giving the Census Bureau the opportunity to send one more reminder to households encouraging them to respond online, by phone or by mail. Responding now minimizes the need for census takers to visit homes to collect responses in person.
The 2020 Census will provide a snapshot of our nation and state—who we are, where we live, and so much more.
The results of this once-a-decade count determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives. They are also used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
Over the next decade, lawmakers, business owners, and many others will use 2020 Census data to make critical decisions. The results will show where communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children.
The results will also inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
Households can respond online or by phone in English or 12 other languages, or by mail using the paper questionnaire mailed to non-responding addresses or dropped off at the door. Although census takers will begin visiting households that haven’t yet responded beginning August 11, households can still respond on their own until these visits conclude on October 31.
English
When you respond to the census, your answers are kept anonymous. They are used only to produce statistics. The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them strictly confidential. The law ensures that your private information is never published and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court.
COVID-19 Updates for Southwest Arkansas Counties
COVID-19 Metrics for Sevier County
Cases
Total Positive: 652
Active Positive: 161
Recovered: 484
Deaths: 7
Negatives: 3,214
COVID-19 Metrics for Howard County
Cases
Total Positive: 76
Active Positive: 26
Recovered: 49
Deaths: 1
Negatives: 1,037
COVID-19 Metrics for Little River County
Cases
Total Positive: 38
Active Positive: 1
Recovered: 37
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 817
COVID-19 Metrics for Polk County
Cases
Total Positive: 70
Active Positive: 11
Recovered: 59
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 1,347
COVID-19 Metrics for Pike County
Cases
Total Positive: 8
Active Positive: 2
Recovered: 6
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 1,561
Unhealthy Air Quality Due to Massive Saharan Dust Plume Moving Into the U.S. This Weekend
A massive plume of dust from Africa's Sahara Desert is spreading into parts of the U.S. after traveling 5,000 miles across the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
Air quality has been unhealthy, even for healthy folks, in parts of Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, as of Saturday evening.
Poor air quality is another possible impact from the dust into this weekend. That can aggravate those suffering from respiratory issues such as asthma and COPD.
Massive Saharan Dust Plume Will Spread Into the U.S. This Weekend As It Completes Its 5,000-Mile Journey From Africa | The Weather Channel
A massive plume of dust from Africa's Sahara Desert is spreading into parts of the U.S. after traveling 5,000 miles across the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Known as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), this dry dust plume commonly forms from late spring through early fall and moves into the tropical Atlantic Ocean every three to five days, according to NOAA's Hurricane Research Division (HRD).
UA Cossatot High School Programs: Accuplacer Testing
UA Cossatot will Safely Re-Open by Appointment Beginning Monday, June 29
The University of Arkansas Cossatot will safely re-open its four campuses by appointment starting Monday, June 29, for anyone wanting to register for classes or seek help from a UA Cossatot employee. Due to Covid-19, UA Cossatot’s campuses have been temporarily closed, but will now be re-opening by appointment.
All departments within the college, including, Student Services, Financial Aid, and the Business Office have developed schedules and numbers for students to call and set up an appointment. The phone numbers of each employee in each department can be viewed at wwww.cccua.edu/directory. Anyone needing assistance at the college can also call 870-844-4471 to be directed to the department they need so they can schedule an appointment.
UA Cossatot has signage and safety measures in place for when visitors come to the college, so they will know where to be directed. Visitors will be asked to check-in at the front desk of each campus. Students and visitors must call ahead to make their appointment and when on campus must wear protective masks and fill out a short health questionnaire. At the entrance, disposable masks will be given to each visitor if they do not have one.
COVID-19 Maps and Numbers Updates
Arkansas Reports Another Highest Single-Day Rise in COVID-19 Community Cases
COVID-19 Metrics for Sevier County
Cases
Total Positive: 652
Active Positive: 161
Recovered: 484
Deaths: 7
Negatives: 3,214
COVID-19 Metrics for Howard County
Cases
Total Positive: 76
Active Positive: 26
Recovered: 49
Deaths: 1
Negatives: 1,037
COVID-19 Metrics for Little River County
Cases
Total Positive: 38
Active Positive: 1
Recovered: 37
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 817
COVID-19 Metrics for Polk County
Cases
Total Positive: 70
Active Positive: 11
Recovered: 59
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 1,347
COVID-19 Metrics for Pike County
Cases
Total Positive: 8
Active Positive: 2
Recovered: 6
Deaths: 0
Negatives: 1,561
AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Arkansans Getting Back on Their Feet
LITTLE ROCK – We started reopening the economy in May, and today I’d like to talk about the encouraging numbers that we’re already seeing. More than 45,000 Arkansans are back at work. Our unemployment rate, which has remained below the national rate, dropped from 10.8 percent in April to 9.5 percent in May.
More and more people are getting back on their feet. We know this because the number of first-time claims for unemployment has dropped by over 4,000. Weekly claims are down by more than 13,000. Our civilian labor force in Arkansas increased by over 33,000; and our total number of jobs in May increased to 1.2 million.
Eight industries gained jobs that had been lost during the height of the pandemic unemployment. As restaurants, gyms, and recreation centers reopened, we added 13,400 jobs. Jobs in educational and health services increased by 9,100 as medical offices reopened. Trade, transportation, and utilities gained 4,300 jobs, mostly in retail. This is all good news.
I am grateful for the spirit and generosity of our business people during these difficult days, such as Bobby Fuller and his family, who own Fuller and Son Hardware. Their company will be 100 years old next year. Walter Fuller opened the first store at 28th and Arch in Little Rock in 1921. The company endured the Great Depression, World War II, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. The fourth generation of Fullers is now involved in the company, which has six stores in Central Arkansas.
Bobby Fuller, who is the grandson of the founder, didn’t have to lay off any employees. Bobby rents space to two restaurants and a dentist, and he didn’t charge rent while they were closed.
Eric Buckner is another small business owner in Central Arkansas. He is the founder and owner of 10 Fitness gyms. Eric closed his gyms on March 17 and reopened under Department of Health guidelines on May 4. With the support of gym members and assistance through the federal Payroll Protection Plan, Eric paid his employees during the shutdown. The pandemic has inspired new ways to serve his members, such as renting out exercise bikes, spin bikes, and rowing machines for use at home. His trainers have produced workout videos. His biggest challenge is to make sure that his members wear their masks when they aren’t exercising.
Bobby and Eric share my conviction that masks are critical in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Eric tells of the two hairdressers in Springfield, Missouri, who were symptomatic but didn’t tell their customers, and they were also members of Eric’s gym in Springfield. And they weren’t honest with the screeners at his gym when they asked about symptoms. Between them, they exposed more than 150 customers and gym members. But the hairdressers and their customers were wearing masks. And they wore masks at 10 Fitness. The health department found that no one who came in contact with the hairdressers at the salon or the gym contracted the virus.
So as we reopen the economy and people return to work, I urge you to wear a mask. This is critical as we continue to reopen our economy, and Arkansans return to work.
VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Announces Rob Finley as New Game and Fish Commissioner
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has appointed Mountain Home businessman Rob Finley as a member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. He replaces Chairman Ken Reeves.
Governor Hutchinson announced the appointment and introduced Mr. Finley today at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center.
“Rob’s love of the outdoors is in his blood,” Governor Hutchinson said. “His grandfather owned a fishing and bait store on Portia Bay, and by the time he was four, Rob was fishing from his grandfather’s boat launch. Rob and his cousins spent hours with their grandfather learning about fishing and hunting. His love of the outdoors inspired a passion for conservation. He and his wife, Nicki, have been successful in a variety of businesses, including outdoor retreats and lodges. In Rob, I found the perfect mix of attributes that make him a logical pick to serve as a Game and Fish commissioner.”
Mr. Finley was born on Eaker Air Force Base in Mississippi County, graduated from Cotter High School in Baxter County, and followed in his father’s footsteps to join the U.S. Air Force. After his service, he returned to Mountain Home, where he worked in the banking industry and developed a credit-insurance program for financial institutions. They own Route 66 Warranty in Mountain Home and Cranor’s White River Lodge in Cotter.
“The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is a body of seven stewards of the people’s property,” Mr. Finley said. “I take that very seriously, and I will work diligently to protect it. If I could drop the gavel 84 months from now with an increase in hunter/fishing participation and youth involvement numbers on the rise, I would consider my term a success.”
He and Nicki live in Mountain Home and have a daughter and three sons.
Governor Hutchinson thanked outgoing Chair Ken Reeves for his service on the commission.
“Arkansas is a better place because of Ken Reeves’s work as a Game and Fish commissioner,” Governor Hutchinson said. “He has been steady at the helm and charted a good course for those who love and want to preserve Arkansas’s forests and waterways.”
VIDEO: Governor Asa Hutchinson participates in Korean War Wreath Laying Ceremony Friday
VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Provides COVID-19 Update Friday (06.26.20) 130PM
Governor Asa Hutchinson provides an update to media on Friday, June 26, 2020, live at 1:30 p.m. regarding Arkansas’s COVID-19 response.
More Coronavirus Symptoms Added to CDC List
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently added some new symptoms of the coronavirus to its current list.
Watch for symptoms
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.
Congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea were added to the list of fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell and sore throat.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Symptoms
When to Seek Emergency Medical Attention Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately *This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
Arkansas Rejects Call for Mandatory Unified Mask Law
At least two Arkansas towns have passed COVID-19 emergency public mask-wearing measures with the establishment of additional county and city codes likely in the coming months. Calls for a unified mask code in Arkansas have been rejected by Governor Asa Hutchinson and Secretary of Health Nate Smith, saying the state's voluntary mask requirements are sufficient. So far, over a dozen states have statewide public mask-wearing mandates.
Arkansas Rejects Call for Mandatory Unified Mask Law
At least two Arkansas towns have passed COVID-19 emergency public mask-wearing measures with the establishment of additional county and city codes likely in the coming months. Calls for a unified mask code in Arkansas have been rejected by Governor Asa Hutchinson and Secretary of Health Nate Smith, saying the state's voluntary mask requirements are sufficient.
Governor Wants To Decide On Arkansas Absentee Voting By August 1
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he hopes to make a decision by August 1 regarding allowing voters in Arkansas more flexibility to vote absentee this November. He made the comment at his daily press conference June 24 in response to a reporter’s question about a lawsuit filed in Pulaski County seeking no-excuse absentee voting.
He said has been communicating with the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners, Secretary of State John Thurston, and county officials.
Governor Wants To Decide On Arkansas Absentee Voting By August 1
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he hopes to make a decision by August 1 regarding allowing voters in Arkansas more flexibility to vote absentee this November. He made the comment at his daily press conference June 24 in response to a reporter's question about a lawsuit filed in Pulaski County seeking no-excuse absentee voting.