Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | The COVID-19 Vaccine Arrives in Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK – Sherian Kwanisai stepped into Arkansas history this week as the first person in the state to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and today I’d like to talk about the significance of this in our nine-month battle against the coronavirus.
Sherian is a 27-year employee of the Arkansas Department of Health. She is director of nursing for the Center for Local Public Health and works with approximately 400 public health nurses spread throughout all 75 counties. She has been in the trenches since COVID-19 arrived in March. She coordinates testing, and she has swabbed a fair number of patients herself.
The immunization program is rapidly gaining momentum. The FDA authorized the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use last weekend. That is the medicine that arrived in Little Rock on Monday. Now, an FDA advisory council has endorsed a second vaccine, which is made by Moderna. When the FDA authorizes it, we will quickly increase the number of people we can vaccinate, and we expect to have the first Moderna shipments on Tuesday.
Arkansas received about 25,000 doses in its first shipment, and after four days of vaccinations, more than 4,000 Arkansas health care workers received a shot this week in the initial phase.
Pfizer shipped the initial doses to 18 larger hospitals, the Department of Health, and several pharmacies. The larger hospitals vaccinated staff members who are at the highest risk of exposure. Pharmacies vaccinated staff at smaller hospitals that didn’t receive direct shipments. The Department of Health vaccinated staff, such as Sherian, who are at a high risk of exposure.
Sherian believes the vaccine is our light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. She was elated to be the first Arkansan to take the shot. She wanted to lead by example, especially for other African Americans, who historically have been skeptical about new or experimental medicine. Sherian volunteered to take the first shot.
When Sherian was young, she wanted to be an architect, but her grandmother persuaded her to become a nurse. She studied the prerequisite classes at the University of Arkansas Little Rock and graduated from nursing school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. When she was considering a change in her career, a friend suggested public health. The only thing Sherian knew about the field was that public-health nurses gave a lot of shots. Nearly 30 years later, Sherian is one of the most experienced public-health nurses in Arkansas, and she has given out a lot of shots. In the first week of COVID-19 vaccinations, Sherian has immunized about fifteen patients. We are well on our way to vaccinating thousands of Arkansans, which is the only way we are ever going to beat this virus.
The shot didn’t hurt, and the only aftereffect was a little soreness in her arm. We are fortunate to have state employees such as Sherian on the front lines whose mission in life is to care for people. She has inspired us this week by stepping to the front of the line for a COVID shot and showing us it’s really not so bad. I join Sherian in encouraging everyone to get the vaccination when it comes your turn.
Friday COVID-19 Arkansas Health Department Update
COVID-19 Metrics for Sevier County
Total Cumulative Cases: 1,921
Confirmed Cases: 1,489
Probable Cases: 432
Total Active Cases: 82
Active Confirmed Cases: 39
Active Probable Cases: 43
COVID-19 Metrics for Howard County
Total Cumulative Cases: 977
Confirmed Cases: 735
Probable Cases: 242
Total Active Cases: 88
Active Confirmed Cases: 44
Active Probable Cases: 44
COVID-19 Metrics for Little River County
Total Cumulative Cases: 716
Confirmed Cases: 585
Probable Cases: 131
Total Active Cases: 27
Active Confirmed Cases: 16
Active Probable Cases: 11
COVID-19 Metrics for Polk County
Total Cumulative Cases: 1,085
Confirmed Cases: 981
Probable Cases: 104
Total Active Cases: 127
Active Confirmed Cases: 113
Active Probable Cases: 14
COVID-19 Metrics for Pike County
Total Cumulative Cases: 533
Confirmed Cases: 461
Probable Cases: 72
Total Active Cases: 85
Active Confirmed Cases: 61
Active Probable Cases: 24
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson provided today's update on Arkansas's COVID-19 response.
In its Thursday update, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 3,039 new cases; 21,659 active cases; 1,084 hospitalized, which is up 5 from Wednesday; 188 on ventilators, which is up 4 from Wednesday; deaths added today, 38, for a total of 3,112; a total of 194,543 cases; 146,287 recoveries; PCR tests, 14,056; antigen tests, 3,275.
The Health Department reported that the top counties for new cases are Washington, 326; Pulaski, 288; Benton, 226; Craighead, 153; and Saline, 113.
Governor Hutchinson released the following statement on today’s COVID-19 numbers:
“The 3,039 new cases today is a milestone we did not want to reach. With over 17,000 COVID-19 test results over the past 24 hours, we see our testing continues to increase and identify cases. If we isolate and quarantine as needed, then the identifying of cases will help control the spread. We continue to work on vaccine distribution, but we have to focus on distancing and wearing our mask to slow this virus down."
Here are today's COVID-19 statewide numbers:
Governor Hutchinson Receives Law-Enforcement Task Force Report, Highlights Action Items
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Hutchinson received the final report from the Task Force to Advance the State of Law Enforcement in Arkansas today and shared its recommendations that the Governor intends to support during the 93rd General Assembly in January.
“I created the law-enforcement task force in the midst of the civil unrest and violence that arose across the country after the death of George Floyd,” Governor Hutchinson said. “That national crisis led us to assess the state of law enforcement in Arkansas. We want to ensure that we are providing our agencies with the equipment, guidance and training, support, and compensation, that will allow them to perform their jobs at the highest level. The law-enforcement officers, elected officials, and community activists on the task force surveyed a broad base of citizens and produced a report that is filled with substantive proposals.”
The proposals include 27 recommendation to increase accountability, training, and raise pay to a more competitive level.
Fred Weatherspoon, deputy director of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, chaired the committee. The other members of the task force are:
Secretary Jami Cook, Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Sheriff Marty Boyd, Craighead County Sheriff’s Office
Tim Campbell, Citizen Advocate, Little Rock
Kendrell Collins, Assistant Federal Public Defender
Emma Davis, Citizen Advocate, Van Buren
Lt. Col. Shawn Garner, Arkansas State Police
Gina Gomez, El Centrano Hispano
Sgt. Allen Hamby, Little Rock Police Department
Scott Hamilton, Urban League
Sheriff Tim Helder, Washington County Sheriff’s Offic
Layla Holloway, Citizen Advocate, Van Buren
Mike Knoedl, Retired Law Enforcement Officer
Daniel Martinez, Business Owner, De Queen
Bob McMahan, Arkansas Officer of Prosecutor Coordinator
Chief Mike Reynolds, Fayetteville Police Department
Mayor James Sanders, Blytheville
Geovanny Sarmiento, Rogers Chamber of Commerce
Randy Shores, Arkansas Department of Corrections
Steve Shults, Black River Law Enforcement Training Academy
Jimmy Warren, Citizen Advocate, Conway
Mayor Shirley Washington, Pine Bluff
Chief Percy Wilburn, Lake Village Police Department
Sgt. Coty Williams, Arkansas State Police
Tomekia Williamson, Arkansas Community Corrections
The highlights are here.
The full report is here.
De Queen Mayor Jeff Brown at Ed 88 Studios
Mayor Brown discussed the new Splash Pad, purchased with funds from Pilgrims, coming to De Queen next year.
House, Senate Decline to Meet Before Session to Consider Governor’s Emergency Pandemic Order
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
Less than a week after Gov. Asa Hutchinson suggested the state Legislature meet in a Committee of the Whole to consider supporting his emergency declaration due to COVID-19, leaders of both chambers said Tuesday (Dec. 15) they would wait until the regular session in January 2021.
In a televised prime time speech to the state last Thursday, Gov. Hutchinson asked the legislature to support his current COVID-19 emergency declaration, which began in March and has been most recently extended to Dec. 31, 2020. The declaration has allowed the governor to restrict and expand a number of activities in the interest of public health.
Group Names Arkansas Most Pro-Life State In America
Arkansas is the most pro-life state in the nation according to a national anti-abortion advocacy group.
The designation comes from the Washington, D.C.-based Americans United for Life, which ranks each state based on laws and policies aimed at restricting access to the procedure.
https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/group-names-arkansas-most-pro-life-state-america
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge speaks in a news conference alongside Republican state officials and representatives of local pro-life groups.
CREDIT DANIEL BREEN / KUAR NEWS
Tulsa Airport First in Country to Offer Onsite COVID-19 Testing, Results
Alpha Medical Laboratory will administer and process COVID-19 PCR tests on a walk-in or appointment basis at Tulsa International Airport starting Jan. 4, 2021. Testing will be open to all ticketed passengers who are flying or have flown within three days and can show proof of travel.
https://www.kuaf.com/post/tulsa-airport-first-country-offer-onsite-covid-19-testing-results
Thursday COVID-19 Update from the Arkansas Department of Health
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson provided today's update on Arkansas's COVID-19 response.
In its Wednesday update, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 2,306 new cases; 20,774 active cases; 1,079 hospitalized, which is up 9 from Tuesday; 184 on ventilators, which is down 6 from Tuesday; deaths added today, 58, for a total of 3,074; a total of 191,504 cases; 144,621 recoveries; PCR tests, 8,885; antigen tests, 4,696.
The Health Department reported that the top counties for new cases are Pulaski, 242; Washington, 159; Benton, 153; Craighead, 110; and Faulkner, 103.
Governor Hutchinson released the following statement on today’s COVID-19 numbers:
“Yesterday was a new record in antigen testing in Arkansas, and new cases are running flat week over week. Regretfully, we also saw another record in new deaths, with 58 deaths reported yesterday. We are distributing the vaccine across the state for our health care workers, and we continue to see high levels of community spread."
Here are today's COVID-19 statewide numbers:
COVID-19 Metrics for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 81
Active Confirmed Cases: 35
Active Probable Cases: 46
COVID-19 Metrics for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 84
Active Confirmed Cases: 44
Active Probable Cases: 40
COVID-19 Metrics for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 24
Active Confirmed Cases: 16
Active Probable Cases: 8
COVID-19 Metrics for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 126
Active Confirmed Cases: 111
Active Probable Cases: 15
COVID-19 Metrics for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 86
Active Confirmed Cases: 67
Active Probable Cases: 19
LIVE VIDEO: Task Force to Advance the State of Law Enforcement in Arkansas (TASLEA) Submits Report to Governor Thursday 1PM
Free Pizza Through the Holidays at Simple Simon's in De Queen
In an effort to combat food insecurity this Christmas Break, Sevier County Students can come by and get a Free Slice on us!
Another of the 2021 Reasons to Attend UA Cossatot Next Spring
2021 Reasons to Attend UA Cossatot in the Spring....Reason #629....UA Cossatot offers college credit to high school students through several different programs.
Secondary Career Center: This is a skill driven program for students to be bused from their high school to a UAC campus for training in Automotive Service Technology, Collision Repair, Medical Professions, Education, and Welding. these classes are offered at no cost to the students!
Dual Credit Courses: These courses are traditionally taken on your high school campus and count for both high school and college credit
Concurrent Courses: These courses are taken in addition to your coursework in high school and count only for college credit. To find out more about what we offer our area high school students, please visit:
https://www.cccua.edu/apply-enroll/how-to-apply-enroll/concurrent-students
Wednesday's Arkansas COVID-19 Update from the AR Department of Health
COVID-19 Metrics for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 82
Active Confirmed Cases: 34
Active Probable Cases: 48
COVID-19 Metrics for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 86
Active Confirmed Cases: 44
Active Probable Cases: 42
COVID-19 Metrics for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 23
Active Confirmed Cases: 15
Active Probable Cases: 8
COVID-19 Metrics for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 116
Active Confirmed Cases: 100
Active Probable Cases: 16
COVID-19 Metrics for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 23
Active Confirmed Cases: 15
Active Probable Cases: 8
Pilgrim’s to Build Splash Pad with Remaining Hometown Strong Funds
GREELEY, Colo. Dec. 8, 2020 – In November, Pilgrim’s announced a $715,000 investment in De Queen, Ark., to support the community’s future through the company’s Hometown Strong program. Pilgrim’s worked with local leaders to determine where the funds could best help meet immediate and longer-term community needs.
Today, the company announced it is contributing $480,000 to partner with the City of De Queen and build a splash pad at Herman Dierks Memorial Park. The state-of-the-art splash pad will provide outdoor entertainment for the community, and construction will begin in the first quarter of 2021.
“We believe this project will allow our team members and neighbors to enjoy a fun outdoor recreation activity and provide a place for families and friends to come together and socialize,” said Eddie Halter, Pilgrim’s De Queen/Nashville Complex Manager. “Supporting projects that help improve the quality of life for our community is something we are very passionate about at Pilgrim’s, and we’re grateful our Hometown Strong program is making this possible.”
“We are extremely blessed to have Pilgrim’s call De Queen home,” said De Queen Mayor Jeff Brown. “Their $480,000 contribution to build a splash pad in Herman Dierks Park goes above and beyond their ongoing support of our community. We are thankful for this donation as it will ensure that families have the opportunity to spend quality time together for decades to come.”
In November, the company announced it would be funding a one-mile walking trail around the new Sevier County Medical Center. This trail will provide landscaped and lighted outdoor space for hospital staff, patients, visitors and the broader community.
The Pilgrim’s De Queen/Nashville facility employs more than 1,400 people with an annual payroll of more than $53 million. The facility supports 238 growers, paying them more than $36 million per year for their livestock. Consistent with its long-term commitment to the local economy, the Pilgrim’s De Queen/Nashville complex has invested more than $134 million in capital improvements over the last five years.
Pilgrim’s anchors dozens of rural communities – operating more than 30 meat poultry and prepared foods plants and employing 31,000-plus people in the United States. Nationally, the Hometown Strong initiative is a $20 million investment from Pilgrim’s, which is part of a $50 million nationwide contribution from JBS USA. Visit hometownstrong.jbssa.com to learn more.
About Pilgrim’s
As a global food company with more than 58,000 team members, Pilgrim’s processes, prepares, packages and delivers fresh, frozen and value-added food products for customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.pilgrims.com.
ATTORNEY GENERAL ALERT: Secret Santa Is a Not-So-Secret Scam on Social Media
LITTLE ROCK – Secret Santa and Secret Sister scams are popular on social media. They are often disguised as a fun holiday exchange, when in reality, they can turn into a devilish scam costing money, your personal information, and heartache during the holidays. The scam works by requesting that you send online “friends” relatively inexpensive gifts, gift cards or money to those on an email or social media chain, with the promise that you, too, will receive gifts in the exchange. At the very least, participants will spend money and send gifts without getting anything in return. At worst, scammers will use personal information posted on social media, often leading to identity theft.
“It may seem harmless to participate in an online gift exchange, but always remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “There are scammers online looking to take advantage of Arkansans’ good nature and consumers should carefully protect their wallet and personal information.”
Attorney General Rutledge released the following tips for consumers to avoid the Secret Santa and Secret Sister scam:
Consumers should never disclose their personal information to an unknown person online because it could result in identity theft or the opening of other accounts in their name.
It is unlikely that a consumer will receive any gifts in response to such a scheme; if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
Consult the terms of use for Facebook and other social media platforms as they may prohibit such schemes – report these scams to the social media platform.
Review guidance available from the U.S. Postal Service because it may be illegal to send the requested gift cards.
Consumers should safeguard their banking and financial information to prevent theft due to scams.
When using the internet, consumers should ensure that they are using a verified, secure, and encrypted website when sharing any personal or financial information online.
For more information about consumer-related issues, contact the Arkansas Attorney General’s office at consumer@ArkansasAG.gov or visit ArkansasAG.gov.
About Attorney General Leslie Rutledge
Leslie Carol Rutledge is the 56th Attorney General of Arkansas. Elected on November 4, 2014, and sworn in on January 13, 2015, she is the first woman and first Republican in Arkansas history to be elected as Attorney General. She was resoundingly re-elected on November 6, 2018. Since taking office, she has significantly increased the number of arrests and convictions against online predators who exploit children and con artists who steal taxpayer money through Social Security Disability and Medicaid fraud. Further, she has held Rutledge Roundtable meetings and Mobile Office hours in every county of the State each year, and launched a Military and Veterans Initiative. She has led efforts to roll back government regulations that hurt job creators, fight the opioid epidemic, teach internet safety, combat domestic violence and make the office the top law firm for Arkansans. Rutledge serves as co-chairs of the National Association of Attorneys General Veterans Affairs Committee, re-established and co-chairs the National Association of Attorneys General Committee on Agriculture and was the former Chairwoman of the National Association of Attorneys General Southern Region. As the former Chairwoman of the Republican Attorneys General Association, she remains active on the Executive Board.
A native of Batesville, she is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Rutledge clerked for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, was Deputy Counsel for former Governor Mike Huckabee, served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Lonoke County and was an Attorney at the Department of Human Services before serving as Counsel at the Republican National Committee. Rutledge and her husband, Boyce, have one daughter. The family has a home in Pulaski County and a farm in Crittenden County.
LIVE VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Provides Weekly COVID-19 Update Tuesday (12.15.20) 130PM
Governor Asa Hutchinson provides an update to media on Tuesday, December 15, 2020, live at 1:30 p.m. regarding Arkansas’s COVID-19 response.
AG Rutledge Discusses PBM Legal Victory, Reasons for Challenging Presidential Election
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, R-Ark., had a busy week centered around rulings involving the U.S. Supreme Court.
Arkansas’ top legal officer won a landmark lawsuit before the high court involving the pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) industry, but by week’s end, the Supreme Court dashed the hopes of a Texas lawsuit aimed at overturning the election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Rutledge joined a Missouri brief to intervene in the Texas case arguing that Arkansas voters’ ballots would be “diluted” if the results weren’t overturned.
First Doses Of Vaccine Administered In Arkansas As COVID Deaths Near 3,000
In what’s hoped to be a turning point for the pandemic, Arkansas began administering a vaccine Monday for the coronavirus. It came just hours after Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced the state had received its first shipment of a vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech.
Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Greg Bledsoe and four other health care workers rolled up their sleeves or exposed their shoulders during a press conference at the Arkansas Department of Health to get the shot.
Kelley Garner, Healthcare-Associated Infection program coordinator and epidemiology supervisor at the Arkansas Department of Health, was one of five frontline workers to be given the coronavirus vaccine Monday.
CREDIT MICHAEL HIBBLEN / KUAR NEWS
Tuesday's COVID-19 Update from the AR Dept of Health
COVID-19 Metrics for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 77
Active Confirmed Cases: 30
Active Probable Cases: 47
COVID-19 Metrics for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 82
Active Confirmed Cases: 45
Active Probable Cases: 37
COVID-19 Metrics for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 19
Active Confirmed Cases: 13
Active Probable Cases: 6
COVID-19 Metrics for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 126
Active Confirmed Cases: 113
Active Probable Cases: 13
COVID-19 Metrics for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 72
Active Confirmed Cases: 60
Active Probable Cases: 12
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson provided today's update on Arkansas's COVID-19 response.
In its Monday update, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 1,355 new cases; 20,691 active cases; 1,050 hospitalized, which is down 7 from Sunday; 180 on ventilators, which is down 1 from Thursday; deaths added today, 45, for a total of 2,990; a total of 187,057 cases; 141,264 recoveries; PCR tests, 9,244; antigen tests, 925.
The Health Department reported that the top counties for new cases are Pulaski, 194; Washington, 102; Benton, 95; Faulkner, 66; and Saline, 58.
Governor Hutchinson released the following statement on today’s COVID-19 numbers:
“Today is a hopeful day. After months of work, a COVID-19 vaccine is in Arkansas, and the first vaccine was given to Sherian Kwanisai today. The FDA should approve additional vaccines soon, and we will be set to cover our long-term care facilities. Brighter days are ahead, but we must continue to follow public health guidelines. This virus continues to rapidly spread, and it's up to each of us to do our part to slow the spread."
Here are today's COVID-19 statewide numbers:
Sweat Family of McCaskill Named Arkansas Farm Family of the Year
Chris and Denise Sweat of McCaskill (Hempstead County) are the 2020 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. The honor was announced last week during a virtual event honoring the county and district Farm Families of the Year.
The Sweats have two daughters,17-year-old Sara and 13-year-old Anna. Their 505-acre farm consists of natural mixed timber, along with hay, cattle, registered seedstock, hair sheep and Californian and Jersey Wooly rabbits.
https://talkbusiness.net/2020/12/sweat-family-of-mccaskill-named-arkansas-farm-family-of-the-year
