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Sevier County Investigator finds an Exciting Career by Staying Local

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Brian Hankins is a Sevier County and Lockesburg, Arkansas resident who graduated from UA Cossatot. At an early age, Brian envisioned himself working for local law enforcement. Today he works for the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office as an investigator, choosing to help and serve those in his community.
Hankins chose to pursue this career path after graduating from Horatio High School in 2004. Shortly after graduating high school, he began working as a jailer and as a dispatcher. From 2005 to 2008, Brian chose to work as a welder, but eventually discovered that his passion remained in law enforcement.
In 2008, Brian returned to working as a jailer. In hopes of one day moving up in law enforcement, he decided to take college classes. Even though a degree wasn’t a requirement at his agency, he knew that a college education could be beneficial.
In 2011, Hankins started his college career at UA Cossatot. In two years, he graduated from UA Cossatot with an Associate of Arts degree, a degree that is designed to transfer to a four-year university.
Brian Hankins said, “I chose to go to school at UA Cossatot because it was local, and I did not have to move away. I took classes at the De Queen Campus and online. There were several things that I liked about UA Cossatot. It was close to home, the staff were friendly and excellent, and I also really liked the fact that I was able to pursue my basic college classes in a small-town atmosphere.”
After achieving his associate’s degree at UA Cossatot, Brian chose to continue his education online through Arkansas Tech University. In May of 2015, he graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor’s of Professional Studies degree concentrated in Criminal Justice.
After getting into law enforcement, Brian began to work small cases and enjoyed the experience. He immediately set a goal to become an investigator. In 2017, his goal became a reality when Sheriff Robert Gentry promoted him to the role of investigator for Sevier County.
Brian says that he enjoys being able to solve cases, and one of the things he likes about his job the most is getting the chance to help return stolen property to a victim.
When asked about his education, Brian said, “I would absolutely recommend UA Cossatot. I think the college can give everyone a great experience, and I highly recommend it.”
In the spring of 2019, Brian worked as an adjunct instructor at UA Cossatot, where he taught criminal justice classes. As more students enroll in the program, he plans to teach again.
Hankins said, “UA Cossatot is a great place to pursue a criminal justice degree. People that are interested in seeking careers in the criminal justice field need education and experience. Plus, the majority of the bigger agencies at the state level and the federal level require both. I would advise all local college students to stay home and take classes at UA Cossatot, at least for the first year or two. It is a great college that offers excellent benefits.”
At the age of 33, Brian enjoys his work and having the opportunity to serve the community that he has always called home. In his downtime, he enjoys hunting, fishing, being in the outdoors, and spending time with his three children: Bentley, Canton, and Emersyn.
To learn more about the criminal justice program or other degrees and certificates offered at UA Cossatot, please contact UA Cossatot’s Student Services department at studentservices@cccua.edu.

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UA Cossatot Offering Free, Online Professional Development Courses this Summer

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UA Cossatot’s Office of Continuing Education is offering ten free self-paced courses this summer to support the communities it serves during these uncertain times. Anyone wishing to improve their skills and learn new techniques for the workplace or for personal enrichment can benefit from enrolling. Online registration is available through June 30.
A full list of classes and course descriptions can be found at UA Cossatot’s website at www.cccua.edu/ceonline.
UA Cossatot’s Public Services and Workforce Development Director, Tammy Coleman says, “These courses offer excellent opportunities for individuals to learn more about customer service, time management, supervision, organization, marketing, effective communication skills, personal finance, creating webpages, and so much more. Individuals can leverage these free courses to enter the workforce or advance their career. We also invite area employers to use this as a professional development opportunity for their employees.”
Anyone can register and access as many of the courses as they wish for three months from the time enrolled. A certificate of completion will automatically be available to the student for print or download immediately after successfully completing each course.
To sign up for a class, please visit www.cccua.edu/conted to complete an online registration form. For more information about the professional development courses offered at UA Cossatot, please contact UA Cossatot’s Continuing Education department at 870-584-1178 or continuingeducation@cccua.edu

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Howard County Farmers Market Opening

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The Farmers Market Opening - Friday, 15 May. Hours 7am to 11am.

The Howard County Farmers Market will have its first day of operation on Friday, May 15th starting at 7am. This year the farmers market will operate differently due to the nationwide pandemic.

To comply with guidance from the Arkansas Health Department, the market will be open for Drive-thru customers only to maintain social distancing. Please remain in your vehicle, the produce will be visible from the driveway. Please have your payment is small bills to minimize the need for making change. Vendors who accept WIC will have signs posted and well as those who can accept SNAP.

Friday morning the market vendors will have the following items available for purchase:

• Tomato plants
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Honey
• Eggs
• Salad Mix lettuce
• Aloe Vera plants
• New Potatoes
• Jellies and Jams
• Fried Pies : Apple, Blackberry, Chocolate, Peach
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Cabbage
• Cherries


Thank you for your patronage of our Nashville Farmers Market!

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Telehealth Resource Center Receives Over $800,000 In Funding From CARES Act

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The South Central Telehealth Resource Center has received over $800,000 in federal funding to expand its efforts in telehealth education.

The center, housed at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, but a part of the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers, received $825,000 from the Health Resources and Services Administration as a part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relieve and Economic Security or CARES Act. 

The center provides educational, technical and outreach assistance to clinics or practices that already provide or are wishing to start their own telehealth services.

Telehealth Resource Center Receives Over $800,000 In Funding From CARES Act

The South Central Telehealth Resource Center has received over $800,000 in federal funding to expand its efforts in telehealth education. The center, housed at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, but a part of the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers, received $825,000 from the Health Resources and Services Administration as a part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relieve and Economic Security or CARES Act.

 
 
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Older Americans Month in May

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Just a shout out to our Older adults for Older Americans Month. PSA:

During May, Older Americans Month, we want to recognize the contributions made by older adults
every day as volunteers, employees, employers, parents, grandparents, mentors, and advocates.

This year’s Older Americans Month theme, Make Your Mark, highlights older adults’ unique and lasting contributions to their communities by offering their time, talents, and experience.

Communities that support and include all their members are stronger! Please join Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Arkansas, Inc. on Facebook, as we publish the favorite childhood memories so graciously shared by some of the older adults in our region. For more information, contact dkendrick@aaaswa.net or call 800-272-2127.

 
 
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Cease And Desist Order To Be Sent Stopping Fort Smith Concert

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A cease and desist order is being sent to TempleLive in Fort Smith to stop a May 15 concert planned at the venue, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday. The event is scheduled ahead of the allowed date of May 18 for the limited opening of indoor venues, and the governor said a business can’t “arbitrarily determine” a reopening.

Lance Beaty, owner of Beaty Capital Group which owns and manages TempleLive, told Talk Business & Politics he is disappointed in the decision.

TempleLive, operating in the former Masonic Temple in downtown Fort Smith, announced April 23 that singer-guitarist Travis McCready, formerly with the Southern rock band Bishop Gunn, will perform an acoustic set at 8 p.m. on May 15. The concert has gained national attention with publications addressing the conflict between TempleLive and state health officials including Rolling Stone, The New York Times and Bloomberg.

During his daily COVID-19 briefing, Gov. Hutchinson said the event is three days ahead of the allowed opening and said a “specific plan” addressing health and other safety concerns was required.

“None of that was done in this case. It is out of time,” the governor said, adding that allowing the concert to go forward sends a message to other businesses that following the rules is a choice.

“You can’t just arbitrarily determine when the restrictions are lifted. That is something that is done based upon public health requirements. In terms of the concert, there will be a cease and desist order that will be issued by the Department of Health directing that that concert not take place,” Gov. Hutchinson said.

Cease And Desist Order To Be Sent Stopping Fort Smith Concert

A cease and desist order is being sent to TempleLive in Fort Smith to stop a May 15 concert planned at the venue, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday. The event is scheduled ahead of the allowed date of May 18 for the limited opening of indoor venues, and the governor said a business can't "arbitrarily determine" a reopening.

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Hospital Board Moving Quickly to Start Construction by Summer

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Hospital board moving quickly to get construction started by summer

For the complete story, visit:

https://www.dequeenbee.com (Click on link below.)

Hospital board moving quickly to get construction started by summer

Dr. Steve Cole, chairman of the Sevier County Hospital Board, spoke to the Sevier County Quorum Court at their May meeting held Monday. Cole said that the hospital board, while technically meeting only once a month, are communicating by phone, text and other means in order to make decisions as quickly as possible in order to get construction of the hospital started by the end of summer.

 
 
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From the Office of the Chancellor UA Cossatot

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UA Cossatot understands that COVID-19 has altered our lives considerably and getting back to some semblance of normal will be a welcome relief, but we also understand that we are involved in a marathon and not a sprint. We are starting to see businesses across Arkansas ramping up their openings, albeit with proper safety guidelines in place. As for UA Cossatot, we are finishing our spring semester by allowing our technical students to safely complete their requirements on campus. We have UA System – approved and extremely strict guidelines for these students as our campuses are still technically closed to visitors and normal student traffic. Currently we are open for business by email, phone or our website as all employees are either on-campus or connected to campus by Virtual Private Networks.

Our spring graduation has been moved and combined with our December Winter graduation. We feel this is the safest and most prudent way to show our appreciation to all of our graduates.

Our summer terms will be completely on-line but we expect our fall semester to be as close to “normal” as possible. This will include proper safety guidelines for all students and staff. We will have a plan “B” just in case another major COVID-19 outbreak occurs during the fall semester.

This week we launched our UA Cossatot CARES Grant ( https://www.cccua.edu/ua-cossatot-cares-grant ), a $500 grant funded by Federal stimulus funds designed to assist students who were enrolled in the spring semester and who were directly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. We received $387,000 earmarked for our students, and there will be more funds available for students that demonstrate continuing hardships due to COVID-19.

Our registration continues to be open for the summer and fall semesters. We have made our entire registration process available online for the safety and convenience of our students. Our website contains all the information students need to register: https://www.cccua.edu.

We do not know when we will be operating as normal, but rest assured, we will always be here for our students and the community. We just want to take a measured and sensible approach to fully reopening our campuses. As I have said before, these are unprecedented and unexplored times but we will all make it through by working together. You can always find more UA Cossatot information on Facebook (ED88 and UAC) and on our CCCUA.EDU and https://www.ed88radio.com websites.

Thank You,

Dr. Steve Cole
Chancellor, UA Cossatot

Cossatot Community College

UA Cossatot embraces diversity and is committed to improving the lives of those in our region by providing quality education, outstanding service, and relevant industry training. The University of Arkansas - Cossatot Community College offers degrees and certificates in more than two dozen fields.

 
 
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UA Cossatot CARES Grant Application Now Open

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University of Arkansas Cossatot has announced its application process to distribute Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds for Spring 2020 students. These $500 UA Cossatot CARES Grants are intended to help offset expenses students experienced because of the COVID-19 health emergency. The last day to submit applications is May 31, 2020.

Eligible students include those who have a valid 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the college and who attended at least one in-person class prior to March 13th.
Ineligible students include those who were taking only online courses before March 13th, international students, concurrently enrolled high school students, and students not enrolled in a degree-seeking program. Students who need assistance with their 2019-2020 FAFSA can contact UA Cossatot’s Financial Aid Department.

Students should check their email for the UA Cossatot CARES Grant application link to apply today. For more information on eligibility requirements and a list of Frequently Asked Questions please visit: www.cccua.edu/CARES

Cossatot Community College

The UA Cossatot CARES Grant is a federal grant that was established to help students that were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please click here to learn more . Students who meet basic eligibility criteria for federal financial aid can be considered for these funds.