Vol. 2, No. 11
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Sun Paper letter hammers last nail in mill coffin By Bill Sutley Dispatch Editor Shandong Sun Paper’s top executive for international projects sent letters to both state and local officials last weeks announcing the company’s intent to abandon its plans to build a $1.8 billion paper mill south of Arkadelphia. “With the likelihood of the project uncertain, it is also fair to allow the state of Arkansas to use
its resources for other ventures that have less uncertainty in the medium term," Andrzej Bednarski, the company's international project director, said in a letter. “At this moment, the collective uncertainties make it a better choice for both of us to abandon the project.” Stephen Bell, CEO and president of the Arkadelphia Regional Alliance for Economic Development, got a similarly worded let-
ter, also dated Sunday, March 15. Bell got a similar message from talking to Shandong Sun Paper officials in the first couple of months of 2020, but his counterpart at the AEDC had been more hopeful. “It’s a big disappointment for everyone involved," the AEDC chair and state Commerce Secretary Mike Preston said in a statement. “Lots of hard work, from the local community to our state
partners, went into to seeing this project succeed." While previously citing the U.S.-China trade tensions as endangering the deal, Bednarski broadened the conversation to include the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to walk away from the project that was to be on the southwest corner of Highway 26 and Highway 67 in Gum Springs. “The current situation related to the coronavirus outbreak and
continued political friction and economic instability make it impossible for us to proceed with the project within the timelines set forth in the environmental permit,” Bednarski wrote to the AEDC. “With the likelihood of the project uncertain, it is also fair to allow the State of Arkansas to use its resources for other ventures that have less See Mill • Page 4
Baptist sets up drive-thru virus testing By Bill Sutley Dispatch Editor COVID-19 fever has swept over Clark County, even though Baptist Health will not now back up its Tuesday declaration that no presumptive cases have been reported here. Baptist Health spokespersons are now referring anyone from Clark County who displays any of the symptoms of the possibly fatal
coronavirus -- fever, cough, sore throat, diarrhea and body aches -- to report to its Caddo Valley unit at 10 Montgomery Drive in Arkadelphia for drive-thru Keith Beason, left, communications director for the City of Arkadelphia, attempts unsuccessfully to use a testing. digital thermometer to check for fever in Town Hall visitor Jim Minchew Tuesday evening, just moments One of the main factors before the city Board of Directors meeting at 5:30 p,m. Local nursing homes are taking similar measures. flaming fears on social media was the Tuesday declaration by celebrated Christian artist Sandi Patty
Jury selection calling for 100 postpones trial
See Jury • Page 4
See Virus • Page 4
Keep an eye out for possible price-gouging
By Bill Sutley Dispatch Editor
The 61-year-old admitted gunman in Arkadelphia’s only homicide of 2019 walked free Monday, although technically under house arrest, after managing to post his $300,000 bond. Were it not for the turmoil that the coronavirus has created in virtually every aspect of life, Stanley Wayne Powell might be fighting to assert his innocence during a jury trial this week. But lawyers and Circuit Judge Blake Batson agreed it was better to wait Powell rather than bring in a group of 100 possible jurors, sitting tightly side by side in a courtroom, for orientation and eventual jury selection. Pretrial motions are now set for Oct. 6, with trial probably following later that month. Powell is accused in the June 6 shooting death of Jalen Da’rel Mc-
that it’s been confirmed she’s got COVID-19. She indicated she got tested in Oklahoma on March 8, a day after her March 7 concert at a local church, where she visited with many concert-goers after the event. Meanwhile, local public and private schools are all shut down, with Arkadelphia Public School District schools delivering lessons via Alternative Modes of Instruction, better known as AMI. The district has also been proactive in handing out hundreds of school lunches at a wide variety of locations, mostly beyond schools. School volunteers are also helping to prepare backpacks with supplementary food that families can use during the following week,
Help ‘flatten the curve’ By Dr. Amanda Novack Special to the Dispatch You’ve heard by now that the coronavirus, or COVID-19, is in Arkansas. As an infectious disease physician responsible for directing Baptist Health’s response to the coronavirus, COVID-19, I want to remind you to remain calm. However, the reality is that this is not business as usual and we do not need to pretend like it is. You may have seen the above graphic in the last day or so. It’s what we are referring to as “flattening the curve.” Looking at the chart, there are two curves that represent infections.
While shaped differently, the two curves actually represent the same number of infections. While the striped curve carries a longer period of time in which a virus, such as COVID-19, exists, it also reduces the number of cases at any point in time. The key to reducing the number of cases is to allow doctors, hospitals, government officials and vaccine manufacturers to function as best they can without being overwhelmed. Specifically in regard to hospitals, there are only a finite number of rooms, doctors and space. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chart See Curve • Page 4
Special to the Dispatch Clark County’s prosecuting attorney, Dan Turner, Tuesday issued a pricegouging alert related to recent federal and state emergency declarations related to the public response to the coronavirus outbreak. “State and local officials are working to prevent and treat this significant public health threat,” Turner said. “Local citizens should not have to worry about being taken advantage of while complying with public warnings during this difficult time. Since there have been official emergency declarations, our price-gouging law is in effect, and it provides broad protections against illegal price gouging on medical supplies, food, gas and other essential commodities.” Turner encourages anyone who has been the victim of price gouging, or
who has information about potential price gouging, to contact his office at (870) 246-9868 and the Arkansas Attorney General’s office (800-482-8982) or contact their local police department or the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. The Arkansas Attorney General has also issued a public statement advising state residents that the price-gouging prohibitions also apply to individuals making sales in the state through Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or Amazon. Turner wants local citizens to know that Arkansas law specifically prohibits gouging and that he and local officials will not tolerate unfair prices or inappropriate hoarding of essential commodities. The state’s specific price-gouging statute generally prohibits charging a See Price • Page 4
New hand could weld dreams together By Spencer Watson Special to the Dispatch
It was a great day for fishing in May 2018 and when Bryce Cook, 16, of Arkadelphia, was headed toward a nearby river on a side-by-side to pursue one of his favorite pastimes. By all accounts – his own, witnesses, subsequent police investigation – he wasn’t going fast when, as the road went from pavement to dirt, the right rear tire of the all-terrain vehicle struck a boulder that had been left after grading work on the road. He cut the turn hard to correct, but when the vehicle started to flip, he instinctively threw up his left arm to brace himself. That’s when it caught in the roll bar. “I realized something was wrong. I thought I’d broken my arm because it hurt pretty bad right as it happened,” said Cook, now 17. He immediately realized his danger with no one nearby to call for help. He went to reach for his phone with the arm he’d stuck out only to immediately real-
ize it was gone. “My phone was in my left pocket because I’m lefthanded, but I couldn’t reach it. I remember my arm being gone,” he said. Cook eventually managed to work the phone out of his pocket and hold it with his chin to dial his parents, but there was no cell service. A nearby resident, who happened to be the janitor at his old middle school and who lives in one of the last houses he’d passed, heard Cook’s calls for help and came running,. The man’s wife called an ambulance. As the ambulance rushed to the airport, a helicopter was called to fly Cook to Little Rock. The accident eventually brought Cook to UAMS Orthopaedics, which last year launched a one-stop multidisciplinary clinic for upper extremity amputees under fellowship-trained surgeons Dr. Mark Tait and Dr. John Bracey. See Hand • Page 5
Bryce Cook reaches toward a therapy tool used to help patients learn to use muscle sensors to control a robotic prosthetic.
2 News
Thursday, March 19, 2020
State thespians honor HSU prof
Arkadelphia Dispatch
Special to the Dispatch
The Percy and Donna Malone Child Safety Center will hold its fifth annual Duck Derby Festival Saturday, April 4 in the parking lot of Ouachita Baptist’s Cliff Harris Stadium. The 2020 Duck Waddle 5K Race kicks off the event at 9 a.m. Runners will be chip-timed. The festival will also feature music, bounce houses, prizes for the many games and a chili cook-off. To eat, go to the Buy Now link at https://www. pdmcsc.org/waddle.html. A bowl of your favorite chili, cornbread and a drink go for $5, plus a 45-cent transaction fee. To avoid the fee, mail a check into PDMCSC Development, P.O. Box 292, Arkadelphia, Ark. 71923. Indicate the number you want on the memo line and make the check for $5 times the numbers of tickets desired. >>> <<< Henderson State University will hold its spring 2020 Career Fair from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7. An intern showcase will run from 3-5 p.m. For more information, contact career@hsu.edu. >>> <<< Amity Trade Days, the 54-acre outdoor market at the site of the old lumber mill in Amity, will be held April 10-12, featuring one of the state’s largest monthly outdoor vintage flea markets. The market runs, rain or shine, in three huge open-air buildings where vendors from several states gather. Beyond items for sale, there’s live music on Saturdays and a wide range of food on all three days.. Other dates for the market this year are May 8-10, June 5-7, July 10-12, Aug. 7-9, Sept. 11-13, Oct. 9-11, Nov. 6-8 and Dec. 11-13. >>> <<< Doug Gilpin, a longtime Henderson State theatre proArkadelphia Bands will host its first-ever Mattress Sale Fundfessor, displays the plaque he received recently as an inaugural member of the state thespian society’s Hall of raiser from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 18 at AHS, 401 High School Fame. Road. The fundraising sale will feature brands such as Simmons, Beautyrest and more, with on-site mattresses priced up to 50% below catalogs. joined the Arkansas He was a 2013 MemThespian Society, where retail. >>> <<< phis Ostrander Nomihe began judging festinee for his design for val events and providGrammy Award-winner and Blues Hall of Fame honoree Bobby “Time Stands Still” at ing workshops for high Rush will perform in concert on Friday, April 24 as part of the Fordyce the Circuit Playhouse school students. He led on the Cottonbelt festival from April 19-25 in the town about an hour and a 2007 Ostrander summer workshops east of Arkadelphia. Festival details and more info on Rush’s concert Nominee for “Noises for high school theatre will be available later at https://fordyceonthecottonbeltfestival.com. Off” at the University of teachers from around >>> <<< Memphis. He received a the state. Glenwood's annual Caddo River Festival will be Friday-Saturday, 2007 Individual ArtDuring its festival last April 24-25 this year. For more information or to sign up as a vendor, ist Fellowship from the month, the society Arkansas Arts Council. changed the name of visit https://www.facebook.com/caddoriver.fest/. Examples of his design the Thespian Technical >>> Ongoing <<< work were published Theatre Scholarship to In This Place, an exhibition featuring the work of three photoin the 2008 edition of the Douglas Gilpin Argraphic artists, Margo Duvall, Emily Najera and Dina Santos, will reScene Design & Stage kansas Thespian Techmain on display at the Arkadelphia Arts Center, 625 Main St., through Lighting, a textbook. nical Theatre ScholarMarch 19. The show unites three artists exploring notions of “place” by After earning an MFA ship, honoring Gilpin’s documenting landscape, construction scenes and portraiture. The exhiin design from Texas contributions to the bition is a continuation of a show recently featured at Henderson State Tech University in 1988, organization’s students Gilpin started teachand teachers over the University’s Russell Fine Arts Gallery and curated by Duvall, an assising at Henderson and last 32 years. tant professor of art at HSU. The downtown arts center’s hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. >>> <<< Alcoholics Anonymous holds two meetings a week in Arkadelphia. The meetings are open to anyone interested in AA’s program of recovery. The Arkadelphia Group meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the Sturgis Building at North 9th and Caddo streets. For more information on the Arkadelphia Group meetings, call 870-403-3001. The U-Turn Group meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays on the front, upper level of Park Hill Baptist Church, 3163 Hollywood Road. For information on that group’s meetings, call 870-230-2975 or 870-260-9277. >>> <<< Al-Anon meetings, designed to help family and friends affected by alcohol, are held three days a week in the Arkadelphia area: • Tuesday, 7 p.m., Sturgis Building, corner of 9th and Caddo. 870-403-2019 • Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Park Hill Baptist Church. 870-230-1954 • Friday, noon, Clark County Library, 609 Caddo St., side door. 512-750-2292 Three generations of a military family at Thursday night’s annual ROTC Awards Banquet honoring Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist cadets in a joint program >>> <<< included Zac Richardson, foreground left, and his sister, Eva Richardson, from left, Narcotics Anonymous’ local Recovery World group meets at 7 who are the children of Gibb Richardson, current Army National Guard, his wife Kim p.m. on Mondays at the Sturgis Building at the corner of 9th and CadRichardson and her mother and father, Karen and retired Col. Paul Joplin, who was do. The meetings are open to anyone interested in recovering from an the banquet speaker. To the right of the colonel is the third Richardson child, Bradley Richardson, an OBU ROTC cadet, and his date, Emma Anderson. addiction to legal and illegal drugs.
Douglas Gilpin, professor of theatre arts at Henderson State University, was inducted into the Arkansas Thespian Society’s Hall of Fame on Feb. 15 at the annual 2020 Arkansas Thespian Festival. Gilpin, a frequent designer and director for Henderson theatre and dance productions, has taught there for 32 years. √“Gilpin, as we like to call him, is one of the greatest set design professors in the state,” Hollie Shepherd, executive board member of Arkansas Thespians, said in a speech announcing the award last month at the Arkansas Thespian Festival in Jonesboro. “Gilpin has not only poured his heart and soul into the theatre department at HSU, but he designs amazing sets for multiple theatre companies around the country as well.” Gilpin’s work includes the scenic design for “Other Desert Cities,” selected for the 2016 United States Institute for Theatre Technology Design Expo Exhibition, a biennial juried design exhibition featured in Theatre Design and Technology, a national journal. The exhibition was part of the annual national conference of USITT. His scenic designs were previously selected and featured in 2016, 2014 and 2006 USITT Design Expo
AHS Quiz Bowl team headed to state? Maybe Arkadelphia cinched the 4A South Quiz Bowl Championships on Saturday, March 7, clearing the way for the Badgers to go for another state title. But, complicating matters, the Arkansas Activities Association has put all competition on temporary hold, casting doubt on the whole state tournament possibility as a result of the COVID-9 pandemic. Arkadelphia’s Alex Carter was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in the 4ASouth Quiz Bowl Championships.
Arkadelphia High School students selected by teacher Clair Mays to compete in the Governor’s Regional Coding Competition on Feb. 28 at Dawson Coop were, from left, Colin Phillips, Caleb Cornelius and Aisha Faiq.They will find out Friday if any of them qualify to compete in the statewide coding competition in May. Verizon sponsors the event.
Williams Funeral Home, an Arkadelphia institution since the 1950s, held a groundbreaking for its new facility at 1517 Caddo St., on Wednesday, March 11, attracting dozens of friends and local business supporters. The groundbreaking comes a year after fire destroyed the funeral home’s main building at the site near Caddo and 16th streets. Since then, funeral director Roland Gosey, a city Board of Directors member, has been working out of West End Presbyterian Church property on Greenwood Avenue.
Arkadelphia Dispatch
News 3
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Obituaries Roy Edward Snider, retired banker
Roy Edward Snider, Jr., 81, of Arkadelphia, died Saturday, March 14 at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock. A Smackover native, Ed graduated from Camden High School and then earned in 1960 a business degree from his beloved Ouachita Baptist University, where he received the President’s Award as the Outstanding Senior in the class. Afterward, he served four years in the United States Army at Fort Gordon, where he met the love of his life and future bride, Betty Lynn McKenzie. He went on to complete a Graduate School of Banking degree at Louisiana State University. Ed worked in banking nearly 50 years, including financial institutions in Camden, Paragould, Pine Bluff, Fordyce and Arkadelphia. His Arkansas banking and business peers recognized him with numerous awards and honors. Ex-Gov. Frank White nominated him to the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission, and he received the Purple Heart Award as a distinguished OBU alumnus. He also served on many boards of directors, including the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas Baptist Foundation. But it was later in life that he received his favoriyr honor of all — being called GrandEd by his six grandchildren: Jack, Chase, Shelby, Keathley, Mary McKenzie and Pearson. Any time he spent with them was his favorite time. He loved being with, encouraging, cheering on, sharing wisdom, asking questions, telling stories and having fun with them any way he could. He would keep them
at the drop of a hat and attended countless sporting events, cheer competitions, school activities, baptisms and anything else where he could be present with them. He loved his grandkids with all of his heart and always wanted the best for them. Ed served with all his heart in many capacities as a faithful member of First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia, where he taught his men’s Sunday School class for over 35 years. His hope and faith in God through Jesus Christ shaped his purpose as much of his life was dedicated to helping and serving others. He truly believed that God placed all of us on this earth to bless others and his life was a beautiful example of someone doing their best to live that out. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy Edward Snider, Sr., and Ruby Snider, and a son, Scott McKenzie Snider. He is also survived by his wife of 57 years, Betty Lynn Snider; two brothers, Clyde Snider (Joyce) and Bob Snider (Martha) of Little Rock; son Steve Snider (Beth) of Little Rock; daughter-in-law Mary Fahoum (Yousef); and many nieces and nephews. Ruggles-Wilcox Funeral Home in Arkadelphia is handling arrangements. Much love and thanks go to the people of Twin Rivers Nursing Home for taking such good care of Ed in this season of his life. In light of current concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus, a memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ouachita Baptist University or LifeCHAMPS Youth Sports. Visit www.ruggleswilcox.com to sign the online guestbook.
Billy Webb,
former Arkadelphian Billy Webb, 80, formerly of Arkadelphia, died March 11 2020 in Springdale, Arkansas. Billy was born on October 20, 1939, to Inez and Willie Webb in Arkadelphia and graduated from Arkadelphia High in 1958. After four years in Army service, he returned home and worked in various retail establishments and at Reynolds Aluminum and Carter Chevrolet. Weekends saw him mowing lawns and cheering on his children in athletics. His children, Loree and Chris, were the pride of his life with former wife, Sandy (Webb) Wong. Billy was preceded in death by his mother, Inez Webb; his father, Willie Webb; his sisters, Hankey Gwin and Patsy Webb; and his brothers, Eddie Webb and Tommy Webb. He is survived by one sister, Linda Harris (and Frank) of Roland,
Billy Webb
Arkansas; his daughter, Loree Webb of Benton; his son, Chris Webb (and Julie) of Springdale; two grandsons, Taylor Patterson and Luke Webb; and three granddaughters, Cassandra Webb, Whitlee Patterson, and McCarley Perkins. Funeral service was at 11 a.m. Monday, March 16 at First United Methodist Church in Arkadelphia. Arrangements were entrusted to Memorial Funeral Home, 3926 Willowood Avenue, Springdale. Online condolences may be made to www.memorialfhspringdale.com.
There he is .... Lunden Cotton, above left, raises his hands in victory as he’s named Mr. Badger Friday night at the Central Primary Auditorium. And the contestants also performed a number, left, with Cotton not in the photo because he’s playing keyboards for the singing group -- with one well-motivated dancer apparently. The event -- significant as probably the last until COVID-19 goes away -- raises money for the Arkadelphia school bands.
Congressman seeks coronavirus answers By U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman
As coronavirus continues spreading in the U.S., I urge everyone to exercise caution and work to protect your health and the health of friends and family. Many of you have called or written to me asking for more information, so Congressman French Hill and I hosted a telephone town hall to answer questions. Dr. Nate Smith, from the Arkansas Department of Health, joined us on the line, and his advice was so valuable. You can watch our full town hall at www. facebook.com/RepWesterman, or visit www.healthy.arkansas. gov for more details. I wanted to share some of the questions we received, so you
can remain informed on what’s going on: Q: What are some symptoms of the coronavirus, and how do you know you should go to the hospital? A: The symptoms of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, can look like a lot of other things, especially during flu season. People will start out with a fever or cough, but it is different from the flu. The flu will hit you pretty suddenly, but COVID-19 tends to come on a little more gradually. It usually takes several days before people are feeling badly. Most of these cases – at least 80 percent – are very mild and people don’t get very sick. The big thing doctors are looking for
is if someone has traveled to a place where there is active COVID-19 spread or if they’ve been in contact with someone known to have the infection. Make sure to call your doctor and explain your symptoms over the phone before heading to the hospital, to avoid exposing others to potential contamination. Q: Is Arkansas ready to handle COVID-19 if things get bad? A: The public health lab at the Arkansas Department of Health has enough free agents at this time to do between 1,800 and 2,000 tests. They will also be able to obtain additional tests if they run out.
Gurdon making sure food distributed By Sherry Kelley Gurdon Mayor What a difference a week makes. With the closing of the Gurdon Public Schools due to the threat of coronavirus, I am pleased to share some good news: Gurdon Public Schools had free lunch for all students 18 years and younger. Buses delivered the lunches on the bus routes and pick up was available at the Gurdon Primary School. About 400 lunches were distributed on Tuesday. Superintendent Allan Blackwell said that, moving forward, the school will take it on a week by
week basis. Mount Canaan Baptist Church provided a "Grab and Go Breakfast" this week at the church from 7:45 to 9:00 a.m. Its pastor, the Rev. Johnny Harris, said they will continue as long as they can. As I was reading my devotional a week ago, one part stood out. Waiting, trusting and hoping. As the current week unfolded, I kept coming back to that. Waiting on God and waiting to assume normal activities for the benefit of all. Trusting in God. Hoping for a good outcome. The health and safety of our community and espe-
cially those who are most at risk is of primary importance. We all, regardless of age, need to follow recommendations to keep our vulnerable population safe until the threat levels are reduced. Over a short period last week, Gurdon received 6 and a 1/2 inches of rain. On Saturday night, there was a heavy downpour with sleet and hail that lasted for 20 minutes or more. With all the gray skies, it is wonderful to see
that Gwen Thomerson has ferns, bedding plants, potted plant containers and more on First Street across from the Union Pacific Train Depot. Speaking of downtown, Gary Plyler tells me that the 113 Main Street retail store space is now available. It is a great location between the Gurdon Beehive Store and The Market On Main. Call Gary for more information 3534466.
The Arkadelphia Dispatch 812 Clinton St., Suite B Arkadelphia, AR 71923 Phone: 870-617-7001 Editor: Bill Sutley email: arkadelphiadispatch@gmail.com The Arkadelphia Dispatch is published weekly by Nashville Leader, Inc., 119 N. Main, Nashville, AR 71852.
Banks CPA, PLLC Stephanie M. Banks, CPA 204 North 27th Street Arkadelphia, AR 71923-5309 Phone: (870) 245-3975 Fax: (870) 246-7149
4 News
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Arkadelphia Dispatch
Baptist Health further clamps down on hospital visitation Special to the Dispatch Baptist Health, including its Arkadelphia medical center, Wednesday began limiting to one-on-one the number of visitors to non-isolation patients that it will allow as a result of coronavirus precautions. A spokesman also confirmed Tuesday that no cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Clark County. The higher visitation system also limits the single visitor to be the same person each day. Other changes include: • That one visitor should come and stay for one visit rather than making multiple trips in order to decrease traffic through the hospital. • They should also remain in the pa-
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Ghee, 26, also of Arkadelphia. Court records show Arkadelphia Police received a 911 call at 1:19 a.m. June 6, 2019 from Alvin Buckley at 911 S. 25th Street Circle. Buckley requested police and an ambulance for the shooting victim, unidentified at the time, who had been shot in the street near the home. Buckley also told police he thought the shooter was still at the scene. During the phone call, another male began speaking over the phone and identified himself as Powell, telling the 911 dispatcher he was the shooter. Within minutes, officer Chris-
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was updated with one important aspect. The one that shows a dotted line above the smaller curve. It represents the capacity of the health care system. By preventing the spread of coronavirus, it keeps the amount of infections within the range that allows healthcare providers to treat people. Looking at the picture, you can see that even if you don’t reduce total
Mill
Continued from page 1 tainty in the medium term. At this moment, the collective uncertainties make it a better choice for both of us to abandon the project.” Both the AEDC and the Economic Development Corp. of Clark County board are actively marketing to other
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generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds, by more than 10 percent, the price of an item before a state or federal declaration of emer-
tient room at all times. • This includes critical care, surgical services and procedural areas. Patients who are on special isolation in any care setting will not be allowed inperson visitors, but coordination will be made with patients and their families to address communication via other means, including phone calls and video messaging. Children and teens younger than 15 are not allowed to visit Baptist Health’s medical centers, though care will continue for patients of all ages. This includes sibling visits in labor and delivery, postpartum and the neonatal intensive care unit. Normal visitation hours will be 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Overnight guests will be
required to stay in the patient’s room and not leave the hospital from 10 p.m.-6:30 a.m. All common areas such as public waiting areas and hospital cafeterias remain closed. No visitors are allowed in behavioral health units. End-of-life situations will allow visitation at the discretion of a hospital’s clinical leadership, in conjunction with security. Baptist Health’s hospitals have also implemented restrictions on entry points across the health care system, and continue to monitor guidance from the Arkansas Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for possible additional measures. Those seeking entry into the system’s
topher Sparks arrived at the scene first and spoke with both Buckley and Powell while Powell was still on the phone with the 911 dispatcher. Powell was standing near a Volkswagen Jetta and identified himself to Sparks as the shooter. Powell pointed to a handgun laying between the hood and the windshield on the passenger side of the vehicle. Across from the vehicle, Sparks saw McGhee, who appeared to have a gunshot wound to his chest, lying on the ground and identified him. By then, ambulance personnel arrived and transported McGhee to Baptist Health Medical Center in Arkadelphia, where he later died from the gunshot wound. First-degree murder is a Class Y felony that could result in a sentence ranging from 10-40 years or life in prison. Prosecuting attorney Dan
Turner has contended Powell should receive up to 15 more years in prison as a result of using a firearm. On Aug. 1, Powell’s Little Rockbased defense attorney, Proctor, filed a notice stating Powell intends to say he acted in self-defense. Proctor has also filed a motion seeking to suppress the 911 call made by Buckley that later included Powell saying he was the shooter. No decision had been made on that motion as of Tuesday. Some motions in the case are already being considered by Batson — most notably an effort by Proctor to introduce the results of a toxicology report of the victim’s body. Turner has ordered that it might confuse jurors and have them consider that drugs or alcohol as a mitigating factor in the homicide.
cases, slowing down the rate of an epidemic can be critical. This graphic is changing minds, and by changing minds, it is saving lives. Diseases like coronavirus spread through person-to-person contact. Flu vaccines can reduce the risk of a person contracting the illness by 45 percent. There is no vaccine for the coronavirus, meaning far more people are vulnerable to COVID-19, which increases the opportunity for it to spread. The more people present in a small area, the greater the risk to spread. The faster the virus spreads the more likely infection totals will mirror the larger curve compared to
the smaller curve. The best ways for someone to protect themselves: • Avoid close contact with people. • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. • Cover all coughs and sneezes. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. This may get worse before it gets better, but you can do your part to help “flatten the curve.” Novack is the medical director of infection prevention for Baptist Health in Arkansas. This was adapted from her Be Healthy blog.
prospects the 1,000-acre super site owned by the EDCCC. Bell indicated that a strong potential industry client had visited recently, but he was unable to release any more about the prospect. The county is asking to sell the property, which it bought over several years’ time, for $3,000 an acre. Until then, though, the county can recoup some of the more than $10 million it’s invested in the land and related projects — none of which was
lost to Shandong Sun Paper — because of a contract, executed about two weeks ago, to allow a local agricultural company, Huneycutt Farms, to lease about half the property to raise cotton, soybeans and more. Huneycutt, led by Ted Huneycutt of Arkadelphia, will pay $13,305 a year to keep the lease going. Local and state officials are marketing the property to industrial prospects through buildingandsites. com.
gency. It protects the public during the time of a declared emergency and for 180 days following the declaration. It applies to those who sell food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, building materials and gasoline. The law also applies to repair or reconstruction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations and rental housing.
Exceptions may exist if the price of labor, goods or materials experience an actual increase in cost. Each violation of the Arkansas act is a Class A misdemeanor that could result in a year in jail and a $10,000 fine. Violations may also lead to additional criminal and civil sanctions under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and other criminal statutes.
medical centers will be asked to sign in, designate who is visiting and answer the following health screening questions: • Do you have a fever? • Have you traveled outside the country within the last 14 days? • Do you have respiratory or flu-like symptoms? • Have you had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19? These restrictions on visitation are intended to keep Baptist Health patients, visitors, caregivers and facilities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. People who feel they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and are showing symptoms should call 9-1-1.
Corps announces virus precautions VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Vicksburg District, which oversees Lake DeGray, has canceled its first-ever Meet the District Open House and s taking precautions to assist public health efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect USACE employees and visitors. Effective Monday, the Vicksburg District began restricting access to all of its office sites to employees, contractors and essential service personnel. “The health of our team and the community is our top priority,” said commander Col. Robert A. Hilliard. District leadership is also limiting meetings and other gatherings to 15 or fewer employees and is encouraging employees to telework if possible. Also, foreign travel is on hold for employees for at least two months. The district open house, announced in the March 12 Dispatch, had been scheduled for March 26 at the district headquarters in Vicksburg.
Student from Arkadelphia makes Southern Arkansas President’s List MAGNOLIA — Alexandria Mary Hunter of Arkadelphia earned a 4.0 GPA in the fall 2019 semester, securing a prestigious position on Southern Arkansas University's President's List. Hunter is a senior Biological Sciences major. A total of 379 SAU students were honored on the fall semester’s President’s List, breaking last year's record of 290.
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lunches will not be handed out. Ouachita Baptist moved immediately last weekend to starting Spring Break, also the last week of March, a week early. Several professors have been preparing to spend as much as the rest of the semester out of classrooms. But most schools are taking a wait-and-see attitude. Henderson State went to online classes almost immediately. All activities beyond the classroom
— most notably sports — have been suspended at the universities, as well as at local public schools. APSD will be consulting with the Arkansas Activities Association upon return from Spring Break to see if any baseball, softball, soccer and track and field can continue. The Reddies faced the heart-breaking loss of its men’s basketball from the NCAA Division II quarterfinals, which were to start last weekend in Missouri. Great American Conference officials will, like their AAA counterparts, assess the situation for salvaging the spring sports seasons at about the end of March.
Arkadelphia Dispatch
News 5
Thursday, March 19, 2020
OBU Honors Program helps student travel for research
By OBU News Bureau Five students in Ouachita Baptist University’s Carl Goodson Honors Program were recognized and awarded travel grants during the program’s recent annual Black and White Reception to further their individual research and studies. In addition, about 120 new members of the program were introduced at the Feb. 20 reception, and more than 35 honors students also were honored in recognition of their successful thesis proposals. The recipients of this year’s travel grants are designed to help students with research abroad or in the U.S. related to their honors theses. Grant recipients this year are Tray Armstrong, Kayla Churchwell, Sara Patterson, Hannah Perkins and Joao Rodrigues. Armstrong is a junior English and psychology double major from Rockwall, Texas. He will be studying
comic books, discovering why superheroes matter so much to individuals and society, and will travel to the Billy Ireland Comics Library and Museum at Ohio State University, which is the world’s largest comics library. Armstrong said he was at a national swim meet in Cleveland, Miss., competing on behalf of Ouachita, when he got word he had won the travel aid. “The grant itself will allow me to complete the research I’ve been working on since summer 2019 and extend it beyond what I thought possible by allowing me to travel to pursue my interests,” he said. Churchwell, a junior biology, chemistry and Spanish triple major from Searcy, will travel to Latin America to further study and research Costa Rica’s health care system to understand how it operates at a national level and how it benefits or hurts its recipients. Churchwell’s thesis is comprised of
Three of Ouachita’s 2020 Honors Program travel grant recipients, from left, Sara Patterson, Hannah Perkins and Kayla Churchwell (far right) pose for a photo after Ouachita’s Honors Black and White Reception. René Zimny, center, assistant director of visual art, will assist Perkins with her research, and Sharon Hamilton, second from right, will help Churchwell. Other recipients are Tray Armstrong and Joao Rodrigues. research conducted on cost-effective, Churchwell said. “Since the wound synthetic wound healing devices. healing device is cost-effective, the “I wanted to be able to tie in my idea is that it would be beneficial in Spanish major with my thesis,” Third World countries.”
FOI crucial in pandemic By Brenda Blagg Special to the Dispatch
Bryce Cook shows surgeons Dr. Mark Tait and Dr. John Bracey a video of him using his prosthetic to adapt to a new welding technique.
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Since his accident, Cook was fitted with a body-powered prosthetic, which allows him to use body movement to move his arm at the elbow or, by locking the arm with a different movement, to open and close a claw for gripping and lifting. “When you have amputation above the elbow, it makes it a little more difficult in regards to prosthetic planning because you need to replace more joints,” Bracey said. “You not only replace hand joints but have to replace elbow bending and extension, too.” Tait said he and Bracey started their clinic because of the need to customize each prosthetic. “Each patient is very individualized,” Tait said. “So, depending on their handedness, what profession they do, the things they want to be able to do with their prosthetic, you really have to tune that to the patient.” That fine-tuning proved invaluable as Cook moved on after his accident. He finished Gurdon High School via homeschooling and graduated a year early. He’s now in his second semester of college, studying welding at National Park College in Hot Springs. “I wanted to go into the military, but things happened,” Cook said.”So I figured I could still weld because I knew of people who were one-armed welders. It seemed like something I could do, and I really liked it.”
Bryce Cook, who lost his left arm in a 2018 accident, chats while he awaits an appointment with orthopaedic surgeons at the amputee clinic. As he’s studied, his classmates have rallied to help him figure out how to adapt two-handed tasks so they will work for Cook. However, the young student and his family are hoping technology will empower him further. They hope to get a new prosthetic that will use sensors to detect muscle impulses and translate those into robotic movement. “There’s some meaningful benefit to the reconstructive surgery we’re doing for amputees,” Tait said.”You take the nerves that used to go to the hand and transfer them into new muscles. Not only does this help with some phantom pain in the arm, but it can also help make a robotic prosthetic more functional.”
And that’s the key to a UAMS patient being able to learn how to use it. “So you take a computer, which has electrodes that you can place on top of the skin, and the patient can think about closing their hand and that will now fire a new muscle in their arm, and they can see an image or model of a hand closing.” Bracey applauded UAMS’ willingness to invest in training as well as prosthetics. “We’re lucky in that we’re one of the few places that has the device and the computer program to do this type of training,” he said. Cook is enthusiastic to train for it while his family raises funds to pursue the new robotic prosthetic, which is not covered by insurance. “What’s cool about it is that, while I’m trying to weld something, I won’t have to move my whole body to weld,” he said. “I’d just have to move one muscle, and it won’t get it in the way while I’m welding. It’ll help a lot.” Meanwhile, he’s adapted to his new reality and staying positive about his circumstances. “It makes a big difference when you don’t have an arm to do little things like holding a pot and stirring while cooking,” he said. “It was a very serious thing that happened, and it was very traumatic. But I’ve always been a really happy person and a get-up-and-go kind of guy. So I wasn’t going to change that or let it change me. I think it helped me for the better and made me realize a lot of different things and that life is precious and we can’t take it for granted.”
When the world is in the midst of a pandemic, it may seem trivial to talk about freedom of information. It is instead highly relevant to the situation at hand. People need to know what is happening, how serious the threat is and how that may change in the days, weeks and months ahead as this nation deals with the rapidly spreading coronavirus disease, or COVID-19. They must be able to trust both the information they’re getting and the sources from which it comes. Lives could depend on how the public responds. That’s when the freedom of information can factor into the equation, shining a light on government operations and either promoting confidence in the government or encouraging change in the response. This week, the nation again marks “Sunshine Week,” an annual effort to celebrate freedom of information and highlight the importance of open-records and openmeetings laws and of public access to government decision-making that impacts us all. Both federal and state “sunshine” laws open up government records and meetings to the people they serve.
In Arkansas, the public interest in the government is protected by the state’s Freedom of Information Act, which was first enacted in 1967. It has endured numerous amendments in the decades since, some good and some not so good. But it still enables any Arkansas resident to monitor what state and local governmental entities do. Provisions of the FOI Act specifically extend to all Arkansans, and it is frequently used by people other than the press. As a practical matter, the watchdog role most often falls to newspapers or other media outlets that cover government. That’s particularly true in the current environment where every responsible news outlet is trying to keep people informed about COVID-19. They’re using every means possible, including FOI laws, to track what governments are doing and to get that story to the public. Those reporters will be the ones following up later, too, to hold government officials accountable for how they dealt with this evolving crisis. Brenda Blagg is a freelance columnist. E-mail comments or questions to brendajblagg@gmail.com.
6 Sports
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Arkadelphia Dispatch
Colleges, GAC follow NCAA indefinite stop order INDIANAPOLIS — On March 12, amid the ongoing public health threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled all 2020 NCAA winter and spring championships. This includes the cancellation of the NCAA DII Men's Basketball Regional this weekend in Maryville, Missouri, which Henderson State was set to begin play at on Saturday.
The decision from the NCAA is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, the NCAA's ability to ensure events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during the academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities. Following the decision from the NCAA, the Great American Conference Council of Presidents an-
nounced an immediate and indefinite suspension of the conference's athletic activities — practices and competitions — for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. "The top priority for the Great American Conference and its membership is the health of student-athletes, staff, and our campus communities," the league said in a statement. "The conference office will work with the Council of Presidents to
monitor all information impacting athletic departments during the remainder of the spring semester. Additionally, the GAC will work with the NCAA to advocate for all affected conference student-athletes." In accordance with the NCAA and the GAC, all upcoming Henderson State athletic events are suspended indefinitely.
OBU softball sweeps MC doubleheader
Henderson State baseball head coach Cody Hooten shared this locker room moment when he gave his players and assistants the news last weekend that all games on the schedule were suspended for the foreseeable future. “What we do is relatively insignificant compared to a global pandemic,” Hooten said in a tweet. “That doesn’t make it any easier to prematurely say good bye to this group. Great kids that had great things ahead of them this season. They will come out the other side stronger.”
Local HSU freshman star wins hitting honor By HSU Sports Info. After being named GAC Player of the Week for the second-straight week on Monday, Henderson State's Alec Lewis picked up an even bigger honor on Thursday when he was named Central Region Hitter of the Week by the National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Lewis, a freshman outfielder from Arkadelphia and graduate of Arkadelphia High School, has been on a tear of late and it continued last week when he finished 9-for-14 in four contests with 12 RBIs, four home runs, 21
total bases and a slugging percentage of 1.500. Lewis hit three of his four home runs in the Reddies' 25-12 win over Southern Nazarene on Saturday. Since being inserted into the starting lineup against Southern Arkansas on Feb. 16, Lewis has been unstoppable at
HSU splits softball finale series By HSU Sports Information Mallory Brewer went the distance for the seventh time this season as she led the Reddies to a 2-1 victory in the series opener versus Southern Nazarene on Friday. The Reddies were unable to sweep the first half of the four-game set, as Southern Nazarene scored 11 runs in the top of the 10th inning to split the doubleheader 13-2. Ashlyn Taylor was Henderson's best hitter on the afternoon and drove home all four runs the Reddies scored. Henderson State (8-14, 4-6) is back in action tomorrow for a double-header with Southern Nazarene with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. Henderson's shortstop Taylor was bumped to the fifth spot in the order on Friday and quickly proved worthy of the promotion as she opened the scoring in the bottom of the second with a solo home run to left center field that gave HSU a 1-0 lead. The blast was Taylor's
third of the season, tying her with Abbie Moore and Taylor Sledd for the team lead. The Reddies flashed the leather in the top of the third and held on to their modest lead when HSU's center fielder Kaitlyn O'Quinn threw out the tying run at the plate following a single from SNU's Jacey James. It was a different story in the top of the fifth however, as an error by the HSU outfield allowed the Crimson Storm to tie the game after yet another single from James. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth and O'Quinn standing on second after a single and sacrifice, it was once again time for Taylor to break the tie. The Arkadelphia native delivered a single down the third base line to score O'Quinn and give the Reddies their second one run lead, 2-1. Brewer slammed the door in the top of the seventh to pick up her third win as HSU grabbed a 2-1 victory.
HSU wins GAC Golfer of Week RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Following a second-place finish this week in Destin, Florida, Henderson State's Allie Bianchi was named Great American Conference Golfer of the Week on Wednesday, the league office announced. Bianchi had her best showing of the season in a loaded field at the Emerald Coast Classic. The freshman from Allen, Texas shot rounds of 3-over 74, 1-over 72, and 1-over 72 to finish as the individual runner-up at the 13-team event. Bianchi racked up nine birdies at the tournament, which was the second-most of any player, and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Her individual result helped HSU take second as a team in a field that featured eight schools ranked inside of GolfStat's Top-75 for NCAA DII. The GAC weekly award is the first of Bianchi's career. She is the third
Allie Bianchi gets first GAC honor.
different Reddie to earn Golfer of the Week recognition this season, joining Taylor Loeb and Karen Lee. Her honor is the fourth of the year for the program. Henderson returns to the course on April 6-7 when it hosts the HSU Spring Invitational at Hot Springs Country Club.
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the plate for Henderson. He has a team-leading .476 average, 20 hits, six home runs and a slugging percentage of .976.
By OBU Sports Info. The Ouachita Baptist Tigers softball team swept a midweek doubleheader against Mississippi College with 3-2 and 5-2 wins last week. The Tiger pitching staff was stellar in both games, and the offense did just enough to get the job done in two big wins. G1: MC 2, OBU 3 The Tigers walked it off in the bottom of the seventh inning on a Sloane Precure double that scored Heather Brown. Madison Miller started for the Tigers and pitched a complete game, 7 innings, giving up two earned runs on just four hits, striking out seven. Sloane Precure and Callie Jourdan both recorded two hits and one RBI respectively. Leighton Withers also recorded an RBI and was the first to get the scoring going. In the bottom of the first, she hit an infield single that scored Heather Brown. Jourdan then singled to score Precure to put the Tigers up 2-0 in the first inning. The Lady Choctaws tied things up in the top of the fourth at two on a tworun single. Despite the Lady
Choctaws answer, Sloane Precure delivered in the clutch to propel the Tigers to victory. G2: MC 2, OBU 5 The Tiger offense established control early and kept control throughout the game. On top of the offense, Nicole Arreola delivered a complete game win. Arreola started for the Tigers in this one and went 7 complete innings. She gave up two earned runs on six hits, striking out two. Tally Turnbow, Heather Brown and Sloane Precure led the Tiger offense. They all recorded two hits and an RBI. Tori Herbert and Kyndal Moyer also delivered one RBI each. The Lady Choctaws got the scoring going in the top half of the second on a homerun. The Tigers then answered back on a Herbert single. The Tigers added one in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth. Arreola closed things out in the seventh to send the Lady Choctaws home with two losses. The Tigers improved to 5-19 on the season and sit at 1-11 in GAC play.