Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Schools Close Down Per Governor Mandate
FARMINGTON — Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Sunday ordered schools statewide to close for on-site instruction in light of the spread of the coronavirus, making it optional for schools on Monday and mandated for all schools beginning Tuesday, March 17.
Closures will stay in place through the end of spring break, Hutchinson said during a media update late Sunday afternoon about the new coronavirus, called covid-19.
School Closings, Food Needs
Farmington, Prairie Grove and Lincoln schools posted their own announcements about school closings later that evening through social media and on district websites.
Lincoln Consolidated School District decided to have a regular school day on Monday, with buses following their regular routes, according to the school website. Attendance was optional for students.
Farmington and Prairie Grove school districts closed school Monday.
In Farmington, teachers were to report to school at 8 a.m. Monday. Farmington also said take-out meals for breakfast and lunch would be offered to Farmington students for pickup
at the junior high through Friday, March 20. The school is making plans to help those who cannot pick up meals.
Prairie Grove is delivering a school lunch by bus Tuesday-Friday, said David Kellogg, assistant superintendent. He said buses would leave at 11 a.m. and paraprofessionals will help with the lunch program. Parents and students should look for the buses, Kellogg said.
Lincoln has many places set up for grab and go meals for students, according to the district website. These include school bus stops, Lincoln High School, elementary school, rural fire departments and churches. Go to the district website, lincolncsd.com, to find these locations.
Prior to Hutchinson’s announcements, all three school districts had already canceled or suspended events, trips and extracurricular activities.
Last week, Kellogg said the district was continuing to provide information to parents and students.
“We’re trying to make it clear that this is what’s going on now but it can change suddenly,” Kellogg said. “We’re getting so much information on it, we’re meeting multiple times a day,” Kellogg said.
School officials in the three districts had been making plans to prepare for a school closing. Farmington students, for example, will receive instruction through teacher emails and Google Classroom. Schools will be using AMI (alternative method of instruction) while school is closed.
City officials and others also have been making plans amid the spread of the new coronavirus.
Public Safety
Chris Workman, Prairie Grove police chief, said he’s outfitting all police vehicles with extra cleaning supplies and officers will be responsible for wiping down everything in their police cars.
In addition, he said the department is initiating a policy of going after high priority calls and limiting the pursuit of general traffic violations.
“Unless they are endangering the public, we’re going to focus on bigger stuff and priorities,” Workman said, noting officers handle driver’s licenses and other papers from drivers.
“If someone has the virus, we’re just passing it along,” Workman said. “It’s for their (the public’s) protection as well.”
Police officers have to work regardless, Workman said. He said he wants to keep his guys healthy. He also said the department will check the temperature of officers to make sure they should be at work.
He’s stopping any plans for officers to travel out of the county for now and will restrict training to in-house or online.
“People need to have social distancing and not go places if they don’t need to,” Workman said. “We’re spoiled as Americans in that at the last minute, we want to go somewhere. We can’t do that anymore.”
Farmington Fire Chief Mark Cunningham said the department’s firefighters, who also respond to medical calls, have masks for patients who have flu-like symptoms or symptoms of the coronavirus.
“If a patient has flu-like symptoms, they are using a different protocol so we don’t get anyone else infected,” Cunningham said.
He advised the public to be proactive, use good hygiene wherever they are and take care of elderly people.
“Calmer heads have to prevail,” Cunningham said. “You can’t let it take over your life.”
Farmington police Chief Brian Hubbard said it’s business as usual for police officers.
“We’re having to go places,”
Hubbard said. “When duty calls, we have to do it.”
He said the department may limit unnecessary trips that could be handled over the phone.
“There are things we could do if we decide to do them,” Hubbard said.
Jay Norton, administrator for Lincoln Fire Department, said firefighters, who respond to medical calls, are following the normal flu-type protocol.
“If they have a fever and cough, the first thing we do is to give them a mask,” Norton said.
He said Lincoln has received respiratory calls for people with existing conditions but no calls yet with symptoms that appear to be from the new coronavirus.
City Business
Farmington Mayor Ernie Penn said the city has enough disinfectant and supplies available to clean City Hall. He said the city has temporarily closed the restrooms at Creekside Park.
“That’s basically all we can do,” Penn said.
The Washington County summer ball program has suspended any practices through March. Penn said the city already had made the decision to close its sports complex for practices through March. City officials will reevaluate at the end of the month, he said.
“People don’t need to panic,” Penn said. “Just do what you need to do. Our philosophy is that we want to err on the side of being conservative. We want to be cautious but we still have to go about business.”
Penn added, “Use common sense. Wash hands. Be proactive.”
As far as city business, Penn said the city will conduct more meetings by phone or video conference with engineers and planners.
Sonny Hudson, Prairie Grove mayor, said the city is working with the Arkansas Municipal League to share information about the virus to the public.
“We’re cleaning and we have plenty of hand sanitizer,” Hudson said.
At the wastewater plant, workers are wearing gloves and now wearing masks.
Hudson repeated advice others are giving. He also said, “If you don’t need to get out in large groups of people, I wouldn’t until we get this under control. You don’t know where they’ve been.”
Lincoln Mayor Doug
Hutchens said the city would take its lead from the county and state level on any changes.
“Other than the library, we don’t have events where people congregate,” Hutchens said. “Our population density is so sparse, social separation is not as big a challenge here.”
One change is that the Lincoln City Council canceled its March 17 meeting and rescheduled it for 7 p. m. March 31. The main reason for the change, according to city business manager Rhonda Hulse, is that the city attorney could not attend the March 17 meeting. She said it’s also a precaution for the virus.
Senior Centers
Farmington, Lincoln and Prairie Grove senior centers closed their buildings Tuesday and suspended all activities for two weeks, according to the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Arkansas. Only staff will be allowed in the buildings.
The centers will continue to provide home delivered meals and transportation to essential places, such as pharmacies, grocery stores and non-sickness related medical appointments.
For those seniors who eat lunch at the centers and are truly in need of a meal, centers will provide a pick-up, drive-through meal for 30-45 minutes during the normal lunch hours.
District Court
Farmington City Hall closed for the day March 18, which meant Farmington District Court could not convene for the day. Penn said any payments could be placed in the drop-off box. He also said those who were supposed to be in court that day would not be negatively impacted.
Rachel Guenther, chief clerk for Prairie Grove District Court, said Judge Graham Nations will continue to hold court with extra safety precautions in place. Officers will screen people with a thermometer and only one at a time would be allowed in the courtroom.
Guenther said anyone who is sick or has “any symptoms whatsoever” should call the district clerk office for a new court date. If it is not a mandatory appearance, defendants can plead not guilty at the clerk’s office and get a new date. Someone who had a court appearance and plans to plead guilty, can do that at the clerk’s office.
“We will have our normal precaution of cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces and want to reduce the number of people in the courtroom,” Guenther said.
Lincoln District Court will also take extra precautions and people are asked to pay payments at the water department, the drop-off box or the mail, said Tracey Irwin, district court clerk. Anyone who plans to plead not guilty can take care of business at the window at the water department, instead of going to the courtroom.