To All UA Cossatot Students

The safety of our students is our number one concern at UA Cossatot, and the coronavirus pandemic has made this more important than ever. We want our students to learn and we want them to have a safe environment in which to learn. That is why effective IMMEDIATELY all UA Cossatot campuses will be closed to students that take on-campus courses. All UA Cossatot campuses will be locked to outside individuals as well. This mirrors today’s announcement by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson that all K12 schools will be closed at least through spring break.

Students, your education is important to us, that is why we have also created an online component to every in-class course at UA Cossatot. While you are away from campus, your instructors will still be able to work with you to ensure you get the most out of your education during these very trying times. You will be learning even more about that this week.

This campus closure is for ALL campuses and will be reevaluated after spring break. At that time, we will determine whether we need to keep the campuses closed or reopen them at that time. I urge you all to visit our website to learn more about the coronavirus and ways you can protect yourself. Please wash your hands often and practice social distancing if you can.

Thank you for your time. We appreciate you!

Dr. Steve Cole

Chancellor

UAC

From the Office of the Chancellor

In the UA Cossatot update that was sent on March 12th, we indicated that the Coronovirus situation was extremely fluid and could change at a moment’s notice. That moment is now as earlier today Governor Hutchinson and Education Secretary Key announced that all K12 schools will be closed this week. Our institution has a wonderfully close working relationship with all of our K12 districts and we share many of the same students. With that being said, UA Cossatot will follow suit and will close our campuses to students this week. We will continue to be closed to students until after spring break, where, at that time, we will reevaluate the Coronavirus situation. Our campuses will also be locked and closed to visitors and outside entities.

All UA Cossatot employees will be working on Monday. We will assess that situation on a day-to-day basis.

All UA Cossatot courses have been converted to have an online component and faculty will have the ability to teach this week via the Blackboard Learning System. While our maintenance department has already been working overtime to keep our campuses clean, over the next two weeks we will have the opportunity to deep clean our campuses as per CDC guidelines.

Please know that our campus will continue to work closely with the University of Arkansas System Office, UAMS, and other government entities to ensure our pandemic plan regarding COVID-19 continues to protect our students, employees, and other stakeholders.

UA Cossatot will continue to update our status on our cccua.edu website, our ED88 Facebook page, and other media outlets. These are very different times that call for very different measures and we appreciate our community’s understanding of this necessary decision.

Regards,

Dr. Steve Cole
Chancellor, UA Cossatot

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

While the state response to COVID-19 is one that is rapidly evolving, we do want to update you on the latest developments.

Late Friday afternoon, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced he will amend an executive order to allow expanded use of telemedicine in the state. The Governor also announced he is providing additional resources to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) which will create 10 new lab positions and assist with much-needed help at the call center.

Additionally, the state has requested and will receive more personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical personnel and first responders.

As of Friday afternoon, there is a total of 9 presumed positive cases in Arkansas. The patients with presumed positive test results reside in the central Arkansas region. Schools in Pulaski, Grant, Jefferson, and Saline counties are currently closed. Residents in these counties are being asked to limit large gatherings to 200 people or less.

On Monday, the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) issued a public health directive to long-term care facilities across the state to question visitors about their travel over the past 14 days and to screen visitors and staff for signs of illness and fever.

All Arkansans are being asked to reconsider every trip out of state.

Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, Medical Director for Outbreak Response at ADH, advised that if you are showing symptoms (including coughing, fever, and shortness of breath), you should consult your primary care provider instead of county health units or the hospital.

If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

While ADH is currently limited in the number of tests they can administer, physicians can order tests from commercial labs.

UAMS has set up a coronavirus hotline for people who have questions or feel they may have symptoms. The number is 1-800-632-4502. UAMS HealthNow is also available for free COVID-19 screenings.

To access, go to UAMS HealthNow and click on “Begin Screening.”

This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to patients of all ages across the state of Arkansas and is accessible from a smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer with video capabilities.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital announced that any family with children health questions related to COVID-19 can call 1-800-743-3616.

ADH has activated a call center to answer questions from health care providers and the public about the novel coronavirus. During normal business hours (8:00 am – 4:30 pm), urgent and non-urgent calls, please call 1-800-803-7847. After normal business hours, urgent calls needing immediate response, please call 501-661-2136.

Cossatot VFD Fish Fry, Auction and Membership Drive

Ed 88’s Loren Hinton visited with Kendall Johnson, Archie Johnson, and Roy Stover of the Cossatot VFD about their upcoming fish fry, auction, and membership drive.

Horatio Team Advancing to All-State

Gov. Hutchinson, ADE Announce Teams Advancing to All-State Coding Competition Including Team From Horatio

LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Department of Education announced today the 17 teams advancing to the Fourth Annual All-State Coding Competition in May. Sixteen teams are winners of All-Region Coding Competitions that took place Feb. 28 around the state. Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, the school that produced the first-place team at the 2019 state competition, will receive an automatic invitation to send a team to the 2020 state competition.

"Congratulations to the 17 teams that qualified for the Annual Governor’s All-State Coding Competition,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. “This competition is an excellent showcase for our students' creativity, and I look forward to seeing the bright and talented students on this year’s teams demonstrate impressive levels of innovation and skill in coding." The ADE Office of Computer Science used a rubric to score each team that participated in the regional events.

The following teams have been selected to advance to the state competition. ASMSA in Hot Springs – Karsen Beck, Dunagan Evans, and Trinity Robinson Bentonville High School in Bentonville – Katherine Pearce, Mekhi Scullawl, and Caleb Jones Bentonville West High School in Bentonville – Karina Batra and Ryder Johnson Cabot High School in Cabot – Ethan Peck, Tyler Lacroix, and Addison Zheng Central Junior High School in Springdale – Jackson Daniel, Audrey Shellhammer, and Connor Simmons Clinton High School in Clinton – Titus Johnson, Alex Prosser, and Reynaldo Saavedra Conway High School in Conway – Ethan Moss, Brian Russell, and Kevin Lewis Don Tyson School of Innovation in Springdale – Lucas Kellar, James Cassady, and Benjamin Easterling Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville – Gabriel Giarratana, Katherine Pummill, and Minsoo Song Greenbrier High School in Greenbrier – Geoffrey Shoemaker, Hayden Herman, and Christian Watts Greenwood High School in Greenwood – Shea Brown, Jackson Stewart, and William Hutchinson Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville – Owen Bell, Julian Sanker, and Daniel Whitmire Har-Ber High School in Springdale – Samuel Lonneman, Jesse Ford, and Melvin Vizueth Horatio High School in Horatio – Jacob Brecheisen, Duncan Connor, and Hannah Norman Jonesboro High School in Jonesboro – Matthew Sherman, Kyle Clayton, and Eric Seglem Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock – Hetvi Shah, Alex Borengasser, and Anne Li Rogers New Technology High School in Rogers – Volodymyr Miata, David Daniel, and Joshua Thomson

Each member of the first-place team at the state competition will receive a $2,000 award that will be deposited into a 529 College Savings Plan. Each member of the second-place team will receive a $1,000 award deposited into a 529 College Savings Plan, with each member of the third-place team receiving a $500 award deposited into a 529 College Savings Plan. In addition, the schools that register/sponsor the first, second, and third-place teams will receive $10,000, $6,000, and $4,000 (respectively) to support their computer science programs.

The prizes and competition expenses are paid for with a Verizon grant to ARCodeKids. ADE extends congratulations to the advancing team members, sponsors, and schools. In addition, all 16 hosting locations are to be commended for the work of their staff in making the regional events successful and fun for students.

Teams advancing to the state competition will receive an official invitation with more details by April 17, 2020. Follow us on Twitter @ArkansasEd. Like us on Facebook at Arkansas Department of Education. Follow us on Instagram at arkansas_ed.

De Queen Public Schools Notice

City of De Queen Announcement Concerning Kids' Sports Programs

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: With the growing concerns that the Coronavirus is creating, the City of De Queen has decided to postpone all city sports programs including T-Ball and Soccer for all age groups until further notice. This closure of the fields will include all organizations that use the City's facilities to practice or play at the Sportsplex or Herman Dierks Park. We will keep the public informed as the situation changes.

First Impressions Hospitality Training Postponed

FIRST IMPRESSIONS HOSPITALITY TRAINING HAS BEEN POSTPONED due to concerns and recommendations regarding COVID19. The workshop will be rescheduled with the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and announced as soon as a possible date is available. The De Queen/Sevier County Chamber of Commerce appreciates all who registered online and through email, and we will keep you updated on this and other training opportunities as dates become available. Thank you for the willingness to invest your time into making our community a thriving place to work, stay and play!

Managers and front-line workers in the hospitality industry - restaurants, retail shopping and specialty shops, convenience stores, motels, cabin rentals and event venues, attractions, etc. - are encouraged to attend! This training focuses on giving you skills proven to boost your business’s profit. Training is provided by a certified instructor from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, and is all about your business creating the best First Impression. ** Participating businesses will be eligible for the new HOSPITALITY AWARD and recognition at the 2021 Annual Community and Business Awards Banquet! ** De Queen/Sevier County Chamber of Commerce

UA Cossatot Currently Not Hosting Public Meetings

UA Cossatot is not hosting public meetings in their facilities until further notice due to the Coronavirus, Therefore, Sevier County Extension has moved the Pesticide Applicator Training to the Farm Bureau Bldg. in De Queen. What: Pesticide Applicator Training When: Thursday, March 19, 202 at 5:30 pm Where: Farm Bureau Bldg. in De Queen

UA Cossatot Scholarship Application Due April 1st

The 2020-2021 UA Cossatot scholarship application is due April 1. The online application can be found here: https://cccua.awardspring.com/

Students are encouraged to finish their application early and then follow up with whomever they have chosen to provide their recommendation letters.

Completing this online scholarship application before April 1 is the best time for students to apply for scholarships for the upcoming academic year and gives them access to all the scholarships we have available.

Home Page

null

Miss UA Cossatot Pageant Cancelled

The Miss UA Cossatot Pageant scheduled for March 28 in Lockesburg has been cancelled due to health concerns.

From the Office of the Chancellor

UA Cossatot is working closely with the University of Arkansas System Office, UAMS, and other entities to ensure our pandemic plan regarding COVID-19 protects our students, employees, and other stakeholders. Our team has met non-stop for the past several weeks to enact measures to address the COVID-19 outbreak. These measures include sharing more information campus-wide regarding prevention, altered course scheduling, restricted campus usage, and campus closures, should that need arise.

We have communicated this link on our UA Cossatot webpage to all students and employees: https://www.cccua.edu/novel-coronavirus

This link includes useful information regarding what UA Cossatot is doing locally and it offers students and employees health and safety information about COVID-19.

UA Cossatot campuses continue to prepare for our college community’s safety as well as possible closure as we have:

Created online versions of all non-technical courses offered at UA Cossatot. We are currently working on all technical courses to ensure students can maintain learning, even while being away from campus. Initiated a policy where, until further notice, we will not be allowing the use of our facilities by outside groups.

Directed our Medical Division to cancel clinical rotations at local health care facilities and teach Medical Department lecture courses via Zoom software. Developed an IT plan that allows personnel VPN access to their workstations. This will allow UA Cossatot to operate from a business standpoint while not being on campus.

Cancelled the second annual UA Cossatot Scholarship Pageant that was to be held on March 28th. We do not have a reschedule date. Encouraged UA Cossatot employees to limit non-essential business travel. While no members of the UA Cossatot community have been diagnosed with COVID-19, UA Cossatot is preparing for the potential of local transmission and we are aligning our efforts with local leaders, The UA System, UAMS, and the Arkansas Department of Health.

These are just a few of the preparations we have made to keep our students and campus community updated and better protected from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Campus leaders are meeting daily to assess this very fluid situation. We will continue to monitor and adjust our efforts, keeping student, public and, employee safety in mind.

Regards,

Dr. Steve Cole Chancellor, UA Cossatot

Cossatot Community College

Information as of: March 16, 2020 At UA Cossatot, health and safety of our campus community are top priorities. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak rapidly evolves in the U.S. and worldwide, UA Cossatot will continue to provide the latest updates and guidance for the campus community in one place online: cccua.edu/coronavirus.

Money for Sheriff's Vehicle is Approved by Sevier County Quorum Court

The Sevier County Quorum Court, at its regular meeting on March 9, postponed further discussion on the use of time clocks by county employees until the budget committee has had more time to meet and discuss it.
For the complete story, visit:

https://www.dequeenbee.com

Quorum Court approves money for sheriff's vehicle

The Sevier County Quorum Court, at its regular meeting on March 9, postponed further discussion on the use of time clocks by county employees until the budget committee has had more time to meet and discuss it. The court also revisited talks about providing the Sevier County Sheriff's Department with vehicles to replace two that had fallen victim to accidents earlier this year.

Dr Steve Cole Updates Quorum Court Members about New Hospital

The Sevier County Quorum Court heard an update from Dr. Steve Cole, who chairs the hospital committee that is overseeing the construction of a new hospital north of De Queen, at their regular meeting on March 9 at the courthouse.
For the complete story, visit:

https://www.dequeenbee.com

Hospital chair updates quorum court on progress

The Sevier County Quorum Court heard an update from Dr. Steve Cole, who chairs the hospital committee that is overseeing the construction of a new hospital north of De Queen, at their regular meeting on March 9 at the courthouse.

De Queen City Council Meeting on Tuesday

The De Queen City Council held a short meeting on Tuesday, March 3. The meeting opened with an update from water director Darren Higgins, who said that he had been in touch with the company that was performing a water rate study and that he would have a report in the near future. He also told the council that the recently painted water tank was gearing up to be put back online.
For the complete story, visit:

https://www.dequeenbee.com

De Queen City Council holds quick meeting

The De Queen City Council held a short meeting on Tuesday, March 3. The meeting opened with an update from water director Darren Higgins, who said that he had been in touch with the company that was performing a water rate study and that he would have a report in the near future.

UA Cossatot Holds Seventh Annual Come Fall in Love Event for High School Juniors

“Come Fall in Love” is an event that takes place at UA Cossatot every February. It is designed for juniors in high school to fall in love with UA Cossatot. Approximately 500 high school students visited the college to learn about careers, educational opportunities, and how they can achieve their goals by enrolling at UA Cossatot.

This past month, UA Cossatot hosted seven “Come Fall in Love” events to seven local area high schools. The high schools that brought their students to the college included; Foreman, Kirby, Ashdown, Nashville, Dierks, Horatio, and De Queen.

Upon arrival, the students were greeted and welcomed by UA Cossatot staff. Throughout the day, several sessions took place concerning career readiness, financial planning, and testimonies from alumni. The college also designated time for students to learn about programs offered at UA Cossatot, student organizations at the college, and services the college’s Educational Resource Center provides.

Students were able to sit in on college classes, play games, receive program information, and take pictures. The college also provided the students with a free lunch before they returned to their high school.

UA Cossatot Director of Student Services, Suzanne Ward, said, “Providing the basic information regarding college prior to the senior year is crucial. The more students know about career goals, academic programs, college life, and financial planning for college, the better decisions they can make about their future.”

For more information about UA Cossatot, please contact Student Services at 870-584-4471. To learn about college opportunities offered at UA Cossatot while in high school, please contact the Director of High School Programs, Julie Rhodes, at 870-584-1343.

Edge Vote for Growth at Lions Club Meeting Tuesday

Lion Teri Hart introduced today’s guest speakers at De Queen Lions Club. Monica Pearce, Kathy Tallant, and Mary Dooley were speaking for Edge Vote for Growth, made up of 35 local business owners, to build community development in Sevier County. Edge has a petition to place on the ballot in November the vote for or against the sale of alcohol in Sevier County. Edge wants to to let the people and businesses decide. Edge is for keeping the tax dollars that are going to neighboring counties and states to stay right here in Sevier County. If you are interested in signing the petition, they are available in area businesses

International Women's Day was March 8th

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women throughout the world.  UA Cossatot celebrated across all three campuses on Monday, March 09, 2020 bringing awareness to all students, faculty and staff of the college by wearing a pink or purple shirt.    Thank you to all who participated!

Sporting Clay Tournament in Texarkana March 28th

Hunter’s Education Class at UA Cossatot De Queen on Saturday, March 28th

A one day Hunters Ed class will be held on Saturday, March 28, at the Adam’s Building on UA Cossatot Campus in De Queen from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. You will need to bring a sack lunch and you must attend all day in order to test.

Anyone born after 1968 must complete a hunter’s education course and carry a valid hunter’s education card to hunt in Arkansas. Children under 16 may hunt without the class as long as they are under the direct supervision of an adult who is 21 years old or older. There is no specific age requirement to enroll in hunter’s education however, the educational material is based on a sixth-grade reading level. Arkansas recognizes hunter’s education cards from other states. Arkansas’s hunter’s education program is recognized in all states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. You must sign up by going to: https://register-ed.com/events/view/159688. There is a limit of 20 participants so you may want to sign up early. If you have any questions, please call Kim Frachiseur at the Sevier County Extension Office at 870-584-3013.