The Sentinel-Record
Oliva says waiver could cut compliance costs for schools
Arkansas education officials hope a newly approved federal waiver will allow school districts to spend less time meeting federal requirements and more of their federal money directly on students, state Education Secretary Jacob Oliva said...
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Power of the Card offers discounts, freebies to library cardholders in September
Garland County Library has partnered with other Central Arkansas libraries and select businesses to offer discounts and special promotions to library cardholders for the month of September. Central Arkansas Library System, North Little Rock Public...
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‘Feed his sheep’
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — Faith Fellowship Food Pantry provides food to an average of 4,000 to 5,000 people each month through its warehouse and partner organizations, according to pantry Director DeDee Phillips. The pantry, located at 3213 N. Highway 7,...
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New NPC program builds paths to outdoor careers
National Park College’s new outdoor recreation program is giving students a flexible path to careers in parks, tourism, trail systems and other outdoor fields through hands-on training and stackable credentials. Christina Gump, the program’s new...
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New simulator gives NPC nurses hands-on OB training
National Park College nursing students can now practice delivering babies and handling life-threatening childbirth emergencies before facing them with real patients, as access to local obstetrics training becomes more limited. NPC showcased its new...
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‘One-stop shop’:
High school seniors in Arkansas can now apply to up to five participating colleges for free through a single online portal designed to make the application process easier to navigate. The Arkansas ACCESS Portal, recently launched statewide, gives...
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The Friends of Lake Ouachita receive USACE national award for second time
The Friends of Lake Ouachita organization made history by becoming the first United States Army Corps of Engineers partner organization to be presented the Excellence in Partnership Award for a second time. FOLO was honored by the USACE for their...
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Banquet honors area Black churches
Resilience was the overarching theme of the sixth annual Hot Springs Community Health Banquet and Recognition Dinner last week, a point that was driven home by the six Black churches honored during the event. The sold-out event honored the community’s...
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Singer-songwriter, festival organizer Agus makes Hot Springs his home
Editor’s note: Garland County is home to many people who work to meet the needs of others in the community. They often appear in The Sentinel-Record in connection with community events, but coverage typically focuses on the events rather than the...
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Herron steps into a new role, honored by Tri-Lakes CASA board
After 16 years of working in multiple roles with Tri-Lakes CASA, Suzanne Herron has left the organization and stepped into a new role at Abilities Unlimited. Herron, who has served as the executive director of Tri-Lakes CASA since 2021, is the new...
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Hot Springs says new water plant pays dividends during hot, dry spell
The Hot Springs regional water system’s two active treatment plants have capacity to spare despite producing about 20 million gallons a day on average during July and the first three weeks of August. City Manager Bill Burrough told the Hot Springs...
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City affirms commitment to Flock contract amid debate over privacy concerns
As debate over automated license plate readers spreads nationally and across Arkansas, Hot Springs officials say the city is not backing away from its contract with Flock Safety. The Atlanta-based surveillance hardware and software company operates a...
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Candidates draw for ballot order in Nov. 3 election
Positions for what the county’s top election official said will be the largest ballot Garland County has ever had were drawn Friday at the Election Commission Building. Candidates drew numbered PingPong balls to determine the order of their names on...
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County judge to rule on library tax petition this week
Garland County residents will find out later this week if a proposal for a millage increase for the Garland County Library will be on the November ballot, which already is the longest in recent history. Garland County Election Commission...
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AG’s office says city of HS contractor not subject to FOIA
Board meetings of the city of Hot Springs’ contractor for summer and after school youth programming are not open to the public in the opinion of the state attorney general’s office. Assistant Attorney General William R. Olson said in an opinion he...
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New ASMSA Director McDowell says leaders must guide, not push, change
Adults cannot be forced to change, but strong leaders can help them embrace it through listening, empathy and trust, new Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts Executive Director Derek McDowell told local leaders Wednesday. Speaking...
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Nova Roots Academy
More than 50 families, many seeking specialized education for children with autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or other support needs, are scrambling to find alternatives after Nova Roots Academy announced it would not open this...
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Early arrivals, brief backups mark the first day of classes at HSSD
Hot Springs School District students returned to class Tuesday with no significant transportation or traffic problems, Superintendent Mike Hernandez said, although drivers experienced brief backups around the district’s new grades 7-12...
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Heath talks open communication, collaboration at community meet and greet
In a collaborative effort, the Webb Community Center and The Giving Team hosted a community meet and greet with Visit Hot Springs CEO Devin Heath Sunday afternoon. The meet and greet was an opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion about...
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Hot Springs Gallery Walk anniversary will kick off the city’s 150th birthday
Since 1989, Gallery Walk has been a staple of Hot Springs culture — giving residents and visitors the opportunity to traverse through a variety of galleries, studios and shops. To Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance Executive Director Kat Daniels, who...
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Team Mom brings maternal love, cobbler to Hot Springs
The $4.04 in her pocket was all the money Margaret Webb had Thursday. Her disability check wouldn’t be deposited until Monday, and she was more than 1,500 miles from her home in Desert Hot Springs, California. But she was unbothered by her...
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Hernandez: Make it easier for students to learn
Hot Springs School District employees were urged this week to set firm classroom expectations, protect instructional time and build stronger relationships with students as the district prepares for the new school year. Students are set to return...
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Dust devil tears through new Hot Springs practice field
A dust devil swept across the Hot Springs School District’s new multipurpose practice field Tuesday afternoon, lifting a section of artificial turf and sending black rubber pellets swirling into the air. No one was on the field at the time....
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Hightower turns ‘I can’t’ into ‘I can try’
Lake Hamilton School District’s Holli Hightower has been named one of 15 finalists for 2027 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. Hightower is a fourth and fifth grade dyslexia and reading interventionist at Lake Hamilton Intermediate School, where she helps...
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Sidewalk replacement surprises Ouachita Ave. business owner
The city of Hot Springs is replacing sidewalks along Ouachita Avenue, but one local business owner said she was not given prior notice. Laura Myers said she found out when the contractor began work last week. The section in front of Static, the...
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Library board eyeing former hospital site
Garland County Library Executive Director Adam Webb will explore making a contingency offer on the former Ouachita Memorial Hospital site for the library’s new main branch. Following the Hot Springs Board of Directors’ July 7 vote against accepting...
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Fountain Lake gives aging campus a summer facelift
FOUNTAIN LAKE — Fountain Lake School District is investing an estimated $500,000 to $600,000 in summer renovations designed to modernize aging facilities, reduce maintenance costs and give students and visitors a stronger sense of pride in the...
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VHS and park service report increase in domestic travelers
Recreational activities in Hot Springs are reportedly experiencing an increase in visitors this summer, while some downtown shop owners are claiming a decrease or stagnation in sales. A July 4 article by The Associated Press reported more Americans...
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Victim speaks out amid investigation of nightclub shooting
The investigation into a shooting early Sunday at an area nightclub is continuing, but Garland County Sheriff’s investigators are reportedly dealing with conflicting information in the case. Three victims were injured in the shooting at the club,...
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HS Parks and Recreation holds ribbon cutting for Stokes Creek Greenway Trail
The Hot Springs Parks and Recreation Department celebrated the completion of the first phase of the Stokes Creek Greenway Trail during a ceremony Thursday morning. The new section stretches from 271 Kimery Lane to Richard Street. Parks and Recreation...
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HSSD supercampus nears finish line
The Hot Springs School District expects to complete its $49.7 million supercampus project by Aug. 1, wrapping up a yearslong overhaul before students return for the new school year. Superintendent Mike Hernandez said Tuesday that most of the work is...
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City of Hot Springs interns update stormwater map
The drains, gutters, junction boxes and pipes in the city of Hot Springs’ sprawling stormwater system are marked on the city’s GIS map, but not always in the right spot. The engineering department’s recent investigation into the source of the sinkhole...
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Donations needed as cooling shelter opens to the public
As the heat index hit triple digits Monday, 68 people sought relief in the Hot Springs Community Resource Center’s cooling shelter before 11 a.m. Located at 109 Hobson Ave., the shelter will be open daily through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A...
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New Lakeside facility expected to improve safety, free up parking
Lakeside School District plans to move its buses to a new site before classes begin Aug. 12, allowing the district to launch a redesigned traffic plan aimed at reducing congestion and improving safety across its campus. Construction is underway on a...
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Weekend protests take aim at SAVE Act, AI centers
A pair of protests was held in Hot Springs on Friday and Saturday, with demonstrations supporting voting rights and opposing artificial intelligence data centers. On Friday, people gathered at Hill Wheatley Plaza in opposition to the Safeguard...
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DPGC holds grand opening for new headquarters
Local, state and federal candidates were among the estimated 75 people who attended the grand opening of the Democratic Party of Garland County’s new headquarters, 626 Malvern Ave., Thursday evening. Six of the seven Democrats vying for seats on the...
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End Overdose works to establish local chapter
An overdose prevention nonprofit is setting up a chapter in Hot Springs and looking for volunteers. End Overdose is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been active since 2018. According to its website, its mission is “to end drug-related...
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Simulated attack tests first responders
PEARCY — Simulated gunshots, role-playing victims and staged chaos inside Lake Hamilton High School gave local first responders a chance Wednesday to prepare for a situation they hope never happens. About 65 Hot Springs police officers, firefighters,...
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Missing HS man recovered from Lake Hamilton
Garland County Sheriff Mike McCormick confirmed shortly after noon Tuesday that the body of a person who was reported missing Monday was recovered. The body of Thomas Ross, 85, was located at approximately 11:45 a.m. Tuesday in Lake Hamilton near the...
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The Home Depot set for fall opening in Hot Springs
The Home Depot will open Sept. 24 on Higdon Ferry Road. District Manager Bryan Crowe confirmed the company’s newest location will open this fall at last week’s Hot Springs Board of Directors meeting. Mayor Pat McCabe invited him to speak during the...
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CRC hosts more than 120 at open house Sunday
There was a “good turnout” from the community Sunday afternoon for the Hot Springs Community Resource Center’s Open House. More than 120 people came through the doors for the open house, which was more than what Chris Joannides, the director of the...
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LaFollette reflects on 13 years at helm of museum
Few people have been able to say they made a lasting mark on Hot Springs, but Mid-America Science Museum CEO Diane LaFollette is one of those people. LaFollette, whose 13 year term at the helm of the museum ends in October, led the museum through its...
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Emergent Arts awarded $25K grant for youth programming
Emergent Arts received a $25,000 grant Tuesday from the Genesis Inspiration Foundation for art programming. The foundation, which is partially funded by the purchase of new Genesis vehicles, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that champions the arts for youth...
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CRC: $5.6 million in savings to community in first year of service
The Hot Springs Community Resource Center helped 560 individuals and families with “critical housing stabilization services” over its first year of operation, the organization announced Thursday afternoon. Ryan Kaundart, the program director for the...
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GCL shifts sights to OMH site after board rejects Majestic offer
The Hot Springs Board of Directors turned down the Garland County Library’s $2.35 million offer for the Majestic Hotel site Tuesday night. The library proposed building a main branch on part of the 5-acre site at 100 Park Ave. The $2.35 million was...
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Federal waiver gives state more say over schools
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, state Education Secretary Jacob Oliva and U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton joined U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon Tuesday at Hot Springs Junior Academy where McMahon announced the approval of a federal waiver giving Arkansas...
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Sanders, McMahon will visit HSJA today
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon will visit Hot Springs Junior Academy today for an announcement and roundtable discussion, though officials have not disclosed the subject of the event. The appearance is scheduled...
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Worn pages, new possibilities
JESSIEVILLE — Jessieville Elementary School will use a $5,000 grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries to replace worn nonfiction books in its library. The school was one of 220 schools in 38 states recently selected for the grant,...
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Over 3K estimated for Red, White & YOU picnic, parade
Despite rain cutting the fun short, more than 3,000 people attended the Red, White, & YOU parade and picnic hosted by Hot Springs National Park Saturday. Ashley Waymouth, the 250th anniversary event planner for the national park, said the event more...
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Royal Sanctuary Therapy Farm celebrates new developments with flag-raising ceremony for veterans
The Royal Sanctuary Therapy Farm celebrated recent developments and projects on their campus with a flag-raising ceremony Thursday. RSTF founder and executive director Tina Cooper and VFW Post 2278 Commander Terry Daniell raised the flag for the...
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Fireworks stands across county prepare for holiday weekend
Some fireworks stands reported steady customer activity and shared some of this year’s top selling items ahead of Fourth of July holiday weekend. “It’s been a little slow, but it’s beginning to pick up,” said Daniel Merritt, who runs an A-1 fireworks...
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New Scoops Homemade Ice Cream location to open today on Central Avenue
Scoops Homemade Ice Cream will open a new location on Central Avenue today. The new store will open at 829 Central Ave. This will be the second location in Hot Springs, with the first, and original, store located at 4043 Central Ave. near Walmart...
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Food for Thought attendance better but still down since move
While the Giving Team helped about 130 to 140 people at Saturday’s Food for Thought event, founder Janice Davis said the group is still trying to rebuild attendance after moving from the parking lot at Church Street and Malvern Avenue, where it had...
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‘On air’: Spa Amateur Radio Association hosts annual field day exercise
The Spa Amateur Radio Association held a gathering at the Garland County Department of Emergency Management’s 911 Admin Offices to participate in their annual Amateur Field Day Exercise event. The event is just one part of a national event from the...
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Candidates set to face off for District 4 congressional seat
The Heritage Foundation gave Arkansas the top ranking in its 2025 election integrity scorecard. The Washington, D.C., conservative think tank awarded 91 out of 100 points last year, tying Arkansas with Tennessee for the top spot. However, according to...
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Garland County, college’s teamwork pays off for drug court graduate
The county judge, veterans service office and National Park College Career Academy students partnered to gift a vehicle to a drug court graduate Thursday at the Garland County Court House. Taylor Miles thought she had been summoned for a Garland...
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Shoffner makes Hot Springs campaign stop
About 100 people attended Wednesday evening’s fundraising event for Arkansas’ Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Hallie Shoffner at Elks Lodge No. 380. Shoffner, who will face Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Nov. 3, said she moved back home in 2016 to...
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GCL Book Trail offers free admission to Garvan Gardens with library card
The Garland County Library has created a children’s book trail and free entry at Garvan Woodland Gardens for the rest of the month to help children read more, move more and spend time outdoors. Anyone with a library card, or the digital barcode on the...
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GC Library board approves contingency offer for Majestic site
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The Garland County Library Board of Trustees voted Monday to include a contingency offer to purchase the Majestic site from the city of Hot Springs for its new main branch. The city’s board of directors sent the library’s initial...
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Library holds groundbreaking for new north Garland County branch
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — Workers wasted no time after Monday’s ceremonial groundbreaking for a new branch of the Garland County Library to start demolition of the building that currently sat on the site. The building at 5020 Highway 7 north, which had...
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Resource center to hold open house next month
After more than a year in operation, the Hot Springs Community Resource Center, 109 Hobson Ave., has completed all the building upgrades, and it is celebrating with an open house on July 12 from 1-3 p.m. “Our facility is newly renovated and expanded,...
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10-year-old finds his focus behind the camera
For years, Gunner Gigerich was the younger brother tagging along to ballgames. Now he has a reason to be there. Gunner, a local 10-year-old photographer about to enter the fifth grade, has turned his family’s busy sports schedule into a creative...
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STEM lessons take flight at ASMSA summer camp
Campers at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts spent part of Tuesday turning plastic bottles, water and a bike pump into a lesson on engineering. The project was part of the Aviation and Aerospace Engineering camp during...
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New Miss Arkansas turns crown into call for seat belt safety
Ava Weeks said her first thought after hearing her name called as Miss Arkansas 2026 was disbelief. “Oh my gosh, did they really just say Ava?” she said laughing, wondering if she had heard right. Weeks, a 21-year-old Conway native who represented...
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Shelby named UAMS distinguished alumnus
Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby was recently awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Service Award from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine. Shelby, who earned his medical degree from UAMS in 1977, has had a...
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