The Sentinel-Record
Abilities Unlimited marks 65 years
Abilities Unlimited Inc. celebrated its 65th anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday at its main facility, 530 Mountain Pine Road. The nonprofit organization, established in 1961, supports individuals with disabilities and special needs,...
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New Buckstaff management hopes to retain current staff
The new concessionaire for the Buckstaff Bath House said the facility’s current staff will be invited to stay on after the transition on Jan. 1, 2027. “Our goal would never be to turn over the staff,” Tom Kloss, the national director of operations for...
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‘Failure is an option’: CMS students learn by solving problems
Cutter Morning Star junior Andrew Howanietz has spent weeks designing, testing and redesigning a 3D-printed storage device that could make everyday life a little easier for people who use wheelchairs or walkers. The device includes a phone holder and...
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Voter registration deadline for November election set for Monday
Arkansas voters who want to cast their ballot in the Nov. 3 general election have until this Monday to register. Applications postmarked or submitted in person at the county clerk’s office after Oct. 5 will not be accepted. The state election code...
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3rd annual Hispanic Heritage Festival set for Saturday
The third annual Hispanic Heritage Festival is set for Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hot Springs Farmers’ Market, 121 Orange St. Ouachita Behavioral Health and Wellness is hosting the event in partnership with the Farmers’ Market. Community...
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Gold Star sister keeps Vietnam pilot’s memory alive
More than 50 years after her brother died while serving in Vietnam, Joan Francois still cannot hear taps without thinking of a rainy Arkansas funeral and the flag placed in her mother’s hands. Francois was 13 when her brother, Army 1st Lt. Dexter Bush...
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Food truck festival brings vendors from multiple states to downtown HS
The third annual Spa City Food Truck Festival continues today as various food trucks and other vendors gather in downtown Hot Springs. Organizer Megan Weatherford said 36 food trucks and 25 tent vendors are selling their items at the festival, which...
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NPC merger talks with UA System advance as key questions emerge
National Park College is moving forward with talks about joining the University of Arkansas System, as college leaders begin gathering information about what a merger could mean for employees, students and local control. NPC President Wade Derden told...
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NPC opens Metalworks facility, expands welding training space
National Park College officially opened its new 16,000-square-foot Metalworks facility Wednesday with a grand opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting, giving welding students more room to train and expanding the college’s capacity to prepare workers for...
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Hot Springs opens first splash pad at Park Avenue park
The Hot Springs Park and Recreation Department, in partnership with the Park Avenue Community Association, held the opening ceremony for the city’s first ever splash pad Tuesday at David F. Watkins Memorial Park, 811 Park Ave. The splash pad is free...
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Opportunity Zone nominations shift focus to rural, residential areas of county
The Hot Springs Metro Partnership nominated three census tracts outside of downtown for the Opportunity Zone program, reflecting a push to steer federal tax incentives toward areas local officials say have not seen the same level of...
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Scars and Stripes to hold Veteran Stand Down event Oct. 2-3
Scars and Stripes, a local veteran services organization, will be holding an event for homeless veterans on Oct. 2-3 at the Hot Springs Community Resource Center, 109 Hobson Ave. Veteran Stand Down, which is funded by a noncompetitive grant from the...
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6 Garland County schools earn nearly $194,000 in state awards
Six Garland County schools will share nearly $194,000 in state awards after qualifying for Arkansas’ new Gem Schools program, adding another measure of local academic performance to school letter grades released a day earlier. The Arkansas Department...
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‘Labor of love’
The fifth annual Big Steam Blues & Roots Music Festival will return to downtown Hot Springs Sept. 25-26, bringing two days of free live music, about 40 food trucks and expanded entertainment beyond the festival’s main stage at Hill Wheatley...
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Mid-America Science Museum to host STEM career fair for students
Mid-America Science Museum has invited local students in grades eighth to 10th to the third annual STEM Works career fair on Sept. 25 in the Hall of Wonder. They will have the opportunity to meet with companies, businesses and organizations to learn...
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Dry conditions, heat put strain on county fire departments’ resources
While there has been some rain over the past week, local fire chiefs are in agreement that it has not been enough. According to the National Weather Service in North Little Rock, 1.35 inches of rain was recorded at Hot Springs Memorial Field in the...
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School security expert: Technology only works if doors stay secured
A school can spend heavily on cameras, electronic locks and access-control systems, but a single propped-open side door can undermine it all, a school security specialist told Arkansas facilities leaders Tuesday in Hot Springs. Chris Thorman, vice...
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GC Opportunity Zone nominations focus on areas outside downtown
One downtown census tract was among the four Opportunity Zone nominations the Hot Springs Metro Partnership submitted to the governor’s office. According to the list of Garland County nominations the Arkansas Economic Development Commission provided,...
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Tikes, Trikes and Trails rolls into Velocity Park Saturday
The public is invited to join Hot Springs Park and Recreation on Saturday for the fall Tikes, Trikes and Trails event, set for noon to 2 p.m. at Velocity Park, 325 Valley St. The program is held in partnership with Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company,...
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Fair closed on Monday, but livestock activity will be busy all week
The Garland County Fair will be active most of next week, with different livestock shows scheduled for Tuesday through Friday. The fairgrounds will be closed to the public on Monday for Creative Arts judging as well as a Horticulture check-in and a...
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Bones returns home with $50K literacy boost
MOUNTAIN PINE — National radio personality Bobby Bones returned to his former school Friday, bringing a $50,000 literacy donation and more than 700 books for students to take home. Bones, a Mountain Pine alumnus and host of the nationally syndicated...
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25 years later
Twenty-five years ago today, Romeo Lopez was a normal 19-year-old living in Queens and working at the Strand Bookstore Annex, 95 Fulton St., in Manhattan. Now, Lopez is starting to come to terms with the post-traumatic stress disorder that stemmed...
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Veterans Memorial has new monument dedicated to the war on terrorism
A monument that has been in the works for approximately five years was finally installed at the Garland County Veterans Memorial and Military Park Wednesday morning. The three-part monument is dedicated to those who served in the military during the...
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Hot Springs wastewater upgrades end Gulpha Basin sewer spills
The city of Hot Springs said $54 million in improvements ratepayers are financing in the Gulpha Creek Basin have ended overflows in that area of the wastewater collection system. Residential ratepayers inside the city have been paying $29.48 a month...
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Garland County Fair gets underway Thursday
The Garland County Fair and Livestock Show will kick off Thursday, and Garland County Fair Association president Joe Turner said there should be something for everyone at the fair. The Garland County Fair will continue through Sept. 19. Arm bands are...
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NPC prepares short-term programs for Workforce Pell expansion
National Park College is reshaping its short-term job training programs to give more students access to financial aid as new federal and state funding options expand. College leaders say Workforce Pell, a new federal program that extends Pell Grant...
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ArDOT conducting study on possible speed limit change at Airport, Sunshine roads
Traffic along Airport Road near Sunshine Road could start moving slower depending on the results of a study by the Arkansas Department of Transportation. Garland County Judge Darryl Mahoney said a citizen had requested the speed limit around the...
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Wildfires complicated by wind, dry conditions
Multiple fire departments spent hours battling a pair of unrelated wildfires in the county Wednesday and Thursday, and Garland County’s deputy director of emergency management said the dry conditions and winds contributed to the spread. Piney Fire...
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NPC explores merger with UA System
National Park College took the first step Thursday toward a possible merger with the University of Arkansas System, a move college leaders say could expand degree options and resources for students but would place legal and financial control of NPC...
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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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