Arkansas schools must offer on-site instruction five days a week despite COVID19, says governor

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas is requiring schools to stay open five days a week when classes resume this month, state education officials said Wednesday, complicating efforts by some districts to limit on-site instruction because of the coronavirus.

Education Secretary Johnny Key issued the guidance to districts as the state reported 912 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 18 more deaths from the illness caused by the virus.

The Education Department told districts they must stay open to students and offer “relevant and engaging onsite learning opportunities” all week in order to comply with the state Constitution. Arkansas’ public schools are set to reopen the week of August 24. Some districts could only keep their facilities open four days a week if approved by the state Board of Education, the guidance said.

“Districts are encouraged to provide additional options for parents and students that allow for flexible schedules and virtual learning options, but must first provide an onsite option where students can access educational resources, school meals, and other needed support daily,” the guidance said.

The directions come as some districts have been planning to limit the number of on-site classes and using remote learning during part of the week to reduce the risk of the virus’ spread. Gov. Asa Hutchinson has stood by plans to resume classes this month, despite objections from pediatricians and teachers’ groups.

The latest direction is taking away the flexibility districts need in planning on how to resume classes, the Arkansas Education Association said.

“Unfortunately, our state is not ready to return to in person learning,” Tracey-Ann Nelson, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. “Instead of using this time to plan on ways to reach the students who will need the most help in this disruptive situation, the state is now upending the plans local districts have spent months developing with educators, parents and community stakeholders.”

Key said the directions reflect the stance the state has had since March, when it closed schools to on-site instruction because of the pandemic.

“We have said since day one the plan for the fall of this school year was to come back and have school on site,” he said.

The Department of Health said at least 46,293 people

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in the state have tested positive for the virus. The department said 6,937 of those cases are active, meaning they don’t include people who have died or recovered.

The true number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.

The number of people who have died from COVID-19. the illness caused by the virus, rose to 508. The number of people hospitalized decreased by 10 to 516.

Hutchinson announced the state has begun testing all of its prison inmates and planned to complete that testing by the end of the month. The Department of Correction has tested more than 9,400 inmates and will test another 9,500 before the end of the month.

Hutchinson also named Dr.

Jose Romero as the state’s new health secretary.

Romero had been serving in the position on an interim basis since Dr. Nate Smith left for a job with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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POCAHONTAZ — In a surprise twist, Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell, the main suspect in the June 2019 murder of former Arkansas state Sen. Linda Collins-Smith, confessed to killing her former friend and changed her plea to guilty Thursday morning.

'I went to Linda's house, and I intentionally killed her and then hid the body,' she told Judge John Fogleman The plea change follows one year after prosecutors in the case announced their intention to seek the death penalty against O'Donnell, who worked as both an aide to the senator, and later an employee of Collins-Smith's business.

The two were considered close friends.

After previously pleading not guilty to capital murder, O'Donnell changed her plea to guilty of firstdegree murder and abuse of a corpse during a hearing in Pocahontas.

O'Donnell also pleaded 'no contest' to two counts of solicitation to commit capital murder in another county. Those charges stem from what prosecutors have described as a murder-forhire plot while she was in custody. Those pleas will be treated as guilty pleas.

O'Donnell’s sentence includes 40 years for the murder, 14 years for the solicitation counts and

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three years for the abuse of a corpse charge. In a case with many twists and turns, numerous judges and a prosecutor stepped down or recused themselves from the case. The June 2019 murder left the ex-senator's body so damaged that she initially couldn't be identified by authorities, even though she was discovered outside her home.

'The condition of the body prevented any immediate positive identification,' Randolph County Sheriff Kevin Bell said during a June 6 news conference.

'I was the one that found my mother's body on June 4th 2019 at her home,' Collins-Smith's son, Butch Smith, said in a statement on Thursday. 'She was lying face down wrapped in one of my old comforters and shoved under a tarp in her driveway. I will never not be able to see that picture burned into my brain.'

Smith said in the statement that he believes O'Donnell was stealing money from his mother and when she confronted O'Donnell, she was stabbed to death.

The initial judge overseeing the case sealed the records of the investigation before recusing himself, leaving many in the small Arkansas community wondering what could have prompted such a heinous homicide. All prosecutors have revealed to date is that the motive for the murder appeared to be financial in nature.

O'Donnell was arrested a week and a half after the murder while driving to Collins-Smith's memorial service. She was the last person to see Collins-Smith alive. Still, many questions remain unanswered.

'Everything that is not under seal will be available online,' Judge Fogleman told the court after O'Donnell changed her plea. 'It will be a few days before it can get scanned and she can check to make redactions. Be patient with the court and clerk, it will be available online one week from today' The judge then instructed everyone but the family to STATE NEWS (cont.)

leave the courtroom.

Collins-Smith's family released a statement after the proceedings: 'Today our family has found swift justice by way of a plea deal,' the statement reads in part. 'We know that there will be some that will not be satisfied with that outcome today. And we realize that whatever punishment she receives it will never be enough… It will never bring my Grandpa's daughter back or my Mother back or our children's grandmother back. No amount of punishment will ever fill that void that she made in our lives the day she killed our Mother.

Today we find some shred of peace that Rebecca O'Donnell will be put away in prison for a very long time unable to hurt anyone else. If my Mother was here today I have no doubt that she would quote the Bible and tell us that we can find peace in God.'

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LITTLE ROCK — Governor Asa Hutchinson announced Wednesday the state plans to test all inmates in state custody for the coronavirus by the end of August.

Governor Hutchinson said there are 19 facilities and 10 have already fully tested. That means there are nine more facilities to be tested by the end of the month.

The governor authorized 10 National Guard personnel to assist in taking samples from inmates. According to Hutchinson, this was a request from Department of Corrections Secretary Solomon Graves.

As of Aug. 7, there are 46,293 total COVID-19 cases and 508 deaths in the state, according to Governor Asa Hutchinson.

That is an increase of 912 cases and 18 deaths from Thursday. According to the governor, 158 of the new cases are in correctional units.

The governor said this means the number of community cases remained relatively flat.

Hutchinson said the counties with the highest number of new cases are: Chicot County (149), Pulaski County (79), Sebastian County (51), Washington County (42), Mississippi County (35), Garland County (29), Craighead County (28), Saline County (28), Saline County (26), Pope County (24), Ashley County (21), Crittenden County (21) and Benton County (20).

Dr. Romero said there are currently 6,937 active cases of the coronavirus in Arkansas- with 88 being in nursing homes, 513 in correctional facilities and 6,336 in communities.

State officials say there are currently 516 hospitalizations due to the coronavirus in Arkansas, a decrease of 10 since Tuesday. Dr.

Romero said there was an increase of people on a ventilator in the state to 106. Dr. Romero said 5,077 tests were completed Tuesday. Out of the 5,077 tests completed, the Arkansas Department of Health Public Health completed 1,509 tests, 3,105 were completed by commercial labs and 406 were completed by UAMS.

The governor also announced Wednesday he has named Dr. Jose Romero to become the Secretary of Health. It was also announced Wednesday there are new guidelines on the Arkansas Department of Health’s website for band and choir.

Education Commissioner announces new call center resource for parents, teachers Commissioner of Education Johnny Key announced Wednesday there is a new call center resource. The call center opened on Monday and is a resource for teachers and parents to call if they have questions. The number is 833-353-6050, and is operational Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.