Newton County Times Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Vol
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1 $1.00 Newton County Times Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Vol. 101 Number 35 Jasper School Jasper board prepares for start to apply for safe of school during pandemic By JEFF DEZORT on a rotational basis to attack the virus from all Newton County Times angles. JASPER — e Jasper Board of Eduction and Every bus will be equipped with thermom- room funds administrators spent a good portion of it Aug. eters to screen students and there will be seating 17 monthly meeting discussing steps that have charts for every seat both in buses and in class- By JEFF DEZORT ic Development District. been taken in preparing for the start of classes Newton County Times rooms to aid in any contact tracing that may e plan began develop- during the COVID-19 pandemic. JASPER — Jasper School have to be done. ment in 2015. According Superintendent Dr. Candra Brasel and Direc- Each school nurse will have a sick room and a is eligible for FEMA funds to to the Federal Emergency tor of Federal Programs Brian Cossey noted that aid in the construction of a well room for seeing and treating students. Management Agency, “Haz- personal protective equipment (PPE) including Drinking fountains will be made unusable. 4,000 square feet safe room ard mitigation works to masks, gloves, gowns and face shields have been on the school’s campus. is Instead, bottle lling stations will be available, reduce loss of life and prop- ordered and much of it has been received. is three at each campus. reinforced structure would be erty by reducing the impact equipment, costing almost $7,000, was pur- available as a safe gathering All of these precautions are part of the Ready of disasters. rough e ective chased through a Texas and Arkansas coopera- to Learn Plan the school district has developed place for students and sta mitigation planning and the tive and was provided by the PPG Co. in case of a tornado or other and received approval from the state educa- implementation of mitigation In addition, nine cases of hand sanitizer, tion department. e school district’s website emergency during the school strategies greater risk reduc- $1,000 worth, has been purchased along with day, but would also be avail- contains a long list of coronavirus information tion can be achieved. State, disinfectant that will be used in a mist to including general information for employees and able to the community during tribal, and local governments sanitize buses and playground equipment. a er school hours. student guidelines for the 2020-2021 school year. undertake hazard mitigation Disinfectant foggers will be used in classrooms See BOARD, 2A Superintendent Dr. Candra planning to identify risks Brasel announced the school and vulnerabilities related to district’s eligibility at Monday natural disasters. rough night’s regular board meeting. planning, they develop long- ANSTAFF BANK MAKES $40,000 DONATION TO AREA SCHOOLS Dr. Brasel said the school dis- term strategies for protecting trict’s education facilities plan- people and property from ner, Aliza Jones, noti ed her future events. Mitigation of the eligibility. Jones said the plans are key to breaking facility, which could also be the cycle of disaster damage, used as an elementary physical reconstruction, and repeated education room, would cost damage.” an estimated $1.35 million, Jasper School District built but most of the cost would be safe rooms into new facilities met with FEMA funding. e it built at Oark and Kingston. school district’s share would e school board has been be $520,000. waiting for Newton County e school district’s New- to have an approved FEMA ton County campus became mitigation plan in place to eligible when the county’s provide funds for a structure FEMA Hazard Mitigation on the Jasper campus. Plan was accepted by the fed- Dr. Brasel, who became su- eral agency last June. perintendent recently, asked It took ve years to com- the board if it is still inter- plete the planning and appli- ested in such a project. e cation process, but the Madi- half-million dollar cost to the son/Newton County FEMA district gave board members CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Hazard Mitigation Plan was pause. Dr. Brasel said those GREEN FOREST — An- of COVID-19,” said Steve fi nancial services with an approved by the Jasper City funds amount to half of the staff Bank will be donating a Stafford, Chairman/CEO of emphasis on putting the Council ursday night, June school building fund budget total of $40,000 to 18 school Anstaff Bank. “We hope this customer’s needs fi rst. Anstaff 18, by way of a resolution. e and there are other projects districts and two colleges contribution will assist the has expanded to 13 locations application was completed on the school district’s list of in the counties they serve. teachers, students and staff as in Green Forest, Berryville, for the two counties and their needs. Also, there is the ques- The donation is intended to the districts prepare for the Harrison, Jasper, Huntsville, municipalities by Tina M. tion of where to put the build- provide funds to help with the opening of our schools. We Kingston, Flippin, Mountain educational needs of their stu- are wishing them a successful Home and Norfork, Arkan- Cole, community & economic ing. e application is due in development coordinator for dents during this diffi cult time. school year.” sas. For more information October, Dr. Brasel said. “We are currently living in a Since 1931, Anstaff Bank about Anstaff Bank, visit Northwest Arkansas Econom- See SCHOOL, 2A very challenging time because has provided a full line of anstaffbank.com. DEATHS Whanda Holmes, 76 Thelma Keef, 79 Jasper board Norma Jean Munday, Anstaff Bank named 92 Donna Sue Nikkel, 63 approves personnel moves industry top loan producer WASHINGTON, D.C. — Indepen- year in each lending category and asset Staff Report dent Banker, the award-winning maga- INDEX size and adjusted for loan charge-o s at Viewpoints .............4A JASPER — e Jasper Board of Education zine of the Independent Community certain percentile thresholds. Obituaries ..............5A made some personnel moves following a brief ex- Bankers of America (ICBA) and the “Ansta Bank is honored to be Correspondents ....6A ecutive session during its regular monthly board number-one source for community recognized by ICBA for the growth Sports .................7-8A meeting Monday night. banking news, recognized Ansta Bank, and performance of our community Classifi eds .........9-10A It accepted the resignation of Donal Kimbriel, Green Forest, AR as an ICBA top lender bank,” said Steve Sta ord, Chairman/ News .................... 11A a bus driver for the Oark campus. It then hired in its July issue. Ansta Bank’s recog- CEO at Ansta Bank “We are proud to Makayla Harderson to the bus driver position nition is based on the strength of its serve our neighbors of Baxter, Boone, and added Brittney Pelts to the Oark sta in a competitive banking services and opera- Carroll, Madison, Marion and Newton janitor’s position. tional e ciencies throughout 2019. Counties, and strive every day to build Nicholas Fondren was added to the Jasper sta “ rough innovation, resourceful- lasting banking relationships that help as Janitor. ness and an unwavering commitment to our customers realize their nancial e Save the Children a er school tutoring their customers and communities, these goals and dreams—all while helping our program has two new sta ers, literacy tutor top lenders are creating a culture of suc- local economy prosper. Our success is a Kendrea Stuart and Heather Brown. and healthy cess,” ICBA President and CEO Rebeca testament to the faith of our customers choices coordinator Kathy Brasel. the program is Romero Rainey said. “ICBA is proud to and the hard work and dedication of our part of the Early Steps to School Success (ESSS) recognize Ansta Bank and its sta for talented employees.” program, a grant-based, school readiness initia- their outstanding e orts and wish them About Bank tive designed to empower and equip parents continued prosperity.” Since 1931, our goal has been to pro- preparing their children to excel in their educa- e “ICBA’s Top Lenders 2020” vide customers with what they want and tion career. e Save the Children organization feature reveals the secret to these com- need. We o er a full line of nancial created the United States’ program to include munity banks’ success as agricultural, services. From checking and savings ac- home visits to provide and prepare parents with commercial, and consumer and mort- counts, to personal, farm, and business the tools necessary to promote brain develop- gage lenders. It showcases their commit- loans, we provide many products and ment, literacy, and love of learning in children ment, ingenuity, and skill in adapting to services for our customers. Ansta Bank age birth to age three as well as promote and market dynamics and evolving cus- has thirteen locations serving Green support emergent literacy skills through a book tomer needs. Forest, Berryville, Harrison, Huntsville, exchange for children three to ve years of age. e annual list is based on the Jasper, Kingston, Flippin, Mountain Parent-child groups will be held monthly to add strength of competitive banking services Home and Norfork. We are honored additional support and resources for parents of and operational e ciencies using FDIC to provide our communities with the young children within the community. data for 2019. Scores were determined outstanding knowledge and services our e board also approved an addendum to the by combining the average of the bank’s customers have grown to expect from contract of Kingston certi ed sta teacher Sarah percentile rank for lending concentra- us.