The Sentinel-Record
Pinnacle Hotel Group breaks ground at Hampton by Hilton hotel site
Pinnacle Hotel Group hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday at the Central Avenue site of a planned Hampton by Hilton hotel. The ceremony featured refreshments provided by Mueller’s Bistro and Bakery. Chet Patel, principal and chief development...
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NWS: Low temps expected to have larger local impact than precipitation
Parts of Garland County could see as much as 6 inches of accumulation from the winter storm forecast to hit much of the central and southern part of the country today through Sunday. “There will be, most likely, some snowfall with this, but the...
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City, county could see ‘pretty significant icing’
Forecasts for the wintry weather are looking less favorable for the weekend with up to three-quarters of an inch of ice and 3-6 inches of snow predicted by the National Weather Service in North Little Rock. Meteorologist Thomas Jones said Garland...
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‘Wired for Success’:
Arkansas Junior Beta Club State Convention kicked off Tuesday at the Hot Springs Convention Center, bringing together thousands of fourth through eighth grade students for two days of academic and creative competition, leadership development and...
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MLK Day Parade sees dozens of community groups, churches celebrate
The 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade drew dozens of participants to Central Avenue Monday to celebrate King and the Civil Rights Movement, as community members lined the sidewalks to cheer the festivities. The Rev. Margorie Hamilton-Scott,...
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New baseball, softball complex part of FLSD six-year facilities plan
FOUNTAIN LAKE — A new baseball and softball complex, expanded elementary classrooms and campuswide security and accessibility upgrades are among the projects outlined in Fountain Lake School District’s newly approved six-year facilities plan. The...
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Beyond ‘catching bad guys’:
JESSIEVILLE — A new Introduction to Criminal Justice course at Jessieville High School is giving students a firsthand look at how law enforcement, courts and corrections work together — and helping many clarify their future career paths. The...
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New landfill cell ready to open
The largest cell at the Garland County Landfill is ready to open, pending approval from state regulators. The 4.7 acres make up the first cell of the 61-acre landfill’s 11-acre third phase. County Judge Darryl Mahoney told the Garland County Quorum...
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LHSD readies Legacy Project ahead of March special election
PEARCY — As the Lake Hamilton School District enters the final months of the school year, Superintendent Tony Thurman said preparations remain underway for a major facilities initiative and the millage proposal that would fund it. Thurman said the...
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City seeks EPA funds for abatement of old St. Joe’s
Citing poverty rates for juveniles and single women that more than double the national average in the census tract that includes the old St. Joseph’s Regional Health Center, the city said federal funds to remove hazardous materials from the hospital...
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City adds extra security layer for board meetings
A walk-through metal detector stood sentinel at the entrance to the Hot Springs Board of Directors chambers and board room at the board’s first business meeting of the year Tuesday. A police officer is typically at the entrance as the public files...
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Oaklawn numbers up in historic first Holiday meet
Oaklawn wrapped up its first Holiday meet Sunday, finishing 13 of its 64 scheduled days of racing this season, and with a three-week break before the start of the Classic meet, Oaklawn President Louis Cella said the first four weeks of the season was...
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OBHAW’s Wellness Day program joining CRC
Ouachita Behavioral Health and Wellness joined with the Hot Springs Community Resource Center Monday afternoon for a ribbon-cutting to announce the start of a Wellness Day program at the facility at 109 Hobson Ave. Susan Smith, the CEO of OBHAW, said...
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HSSD plan calls for athletic, safety upgrades
The Hot Springs School District will focus on maintaining aging buildings, completing major athletic and safety upgrades, and addressing accessibility needs under its newly released 2026 SixYear Facility Master Plan. The plan, submitted to the...
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America 250: Oaklawn unveils new flag in ceremony
Oaklawn is the home to the first flag to be raised in the state honoring the United States semiquincentennial, which was raised Saturday morning in a ceremony with Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester. The flag, which superimposes “America 250...
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Gallery Walk gets underway tonight
Hot Springs’ monthly Gallery Walk features the opening of new art exhibitions showcased in downtown fine art galleries and studio spaces. According to the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance, the following galleries are open for Gallery Walk from 5–9...
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Area leaders reflect on 2025, look forward to 2026
The Sentinel-Record recently asked several community leaders to reflect on 2025 and share their goals and personal resolutions for 2026. NPC’S DERDEN PRIORITIZES GROWTH, REFLECTION Looking ahead to 2026, National Park College President Wade Derden...
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Facility closures, groundbreakings were among the top newsmakers
From historic flooding to the opening of a new school and the closure of Levi Hospital, Garland County had plenty of headlines in 2025 that will resonate in the community for years to come. FLOODWATERS CAUSE DAMAGE ACROSS COUNTY In early April,...
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MPSD plans security, roof upgrades in 6-year plan
MOUNTAIN PINE — The Mountain Pine School Board approved the district’s SixYear Facility Master Plan at its Dec. 18 meeting, which outlined security improvements, roof replacements and electrical upgrades as the district plans amid declining enrollment...
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MPHS says error led to F on state report card
MOUNTAIN PINE — Mountain Pine High School officials told the school board last week that an accountability error likely caused the campus to receive an F letter grade when its data shows it should have been rated a D or a C. Principal Joy Higdon...
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Southern Theatre Co. to present ‘Man vs. Machine’ Jan. 16-18
Can audiences tell the difference between a play written by a person and one written by artificial intelligence? Southern Theatre Company invites theatergoers to find out when it presents “Man vs. Machine,” a six-play, 10-minute festival, on Jan....
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Horseman’s lounge opens at Oaklawn
After installing Wi-Fi in all the barns at Oaklawn last year, the Arkansas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association has partnered with the track to add a lounge for horsemen, which opened just prior to the start of Oaklawn’s Holiday...
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‘Such an important event’: Priest talks Christmas, resurgence of church
As people around the world celebrate Christmas today, the holiday holds a particular significance among those of the Christian faith. Rev. Shaun Wesley, the pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, said the birth of Jesus still holds great...
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Library board sees new renderings for branch, main
Garland County Library’s Board of Trustees saw updated renderings during their final meeting of the year Monday, giving the library’s executive director the go-ahead to add them to a final proposal to submit to the Hot Springs Metro Partnership for a...
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Christmas for Kids hosts annual celebration
Hundreds of local children and their families gathered at the Hot Springs Convention Center Monday for this year’s Christmas for Kids event, featuring food, music and giveaways for attendees. The event is sponsored by the Christmas for Kids...
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Deputy attorney general defends partial release of Epstein files
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department’s decision to release just a fraction of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressionally mandated deadline as necessary to protect survivors of...
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NPMC discusses plans for new adult psych unit
Approximately 30-35 new staff are expected to join National Park Medical Center in the next year as the hospital starts to build its new adult psychiatric unit, the hospital’s CEO said. CEO Scott Bailey said the hospital decided within days of the...
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LHSD highlights academics, CTE growth, community engagement in annual report
PEARCY — Lake Hamilton School District leaders highlighted academic performance, career-focused learning, staff compensation and growing community involvement in Monday night’s annual report to the public at the school board’s monthly...
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Jewish community and friends light menorah, remember lives lost in Bondi Beach massacre
A small gathering celebrated Hanukkah Tuesday as members of Hot Springs’ Jewish community, alongside their non-Jewish friends and neighbors, observed the lighting of the menorah. The annual tradition, sponsored by Lubavitch of Arkansas, took on an...
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Warming shelter had ‘zero problems’ in first openings at Resource Center
More than 30 people have spent the night at the Hot Springs Community Resource Center on each of the three nights the facility opened as an emergency warming shelter. The facility opened for the first time as a warming shelter on Dec. 3, and with...
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Melissa Speers, Jessieville superintendent, to retire June 30
JESSIEVILLE — Jessieville School District Superintendent Melissa Speers announced plans to retire effective June 30, asking the school board to accept her resignation at its Dec. 8 monthly meeting after nearly three decades of service to the...
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City board to consider extending parking fee waivers
The Hot Springs Board of Directors will consider waiving parking fees for downtown residents and workers through Feb. 28. The enabling ordinance on its agenda Tuesday night would extend the waivers beyond their Dec. 31 expiration, buying time to...
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‘A temporary stewardship’
When Corey Alderdice learned he had been named Arkansas Business’ 2025 Executive of the Year in the Public Sector/Education category, the outgoing executive director of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts said he was...
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Oaklawn cuts ribbon for 121st season
Oaklawn staff is excited for the 121st season of live racing, which starts today with a 10-race card. Gates open at 11 a.m. with first post set for 12:30 p.m., and the $150,000 Advent, the first stakes race of the Holiday meet, which runs through Jan....
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Cella: Oaklawn ready for 121st season
Oaklawn President Louis Cella told Hot Springs National Park Rotary the racetrack is ready for its 64-day season to start Friday. Opening weekend will be “highlighted by our six tons of corned beef sandwiches giveaway on Saturday,” Cella said, drawing...
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Oaklawn Rotary announces winners for this year’s Christmas parade
This year’s annual Christmas parade was a dazzling display of holiday cheer, and the results are in as to which entries stood above the rest. Oaklawn Rotary, which puts on the annual parade, announced this year’s top floats Tuesday morning at the...
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Mass casualty drill tests readiness with mock school bus crash
Garland County first responders put their emergency skills to the test Saturday morning by hosting a fullscale mass casualty simulation at the Garland County Fair & Livestock Association arena, giving the community a look at how agencies respond when...
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Daniell Heat and Air to give away 3 furnaces to families in need
Daniell Heat and Air is currently accepting nominations as part of its “Heat from the Heart” initiative to provide free furnaces for three families in need through Dec. 21. According to a news release, nominations will be accepted for families, single...
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Oaklawn set for two meets for 2025-26 season
For the first time, Oaklawn will be having two distinct meets for the 2025-26 race season. The holiday meet kicks off this weekend with the classic meet set to start on Jan. 30, Oaklawn General Manager Wayne Smith said. “We’re actually starting in...
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Cold morning, warm support:
Lakeside School District is sending its football team off to the state championship game following a cold but spirited district-wide pep rally Friday at Chick Austin Stadium. The Rams are set to depart for Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium today at...
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Levi Hospital building to be demolished
Six months after announcing it would cease treatment, the Levi Hospital Board of Directors announced the building at 300 Prospect Ave. will be demolished. A news release from the Levi Community Foundation said parts of the building date back to 1914,...
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VHS names winners of Feast Month
A record number of votes were cast for eateries across Hot Springs in the month of November for the fifth annual Feast Month competition as diners selected the best dining spots across 12 categories. “We saw a record number of votes this year, with...
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Toy museum founder looks to expand into Spa City
The founder of Hanamaki Toy Museum hopes to see Hot Springs have its own wooden toy museum as soon as 2027. Yasuhiro Otomo, who is also president and CEO of Otomo Lumber in Hanamaki, Japan, spoke to city, county and business leaders at the Garland...
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Winter weather generally north of county
Garland County managed to dodge a bullet with the first winter weather of the season. Colby Pope, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock, said commutes could be affected this morning, even though much of the wintry...
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First taste of winter weather expected today
Winter weather is anticipated to be a factor for motorists today as the National Weather Service in North Little Rock is forecasting up to two-tenths of an inch of accumulation from 6 a.m. through Tuesday morning. The NWS has predicted a 40% chance of...
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Philly transplant brings her philanthropy to Hot Springs
Grove Street isn’t the high-rent district, but to Philadelphia transplant Monica Wright it’s a bucolic retreat. “People have told me this is allegedly the ghetto,” Wright said earlier this month. “How can this be the ghetto? This is the bad side of...
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Fairgrounds to host school bus accident simulation
A mass casualty incident doesn’t end after the injured are removed from the scene. Emergency personnel have to know where they have been taken and share their location with family. The more people injured, the more complicated communication becomes....
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Library board discusses proposed lease for new branch
A draft of the proposed agreement for the Garland County Library to lease property from the Jessieville and Fountain Lake school districts has been sent to the districts to be approved by their school boards. The proposed 50-year lease was drawn up by...
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Thanksgiving to Share ready for 21st year
What started 21 years ago as a way for a local woman to celebrate Thanksgiving with the community while her son was unable to visit has grown into hundreds of volunteers delivering or serving thousands of meals each year. A Thanksgiving to Share...
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HSSD dance director is awarded $5,000 by Arkansas Arts Council
Amy Bramlett-Turner, the dance director for grades seven through 12 at Hot Springs School District, recently received an Individual Artist Fellowship grant from the Arkansas Arts Council for $5,000. According to a news release, the AAC awarded the...
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Area vet brings dog, snake to Rotary
Members of Hot Springs National Park Rotary Club got the opportunity to meet a St. Bernard and a peppermint corn snake last week as Dr. Brian Peters brought two of his own pets to his presentation. Peters, who owns Lake Hamilton and Hot Springs animal...
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Veterans honored at annual Veterans Day program
Garland County Veterans Memorial and Military Park was packed for the annual Veterans Day program, which also recognized the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. “This year marks 50 years since the U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia,...
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‘Something more meaningful’: Students honor veterans with hundreds of letters
Cutter Morning Star High School students wrote nearly 300 letters to veterans in honor of Veterans Day, presenting them Thursday to representatives of Disabled American Veterans for distribution at Veterans Affairs hospitals in Little Rock. DAV...
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Dozens attend closing ceremony for Girl Scouts’ Radford House
Approximately 60 people gathered at the Girl Scouts’ Radford House Saturday afternoon to say goodbye to the facility that opened in the mid-1960s. At least three generations of Girl Scouts attended the closing ceremony for the 13-acre property that...
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Growing roots: Jessieville students dig into learning with tree planting project
JESSIEVILLE — Jessieville School District students celebrated hands-on environmental learning Wednesday as they planted five native shade trees on their playground through the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Shade Trees on Playgrounds...
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Veterans Memorial gets security upgrades ahead of Veterans Day
Following issues with vandalism over the past couple of years at the Garland County Veterans Memorial and Military Park, the Veterans Memorial Committee has made several upgrades to help deter any “desecration” of the location. “We’ve had a lot of...
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Board action aids proposed expansion of local RV park
Action the Hot Springs Board of Directors took Tuesday night converted all of Pyron Street and part of Ostego Street into private property for the expansion of Finish Line RV Park. The company that owns the park also owns parcels fronting the vacated...
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Rental market poses challenges
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles discussing the rental market in Garland County. The rental housing market in Hot Springs presents significant challenges for tenants and landlords alike. According to community members who...
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NPC furloughs 3 employees amid federal shutdown
National Park College has furloughed three full-time employees after receiving notice from Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva to suspend Temporary Assistance for Needy Families services, the college confirmed Monday. NPC President Wade Derden...
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Turf ends 90-plus-year history in Spa City, Levy takes over foodservice for HSCC
After 28 years providing food service to the Hot Springs Convention Center, Turf Catering served its final meals last week, ending more than 90 years of business in the Spa City. Brad Wolken, the owner of the business, gave a brief history of the...
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HSSD students donate care packages
Students from Hot Springs World Class High School donated 40 care packages for residents at Shalom Recovery Center that included toiletries and handwritten notes of encouragement. The district’s Drug Free Youth Coalition, a youth-led organization...
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Ohm’s new book expands on earlier trilogy
Those familiar with local contemporary Christian author Ashlyn McKayla Ohm’s “Climbing Higher” trilogy know the Rocky Mountains put her protagonists at a remove from their fraught childhood, but the past still shadows Avery and Addisyn Miles. The...
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‘Where am I going to eat?’
What began as a way to help visitors to Hot Springs decide where to eat while in town has grown into a month-long event to promote eateries across the Spa City. Feast Month, which begins today and runs through Nov. 30, grew out of a video series...
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Food pantries ‘scrambling’ to prep for lapse in federal SNAP benefits
Food pantries, aid organizations and churches braced for a lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits as the federal government shutdown approached its 30th day. Janie Smith, executive director of Jackson House, said their staff were...
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‘High-quality H2O’
Mountain Valley Spring Water held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new bottling facility on Glazypeau Road Wednesday near Hot Springs Village. Work actually began on the new facility earlier this year. McHenry Co. announced on Facebook on July 18 it...
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Proposal ‘needs to have its day’ before city board
A proposal for a new main library at the Majestic Hotel site made by the Garland County Library in February is still on the table, the library’s executive director told his board of trustees during its meeting Monday. “(The Hot Springs Metro...
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‘Wooden education’:
An expanded exhibit from the Hanamaki, Japan, Toy Museum is set to open Saturday at the Garland County Library, and as the first city outside Japan to host the museum, the exhibit has been customized for Hot Springs. Part of the border of the Hanamaki...
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Large fund balance provides options for Hot Springs board
Multiple years of budget surpluses and $13 million in federal pandemic relief built the $34.5 million general fund cash balance reported in the August financial statements the Hot Springs Board of Directors acknowledged last week. City Manager Bill...
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Bathing the World:
Few people stay in the service industry for more than four decades, but one Hot Springs bath house attendant started her career back in the 1970s. Mattie Matlock, an attendant at Buckstaff Bath House, has worked at different bath houses during her...
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Garvan Woodland Gardens to host annual Celebrate Fall event Sunday
As Garvan Woodland Gardens heads into fall and the holiday season, it will be hosting its 11th annual Celebrate Fall event on Sunday from 1-4 p.m. at 550 Arkridge Road. Kristin Mangham, marketing director at the botanical garden, said the event will...
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CHI clinic closures part of strategic reorganization
CHI St. Vincent closed a primary care clinic in Hot Springs Village and the gastroenterology clinic at its hospital campus in Hot Springs, moves a spokesman said were part of a strategic reorganization of the hospital group’s area clinics. In addition...
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LSD highlights safety progress in monthly board meeting
Lakeside School District held its monthly board meeting Monday at the high school, focusing on safety measures and recent lockdown procedures. Mathew Thornton, assistant superintendent at Lakeside, said the district is required by law to hold a fire...
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Jessieville board appoints Murders to fill vacant seat
JESSIEVILLE — The Jessieville School Board voted Monday night to appoint Erin Murders to fill the board’s vacant Position 2 seat following candidate interviews. Murders fills the seat for Jack Wells, who resigned last month due to “personal reasons,”...
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Fountain Lake looks to boost achievement, student support
FOUNTAIN LAKE — Fountain Lake School District Superintendent Darin Landry presented the district’s annual report to the public on Oct. 13, which outlined goals to boost reading and math skills, expand student support services and strengthen school...
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