KASU Newsroom

Jonesboro City Parks and Recreation Department is shuttering exercise equipment, picnic tables and restrooms as a next-step measure in the effort to prevent spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in Craighead County.

Mayor Harold Perrin made the decision after discussions with Chief of Staff Mike Downing and Parks Director Danny Kapales.

“This is where Danny and his staff are seeing people gather, and there’s no way we can keep those places sanitized enough to prevent spread of this highly infectious disease,” Perrin said Wednesday.

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson today delivered his State of the State address to the 92nd General Assembly ahead of the fiscal session. In order to allow room for sufficient social distancing, the Governor delivered the State of the State address from the Senate Chamber in the State Capitol. Members of the House watched the address virtually from their assembly at the Jack Stephens Center. 

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson is to deliver his State of the State address under the backdrop of a global coronavirus pandemic.  Watch the live broadcast made possible by the Office of the Governor of Arkansas.

This release from Arkansas State University.  

  Early Wednesday morning, April 8, an Arkansas State student was shot in the leg by an unknown assailant in the parking lot of Red Wolf Den Apartments.  The student was transported and is being treated at a local hospital for a non-life threatening wound.

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has extended the mandatory closure of all Arkansas public schools through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, he announced at a news conference today. Arkansas educators will continue to provide alternative methods of instruction (AMI) for students to continue learning at home.

CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas PBS) — Arkansas PBS will continue to support at-home learning for the duration of school closures due to COVID-19 and has expanded its viewing options for “Arkansas AMI” – streamlined, curriculum-based programming for the state’s pre-K through 8th grade students – to include livestreaming, new broadcast channels in gap areas and access through mobile apps and OTT devices. The educational programming and classroom materials are produced in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Workers in food preparation, drive-thru services and anyone who has to interact with others in close quarters should wear a mask to reduce chances of transmitting or acquiring the coronavirus, Mayor Harold Perrin said Monday.

Perrin has been wearing his own mask for a week and strongly advocates all of Jonesboro to wear masks when doing business in public.

Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Arkansas and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic beginning on January 20, 2020, and continuing.

This release from Arkansas State University Chancellor Dr. Kelly Damphousse.  

Our world has changed in dramatic and rapid ways here at Arkansas State.  It is hard to believe that just seven days ago, we were waking up to the damage of an EF-3 tornado. It was just one month ago that I sent an email to campus announcing that we may need to prepare for shifting to online instructional delivery. As we wake up on this first Sunday of April, it is time for our campus family to embrace more changes and additional procedures to maximize as much as possible the safety of our community.

JONESBORO, AR,— The American Red Cross of Northeast Arkansas continues to help individuals affected by the March 28 tornado damage. Residents whose homes sustained major damage, whether rented or owned, who have not yet contacted the Red Cross are encouraged to call the Disaster Assistance Hotline at 417-447-7180, which has been extended to stay open longer. 

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has issued an executive order mandating new safety measures for commercial lodgings, short-term rentals, and other institutions and operations in order to protect public health during the COVID-19 crisis, he announced at a news conference today.

JONESBORO – Students, faculty and alumni from the College of Nursing and Health Professions  (CNHP) Emergency Medical Services Program at Arkansas State University are on the front line fighting the COVID-19 pandemic as well as helping victims of the tornado that struck the city of Jonesboro, Saturday, March 28.

The Jonesboro City Council will hold its first full meeting under state orders regarding the COVID-19 outbreak on Tuesday, April 7.

Because the emergency order issued by Gov. Asa Hutchinson limits gatherings to 10 persons or less, the City will meet via Zoom, a video-conferencing app for computers and smartphones.

The public will be able to watch the Council meeting either by the City’s FacebookLive stream or Suddenlink Ch. 24. Residents of Jonesboro can participate in the meeting in any of several ways:

This release from Dr. Kelly Damphousse.

Good morning Red Wolves:

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton—along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman—applauded the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for awarding federal funds to municipalities across Arkansas, as well as the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), to help facilitate the coronavirus response in our communities. 

UPDATED Wednesday 4:00pm

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has approved temporary changes to Arkansas State Parks’ operations to protect public health during the COVID-19 crisis, he announced at a news conference today. 

The American Red Cross of Northeast Arkansas continues to help individuals affected by last weekend’s tornado damage. Residents whose homes sustained major damage and who have not yet contacted the Red Cross are encouraged to call the Disaster Assistance Hotline at 417-447-7180. 

As workers joined City of Jonesboro employees Wednesday in continuing recovery and cleanup effortsfrom Saturday’s EF3 tornado, Mayor Harold Perrin reminded residents of the city’s initial emergency: the imminent danger presented by the COVID-19 outbreak.

As I approach my 40s, my annual wellness visits to my primary care physician usually consist of my doctor singing a familiar tune: improve your diet, get more exercise and make some changes to lose a little weight.

As important as those messages are, I’ll admit it’s easy for them to lose their gravitas when I hear the same things over and over again. Especially for me, a middle-aged man with an affinity for pizza and my television.

JONESBORO, Ark., April 1, 2020- NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital has launched a new on-demand video visit feature through the Baptist OneCare MyChart app.

       This feature allows patients to schedule and conduct doctor’s appointments from their home or office, using a smartphone, computer or tablet. As with regular doctor’s appointments, patients may be required to pay co-pays or additional fees after their insurance is filed.

This release from Arkansas State University Chancellor Dr. Kelly Damphousse: 

Dear Red Wolves:

JONESBORO, AR — The American Red Cross of Northeast Arkansas has set up a Jonesboro Area Tornado Assistance Line to assist residents affected by the weekend tornados. Starting Tuesday, March 31 at 10 a.m., residents may call the 417-447-7180.  The phone line will operate from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, April 3rd. It will also be open Saturday, April 4th from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Due to the high volume of calls, you may reach voicemail. Please leave a clear and detailed message for a call back.

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin announced an extension of the nighttime curfew that has been in place since Saturday’s EF-3 tornado struck a long path through the city.

Until further notice, only motorists going to and from work will be allowed on city streets during this period. “Our police force is taxed enough under the current circumstances,” Perrin said. “This will allow law-abiding citizens to be at home and ensure no looting or valdalism is occurring while we clean up our city.”

This press release comes from NYIT's College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University.

It’s not unusual for tragedy such as the one Jonesboro experienced Saturday night to bring a community together - both literally and figuratively. However, in the midst of a global health crisis, local medical officials are warning people to use caution when gathering to conduct relief efforts. 

JONESBORO – Northeast Arkansas is now in the clean-up phase after a tornado devasated the area. While many Arkansans may want to help their neighbors clean up and rebuild, con artists will seize the opportunity to take advantage of this vulnerable moment.

The following is from the Jonesboro Police Department's Facebook Page:

UPDATED 2:58 pm (3/31/20)
Find an important list of updated information below:

LITTLE ROCK – With the approval of the General Assembly, Governor Asa Hutchinson has allocated an additional $45 million to the $30 million he authorized earlier for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators for health care professionals and first responders as they test and treat patients who have contracted COVID-19, he announced at a news conference today.

JONESBORO, AR — The American Red Cross of Northeast Arkansas has set up a Jonesboro Area Tornado Assistance Lineto assist residents affected by the weekend tornados. Starting Tuesday, 

This statement comes from St. Bernard's Healthcare to the KASU newsroom. 

JONESBORO (March 30, 2020) –“The health of our patients, families and team members guides every decision we make at St. Bernards. Early this year, we recognized COVID-19’s pandemic qualities and began immediate preparations for the virus to reach our region.