News Flash

Road closure: Central and Whittington avenues

Road closures associated with the 2021 Annual Christmas Parade, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6, include:

•    Whittington Avenue, between Park Avenue and Willow Street, which will be closed at 5 p.m. until all Christ...

Controlled burn planned for Dec. 6

Hot Springs National Park Service will conduct a controlled burn of natural vegetation at their facility on Walter Street behind the Baseball Trail Park, located at 1201 Whittington Avenue, on Monday, Dec. 6. 

The burn will be al...

Lane closure: East Grand Avenue

The inside lanes of East Grand Avenue will have intermittent lane closures, between Malvern Avenue and Belmar Street, from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 2, through Friday, Dec. 10, for tree pruning.

Caution signs and barricades will be in place, a...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: County has low case numbers while awaiting more data on new variant

While the world waits for more data on the new COVID-19 variant, omicron, Garland County’s case numbers for the week of Nov. 21-28 included a total new case count of 27 – the lowest the county has had in more than a year.

Garland County...

City GIS maps updated with 2020 districts

The updated City district areas, under the Hot Springs Board of Directors 2020 Apportionment (Redistricting) Plan Map, are now depicted on the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS) interactive map at www.cityhs.net/GIS.

To view the updated d...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Garland County COVID cases faring better than other populated counties

In his weekly report to the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force, Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby shared that the county continues on a COVID metric plateau.

“We are doing much better than the state as a whole, and our per capita rate is...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Garland County sees uptick in cases, but far fewer than a year ago

Garland County got as low as 50 active COVID-19 cases, which has not happened since June, during the week of Nov. 7 – 14, 2021. Yet that statistic and others began to trend upward before the meeting on Monday, Nov. 15, of the Hot Springs/Garland...

Planning Commission public hearing on Dec. 9

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9, in the Board Chambers at City Hall, 133 Convention Boulevard, to consider the following:

• 104 Gossett Place – Zoning change request from Medium/High Density Resident...

Street closure: Walnut Street

Walnut Street, between Whittington Avenue and Willow Street, will be closed from Monday, Nov. 15, through Friday, Feb. 4, for storm drain improvements.

Detour signs and barricades will be in place, and motorists are advised to use an alternate route when t...

Garland County Health Unit providing pediatric Pfizer COVID vaccines

The Garland County Health Unit has the pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for ages 5-11. To increase availability to the public, the health unit will be holding special vaccine clinics as well as dedicated hours of operation.

On Saturday, Nov. 6, the healt...

Portion of Hill Wheatley Plaza parking lot close for holiday decorations

The Hot Springs Parks & Trails Department will be installing the animated Christmas tree at Hill Wheatley Plaza on Monday, Nov. 8, and Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.

The southwest corner of the plaza parking lot, near the Visitor’s Center, will be cl...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID still trending downward as vaccine push continues

Garland County’s COVID-19 statistics remain on a downward trend, but County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby continues to encourage promotion of vaccinations, mask wearing and for those not feeling well to stay at home.

At the Nov. 1 meeting of the...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: All COVID metrics improving for Garland County

There continues to be improvement in all metrics concerning the amount of Covid-19 infections in Garland County, according to Dr. Gene Shelby, county health officer, in his weekly report shared with the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force on Oc...

Lane closure: Thornton Ferry Road

The southbound lane of Thornton Ferry Road, between Imperial and Kaleigh courts, will be closed from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Monday, Oct. 25, through Friday, Dec. 24, for the relocation of a forced main and water main. The northbound lane will be detoure...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Hopes are that history does not repeat in another COVID winter surge

COVID-19 statistics for the week of Oct. 10-17 in Garland County are strikingly similar to the same week a year ago. Dr. Gene Shelby, county health officer, told the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force that he hopes the weeks and months that fo...

Christmas Parade Announcement: Applications for float entries are now being accepted

The Oaklawn Rotary Club of Hot Springs is pleased to announce that the 2021 Annual Christmas Parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, in historic Downtown Hot Springs. The theme of the parade this year is &ldq...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Garland County’s hospitalizations dropping along with overall COVID numbers

The downward trend of new and active COVID-19 cases continues for Garland County, and the number of COVID patients in the two Hot Springs hospitals dropped from 35 to 23 this past week.

Representatives from CHI St. Vincent and National Park Medical Center ...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: County’s COVID stat’s decline, except for hospitalizations

Although Garland County continues to see improving COVID case numbers, with some categories improving significantly for the week of Sept. 26 – Oct. 3, the number of COVID-positive patients in Hot Springs’ hospitals increased by four fr...

Burrough and Shelby named Civitan Club’s ‘Citizen of the Year’

Hot Springs City Manager Bill Burrough and Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby were both recipients of the Hot Springs Civitan Club’s “Citizen of the Year” Award for 2021.

Burrough and Shelby were honored at the Civi...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID cases in Garland County schools continue to decline

Although Garland County’s COVID statistics seem to have plateaued, the number of cases in the county’s public schools continues to decline.

As of Monday, Sept. 27, there were a total of 24 COVID cases among students and staff from the c...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID cases in Garland County schools drop by 67% in one week

Representatives from Garland County’s seven public school districts reported a total of 33 active student and staff cases at the Sept. 20 meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force. This was a decline of 68 from the 101 total ...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID statistics trending down, but vigilance should remain high

Although the COVID-19 statistics for Garland County are on a downward trend, Dr. Gene Shelby encouraged the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force at the Sept. 13 meeting to maintain vigilance and use of face masks, as well as promotion of the vac...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Delta variant challenging hospitals and schools

Even though the COVID-19 case numbers for Garland County continued to decline for the week of Aug. 22 – 29, the highly contagious delta variant is posing new challenges to school districts and has led to the county’s highest weekly COV...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID numbers decline slightly, but risk remains high

Garland County’s COVID-19 statistics for the week of Aug. 15-22 show slight improvements, yet the amount of virus in the community remains high, as does vaccine skepticism and the divisiveness regarding face masks. 

“It&rsq...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID claims 15 lives over weekend in Hot Springs

There were 15 COVID-19 deaths this past weekend at the two Hot Springs hospitals, according to representatives of CHI St. Vincent and National Park Medical Center at the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force meeting on Monday, Aug. 16. 

T...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Record case numbers force hospitals to expand ICU capacity

Garland County’s active COVID-19 case count has reached record levels and area hospitals have had to expand their intensive care units. With schools starting next week, the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force is urging everyone who ha...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Districts plan for challenging start to school year

With the active COVID-19 case count currently more than three times higher in Garland County than compared to the same time in 2020, school district representatives discussed their plans and challenges ahead for the upcoming school year at the meeting Mon...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Community facing ‘major crises’ from COVID Delta variant

With a near ten-fold increase in Garland County’s COVID-19 active cases in the past five weeks, Dr. Gene Shelby gave a stark report at the virtual meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force meeting on Monday, July 26.

&ldqu...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Delta variant fueling COVID ‘super spike’

The Delta variant of COVID-19 appears to be a primary factor in what Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby described as a “super spike” in new cases during his report at the July 12 virtual meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland Co...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Local hospitals treating younger COVID patients

During the bi-weekly Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force meeting on June 21, representatives from CHI St. Vincent (CHI) and National Park Medical Center (NPMC) both reported seeing two recent trends – more younger COVID-19 patients than compare...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Continuing to promote need for vaccines

Garland County’s COVID-19 active case count rose from less than 30 in mid-May to a high point of 129 on May 25, before starting to decline.

At the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force’s June 7 meeting, Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelb...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Garland County COVID numbers remain low

Compared to other populous counties in Arkansas, Garland County has the lowest number of COVID-19 cases per capita as the county remains on its six-week low plateau of new and active cases, according to Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby at the...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Business leaders encouraged to help in vaccination efforts

Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby, citing a concerning trend in the county’s COVID-19 statistics, hopes creative efforts to increase public knowledge of the importance of vaccinations will lead to a greater percentage of the county becoming in...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: County’s vaccination efforts have saved lives

At the April 19 meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force, Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby commended the area’s vaccination efforts and offered encouragement for the public to continue to get inoculated.

“I want to applaud...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Waning COVID vaccinations concerning to task force

A lack of information getting to the public about the open eligibility and the wide availability and critical importance of COVID-19 vaccines continues to be a concern for the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force, which was a primary topic of di...

COVID rent/utility funds available for Hot Springs residents

Hot Springs residents who have experienced financial hardship related to COVID-19 and, as a result, are behind on rent or utility payments can now apply for assistance through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) CARES Act funded emergency rent an...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Promoting vaccinations and use of face masks

At the March 29 virtual meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force, representatives planned ways to increase the county’s percentage of people who are fully vaccinated from the current 14% of all residents and 39% of the 65-and-older ag...

Intracity Transit giving free rides for vaccination seekers

The City of Hot Springs Intracity Transit public bus system is offering free rides for those seeking COVID-19 vaccinations beginning Thursday, April 1. 

The free rides will be in effect to and from scheduled COVID-19 vaccination appointments, and ...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID task force hopes to increase percentage of vaccinated residents

At the March 29 virtual meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force, representatives planned ways to increase the county’s percentage of people who are fully vaccinated from the current 14% of all residents and 39% of the 65-and-older ag...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID vaccine hesitancy could slow county’s return to normalcy

Garland County’s COVID-19 numbers continue to be on a great downward trend, according to Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby, but residents need to remember that the virus is still here and that the vaccines are key to returning to normalcy.&...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID vaccine effectiveness shown locally from Phase 1-A participants

As COVID-19 case numbers continue to decline at the local and state levels, members of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force urge continued vigilance in wearing masks, socially distancing and hand washing, as well as seeking out a COVID test ...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Cases continue decline, but vigilance needed 'to get to zero'

As COVID-19 case numbers continue to decline at the local and state levels, members of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force urge continued vigilance in wearing masks, socially distancing and hand washing, as well as seeking out a COVID test ...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Mitigation efforts, now guidelines, will continue

Gov. Asa Hutchinson changed the statewide COVID-19 directives to guidelines on Feb. 26, yet he and Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero said it is essential that individual behaviors regarding wearing masks, socially distancing and washing hands continue. ...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Low testing numbers due to weather skews statistics

The week of Feb. 14-22 had the lowest total of COVID-19 test results recorded for Garland County since August due to the winter weather, but Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby is still pleased by the continued downward trajectory of the county’...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Weather inhibits COVID testing

Cold temperatures most likely led to a lower number of COVID-19 testing being done the week of Feb. 8-14, and the continued effects of inclement weather will likely skew the pandemic outlook for weeks ahead, according to Garland County Health Officer Dr. ...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Cases increase, but positivity rate and active cases hold steady

Although the week of Jan. 31 – Feb. 7 saw a 64% increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Garland County from the previous week, a higher number of test results kept the positivity rate steady and the number of active cases fell by 10.&...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Cases declining; vigilance should remain

Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby told the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force at the meeting on Monday, Feb. 1, that the county has seen across the board improvement this past week. He warned, however, that there is a long road ahe...

On a vaccine waiting list? Be sure to answer your phone

Those in Garland County who have registered to be on a COVID-19 vaccine waiting list are encouraged to answer their phone as vaccination clinics continue to be scheduled. 

Those involved in vaccine distribution are using the waiting lists to conta...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: COVID numbers trending downward as vaccinations continue

Although a significant number of active COVID-19 cases remain in Garland County, the trend of new cases is on a downward slope as vaccinations continue for Phase 1-A groups and the start of Phase 1-B – education workers and those 70 and older.

Along with t...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: High COVID numbers continue, but may be nearing peak

The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Garland County for the week of Jan. 10-17 of 815 was a record high for the third-straight week, but with the holidays behind us, Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby is hopeful that the county is at or...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Record-setting trend continues to strain hospitals

The drastic upward trend of new COVID-19 cases in Garland County following the Christmas and New Year’s holidays is continuing, putting a strain on local hospitals.

“We have a surging, deadly pandemic that is getting worse here. The chances of getting COVI...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Cases and hospitalizations continue post-holiday rise

Although the start of the vaccine rollout offers hope, it will still likely be months before doses of the vaccine are available for the general public. In the meantime, record-level COVID-19 statistics for Garland County, including rising hospitalizations...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Hospitals at highest levels as task force dissuades COVID fatigue

At the virtual meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force on Dec. 28, representatives from CHI St. Vincent and National Park Medical Center shared their anxiousness about a likely increase in cases in the weeks following the Christmas h...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Garland County begins inoculating healthcare providers

As the active cases in Garland County continue to rise, the beginning of the phased distribution of COVID-19 vaccines was a primary topic of discussion at the Dec. 21 virtual meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force.

CHI St. Vincent Ho...

HS/GC COVID-19 Task Force: Garland County COVID-19 numbers ‘off the charts’

Several COVID-19 statistics for the week of Dec. 6 – 13 in Garland County far exceeded previous record highs, according to Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby at the Dec. 14 virtual meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County Covid-19 Task Force.

A...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Shorter quarantine guidelines for non-symptomatic close contacts

Representatives on the Hot Springs/Garland County Covid-19 Task Force are bracing for what may be a rise in post-Thanksgiving cases this week while preparing for a change in quarantine guidelines and upcoming vaccine deliveries.

During the Dec. 7 virtual t...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Task force urges adherence to recommendations this holiday

Over the past week, Garland County’s COVID-19 statistics plateaued from the previous weeks’ upward trajectory, but health officials continue to urge area residents to be vigilant this Thanksgiving holiday.

Even though case numbers have stabilized, the coun...

HS/GC COVID-19 Task Force: More pandemic records set locally; ‘it’s everywhere’

“The virus has continued to spread throughout our community, our county, with no particular source; it’s everywhere,” said Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby at the Nov. 16 virtual meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force.

S...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Past week's new case count total all-time high

As area nursing home COVID-19 cases begin to decline from the spike in recent weeks, community spread is keeping the number of new cases and the active case count at or near record high levels.

At the Nov. 9 meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-...

Cases and deaths in area expected in increase due to COVID-19

With the active cases in Garland County at an all-time high for the second straight week and the greatest percentage of cases being in the most vulnerable population, Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby fears that COVID-related deaths in the cou...

HS/GC COVID-19 Task Force: Active cases reach all-time high

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Garland County has risen to its highest number since the start of the pandemic at 247, according to Garland County Health Office Dr. Gene Shelby at the Oct. 26 virtual meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-...

Garland County’s active cases and COVID-19 deaths rise in past week

Following a downward trend for COVID-19 cases in Garland County, the week of Oct. 11 – 18 saw a higher number of new cases, active cases and deaths, while there was a decrease in the number of tests performed.

“Unfortunately, last week was not a very good ...

HS/GC COVID-19 Task Force: Continued vigilance needed to keep local COVID curve flat

Hot Springs and Garland County continue to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases, but members of the area COVID-19 task force caution that vigilance is needed to continue to keep down the spread of the virus.

“Our community cannot let our guard down. We have...

State and local health officials dissuade Covid fatigue

Recognizing that many people are experiencing fatigue in respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby seeks to remind the community of the deadly and communicable nature of this coronavirus.

At the Sept. 28 virtual meetin...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: No jump in cases following latest holiday weekend

Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby is optimistic about where Garland County stands in the pandemic as two weeks have passed since Labor Day, yet the COVID-19 numbers locally have not increased as they did following Memorial Day and Independence...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Schools seeking prospective substitute teachers/bus drivers

At this point in the pandemic, school superintendents across Garland County are more concerned that the quarantining of teachers and bus drivers could force a change to virtual learning more so than the threat of positive cases within school districts.

At ...

HS/GC COVID Task Force: Superintendents remind families of quarantine guidelines

If a member of a student’s household tests positive for COVID-19, the student is also required to quarantine rather than continuing to attend school in person. This was the primary message from superintendents during the virtual meeting of the Hot Springs...

Task force seeks to clarify state’s quarantine and isolation guidelines

During the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force virtual meeting on Aug. 31, school superintendents from across Garland County reported a great first week, with hopes that communication from the task force can help clear up misunderstandings in t...

HS/GC COVID-19 Task Force: Garland County COVID cases and testing numbers are down

Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby shared at the Aug. 24 meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force that he is pleased with the current numbers for Garland County, but he continues to stress the importance of wearing masks an...

HS/GC COVID-19 Task Force: Garland County COVID trend continues in right direction

At the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force virtual meeting on August 10, Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby said that the COVID-19 numbers from the week of August 2-9 look better, and that he is pleased with the trend.

There were 171 ...

Garland County virus cases flatten, but positivity rate increases

COVID-19 numbers from Garland County for the week of July 2 – August 2 do show some “positive aspects compared to the previous two weeks” as new cases seem to be “leveling off,” said Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby at the Hot Springs/Garland...

Garland County virus cases continue on ‘major upward trend’

Garland County averaged 30 new COVID-19 cases reported daily from July 19 – 26, with a total of 210 new cases for the week, according to Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby at the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force virtual meeting on...

Garland County virus cases more than double in past week

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and those under investigation more than doubled this past week from 90 on July 12 to 188 on July 19, and the number of active cases went from 65 to 150.

“Garland County is certainly in the mix of this pandemic,” said ...

Garland County positivity rate rises to 6.4%

Although the number of new and active cases in Garland County has plateaued, the positive rate of infection among the 732 tests done between July 5-12 rose to 6.4%, up from the previous week’s 2.7%.

Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene Shelby shared at t...

Garland County positivity rate cut in half from previous week

There were 48 new COVID-19 cases reported in Garland County from June 28 – July 5, but because of a record number of tests performed, the positivity rate decreased from the previous week’s 5.8% to 2.7%.

Also, thanks to the number of recoveries in Garland C...

Garland County has increase of 50 new active COVID-19 cases

Following Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force virtual meeting on June 22, where case numbers had stabilized, data from the past week shared at the June 29 meeting showed an upward trend with 50 new cases.

Garland County Health Officer Dr. Gene S...