YOUR FORECAST FIRST.
ERA:
FROST ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT
SOUTHEAST OF I-44
UNTIL 8 AM WHERE TEMPERATURES IN
THE MIDDLE 30'S AND CALM WINDS
COULD LEAD TO
SOME FROST ON YOUR PLANTS THIS
MORNING.
HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST AND A
DEVELOPING
LOW TO THE WEST WILL KICK BREEZY
SOUTHERLY WINDS TODAY. GUSTS TO
30 MPH AND SUNSHINE WILL
HELP HIGHS GET WARMER INTO THE
MIDDLE 60'S DESPITE AND INCREASE
IN CLOUD COVER.
THE FRONT COMES THROUGH TONIGHT
WITH
SOME SHOWERS AROUND. LOWS WILL
NOT BE AS COLD, DROPPING INTO
THE 40'S.
SHOWERS LINGER EARLY FRIDAY WITH
CLOUDS
HANGING TIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON.
CLOUDS, SHOWERS, AND NORTH WINDS
KEEP
TEMPERATURES CHILLY ON FRIDAY,
SPENDING MOST OF THE DAY IN THE
40'S.
AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN FRIDAY
NIGHT, SKIES WILL
CLEAR AND WINDS WILL CALM,
SENDING LOWS BOTTOMING OUT
AGAIN. ANOTHER LIGHT FREEZE IS
LIKELY BY SATURDAY MORNING,
YOU'LL NEED TO PROTECT THE
PLANTS AGAIN!
WE'LL KEEP SUNSHINE SATURDAY
AFTERNOON
WITH HIGHS IN THE 60'S. A STORM
TRACKS TO OUR SOUTH ON SUNDAY
WITH A FEW SHOWERS POSSIBLE IN
THE OZARKS.
A BIGGER WARMER TRENDS KICKS
EARLY NEXT WEEK
WITH HIGHS IN THE 60'S AND 70'S
AHEAD OF OUR NEXT FRONT. RAIN
CHANCES RETURN ON WEDNESDAY.
LAUREN
AROUND THE OZARKS....
LAUREN
OZARK COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE
WORKING TO CONNECT THE CITY TO
SPRINGFIELD BY WAY OF
ONE OF ITS ABANDONED RAILWAY
LINES.....
NYZAH MCDONALD IS HERE TO
EXPLAIN HOW THE PROJECT WILL
WORK AND WHEN YOU CAN EXPECT TO
SEE THE CHANGES.....
NYZAH
SEE THE CHANGES.....
NYZAH
GOOD MORNING --- CITY LEADERS
SAY WITH WEST JACKSON STREET
ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR
THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE...IT GAVE
THEM THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO
GO AHEAD AND MAKE
PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL.
OZARK PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR,
JEREMY PARSONS, SAYS FINDING A
WAY TO IMPROVE
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ALONG WEST
JACKSON STREET WAS A MATTER OF
TIMING....
PARSONS SAYS JACKSON STREET
CURRENTLY CATERS TO VEHICLES....
BUT....... THANKS TO A NEW GRANT
THEY CAN NOW CREATE TWO GRADE
SEPARATED PEDESTRIAN
UNDERPASSES UNDER JACKSON
STREET.
HE SAYS IT'S BEEN A
COMMUNITY-WIDE EFFORT TO GET THE
PROJECT UP AND RUNNING.....
Jeremy Parsons/Public Works
Director, City of Ozark: "It
really
paves the way to start going
north and that really is our
goal to make these connections
to make pedestrian and
bicyclists
a priority...and to also
continue this trail on a
regional level all the way to
Springfield...."
NYZAH
PHASE ONE, WHICH INVOLVES
CREATING THE TWO UNDERPASSES, IS
EXPECTED TO BEGIN THIS
SUMMER WITH A PROJECTED
COMPLETION DATE OF FALL
20-21.....
THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE
NEARLY 4- THOUSAND LINEAR FEET
OF TRAILS PRIMARILY FOCUSED
ON BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN
CONNECTIVITY......
LAUREN
HERE IS YOUR MORNING UPDATE ON
COVID-19 NUMBERS.....
ACCORDING TO THE C-D-C.......
THE U-S HAS SEEN MORE THAN
6-HUNDRED-THOUSAND CONFIRMED
CASES WITH OVER 24-THOUSAND
DEATHS.
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE DEATHS
HAPPENING IN NEW YORK WHERE
NEARLY 11-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE
DIED.
THE GOOD NEWS.....ALMOST 53-
THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE FULLY
RECOVERED IN THE
U-S.
TAKING A LOOK CLOSER TO HOME....
ARKANSAS IS REPORTING ALMOST
16-HUNDRED CASES AND 34 DEATHS.
509 PEOPLE HAVE RECOVERED THERE.
MISSOURI HAS CONFIREMD ALMOST 5-
THOUSAND CASES AND 147 DEATHS.
AND IN GREENE COUNTY..... THERE
HAVE BEEN 81 CASES..... 8
DEATHS....WHILE 43
PATIENTS HAVE RECOVERED.
JOE
PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST ONE SYMPTOM
OF COVID- 19... ARE NOW ABLE TO
BE TESTED FOR IT.
IT'S A CHANGE THE
SPRINGFIELD-GREENE COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENT MADE THIS
WEEK TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD.
NOW, THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING
A COUGH... FEVER... OR SHORTNESS
OF BREATH CAN GET TESTED...
AS LONG AS THEY HAVE A DOCTOR'S
REFERRAL.
THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS
DECISION IS THE INCREASE IN
TESTING CAPACITIES.
THERE ARE NO VACCINES OR
ANTI-VIRALS RIGHT NOW, SO
TESTING IS THE ONLY THING THAT
CAN PROVIDE
INDICATION TO WHERE THE DISEASE
IS GOING.
BUT STILL, THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING... IS TO CONTINUE SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
(Clay Goddard / Director of
Health, Springfield-Greene
County Health Department): "The
fuel that this virus needs is
people being physically close to
one another. We have been and
must continue to take the fuel
away from the fire."
(Katie Towns / Assistant
Director, Springfield-Greene
County Health Department): "This
testing criteria relaxation
could definitely produce an
increase in cases in our
community, and as much as that
might seem a little bit scary,
in some ways, that's for us,
information, and with that
information we can continue to
control the spread of this
disease."
information we can continue to
control the spread of this
disease."
JOE
AS OF RIGHT NOW, SO LONG AS YOU
MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS, YOU
DON'T NEED TO PAY TO GET
TESTED FOR COVID-19.
LAUREN
NEWS AROUND THE REGION....
LAUREN
KANSAS CITY'S STAY-AT-HOME ORDER
HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL MAY 15TH
BY MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS
THIS MORNING.
THE ORIGINAL ORDER WAS SET TO
EXPIRE APRIL 24TH
THE NEW EXTENSION COMES AFTER
HEALTH DIRECTORS ACROSS THE AREA
RECOMMENDED
CITIES AND COUNTIES ADOPT THE
MAY 15TH EXTENSION.
JOE
POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING AFTER A
BODY WAS FOUND NEAR THE
RAZORBACK
GREENWAY TRAIL NEAR LAKE
SPRINGDALE.
LIEUTENANT JEFF TAYLOR SAYS A
CITY EMPLOYEE FOUND IT YESTERDAY
MORNING.
OFFICERS HAVE NOT RULED OUT FOUL
PLAY BUT SAY IT'S TOO EARLY TO
TELL.
TAYLOR Wants to reassure people
COVID-19 HAS STOPPED A LOT OF
THINGS, BUT WANTS TO ASSURE
PEOPLE INVESTIGATIONS AREN'T ONE
OF THEM.
(Lt. Jeff Taylor, Springdale PD)
"
Crime doesn't stop, and things
like this doesn't stop because
of the virus or because of
anything else. We have to press
on and
keep doing our job, and we do
the best we can. We'll determine
what happened to this person and
who the person was."
JOE
TAYLOR SAYS THE BODY IS AT THE
STATE CRIME LAB...WHERE THE
CAUSE OF DEATH WILL BE
DETERMINED
LAUREN
IN BENTONVILLE - A FIREFIGHTER
TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19...
AND NOW TWO OTHERS ARE
IN QUARANTINE.
THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS DIRECTOR
- SAYS -THE FIREFIGHTER WHO
TESTED POSITIVE WAS
**NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE
PUBLIC,
BUT DID HAVE CONTACT WITH THE
TWO FIREFIGHTERS IN
SELF-QUARANTINE.
THEY ARE WAITING FOR THEIR TEST
RESULTS.
JOE
THE BIGGEST SHIPMENT OF PERSONAL
PROTECTION EQUIPMENT -- OR PPE'S
-- THAT HAS COME TO THE
STATE OF ARKANSAS IS NOW HEADING
FROM THE WAREHOUSE -- TO
HEALTHCARE WORKERS
BATTLING COVID-19.
THE NATIONAL GUARD WAS IN CHARGE
OF SORTING THE MASKS, GOWNS AND
GLOVES AND
GETTING THE SUPPLIES READY TO GO
BACK OUT THE DOOR.
THE BOXES OF PPE ARE BEING TAKEN
TO HOSPITALS ACROSS THE STATE
WHERE PRIORITY LISTS WILL BE
USED TO DISTIRBUTE.
LAUREN
THE FORT SMITH PUBLIC SCHOOL
DISTRICT INSTALLS NEW "PARK AND
LEARN" SIGNS AT CAMPUSES
ACROSS THE CITY.
THE SIGNS LET PEOPLE KNOW WHERE
THEY CAN GET THE BEST WIFI
ACCESS...... BECASUE WHILE
SCHOOLS REMAIN CLOSED - ONLINE
REMOTE LEARNING CONTINUES.
STUDENTS CAN USE THEIR COMPUTERS
OR PHONES TO CONNECT TO WIFI AT
ANY LOCATION AND
COMPLETE THEIR SCHOOL WORK.
JOE
NEARLY 700 SAILORS ASSIGNED TO A
FRENCH AIRCRAFT CARRIER HAVE
TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE
CORONAVIRUS.
JOE
31 OF THOSE SAILORS HAVE BEEN
HOSPITIALIZED.
THE CARRIER ARRIVED HOME TWO
WEEKS EARLIER THAN EXPECTED
AFTER ABOUT 40 CREW MEMBERS
SHOWED SYMPTOMS.
CREW ARE NOW IN QUARANTINE
WITHIN THEIR NAVAL BASE.
LAUREN
MORE LOCAL NEWS......
LAUREN
SOME GOOD NEWS FOR THE CITY OF
SPRINGFIELD AT A TIME WHEN THE
LOCAL TRAVEL INDUSTRY
CONTINUES TO SUFFER DURING THE
PANDEMIC.
THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN
HOMESCHOOL BASKETBALL
ASSOCIATION EXTENDED ITS
CONTRACT AN ADDITIONAL
THREE YEARS.
THIS IS THE CITY'S LARGEST
ANNUAL GROUP EVENT EVERY YEAR.
IT IS ESTIMATED TO PUMP ABOUT
FOUR-POINT-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS
INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY EACH
YEAR.
JOE
SAMS CLUB IS EXPANDING ITS
ASSOCIATE APPRECIATION SHOPPING
HOURS TO INCLUDE
HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND FIRST
RESPONDERS.
THE HOURS ARE EVERY SUNDAY FROM
8 TO 10 A-M.
THE PROGRAM KICKS-OFF THIS
COMING SUNDAY.
ALL SHOPPERS WILL BE PROVIDED
MASKS TO WEAR DURING THIS TIME.
JOE
YOUR CHILD'S ARTOWRK HAS A
CHANCE TO BE FEATURED FOR MANY
IN SPRINGFIELD TO SEE.
WONDERS OF WILDLIFE IS INVITING
KIDS In THE OZARKS TO COLOR A
PICTURE TO BE DISPLAYED
ON THE AQUARIUMS OUTDOOR DIGITAL
SCREEN.
THE COLORING SHOULD BE A PICTURE
OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THOSE
WORKING DURING
THIS PANDEMIC.
PARENTS CAN TAKE A PHOTO OF
THEIR CHILD'S DRAWING AND EMAIL
IT TO PRESS-AT-
WONDERSOFWILDLIFE-DOT-ORG.
CERTAIN DRAWINGS WILL BE
SELECTED TO PLAY ON THE GIANT
DIGITAL SCREEN.
JOE
NOW HERE'S A LOOK AT WHAT'S
COMING UP AFTER DAYBREAK...
COMING UP,
WE TALK WITH BERNIE SANDERS
ABOUT WHY HE
WANTS HIS SUPPORTERS TO BACK JOE
BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT. PLUS, HOME
DIARIES. HEAR FROM AMERICANS
DOCUMENTING THEIR LIVES DURING
THE PANDEMIC.
COMING UP ON CBS THIS MORNING