LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The Arkansas Board of Education has approved a state takeover of the Dollarway School District in Pine Bluff.
The board voted Thursday to take over the district and named Barbara Warren as superintendent. Warren was director of the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative until being named Dollarway superintendent. She is also a previous Pine Bluff School District superintendent.
Dollarway High School had been in academic distress since July 10, 2014.
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LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Sufficient water pressure hasn't been restored to the city of Pine Bluff since last week's winter storms.
Now the utility company responsible for that area is under investigation to see if they failed Pine Bluff in their response.
Liberty Utilities said water pressure is improving, but they say there are leaks out there they still need to find. On Tuesday they peered into vacant buildings on Main Street--looking for leaks and busted fire systems. Liberty said they’re using drones to spot leaks, and they’re also looking underground.
Liberty Utilities reported more than 120 leaks found so far, as well as a few major leaks, like one in the old Sunbeam facility.
Governor Hutchinson met with city and county leaders Tuesday morning.
“We're in a catastrophic situation,” Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington told the Governor. “It means a lot to the judge and me that you’re here this morning, because that shows you have a pulse of what’s going on in Pine Bluff.”
Because of the low water pressure, students at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff are displaced, many staying in hotel rooms. And patients are being diverted from Jefferson Regional, where they’re depending on porta potties for the bathroom.
“I’ve urged them to bring in resources, to utilize local resources,” Governor Hutchinson said. “Because we cannot wait a week to get this problem solved.”
Washington said she believes Liberty failed in their response by not having boots on the ground in Pine Bluff at first.
“It’s going to be an expensive lesson learned by them—a tough lesson learned by the whole community,” she said. “But I think it will help us to be on guard for what we need to do and what we need to have in place.”
Liberty said workers are coming from out of state, so they'll soon have 50 people on the ground looking for leaks.
The Arkansas Public Service Commission is ordering Liberty Utilities to file a public report detailing the exact steps they took to fix the water problem. The Attorney General said her office will also launch an investigation to see if Liberty could have done more to protect people and businesses in Pine Bluff.
Hutchinson said they are assessing damage across the state to see if it’s enough to qualify for federal emergency relief.
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Sufficient water pressure hasn't been restored to the city of Pine Bluff since last week's winter storms.
Now the utility company responsible for that area is under investigation to see if they failed Pine Bluff in their response.
Liberty Utilities said water pressure is improving, but they say there are leaks out there they still need to find. On Tuesday they peered into vacant buildings on Main Street--looking for leaks and busted fire systems. Liberty said they’re using drones to spot leaks, and they’re also looking underground.
Liberty Utilities reported more than 120 leaks found so far, as well as a few major leaks, like one in the old Sunbeam facility.
Governor Hutchinson met with city and county leaders Tuesday morning.
“We're in a catastrophic situation,” Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington told the Governor. “It means a lot to the judge and me that you’re here this morning, because that shows you have a pulse of what’s going on in Pine Bluff.”
Because of the low water pressure, students at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff are displaced, many staying in hotel rooms. And patients are being diverted from Jefferson Regional, where they’re depending on porta potties for the bathroom.
“I’ve urged them to bring in resources, to utilize local resources,” Governor Hutchinson said. “Because we cannot wait a week to get this problem solved.”
Washington said she believes Liberty failed in their response by not having boots on the ground in Pine Bluff at first.
“It’s going to be an expensive lesson learned by them—a tough lesson learned by the whole community,” she said. “But I think it will help us to be on guard for what we need to do and what we need to have in place.”
Liberty said workers are coming from out of state, so they'll soon have 50 people on the ground looking for leaks.
The Arkansas Public Service Commission is ordering Liberty Utilities to file a public report detailing the exact steps they took to fix the water problem. The Attorney General said her office will also launch an investigation to see if Liberty could have done more to protect people and businesses in Pine Bluff.
Hutchinson said they are assessing damage across the state to see if it’s enough to qualify for federal emergency relief.