Today's news

The Arkansas Crime Victims Reparations Board awarded $232,649.89 to victims of crime in July. Awards were made in 102 new cases. Additional expenses were paid in 49 previously submitted cases.

Victims of violent crime in Arkansas may submit claims to the program to help defray the costs of medical treatment, mental-health counseling or other unexpected expenses associated with the crime. Most awards are limited to $10,000 or less, although the maximum award may be as high as $25,000 for a crime victim who receives catastrophic injuries.

In 2013, the Crime Victims Reparations Board awarded a total of $3,910,389.92 in reparations.

For July there was one new award in Garland County totaling $837.88 and there was one new award in Saline County totaling $395.91.

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Over the summer tow educational exchange delegations visited Hot Springs' sister city. In early July, four teachers traveled to Hanamaki. They stayed with host families, visited area schools and had opportunities to exchange with teachers and even a parent teacher organization. Teachers scholarship recipients taking part in the exchange were Bruce Orr, assistant superintendent at Lakeside School District; Lorri Saracini, elementary math coach at Gardner STEM Magnet School; Lindsey Waddell, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts geology instructor and Shannon Michelle Geoffrion, biology teacher at Hot Springs High School.

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The Hot Springs Village Police Department is participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization that started August 15 and will run through September 1.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is leading the effort to stop drunk driving. You can help spread the word and save lives. And the word is Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

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Hot Springs Village administration building will be closed Monday, September 1 for Labor Day. Property owner services will be open on Saturday, August 30 from 8 a.m. to noon.

Trash will be picked up one day after the normally scheduled time. For more information, see the holiday sanitation schedule on the POA website. There will be no yard waste pick up on Friday, September 5.