Eric Hance, 16th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney, has announced that his offices on all three floors of the Jess Carpenter Building at 368 E. Main St. in Batesville will be closed to the public, according to a release from his office.
Although the building will be closed, staff personnel will be available by phone. In addition to the Prosecuting Attorney’s office, the building also houses other agencies. The Juvenile Division of Circuit Court occupies most of the second floor.
“I have talked with County Judge Robert Griffin regarding precautions in light of the coronavirus outbreak,” Hance said. “We have decided to close the Carpenter Building to the general public after the close of business on Monday, March 16, 2020.”
The County and District offices in the Carpenter Building will remain fully staffed at this time. These offices include Juvenile Intake and Juvenile Probation; Prosecuting Attorney’s Drug Task Force; Hot Check Program; Victim Advocate Program and the Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys for district, juvenile, and circuit courts.
“Our goal is to conduct as much business as possible by telephone, text, and email,” Hance said. “If an in-person visit is required, the public can call the appropriate office to arrange a meeting. This is a rapidly changing situation that we will continue to monitor.”
The central number for the Prosecuting Attorney is (870) 793-8825.
***
And the Southside Public Water Authority announced it would take “a proactive role in ensuring the health of our customers and employees” to control the spread of COVID-19.
In a release today, they announced that, effective immediately, they will be closing their lobby to customers until March 31, 2020. At that time, the authority noted it will readdress the situation.
SPWA will accept payments via drive-thru window. Payments can also be made by phone at (870) 251-2508 or online at spwa.org. The authority also requests that those wishing to set up a new account, please call ahead of time to lessen drive-thru wait times.
Get up-to-date local and regional news along with the latest sports and weather every weekday morning by listening to Gary B. on Ozark Newsline, broadcast from the First Community Bank Newsroom on Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ. White River Now updates are also aired weekday mornings on 93 KZLE, Outlaw 106.5, and 99.5 Hits Now. Have a news tip or event to promote? Email White River Now at news@whiterivernow.com. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Add don’t forget to download the White River Now mobile app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
