Dear Friends,

Yesterday, National Nurses' Day, marked the start of National Nurses' Week. What better way to honor our nurses than to bring treats from central Arkansas restaurants.
Chances are that the last time you visited any health care facility, a nurse was the first person who helped you.

This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, where our nurses are on the front lines to keeping us all safe. No matter the circumstances, nurses are dedicated to helping Arkansans in their times of greatest need.

Yesterday morning, I delivered some sweet treats from Blue House Bakery in Bryant to Emergency Room Director Jayme, CNO Katie, Cheyenne, Felina, and Melissa at Saline Memorial Hospital. I appreciated having the opportunity to visit with them and CEO Michael Stewart to tell them how grateful I am for their service to the Saline County community.

Next, I brought cupcakes and cookies from SugarDumplin’s Cupcakes to Franklin Community Health Center in Little Rock where I had the chance to thank each one of the hard-working health care professionals for their selfless service.

For my final stop, I visited College Station Community Health Center in Little Rock with some delicious Sims Bar-B-Que. There, I was treated to a tour by Dr. Kelley, Nurse Shona, and Ms. Brown and go to thank them personally for their service during these difficult times.

Thank you to Saline Memorial Hospital, Franklin Community Health Center, and College Station Community Health Center for having me as their guest, and thank you to all of the nurses and health care professionals serving their communities on the front lines.

home Town Heroes

Making PPE for Health Care Workers in Arkansas

Recently, I recognized in the Congressional Record central Arkansas’s Hometown Heroes.

Christopher James and Ellie Roditis along with their colleagues in the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Exercise Science Program are dedicating their time by making masks to ensure our health care workers and the entire community is protected.

Christopher, an Air Force Reservist, and full-time student, and his classmates at UCA have so far constructed and donated 114 medical face masks to health care workers at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Christopher and his classmates are expected to complete at least 200 more masks that will be donated to patients and their families within the community.

For the families visiting the hospital, having these UCA masks on hand will give additional comfort and assurance that the health of their loved ones is being protected.

visiting with Students at LIsa academy

Students and Educators Showing Admirable Resilience

I enjoyed talking to the bright students at LISA Academy Tuesday afternoon. I am encouraged to hear about their ongoing studies and congratulate all of the students who took their Advanced Placement Government exams Monday. These students are our future, and their adaptability and resilience should be an inspiration to us all!

EPA Grant for Pulaski County

Seeing Our Communities Grow

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected Pulaski County for a $300,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant.

I congratulate Judge Barry Hyde and his team for getting the abandoned VA hospital and hotel on E. Roosevelt in Little Rock back to economic use.

This project, located in a Qualified Opportunity Zone, has been a long-standing goal of our community and will help stimulate development in this corridor.

This redevelopment can attract more investment and more opportunities for Pulaski County, improving property values, creating jobs, and generating more local revenue.

Visiting Candles And Cream

Local Businesses Stepping Up During COVID-19

Yesterday I visited Candles and Cream Collection in Bryant, Arkansas to see how they have converted their candle-making facilities to manufacture hand sanitizer. My hosts were owners Debbie and Shane Broadway and Vickie Collie, and we were joined by Bryant Mayor Allen Scott and Bryant Chamber President Jason Brown.

Early on, Candles and Cream Collection started making hand sanitizer to fill the increased demand caused by the coronavirus.

When small businesses step up to help the community, everyone benefits. In the current public health and economic crisis, these efforts are especially important. I commend their efforts to help keep Arkansans healthy.

IRS Issues Guidance for returning economic impact payments of the deceased

Recently, it was learned that Economic Impact Payments (EIP) had been distributed those not eligible to receive these payments.

If you have received such a payment, please review this guidance:

If the payment was a paper check:

1. Write "Void" in the endorsement section on the back of the check.
2. Mail the voided Treasury check immediately to the appropriate IRS location outlined in question 41 HERE.
3. Don't staple, bend, or paper clip the check.
4. Include a note stating the reason for returning the check.

If the payment was a paper check and you have cashed it, or if the payment was a direct deposit:

1. Submit a personal check, money order, etc., immediately to the appropriate IRS location outlined in question 41 HERE.
2. Write on the check/money order made payable to “U.S. Treasury” and write 2020EIP and the taxpayer identification number (social security number, or individual taxpayer identification number) of the recipient of the check.
3. Include a brief explanation of the reason for returning the EIP.

Hope and faith for our community

Benton Prayer Wall

Yesterday, ahead of the National Day of Prayer on May 7, I visited the Benton Prayer Wall to pray for our community.

Benton Mayor Tom Farmer has constructed a lattice wall for residents to share their prayer requests.

Many Benton residents are looking for opportunities to maintain their sense of community during the current public health crisis due to COVID-19 while at the same time staying safe by following social distancing guidelines. This wall is an excellent way to offer hope and healing to Benton.

Residents are encouraged to hang a prayer written on a piece of cloth on the wall, and each day at noon until May 7, faith leaders will pray over the wall uniting in the shared experience.

While they are there, they can further show support for their community by taking a picture with the nearby “I Love Benton” sign.

I congratulate Mayor Farmer and the City of Benton for this creative way to come together and pray for our community, and I join him in prayer for this strong community.

Thank you, commercial drivers

Essential Workers Supporting Our Economy

COVID-19 has impacted almost every aspect of our lives. We are grateful for our truck drivers and commercial vehicle operators who are on the front lines delivering lifesaving medical equipment and replenishing our grocery stores.

Thank you for the long hours, the early mornings, and the hundreds of miles you travel each day.

To watch my entire video thanking our drivers, click HERE or on the image below.

Sincerely,

Representative French Hill