“Governor Sanders met with Major General Stubbs, Colonel Hagar, and Director Gary today to receive a briefing on state emergency personnel’s planning ahead of this weekend’s projected winter weather. Major General Stubbs shared that the Arkansas National Guard will provide National Guard Civil Support beginning Sunday and will be in State Active Duty status throughout the event. As part of the Governor’s activation of the National Guard, the Guard will assist all 12 Troops of the Arkansas State Police with winter weather operations. Colonel Hagar is also preparing his agency for the inclement weather, adding extra troopers to state highways and working with the Arkansas Department of Transportation, as well as the National Guard, to treat, plow, and keep roadways clear. Troopers will be in contact with the National Guard, the Department of Transportation, and the Division of Emergency Management to respond to events as they occur. Director Gary will activate the State Emergency Operations Center on Sunday and continue operations until no longer necessary, allowing Division of Emergency Management staff to coordinate resources timely and effectively. The Division will share tips for safety with the public through traditional and social media.

“The Governor also signed two Executive Orders in the meeting, the first to declare a state of emergency for severe weather expected on or about January 14th, providing $250,000 from the Governor’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund to defray costs at the Division of Emergency Management. The second exempts certain commercial vehicles, such as utility trucks and trucks hauling essential items of commerce, including fuel, groceries, livestock, and others, from federal regulations restricting hours of service. She ended the meeting by thanking Arkansas’ emergency management personnel and first responders for their work ahead of and during the weather, and offered her office’s complete support as state agencies help Arkansans deal with the strong winter storm.”