Seven-On-Your-Side Story Updates

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A meeting of the Cleveland County School Board was held on Tuesday night. Our Seven-On-Your-Side office has two case updates starting with the efforts to consolidate two elementary schools.

One vote was enough to save one of Arkansas' three Blue Ribbon schools, at least for a month.

Supporters of the Kingsland Elementary School campus will now put their hopes in the Arkansas Department of Education after the Cleveland County School Board voted 6 to 1 to send Kingsland elementary students to Rison this fall.

Because the vote was not unanimous, the Arkansas Department of Education will now hear the pros and cons of such a move.

The earliest such arguments could be heard is May 9.

Kingsland elementary was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education last year, and Kingsland parents argue that while there are many more elementary students in Rison, there are better facilities in Kingsland.

They are pushing for a facilities study by the state.

"If you were raised in Rison, you went to Rison school, you played football in Rison...you're going to want your children to go to Rison school,” said Kingsland resident Shane Matthews. “And the same is true for Kingsland. So yes, to separate it from where you have grown up and the schools that you went to and to move that into someone's hands who can look at it from a black and white standpoint and look at all the angles...I think that would be very beneficial."

Diana Woodle, the former manager of the Southeast White County Water Association who was convicted of stealing from her employer, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the face of three civil lawsuits.

Woodle was sentenced to seven years in prison after admitting she stole over $350,000 but was released after 10 months.

If approved the Chapter Seven bankruptcy won't relieve Woodle of a court-ordered $27,000 in restitution to pay for the state audit that helped uncover her wrongdoing.

According to her bankruptcy filing, Diana Woodle is currently working as a hostess at a Searcy restaurant and making about $1,000 a month.

Air date: April 9th, 2019