breaking news

7 at 7:00 for Friday, January 18th

By: Liz Hogan

Updated: January 18, 2013

School's out in Springdale after an illness forced a middle school to close. These are the seven stories you need to know about before you head out the door.

The district says more than 300 students at Hellstern Middle School are sick with some form of a stomach virus.

So late yesterday, administrators made the decision to cancel Friday classes.

Over the weekend, the school will be cleaned thoroughly.

It will reopen Tuesday, following the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

The district says it hasn't had to shut down a school for sickness in at least 30 years.

There's new information on the flu epidemic.

The death toll has gone up again in Arkansas.

Sixteen people have now died from the virus.

A spokesperson for the Arkansas Health Department says the vaccine is key to fighting the flu, and the ADH says it has plenty of vaccines.

A Fort Smith hotel manager and employee are behind bars.

Police say the two were running a prostitution operation out of the Season's Inn on South Waldron Road.

According to investigators, an informant told them John Rohlin and Jonathan Bean were renting out rooms for less than 24 hours at a time, to accommodate men and women engaging in prostitution.

Bentonville police are warning folks about a phone scam.

The police chief says they started getting complaints this week about scammers posing as city employees.

The scammers ask for credit card information to pay for upgrades to new electric meters.

The city is in the process of upgrading electric and water meters but says there is no fee.

If you get a get a suspicious call, contact police.

Happening today in Fort Smith.

Supporters of the 188th Fighter Wing will hold a rally in an effort to save the Flying Razorbacks.

The fighter wing is in danger of losing its A-10 flying mission after recent budget cuts.

Folks hope a visit today from Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh III will make a difference.

A record number of women, children and even men sought solace at the NWA Women's Shelter in 2012.

Last year, 529 people came through the doors.

That's 52 more than in 2011.

The shelter says the holidays and times of financial hardship is likely the reason behind the spike.

Starting next year students will have to pay to take a GED test.

Until now, the state has been picking up those testing costs.

So why will test-takers have to pay now?

The GED testing service has formed a new partnership with Pearson, an education and assessment company and the test itself will now cost more money.

Another change? Students will now take the test on a computer, instead of pencil and paper.

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