Fulton County Courthouse closed to the public

Early this week, Fulton County Judge Gary Clayton issued a press release in reference to Fulton County being deemed a “hot spot” for COVID-19.

When asked how the county received the information, Judge Clayton said the information came from the Arkansas Department of Health.

“Due to Fulton County’s designation as a “red zone” relating to the coronavirus pandemic, the Fulton County Courthouse will be closed to the public beginning Wednesday, Dec. 30. This action will be in effect indefinitely until the county’s infection numbers go down.

This action is being undertaken in an effort to protect Fulton County employees and the public from further infection and to assist in efforts to bring the pandemic under control.

All employees will be on duty during regular business hours and business may be conducted by telephone or by appointment,” read the press release.

The following is a list of phone numbers to county offices:

County Judge: 870-895-3341

County and Circuit Clerk: 870-895-3310

County Assessor (you can assess over the phone): 870-895-3592

County Collector (you can pay taxes by mail or over the phone): 870-895-2457

County Treasurer: 870-895-3522

District Court Clerk (misdemeanor, small claims, traffic tickets): 870-895-4136

Sheriff – non-emergency: 870-895-2601

Emergency – 911

Veteran Service Officer: 870-895-3900

The shutdown directly affects the courthouse and sheriff’s office, however; the Fulton County Library Board has also decided to close public traffic indefinitely at locations in Mammoth Spring, Salem and Viola.

The Fulton County Senior Centers closed on Tuesday, Dec. 29 and plan to re-open on Monday, Jan. 4.

Earlier this month, Fulton County Hospital announced all visitation would be suspended until further notice. “This was a tough decision to make, but we believe it is necessary to do at this time in order to protect our patients and staff and help stop the spread! Other types of visitation could be available, such as window visits or video chats, so if you have a loved one you would like to visit, please contact us to set that up (870-895-2691),” said a post on social media from FCH.