CONWAY, Ark. (KTHV) - Students preparing to take the GED are learning a new approach to a new test format. "It's just so hard," Cheyenne Markcum said. But it has not always been this way.

Michelle Horton has been at the Conway Adult Education Center for 14 years. She said, "I have seen drastic changes." In 2014, the GED went from paper to the computer and five subjects, to four. But in that same year, out of 1,534 Arkansans who took all four parts of the test, 1280 people passed it. That is 83 percent. Arkansas consistently ranks near the top when it comes to the pass rate.

Stephon Holmes took the GED before the changes went into effect. He explained, "I feel for them." When he took the test he said it was easier, but his troubled past was hindering his success in the classroom. He said, "My counselor was talking to me and said you might as well go and get your GED because we can't do nothing for you."

CONWAY, Ark. (Bethlehem House) - One 9-year-old decided that her birthday would be better spent giving instead of receiving. 

Sydney Riddle, 9, told her parents that she didn't need anything for her birthday this year, and that she wanted her friends to bring things to help someone else.

“We talked about it, and Sydney decided to have everyone bring supplies for the Bethlehem House, Conway’s homeless shelter," said Sydney's mother Kristen. "Bethlehem House said they could use wash clothes, laundry soap, cleaning supplies, dish towels and Sydney wanted to take them candy.  She said they probably don't get candy often."

Bethlehem House operates on gifts and monetary donations from local groups, organizations, churches and individuals like Sydney.

CONWAY, Ark.(KTHV) - Conway police credit text tips for providing them with key leads in several unsolved cases. Just last week, they asked for the public's help in locating a suspect.

LaTresha Woodruff with the Conway Police Department says within hours, tips began pouring in.

"We put information out about a person who had a warrant for her arrest and in about five minutes or so we started getting tips on the text-a-tip line."

Text-A-Tip
is a service is offered by several police departments around the state. Woodruff says it's been a great tool for their department.

"We get the word out to people. Anytime we put some information out we let people know they can text us an anonymous tip."