LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — After 60-plus days, I threw in the towel. Mr. Rich had to go.
Mr. Rich is a hamster who most recently served as the classroom pet in my 9-year-old’s science class. In normal times, kids clamor over who gets to be its caretaker over holiday and school breaks.
My daughter Claire, shut out over the winter holidays, volunteered in January to take Mr. Rich home over spring break. Then, my biggest worry was how to keep our two pet cats from eating him for a week.
Flash forward to March 12, where the news kept tumbling all afternoon long. Arkansas was shutting down schools in a handful of counties, essentially adding an extra week to spring break.