GS)--In a salute to the Class of 2020, Enid High School is displaying individual senior photos on its own yard sign along the sidewalk outside Enid High School. The 365+ photos were installed Wednesday morning as a way to recognize the graduating seniors, whose final semester has been sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic. Photos were provided from yearbook portraits, so not all of the seniors’ photos have been placed. 400 EHS seniors ill graduate during Enid High’s virtual ceremony set for May 21. The event will be broadcast on Enid Television Network, YouTube TV and Facebook Live. Enid High School also has an in-person graduation ceremony tentatively scheduled for June 18 at D. Bruce Selby Stadium, or at Chisholm Trail Expo Center should inclement weather occur. A third option has an in-person ceremony set for July 30.
--00-- 07 May 20 7a
CV)--Seven more virus-related deaths and 129 more confirmed coronavirus cases were reported in Oklahoma since Wednesday, according to daily numbers released late this morning by the state health department. A total of 4,330 Oklahomans have tested positive for COVID-19 and a total of 260 virus-related deaths have been reported, state health department officials said. Two of the deaths happened in the last 24 hours and five of them happened between April 20 to May 5.
The number of confirmed cases in Garfield County remains at 21 (19 in Enid) in today’s report. There has been one death in Garfield County, an 86 year-old woman in early April. In the latest report Kingfisher County remains at eight confirmed cases, Major County is at four cases with one death, Grant County has two confirmed cases, and Alfalfa County has reported one.
COVID-19 Oklahoma Test Results
05.07.20
|
Confirmed Positive Cases |
4,330 |
|
*Total Cumulative Negative Specimens to Date |
82,557 |
|
*Total Cumulative Number of Specimens to Date |
87,459 |
|
*Currently Hospitalized |
223 |
|
Total Cumulative Hospitalizations |
805 |
|
Deaths in the Past 24 hours |
2 |
|
Total Cumulative Deaths |
260 |
*As of 2020-05-07 at 7:00 a.m.
--00-- 07 May 20 12n
BR—Two Enid manufacturing companies have been selected to receive state business assistance awards. PT (Parrish Enterprises) and No Man’s Land Foods were recognized as two recipients of the Oklahoma Manufacturing Reboot Program. The Oklahoma Manufacturing Reboot Program was designed to assist Oklahoma manufacturers as they retool to develop new products and/or expand current capabilities. The contracts signed between the 30 companies promise the creation of 95 new jobs and more than $15 million in capital investments. Both PT and No Man’s Land will receive the full $150,000 award after benchmarks are met. According to the contracts, PT pledges to add six jobs and spend $750,000 at its metal fabrication facility. The funds for No Man’s Land are intended to be used to increase beef jerky production capacity. The company also pledges to invest $4.3 million to support the project.
--00-- 07 May 20 12n
SA)--The Oklahoma state Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointments of Stan Brownlee and Jami Groendyke to serve on the Northern Oklahoma College Board of Regents. Groendyke and Brownlee, both from Enid, were confirmed on appointments carried by District 19 State Sen. Roland Pederson. Brownlee was reappointed to serve another five-year term, while Groendyke will serve a one-year term, replacing Chad Dillingham who accepted an appointment to the Oklahoma Wildlife Commission. The terms begin July 1, and both will be sworn in at the NOC Board of Regents meeting on July 22.
--00-- 07 May 20 7a
RW)—City officials have announced that beginning today, contractors will close West Rupe between Garland Road and Wheatridge Road. This will allow for the placement of a storm pipe across the roadway as part of the new Soccer Complex development near the northwest intersection of Garland and Rupe. This work is expected to take two days weather permitting.
Also, today traffic crews will do final signal wiring at Cleveland and Garriott around 10:00 a.m. This maintenance work will require a brief shut down of the traffic signal. When the traffic signal is shut down, the intersection will become a 4-way stop. Motorists are encouraged to follow posted traffic control signs and to drive with caution in these areas during the construction.
--00-- 07 May 20 7a
PT)--Figures from the Oklahoma Tax Commission show that the state's residents bought a record amount of medical marijuana in April as dispensaries logged enough sales to raise tax collections by more than 25%. The Oklahoman reports that the commission's numbers also reveal that dispensaries paid nearly $9.8 million in taxes last month, surpassing the previous record of $7.8 million set in March.
--00-- 07 May 20 7a
CO)--Northern Oklahoma College is planning to open all of its locations beginning July 1, officials said. NOC does plan to have in-person classes in the fall. NOC campuses have been closed since March 30 due to COVID-19 outbreak. Officials said they are working on plans to ensure the safety and well-being of the campus community. More detailed plans on classes, campus housing, activities and events will be shared later in the summer. Most college employees will conclude teleworking and return to work June 1, following social distancing and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The plan aligns with phase three of the state’s reopening date for all workplaces while also considering the needs of vulnerable populations. NOC locations will continue to be closed to the public through June 30, but can be accessed by appointment with NOC employees, if necessary. Summer courses are being held this summer via online. Students are encouraged to enroll for the summer or fall semester either by contacting their advisors or by contacting NOC Enrollment Management at (580) 628-6220 (Tonkawa), (580) 548-2275 (Enid) or (580) 628-6910 (Stillwater).
--00--
PN)--Nominations are being accepted for Enid Young Professionals' ninth annual 10 Under 40 event. The event recognizes the top 10 Enid community members under the age of 40. Nominations are due by June 26. Forms are available online at enidyp.com. Nominees are expected to demonstrate qualities of a well-rounded individual, including professional and community aspects. The awards luncheon, where the winners will be announced, will be Aug. 25 in the Stride Bank Center Grand Ballroom.
--00--
VT)--The Garfield County Health Department is continuing free drive thru testing for Covid-19 at their office, 2501 Mercer Drive. Tests are by appointment. Call (580) 233-0650 if you believe you meet the criteria. To be eligible for testing, a person must be 16 or older, currently have a fever of 100.4F or greater, or have a cough or shortness of breath or have been in close contact to a laboratory-confirmed positive case within the last 14 days. 16 and 17 year olds must have parental or guardian consent.
--00--
VS)--Oklahoma Blood Institute is looking for plasma donors who have recovered from COVID-19 in hopes of treating patients who have contracted the virus. The experimental effort will be used to "treat seriously ill patients," according to OBI officials. "By creating the only statewide registry of available patients, Oklahoma Blood Institute can ensure local patients receive the donated products and have the best possible chance at fighting the illness," according to a press release. Donors are asked to sign up for Oklahoma’s registry at https://mobile.bio-linked.org. Bio-Linked allows users to submit confidential health and social information via a secure site and to list themselves as potential volunteers for medical research. Once qualified, plasma will be drawn at hospital partner sites, with each donor providing up to three therapeutic plasma doses. To provide convalescent plasma, donors must be eligible to donate blood and meet the criteria below:
• Prior diagnosis of COVID-19, documented by a laboratory test;
• Present negative results for COVID-19;
• Symptom-free for 14 days prior to donation.
• If female, either no history of pregnancy or negative for HLA (tissue typing) antibodies.
Complete information on donor eligibility from the FDA is available at https://tinyurl.com/FDA-OBI-COVID19.
--00--
LF)--Loaves & Fishes of Northwest Oklahoma will continue to distribute boxes of food during the COVID-19 health crisis. “Loaves & Fishes has made the decision to move to boxed food distribution,” Executive Director Lydia Kelley said. “In an effort to create fewer social interactions, pre-packed boxes of food will be handed out in a drive-thru setting in our parking lot. Normal shopping in our pantry will temporarily stop, and boxes will be the sole way of food distribution until the risk of infection has passed, but Loaves & Fishes NWOK will still aim to provide fresh produce, meat and dairy items to our clients.” The drive-through, 701 E. Maine, will be open 3:00-6:00 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. “Loaves & Fishes NWOK would like to assure our clients that we have plenty of food,” Kelley said. “With ongoing support from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, we are confident that we can continue providing assistance. To receive food, clients need to bring a photo ID and proof of residency in our service area. We also need to have IDs and/or documentation for each person living in the household.” Information about documentation needed can be found on the organization’s website at www.loaves andfishesnwok.org. “We’d like to encourage anyone who is healthy and who feels comfortable to consider volunteering,” Kelley said. “It’s a difficult time to ask for help, but with a small staff tasked with overseeing distribution, we will likely need 15 to 20 volunteers each day.” If you are able to volunteer, call Loaves & Fishes at (580) 540-9830.
--00--
MH)--Youth & Family Services of North Central Oklahoma is offering a free mental health helpline to help people through the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the social isolation that comes with it. "During the COVID-19 crisis, many people may find themselves on edge," said Tree Perkins, Youth and Family's director of development. "Routines have changed, children are home from school, families are cooped up, and many have or will experience job loss. With all of these worries looming, we know that this can be scary and overwhelming time." With help from a grant from United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma, Youth & Family Services is offering the free helpline for "those who may be experiencing anxiety, sadness, fear, or perhaps just a need to hear a friendly voice," Perkins said. Anyone in need can call the helpline at (866) 324-2085. The helpline will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. If the helpline goes to voicemail, callers should leave a message with their name and phone number, and Youth & Family will call them back as soon as possible.
--00--
