CC)--The Enid Mayor and Board of Commissioners took no action Tuesday night related to city improvements for “The One” Christmas Tree coming this holiday season. The One is being organized, fundraised and promoted by a private team of area residents, families and sponsors, and is set to run for six weeks beginning Nov. 26. Commissioners went into closed executive session to discuss potential litigation surrounding downtown improvements previously approved and funded by the city. The city has funded around $115,000 in infrastructure improvements to Park, which are mostly complete. The city also will cover the electric bill for the tree lights after installing power lines in a nearby utility easement. Last week, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to commissioners and the mayor requesting public infrastructure work and any promotion or endorsement of The One event cease immediately. After returning to regular open session commissioners took no action on the item.
In other business, the commission approved a second fiber-optic broadband company to begin installing another system in Enid. Dobson Fiber will use the city’s rights of way to lay down a fiber-optic network for Enid homes and businesses. The company will only offer broadband fiber internet. The deal may be canceled if Dobson does not use the right of way in a year.
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CS)--The Cherokee Strip Celebration is this weekend in downtown Enid. The event, sponsored by Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce, will be Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the Cherokee Strip Lunch Rush will be 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Enid Intertribal will be set up on the courthouse lawn selling Indian tacos. On Saturday, the Enid Walk of Fame awards ceremony is at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Cherokee Strip Celebration, 9:30 a.m., Cherokee Strip parade at 10:30 a.m., and Enid Majors Recognition at David Allen Memorial Ballpark at 12:30 p.m. People attending the parade are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to watch fire trucks, floats, cars, marching bands and the traditional longhorn steers. The parade will begin at the corner of Maine and Grand, travel north to Randolph, west to Independence and then back south to Maine.
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EM)--The City of Enid Engineering Department has scheduled a presentation for business owners, property owners, and residents interested on the proposed road improvements for East Randolph between North Washington and North 7th Street. The presentation will be held in the Council Chambers at City of Enid Administration Building at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22, and will cover the remaining construction schedule. Construction plans will be available for viewing at the meeting and questions will be taken following the presentation.
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CV)—Officials are reporting 42 newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 1,966 new cases in Oklahoma in the Health Department report released late this morning. Officials say there are 17,952 active cases of COVID-19 in Oklahoma, with 1,407 people currently hospitalized in the state for treatment of the virus. According to the health department, Wednesday’s 7-day rolling average for new cases reported is 2.209.
Situation Update: COVID-19
Data shown are preliminary and subject to change
as additional information is obtained
|
COVID-19 Cases |
587,687 |
|
New Cases |
1,966 |
|
New Cases 7 day Average |
2,209 |
|
Active Cases |
17,952 |
|
CDC/NCHS Provisional Deaths |
9,642 |
There have been 8805 positive COVID-19 cases, and 146 deaths in Garfield County. 7776 of those cases and 135 deaths have been in Enid. In surrounding counties: Kingfisher County has reported 2395 cases, Alfalfa 1232, Blaine County is at 1298 cases, Major 1100, and Grant 647.
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VC)--Vance Air Force Base’s 80th Anniversary Celebration is Friday evening at Woodring Regional Airport and it's free and open to the public. The gates open at 5:00 pm. Vance’s heritage aircraft will be there for you to take photos and talk to the pilots. There will be a ceremony highlighting Vance AFB and the City of Enid, then a ticketed hangar dance sponsored by the Air Force Association, and hosted by the Vance Spouses’ Club begins at 8:00 pm. Attendees for the ticketed dance are invited to wear 1940’s themed attire, cocktail dress attire, or short sleeve blues with an AFSC badge and nametag. Tickets are available through the Stride Bank Center.
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AE)--Enrollment is open for Lincoln Adult Education Center’s Academic Improvement Classes. Those interested must visit Lincoln, 600 W. Elm, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, or call 580-366-7200 to enroll by phone no later than September 15. Students must be 18 or older to enroll. Limited seating is available. Lincoln offers FREE classes to help participants prepare for the new high school equivalency test, as well as to improve their academic skills. Students receive academic assessments to ensure proper placement. Curriculum includes instruction by quality teachers and reinforcement through the school’s computer lab software. Classes will be available in four core subjects: Math, English, Science and Social Studies. Classes begin September 7 and will be conducted Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, 6 to 9 p.m. Lincoln also offers free English as a Second Language class. The classes will begin on September 7 and will be conducted Tuesdays and Wednesdays 6 to 9 p.m. The HiSet (High School Equivalency Test) is also administered at Lincoln on Tuesdays and Wednesdays weekly. To register for the test, log on to hiset.ets.org or call 580-366-7200 for additional information. The program is sponsored by Enid Public Schools and the Adult Education Section of the Oklahoma Department of Career & Technology Education.
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KO)--United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma will launch its 2021-22 campaign at David Allen Memorial Ballpark at 6:00 p.m. Sept. 16. The kickoff rally is a free family event to raise awareness and support for its 15 nonprofit partner agencies. “This one-of-a-kind event will be a unique experience as we have axe throwing, cornhole, a dunk tank, games, free food and more. Dueling Pianos will be on hand to provide music and fun,” said co-campaign chairs Dr. Barry and Roxanne Pollard. Alex Williams, president of the United Way board, said the campaign kickoff is a way for people to see what United Way does. In addition to the all the activities, the 15 United Way Partner agencies will be there sharing information and providing giveaways, popcorn, games and more. On the day of the event, all proceeds go to benefit United Way and its partner agencies. Sponsors of the event are KOFM/KGWA, Jiffy Trip, Enid News & Eagle, Great Plains Bank, Pope Distributing, and NextEra Energy Resources.
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WF)--City of Enid officials announced that the 2021 Enid Walk of Fame (WOF) ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, September 18th at 9:00 a.m. in Grand Ballroom C at the Stride Bank Center and will honor both 2021 and 2020 honorees. The 2020 ceremony was postponed last year to provide extra caution on gatherings during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Walk of Fame honorees are Kyle Williams and Walter Scheffe. The 2020 Walk of Fame honorees are Clayton Nolen and Oscar Curtis.
Williams, a businessman and philanthropist, has dedicated his life to the mission of serving Enid, small town communities in Oklahoma, and communities in surrounding states by providing multiple services that accommodate and improve the quality of life to meet the needs of those communities.
Scheffe, the posthumous honoree for 2021, dedicated his life to serving the Enid community in a business capacity and in service on many community and national organization boards. He was well-known for his three Scheffe Prescription Shops in Enid.
Nolen is a former city commissioner, speech pathologist, educator, and founder of an African-American Male Mentor Program. He is well-known in the community for being active on many boards and serving the community in various capacities.
Curtis, the posthumous honoree for 2020, was a former city commissioner. During his life, he was active in the community on various boards and managed the JC Penny Company.
To view information about the Enid Walk of Fame award, past honorees, and biographies of both the 2020 and 2021 honorees, go to the following webpage: Enid.org/WalkofFame.
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