WN)--Oklahoma gained 9,516 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past week, according to Oklahoma State Department of Health on Wednesday. According to OSDH’s Situation Update, the weekly increase included 765 from Wednesday. There are 14,661 active cases currently in Oklahoma. 79 COVID-19-related deaths were reported in Oklahoma in the last week. As of Monday, cases in Garfield County increased by 76 in the past week. According to OSDH, the number of cases over the past 30 days in Garfield County was 353. There are currently 104 active cases in Enid. The three-day average hospitalizations in the Northwest Region, including Enid, is 38 with 14 in the ICU. Locally, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center reported it had four confirmed positive COVID-19 patients with none in the ICU, and Integris Bass Baptist Health Center reported nine confirmed positive COVID-19 patients with three in ICU on Wednesday.
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KC)--Local students are being encouraged to participate in next month’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Celebration. High school students in Enid are being invited to write a letter to the late civil rights movement leader on how they think his famous “I Have a Dream” speech delivered in 1963 has affected the United States. The theme of this year’s celebration, “We Are America.” Students as young as pre-kindergarten age also can submit poems and posters for the holiday commission’s annual awards. Contest entries are due by 5:00 p.m. Jan. 7 to either the Enid High School library or the city administration building, at 401 W. Garriott. Letters should be typed and no longer than 500 words, while poems should be at least 10 lines long. Posters should be original, drawn by the child, no smaller than letter-sized and no larger than 18 by 24 inches. Student name, organization/school, teacher/sponsor and grade, as well as if a child is special needs should be taken into consideration, should be included on the back of the entry. Awards will be presented at the end of the holiday commission’s week of celebrating King’s birthday, during a ceremony Jan. 15 at Stride Bank Center. The long-held march in honor of King will begin at 1:30 p.m. outside Stride Bank Center, at 301 S. Independence. The program and dinner will begin inside at 2 p.m., with inspirational speakers, music and contest and diversity awards. Food will be provided by the event center. The event would be free and open to the public.
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CS)--In observance of the New Year’s holiday, the City of Enid Administration offices, Enid Animal Welfare, Enid Public Library, and the Recycle Center will be closed Friday and Saturday. The Enid Public Transit will not be operating on these days as well. All trash routes will remain the same this week. The landfill will be closed on Saturday, but will be opened with operating hours Friday. Meadowlake Golf Course will be closed Friday.
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LW)--Kids and parents can ring in the New Year early on Friday at Leonardo’s Children’s Museum. From 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Education Annex, kids can enjoy a dance party, snacks, crafts, Segway rides, photo ops and a countdown to noon followed by a balloon drop during Leo’s Rockin’ Noon Year’s Eve, sponsored by Stride Bank. Hot chocolate will be available and some crafts include making party shooters and noisemakers and decorating memory frames. In order to provide the safest environment possible, tickets are limited to 100 guests. Cost for this event is $5 for members and $9 for non-members and can be purchased at the door on the day of the event. Leonardo’s Children’s Museum and Adventure Quest will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Dec. 27 through New Year’s Day and from Jan. 3-8. For information, call (580) 233-2787, go to https://leonardos.org or check out Leonardo’s social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
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NY)--Gaslight Theatre will host a community New Year's Eve party on Friday from 9:00 p.m to 1:00 a.m. at the Stride Center grand ballroom. The theme for the event is Steampunk - Where the Past Meets the Future. Steampunk is a style of design and fashion that combines vintage elements with technology. Attendees are encouraged to wear Steampunk themed costumes, but it is not required. There will be dancing and a cash bar, with a champagne bar for the midnight toast. Tickets are $75, two for $125, or tables for 6 are $375 and can be purchased at gaslighttheatre.org or in the box office at 221 N. Independence.
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CT)--The City of Enid offers several options for live-cut Christmas tree recycling. Residents can drop off their live-cut Christmas trees at the landfill, located at 1313 East Southgate Road, during normal business hours at no cost. All customers must have an active City of Enid utility bill. Also, residents can request a free bulk pick up of their live-cut Christmas tree by calling City of Enid Solid Waste Services at (580) 616-7300 or (580) 616-7301. Trees must be ten feet away from other objects. Please do not include any other trash or debris with the bulk pickup. [NOTE: The fee for bulk pickup for other items is $20 for the first truck.]. The trees will be recycled into mulch at the landfill. Mulch is free for all residents if loaded by the resident at the landfill. If City equipment is used, there is a $10 equipment fee. Christmas trees will be accepted at the landfill until the end of January 2022.
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GA)--Enid Regional Development Alliance will close its third round of micro-enterprise grants applications in February 2022. ERDA has several programs that support local entrepreneurial and economic growth. The programs are funded by the annual budget each fiscal year and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. In 2022, ERDA will award two $10,000 grants to two Enid businesses with six or fewer employees. Recipients can use the funds for any business expense necessary for the operation, management, formation or expansion of the company. Those interested in applying for the grant may turn in an application to the ERDA by 5:00 p.m. Feb. 4, 2022, by emailing it to trent@growenid.com or delivering it to the office at 2020 Willow Run, Suite 100. For more information and to download the application, visit www.growenid.com/local-incentives or contact Trent Misak at (580) 233-4232 or trent@growenid.com.
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AB)--Voters in Garfield County who want absentee ballots mailed to them for elections in 2022 should apply now. Registered voters may request absentee ballots for a specific election or for a full calendar year. No reason is needed to vote by absentee ballot. Jody Helm, Garfield County Election Board secretary, said there are several ways to apply for absentee ballots.“For many voters, the easiest way to apply is online through the State Election Board’s OK Voter Portal. Voters can also fill out an application at the county election board. Voters can request absentee ballots electronically using the OK Voter Portal at https://oklahoma.gov/elec tions/ovp. To download a paper application, visit the Oklahoma State Election Board website at https://oklahoma.gov/elections. For more information on absentee voting, contact Garfield County Election Board by calling (580) 237-6016 or emailing GarfieldCounty@elections.ok.gov.
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