April 18, 2020 Issue, Page 1 of 9

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wsiy Serving Saturday, April 18, 2020 Weekend Edition Elk City school district Beckham County announces plans for graduation reports second Board welcomes new member case of COVID-19 By Don Munsch, Editor Beckham County reported its second coronavirus case this week. District 5 Southwest Oklahoma County Health Depart- ments stated in a news release Wednesday that Beckham County has had its second positive case of COVID-19. The county reported its first case nearly three weeks ago. The News has requested data from the current positive case in Beckham County, such as gender and age range. District 5 will not release the individual’s community. The first positive case in the county was a male in his 40s. Other current data from District 5, in a news release: - 2,263 positive cases of COVID-19 in Oklahoma - 123 deaths in the state - 510 total hospitalizations in Oklahoma “While Oklahoma continues to experience community spread, the health department encourages everyone to take all precautions the CDC has promoted: social distancing, thorough and often hand washing, and staying home if you Katie Archer, center, was approved by the Elk City Public Schools board for the Seat 4 po- are sick, over 65 years of age and/or have an underlying sition at the board’s Tuesday meeting. Also pictured here are Cindy Buckmaster, assistant health condition,” the release stated. superintendent; Kirby McBroom, board member; Melanie Randle, board member; Brandon Storm, board president; Kris Waters, board member; and Rick Garrison, superintendent. neer Road east to Main Street (use business parking lots). The Elk City High School Class of 2020 will be parading By Don Munsch, Editor City Public Schools’ intention to have a baccalaureate at 2 down Third Street from Pioneer Road east to Main Street Elk City High School seniors will have a graduation in p.m. May 17 and a commencement at 4 p.m. the same day then south to 7th Street.” May. for the class of 2020. Both events would be at the Pioneer The parade and the introduction of each graduate will be What kind of event that will be is unknown at this point. Center Arena. aired on KX00 94.3 FM and live streamed on Big Elk TV at On Thursday, Elk City Public Schools released three dif- Under a Plan B, if the CDC, state and/or federal agencies bigelktv.com. ferent plans that could be implemented for May 17. don’t lift the social distancing recommendations by May 12, District officials said graduating seniors are welcome to Plan A would be a commencement ceremony at the Pi- then Elk City Public Schools’ intention will be to have a decorate their own car with appropriate decorations. Grad- oneer Center Arena, but that is contingent on Centers for Graduation Parade to honor the class of 2020. That parade uates will be seated in the front passenger(s) seat of each Disease Control and Prevention, state and or federal agen- will be at 2 p.m. May 17. vehicle. Students will not ride in the beds of pickup, and cies lifting social distancing recommendations and allow- “Parade watchers are asked to remain in their vehicles and certain vehicles will not be allowed: semi trucks, limos, mo- ing gatherings of more than 10 people by May 12. If social practice social distancing,” the district’s plan stated. “Parade torcycles, bicycles, lawn mowers, farm machinery, ATVs, distancing recommendations are lifted, then it will be Elk watchers can park along both sides of Third Street from Pio- See Graduation page 2. Educators discuss Reunions canceled because distance learning of coronavirus By Don Munsch, Editor Elk City High School alumni and Carter schools and com- munity reunions scheduled for this year have been canceled By Don Munsch, Editor meet the needs of the students, checkout was available again because of the coronavirus spread. Jennifer Keyes and Sarah Pierce are like other teachers on Tuesday, April 7th. At the present time, 252 devices have Set for Aug. 7-8, the Elk City High School alumni reunion these days.They miss seeing their students in classrooms. been checked out to students.” has been rescheduled for the first weekend in August 2021. School days continue for students all over Oklahoma with Buckmaster said the district's special education and re- The Elk City alumni reunion occurs every three years and distance learning, and Keyes and Pierce — a middle school lated services providers are also providing instruction and former students come from all over the country to attend the teacher and elementary school teacher, respectively, for Elk activities using distance learning. event. Those students include anyone who attended school City Public Schools — discussed how they are adapting to a “All of the principals and teachers I have talked with have in Elk City, the reunion committee said a press release. new way of teaching in light of school buildings closing for been pleased with the interaction with students and parents,” Local reunion committee members decided to cancel the the remainder of the school year. she said. “The district continues to reach out to the small event this year because of the pandemic and hold a reunion Distance learning went into effect in Elk City — and else- next year, on Aug. 6 and 7. At that time, it will include all percentage of students’ parents who have not responded to where — on April 6 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. See Reunions page 2. See Educators page 2. Educators in Elk City Public Schools discussed by email about how the first full week went with teachers and stu- dents connecting for lessons by computer. This story went to press Thursday afternoon. COVID-19 threatens meat supply Cindy Buckmaster, assistant superintendent of Elk City Public Schools, said distance learning “went better than an- By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension animal supplies if animals cannot be processed in a timely ticipated the first week,” explaining that teachers were able livestock marketing specialist fashion. The severity of impacts will depend on specific to set up their Google Classrooms and connect with their The U.S. meat industry faces unprecedented threats as situations and locations but could include costly delays in students. Teachers and students alike were happy to see one COVID-19 sweeps through labor forces at meat processing holding animals until slaughter, backlogs in production fa- another again. facilities nationwide. cilities or even disposal of animals. “The district checked out devices Friday, April 3rd, at each Production of beef, pork and poultry are simultaneously Such disruptions could result in reduced flows of fresh of the sites,” Buckmaster said. “Some parents thought that threatened as COVID-19 infections affect labor availability meat to consumers, compounded by the continuing bottle- the devices they had at home were capable of performing the and processing capacity in multiple facilities across all meat necks created by the drastic reduction in the food service necessary tasks, but after attempting to connect, [they] real- industries. sector, roughly half of total food distribution. Since early ized that a Chromebook would be the best choice. Inorderto Reduced processing capacity could cause backups in live See Meat page 2. il sq TT Weather / 30 Vol. 118, No. 30 Mail delivery View online tremens tomorrow 75 cents, 10 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com