May 23, 2020 Issue, Page 1 of 32

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ee Oklahoma Weekend Edition City to finish water meter project Pool to open in early June By Don Munsch, Editor Memorial Day Service to The Elk City City Commission on Wednesday approved a bid from RG3 Meter Company to finish installing water meters through the town. Commissioners approved a bid for $199,380 for the Bu- be held Monday reau of Reclamation WaterSMART small-scale water effi- ciency project. City Manager Lee Litterell said the approval of the project By Don Munsch, Editor distancing rules, Manning said, explaining chairs will be funding will allow for the finish of the installing of the auto- Despite the havoc wreaked by the coronavirus on daily life spaced accordingly for those who need seating, and organiz- mated water meters so that crews don’t have to walk around in America, some annual activities will continue, including ers ask that those attending the ceremony honor the city’s and read the meters. The project started a couple of years locally with the Memorial Day Service at the Veterans Me- request. ago. The meters can be read from a vehicle and data can be morial at Fairlawn Cemetery in Elk City. “We'll have some patriotic music, [and] we'll have a brief. entered into a computer. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. Monday, said Derek Man- keynote address,” Manning said, adding that the service will Also Wednesday, commissioners approved the renewal ning, organizer of the service. last about 30 minutes. “It’s a memorial we feel it’s important of the elementary school note, First National Bank Elk City There won't be a special speaker this year, with Man- to observe.” (Elk City Industrial Authority), as per the original contract. ning explaining the ceremony will include an honor guard, He is excited the event can be held in light of everything The note is renewable in 2020 and 2025 and the payoff will 21-gun salute and the playing of taps. Hayden Laufer, happening with the coronavirus. be in 2028. an Elk City Middle School student, will play taps. He is “We hope to have a good turnout, and whatever turnout “We’re paying the interest on the notes,” Litterell said. playing in lieu of his father, Chris Laufer, an Oklahoma we have, we’ll just make sure we do it as safe as possible,” The elementary school in Elk City was a city-school dis- Highway Patrol trooper who could not be at the cere- he said, trict project. mony, as he will be at a training this year, Manning said. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be Commissioners approved a 2020 FAA Grant Application Elk City officials have asked organizers to observe social moved to the chapel next to the memorial. for $142,530 for design of the installation of runway light- ing, rehab of runway and automated weather observation Merritt senior seeking career to See Pool page 2. Summer art ‘learn more about what’s out there’ program canceled Editor's note: This is the She would be open to working at NASA one day and work {fifth story in a series on vale- on the ground rather than be an astronaut. By DonMunsch, Editor dictorians and salutatorians “T’d rather make what the astronauts are going to be sitting _ The annual uEEer arty PEORFEN for youths held in from area high schools. in,” she said. been ( | By Don Munsch, Editor Her interest in an aerospace career emerged from just Mackenzie Dyer wants a looking at the stars, finding they’re “so cool and so far away career that includes looking and I love to learn more about what’s out there” and help to the sky. others int the process. One of the two salutatori- Science is her favorite subject and has been for a long ans at Merritt High School, time, she said, because she likes how the discipline is based she plans to attend South- on patterns. She likes representing the school as one of the Dyer western Oklahoma State salutatorians — Macie Steward is the other — and was hoping University and major in engineering physics. to gain the top spot as valedictorian, but she still took home “I’m really interested in aerospace careers,” she said, not- one of the top spots. ing she would like to be someone who creates a spaceship on “T still made it really high up there, so I am proud and a computer, and engineering physics would be a good way happy about that,” she said. to explore that work. Dyer appreciated how her teachers were open to her ques- “And if I need to continue my education somewhere else, tions and encouraged her inquisitiveness. then I’ll do that,” she said. See Senior page 2. Xpress Wellness to offer coronavirus antigen testing By Don Munsch, Editor munities and also could ease the minds of our patients and Xpress does not release information on the cost of test- People wanting to get antigen testing for the coronavirus their loved ones,” said Xpress Wellness Chief Medical Of- ing in its communications, said Ryan Jacobs, Xpress Kansas can do so at a healthcare location in Elk City. ficer Dr. Scott Williams, in the release. marketing coordinator, in an emailed response to questions. Xpress Wellness Urgent Care, with a location at 411 W. See Testing page 2. 3rd St., will use Quidel’s Sofia Rapid Antigen test for COV- Statistics show recoveries for all COVID- ID-19, according to Xpress, which will be providing the rap- id COVID-19 tests at all 18 of its clinic locations throughout Oklahoma and Kansas, the company said in a news release. “Patients who undergo this nasal swab test, similar to flu testing, will know the results within 15 minutes,” the release 19-infected people in Beckham County stated. “The patient’s health care provider will explain re- By Don Munsch, Editor District 5 county health departments officials are seeking sults of the test during the clinic visit.” Xpress said it will All six people who contracted the coronavirus in Beckham opinions from the public so that they may collect stories and be one of the first healthcare venues in Oklahoma to use the County have recovered, according to the District 5 South- information to document the impact of COVID-19 in local test. west Oklahoma County Health Departments. Of the 482 communities. Quidel, a company that manufactures diagnostic health- cases in this district, 339 people have recovered and 24 have People may take the survey here: https://www.surveymon- care products, received Emergency Use Authorization by died, according to data released Wednesday. key.com/t/COV19Apr. the Food and Drug Administration to distribute its Sofia rapid test for COVID-19, with the approval coming just in the last couple of weeks. Xpress Wellness has received kits Addition to Brown and White scholarships to conduct the tests from its national medical supplier, the release stated. In the Brown and White Award story from May 20, a Booster Club scholarship that was awarded to senior Fran- “We know that having access to quick results will help late submission to the scholarship list includes a Football cisco Quezada. slow the spread of COVID-19 in many of our rural com- «AO 0 AU Weather tomorrow & 78/59 Vol. 118, No. 41 75 cents, 32 pgs. 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