August 19, 2020 Issue, Page 8 of 8

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COVID-19 update More than 30 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Beckham County since Friday, according to data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The District 5 Southwest Oklahoma County Health Departments reported 67 cases overall on Friday, with 23 of those cases active. Beckham County now has had 102 cases, with 54 of them active, as of Monday afternoon. [>4 Serving ‘mw, _Western Oklahoma Ua | Since 1901 wee August 19, 20C WeekdayEdition New coffee shop opens on Main Street For Elk City’s annual rodeo, it’s ‘business as usual’ By Don Munsch, Editor John Thomas is ready for the Elk City Rodeo of Cham- pions to kick into gear. The rodeo will be held at the Beutler Bros. Arena Sept. Main Street Coffee and Cafe owner Tamara 4-6 with events beginning at 8 p.m, each night. The an- Fillingim, center, stands with employees nual parade will be at 10 a.m. Sept. 5. Slack will be done Lauren Millican, left, and Kelcee Calaway, beginning on Thursday moming and continue until Fri- right, at the newly opened Main Street Coffee day Sept 4. and Cafe in Elk City. The coffee shop opened “Its going to be business as usual for the most part about a month ago in the space where a with the rodeo as far as what you see,” said Thomas, a clothing store once operated. Staff photos by Don Munsch. member of the Elk City Rodeo of Champions board, at the Elk City Rotary Club meeting last week. Rodeo clown Robbie Hodges will be one act who will By Don Munsch, Editor be back, as will rodeo arena announcer Wayne Brooks. Visitors to Elk City and local residents alike can still grab Specialty acts will be WI-FMX — motorcycle jumpers a cup of coffee on Main Street with the opening of Main — and Flying Arena Stars trick riding. WI-FMX is the Street Coffee and Cafe. Wisconsin Freestyle Motocross, which promises humans The coffee shop opened on July 24 at the corner of Broad- being “hurled across the sky to the excitement of thou- way and Main, or 101 N. Main St., in the former location of sands,” the group’s website states. the Aspen clothing store. Main Street Coffee and Cafe own- “They draw a big crowd,” Thomas said. er Tamara Fillingim bought the business from Beyond the There will be no concerts this year, Thomas said. Pallet owners DeAnn and Jerry Foshee. Beyond the Pallet “The rodeo’s coming together great,” Thomas said, was located just south of the current location on Main Street. thanking sponsors who belong to the Rotary. “This is Elk Besides coffee, the business serves sandwiches, especially City’s rodeo, and it’s been going along for a long time. the chicken salad variety, Fillingim said. We want to make sure that we continue to do that. The “We have several different kinds of chicken salads,” she fire department and police department put a lot of work said. into it, and we want to thank them for the effort they put The business is open for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast into it helping us organize it.” Many rodeos have been canceled because of the foods include muffins, bacon egg and cheese sandwiches Friday. The establishment will be open from 8:30 to 2 p.m. Saturday, but those hours are tentative depending on how See Rodeo page 2. and sausage egg and cheese sandwiches. The restaurant also sells water, soft drinks, smoothies and frappes. business is that day, Fillingim said. Restaurant hours are 7 a.m. to5 p.m. Monday through See Coffee page 2. Art exhibit to feature work of Elk City native Merritt, Canute schools navigate ON THE HORIZON GRADUATE EXHIBIT through pandemic as schools reopen By Don Munsch, Editor learn plan.” Merritt Public Schools will take the same approach to re- Daugherty said the district would have trouble finding opening schools this year that many others are doing. substitutes and teachers if teachers leave during the year or Classes began at Merritt and Canute schools on Aug. 13. get exposed to or contract the coronavirus. “We will social distance as best we can at all times,” Mer- “We did have some teachers not come back like we do ritt Superintendent Jeff Daugherty said in an emailed re- every year,” he said, adding in a followup response that the sponse to questions, although on that particular question, he district had a couple of teachers retire and a few others who did not elaborate on how the district would do social distanc- moved away to take jobs. ing in classrooms and buildings. The Merritt school district offers virtual learning and will He said the district has a plan to go to distance learning allow students who opt for virtual learning to participate in if some COVID-19 infections were to occur, and school of- extracurricular activities. Masks will be recommended for ficials would act “on recommendations from county health teachers and students, and Daugherty said cleaning and officials and the state department along with our return to See Schools page 2. Canute Public Schools to have election for two propositions An Elk City man is one of two artists to have his work displayed in the On the Horizon series continuing now at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. By Don Munsch, Editor is the second proposition, according to a ballot. William Barr is one of the two artists in the series, while Canute Public Schools will have a special election on Aug. The News did not receive a response from Canute Su- Eric Lyons of Wynnewood is the other. Both Barr and Ly- 25 to ask voters to pay for transportation needs and to pay perintendent Jill Henderson about questions related to the ons are SWOSU alumni. Their work will be on display from for some needs for school buildings. bond. The district held a bond election last year on school 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until Aug. 29 at ‘The overall amount of the bond is $1 million, with $560,000 improvements, which included a new event center. The two- SWOSU’s Art Building Gallery, the university stated in a go toward constructing, equipping, repairing and remodel- proposition bond in September 2019 failed, with the bond release. A “Meet and Greet” with the artists is planned from ing school buildings, acquiring school furniture, fixtures and that funded the event center and other improvements being 5-7 p.m. Thursday, also in the gallery. The reception is open equipment and acquiring and improving school sites. The voted down by the taxpayers by a 78 to 22 percent margin, to the public, a news release stated. other $440,000 will go toward transportation equipment and See Canute page 2. See Art page 2. Weather Vol. 118, No. 66 Mail delivery View online MLCTN tomorrow / 70 75 cents, 8 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com