October 7, 2020 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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Serving Western Oklahoma Since 1901. Weekday Edition Voters should apply early for absentee ballots Voters in Beckham County who want to have absen- tee ballots mailed to them for the Nov. 3 general election should apply now, County Election Board Secretary Sher- ron Manning said in a news release Friday. Although the County Election Board can accept appli- cations for absentee ballots until 5 p.m. Oct. 27, Manning urged voters who want to vote by absentee ballot to apply early. Absentee ballot application forms are available at the County Election Board office located at 306 E. Main St. in Sayre. An online version of the form can be filled out and submitted electronically at: www.elections.ok.gov. A print form can also be downloaded at that address. Ballots must be in the hands of County Election Board officials by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted, the re- lease stated. Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot in any election in which he/she is eligible to vote. However, a By Don Munsch, Editor being relocated were in need of an improvement. Two sepa- voter must be registered and reside at an address within Motorists who travel along on the east side of 3rd Street rate contractors are doing the bridge construction and the the geographical boundaries of a school district or a mu- in Elk City should get used to the construction on the route. utility relocation. The utility relocation started in July. nicipality to be eligible to vote in school district or mu- The bridge on the south and north side of the road and “Currently, they’re relocating those elements and expect nicipal elections. It is not necessary to give a reason for near the Beckham County Health Department is being re- voting absentee, the release stated. to have the bridge crew actually mobilized before the end of done. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation, which “While anyone can vote absentee without giving a rea- the month and start demoing the bridge,” Snipes said. “That oversees the project, estimates the project will be finished bridge will be done a half at a time, and the bridge work son, the law still provides several advantages to absentee next summer. See Ballots page 2. [construction] should last about 270 days.” Will Snipes, assistant division engineer for ODOT who He expected to see the project finished by the first part of is based in Clinton, said for now, people won’t see much summer in 2021. A fair amount of road work is involved in bridge construction. the project. Motorists will the find same situation as what “It’s all utility relocation, and basically, they're relocating the city’s sanitary sewer and a few water lines and a few they’re seeing now, with the road being reduced to one lane manholes and a few things like that,” he said. “Typically, to each direction. we relocate utilities prior to the construction job, but given “They'll be the flashing reds there at Main and 3rd and where these were located and the invasiveness of relocating probably stop signs there at the Madison [and 3rd] intersec- them, it made more sense to tie them to the construction job tion as well,” Snipes said. “Now that my change periodi- in this case.” cally, but for the most part, that’s going to be what people He said the bridge was in poor condition and the utilities can expect for the duration.” Renaming OKC post office a lesson on civil rights possible, and I’m not going to give up till we get it across the finish line.” The Clara Luper Post Office bill was co-sponsored by the Republican members of the Oklahoma congressional delegation, Reps. Tom Cole, Kevin Hern, Frank Lucas and Markwayne Mullin. It must now go to the Senate for con- sideration. Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe’s office said that the bill has been referred to Homeland Security and Governmental Af- Elk City High School Homecoming King Felix fairs, one of Sen. James Lankford’s committees. Neither Gonzales kisses Homecoming Queen Mattie Inhofe nor Lankford have directly responded to questions Thompson ina ceremony Friday night before about renaming the post office for the civil rights icon. the Elk City Homecoming game against the Clara Luper was a schoolteacher in 1958 who successfully Bethany Bronchos. Elk City lost the game, 42- i) ae led many young people to conduct non-violent sit-ins at 28. See page 8 for more about the game. Photo Clara Luper was a prominent figure in the civil See Luper page 2. by Terri Chervenka. rights movement and is largely credited with starting the movement in Oklahoma. Photo courtesy BlackPast.org. AAA Oklahoma to launch Route 66 Centennial celebration By Jessie Christopher Smith OKLAHOMA CITY - A national celebration to commem- The Road Fest will begin in Tulsa’s River Spirit Expo at Gaylord News orate the 100th anniversary of U.S. 66 will start in Oklahoma Expo Square June 18 and 19, then move to the Bennett Event with a weeklong road festival that AAA Oklahoma will kick Center on the OKC Fairgrounds June 25 and 26. WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bill renaming the downtown off next June, according to a release from Jordan Advertis- “Both events will feature immersive historical journeys Oklahoma City post office for an Oklahoma civil rights icon has been stalled in a Senate committee of which Sen. James ing. through the decades, allowing visitors to travel through time “Eyer since Tulsa’s Cyrus Avery helped pioneer the U.S. from the 1920s to futuristic visions of the Great American Lankford is a member. The bill to rename the post office in honor of Clara Luper highway system in the 1920s, the Mother Road has been in- Road Trip,” the release said. “No family friendly festival trinsically connected to Oklahoma and its early history,” said would be complete without food, games, live music and passed in the House of Representatives on Sept. 14. Rep. Jared Peterson, president, AAA Club Alliance Great Plains more. Of course, there will also be RVs, motorcycles, and Kendra Horn, who introduced HR 5597 in January, says she Region, in the release. “So, it is only fitting that Oklaho- cars, lots of cars, ranging from classic cars, and remote-con- is optimistic about the bill passing the Senate. ma will be first in line to begin a national celebration of the trolled cars to automated vehicles destine for the future of “We've been reaching out to the [Oklahoma] senators, which I did before I even introduced the bill,” Horn said. “I 2,400-mile highway’s 2026 Centennial.” mobility.” The AAA U.S. 66 Road Fest event will stretch from Tulsa During the celebration, Oklahoma communities should felt that it was very important to have the whole delegation on board. Recognizing Mrs. Luper and her contribution is to Oklahoma City and include communities all along the expect to see thousands of visitors touring the landmarks, something we should all be working towards. So I think it’s state’s 420-mile section of historic highway. page 2. See Celebration OU 0 gu HUN Weather 87 / Vol. 118, No. 81 Mail delivery View online Meese : tomorrow 75 cents, 8 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com