September 28, 2022 Issue, Page 3 of 32

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September 28, 2022 News/AG ‘The Elk City News - 3 Biden-Harris Administration Announces $31 Million for High-Speed Internet MISDEMEANORS in Rural Oklahoma Communities State of Okla vs Dakota H Sims DUI. Possession of CS FELONIES Funding Will Provide High-Speed Internet Access to People and Businesses in Rural State of Okla vs Rowdy L Mayfield Domestic assault & and Remote Areas across 7 Counties; Additional Funding Will Come From battery with a dangerous weapon President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in Coming Months State of Okla vs Stacy J Rogers Obstructing an officer. Assault & battery on officer STILLWATER - U.S. Department Comanche, Cotton and Grady lion in the third round of ReCon- ment. ‘The legislation also lowers State of Okla vs Christian A Valenzuela Trafficking in of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Counties. Many of the awards will nect funding so far and plans to costs for internet service and drugs Tom Vilsack today announced help rural people and businesses make more investment announce- helps close the digital divide, so that the Department is awarding on Tribal lands and people in so- ments under this program in the that more Americans can take full $31 million in loans and grants cially vulnerable communities. coming weeks. Today's announce- to provide high-speed internet As part of today’s announcement: ment follows the Department's access for rural residents and Valliant Telephone Company Inc. July 28 announcement that it has advantage of the opportunities provided by internet access. USDA Rural Development pro- MARRIAGES 6 DIVORCES businesses in seven counties. The will deploy fiber-to-the-premises invested $356 million through the funding is part of the Biden-Har- network. This network will con- ReConnect Program to help very vides loans and grants to help ris Administration's commitment nect 200 people, 16 businesses rural residents and businesses expand economic opportunities, MARRIAGE LICENSES to investing in rural infrastruc and one educational facility to in 11 states gain access to high- create jobs and improve the qual- ity of life for millions of Ameri- ‘Thomas Whitman, Sayre ~ Mason Bell, Sayre ture and providing reliable, afford- high-speed internet in Choctaw speed internet. able, high-speed internet for all. and McCurtain Counties. Valli- Background: ReConnect Program cans in rural areas. This assistance Darin Webb, Sayre - Susan Webb, OKC USDA is making the investments ant Telephone Company Inc. will To be eligible for ReConnect Pro- supports infrastructure improve- Jarvis Rushing, Sayre - Shayla Mathis, Phoenix, AR through the third funding round make high-speed internet afford- gram funding, an applicant must ments; business development; of the ReConnect Program. The able by implementing the FCC’s serve an area where high-speed housing; community facilities Aaron Jones, Elk City - Brieanna Cooper, Mustang Department will make additional Affordable Connectivity and Life- internet service speeds are low- such as schools, public safety and Kyle Hatchel, Erick ~ Karissa Harris, Brick investments for rural high-speed line programs, and offering four er than 100 megabits per second health care; and high-speed in- internet in the coming months, internet packages. This project (Mbps) (download) and 20 Mbps Joseph Curtis, Sayre - Taylor Rice, Sayre ternet access in rural, tribal and including funding from President will serve the Choctaw Oklahoma (upload). The applicant must also high-poverty areas. For more in- Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Tribal Statistical Area and socially commit to building facilities capa- Law, which provides a historic vulnerable communities in Mc- ble of providing high-speed inter- formation, visit www.rd.usda.gov. DIVORCES $65 billion investment to expand Curtain County. net service at speeds of 100 Mbps USDA touches the lives of all NONE affordable, high-speed internet to Southern Plains Cable LLC will (download and upload) to every ‘Americans each day in so many all communities across the U.S. deploy a fiber-to-the-premises location in its proposed service positive ways. In the Biden-Harris “Access to broadband will network that will connect 7,093 area. Administration, USDA is trans- Apply Today, strengthen the ability of rural people, 230 businesses, six farms To learn more about investment forming America’s food system communities to prosper by ex- and 29 schools to high-speed in- resources for rural areas, visit with a greater focus on more re- panding the opportunity to allow ternet in Caddo, Comanche, Cot- www.rd.usda.gov or contact the silient local and regional food businesses to grow, expand access ton and Grady counties. Southern nearest USDA Rural Development production, fairer markets for Disaster Assistance to critical healthcare, open the Plains will make high-speed inter- state office. all producers, ensuring access to doors to educational programs net affordable by participating in Background: Bipartisan Infra- safe, healthy and nutritious food and lessen the barrier for trans- the FCC's Affordable Connectivity structure Law portation on some of our rural and Lifeline programs. This proj- President Biden forged consensus in all communities, building new Deadline is One residents,” said Kenneth Corn, ect will serve the Kiowa-Coman- and compromise between Demo- markets and streams of income State Director, Oklahoma Rural che-Apache-Fort Sill Apache tribal rats, Republicans and Indepen- for farmers and producers using Development. “The President has statistical area as well as socially dimate-smart food and forestry dents to demonstrate our democ- Week Away not forgotten the needs of Okla- vulnerable communities in Cotton racy can deliver big wins for the practices, making historic invest- homa rural communities and has County. ‘American people. After decades ments in infrastructure and clean demonstrated his commitment by ‘The Osage Nation will deploy a of talk on rebuilding America’s energy capabilities in rural Amer- using USDA-Rural Development fiber-to-the-premises network to crumbling infrastructure, Presi- ica, and committing to equity connect 831 people, 18 businesses as the instrument to deliver crit- dent Biden delivered the Biparti- across the Department by remov- ical funding to areas that have and 128 farms to high-speed in- san Infrastructure Law - a histor- ing systemic barriers and building OKLAHOMA CITY—Oklahoma residents affected by the se- been overlooked. We are excited ternet in Osage County. The Osage ic investment in America that will a workforce more representative vere storms, tornadoes and flooding that occurred May 2-8 have by the President's commitment Nation will make high-speed in- change people's lives for the better of America. To learn more, visit ‘one week remaining to apply for federal assistance. The deadline to use USDA-RD to kick open the ternet affordable by participating and get America moving again. in the FCC's Affordable Connec- ‘The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law www.usda.gov. to apply is Wednesday, Sept. 28. doors for economic, educational and healthcare needs through the tivity Program. This project will provides $65 billion to ensure ev- If you'd like to subscribe to USDA Federal assistance may help eligible survivors pay for rent, funding of high-speed internet.” serve the Osage Nation and so- ery American has access to afford- Rural Development updates, visit home repair or replacement and many other disaster-related Gially vulnerable communities in able, reliable high-speed internet our GovDelivery subscriber page. needs, including vehicle repair or replacement, funeral expens- USDA is making3 awards in Choc- Osage County. through a historic investment in USDA is an equal opportunity provid- es, medical or dental expenses and other costs associated with taw, McCurtain, Osage, Caddo, USDA has announced $858 mil- broadband infrastructure deploy- er, employer, and lender. recovery from a disaster. If you have not applied for federal assistance, there are several ways to apply. Here’s the reason recreational Log onto DisasterAssistance.gov to submit your application for disaster assistance. The website is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. marijuana isn’t on the November ballot Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a video relay service, captioned telephone service, or other communica- tion services, please provide FEMA the specific number assigned by Paul Monies/Oklahoma Watch year. The Oklahoma Supreme tiative petitions submitted for signature sheets and enter near- for that service. Lines are open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT, Court made it official this week signature verification. The new ly all names, addresses, birth seven days a week. A greenhouse full of marijuana as it denied a request by the Yes process also included cross-ref- dates, collection dates and other Visit the Disaster Recovery Center in Seminole County. The plants is seen at Apothecary Ex- ‘on 820 campaign to put SQ 820 erencing several data points, data by hand into the computer tracts in Beggs. The owners also on the ballot. The court said like name, address and ZIP program? DRC is located at: have an operation in Colorado. there wasn't enough time to code, with voter registration Aside from the $300,000 per Seminole State College Both operations use tags with be able to make an upcoming rolls. year contract with Western Pe- David L. Boren Library Room 105 barcodes to track the plants deadline for mailing overseas Under its $300,000 per year tition Systems, the secretary of 2701 Boren Blvd. from seed to consumer sales. and absentee ballots. contract, Western Petition Sys- state's office spent more than Seminole, OK 74868 (Whitney —Bryen/Oklahoma SQ 820 would legalize recre- tems is supposed to conduct a $58,000 on temporary workers Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Saturday and Watch) ational marijuana for adults timed test run of its equipment who were hired to verify sig- Backers of an initiative petition 21 and over and decriminalize and signature verification pro- Sunday. natures at Shapard’s offices for to legalize recreational mar- marijuana possession and use. cess under the supervision of SQ 820, according to invoices For the latest information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4657. Fol- jjuana in Oklahoma became Tt would make no changes to the secretary of state's office. low us on Twitter at twitter.com/FEMARegion6 and like us on unwitting guinea pigs in a new Oklahoma’ existing medical According to the contract, “The obtained under state open re- Facebook at facebook.com/FEMARegion6. process that was meant to speed marijuana program, which vot- (test run) will be used to test the cords act requests. Among the up and automate the state's an- ers approved under SQ 788 in entire process and (Western Pe- temporary workers were sever- tiquated signature verification 2018. tition Systems) shall continual- al members of Shapard’s family. system, but a series of delays Path to Election ly look for ways to improve the Tilley said it became clear after compounded to keep it off the Backers of SQ 820 thought they scanning, data point collection, a couple of days that workers November general election bal- were well positioned to make recording and transcribing of were only able to get through lot. the November ballot. They the initiative petitions” about 1,000 signature sheets State Question 820 will now ap- filed the initiative petition in But in response to an open-re- per day out of more than 20,000 pear ona special statewide elec- January. ‘The effort survived a cords request by Oklahoma signature sheets. tion in 2023 or go before voters challenge in the spring to the Watch, the secretary of state's “Although they expressed hope in 2024, depending on what Gov. Kevin Stitt or his successor summary of the proposition office said it had no documen- that this pace would increase, used on signature-gathering tation of the test run. neither the vendor nor the sec- Available for PICKUP 67 DELIVERY decides. Without any action by sheets. The campaign then had “We were pleased with the retary attempted to speed up the governor, it would appear 90 days to collect signatures. mock test run and with how the the process by adding addition- ‘on the November 2024 ballot. Organizers managed to collect software performed, the sec- al workers, additional comput- Oklahoma's voter-led initiative more than 164,000 signatures retary of state’s office said in a ers or additional hours,’ Tilley petition process is among the in just 60 days, well above the written statement. “There was said in the court declaration, hardest in the nation, with mul- threshold of 94,911 required for nothing noticed during the test In an interview, Tilley said oth- $50 $75 tiple chances to challenge the a statewide initiative petition. run that raised any flag: er delays arose before signature wording of the petition, voter On July 5, the campaign deliv- Michelle Tilley, campaign di- sheets were circulated because signatures and the summary ered 118 boxes to the secretary rector with Yes on 820, said the secretary of state required that appears on the ballot. of state’s office. in a legal filing the campaign a particular weight of paper. SQ 820 faced all of those chal- Campaign organizers were sur- had observers at the Oklaho- That was in short supply, and lenges, but couldn’t surmount a prised to hear the boxes of sig- ma City offices of Western Pe- the campaign spent an extra longer-than-expected delay by natures would be sent to West- tition Systems throughout the $44,000 to get the special pa- 6 Months 1 Year a first-time vendor for the sec- ern Petition Systems. The 2020 seven-week verification. Tilley per. By the time for verification, retary of state’s office. Western law changing that part of the said she noted several problems some of the sheets wouldn't Add the e-paper to a print subseriation for 1 per month Petition Systems LLC, an affil- initiative petition process was with the vendor's verification Joad into the scanner at the ven- iated company of longtime po- among just a few policy-related system. dor’s offices. litical pollster Bill Shapard, was bills to make it through the Leg- “The text generated by the “There were all kinds of little hired to verify signatures and islature in a coronavirus-short- ‘Western Petition Systems com- things like that” Tilley said. “ElkCituNews check voter registration under a ened legislative session. Few puter program, based on its “For the expertise they were law passed in 2020 at the outset people knew an outside vendor scans of the signature pages, selling on the contract, it ob- of the coronavirus pandemic. would be hired to do the job. was nearly always wildly inac- viously didn't match up with Missing the November 2022 ‘The secretary of state’s office curate,” Tilley said in an Aug. 22 reality. We internally verified ballot will deprive voters for the told the Yes on 820 campaign it declaration filed with the Okla- our signatures four or five times 109 W. Broadway first time in nearlya century the would take two or three weeks homa Supreme Court. “This before we turned them in. It lit- opportunity to vote on a state to verify the signatures, a time- inaccuracy required individuals erally took them almost as long 580-225-3000 - www.elkcityoknews.com question in a general election line close to several recent ini- to laboriously look at physical to count as we took to gather.”