January 14, 2023 Issue, Page 3 of 10

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January 14, 2023 News The Elk City News -3 Oklahoma who have demon- To celebrate the achievements SWOSU Symphony Orchestra and Alums Honored at OKMEA strated success in music educa- of our SWOSU students and al- tion. ums, a SWOSU Music Alumni Southwestern Oklahoma ery student in Oklahoma re- Symphony Orchestra being in- er Award. This honor is given Many orchestras apply to Mixer will take place at 5 p.m. State University’s (SWOSU) ceives quality music education. vited as an honor group, two to music educators who have OkMEA for the chance to per- on Friday, Jan. 20 at McNellie’s very own SWOSU Symphony Part of their mission state- different SWOSU alumni will taught a minimum of 15 years form, and only a select few uni- in Downtown Tulsa (409 E. 1st Orchestra under the direction ment includes a commitment be honored in an award recep- with a demonstrated track re- versity ensembles are chosen St. Tulsa, OK 74120). of Dr, Alex Lee has been in- to provide educators with pro- tion sponsored by OkMEA at cord of excellence in teaching. by the OkMEA committee each SWOSU is proud of the ac- vited to perform at this year’s fessional development and to bring awareness to the value 6at p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19 Tiffany Piper, a SWOSU alum- year for this tremendous hon- complishments of every single Oklahoma Music Educators the Cox Business Center. na and teacher in the Elk City or. The concert with SWOSU Association (OkMEA) as an of music education in schools. Public Schools, is one of two Symphony Orchestra will be- staff, student and alum. For honor group. OkMEA is an or- Each year, OkMEA holds com- SWOSU alumna Angela Parker recipients of OkMEA’s Out- gin at 7 p.m, on Friday, Jan. 20 more information about these ganization comprised of edu- petitions for students inter- Pennello, music teacher in the standing Young Music Educa- at the Hyatt Regency in down- events, please contact Dr. Shel- cators, mentors and musicians ested in music and performing. Norman Public Schools, will be tor Award, which is given to town Tulsa. Admission is $10. ley Martinson at shelley.mar- dedicated to ensuring that ev- Along with the SWOSU receiving an Exemplary Teach- early-career music teachers in [email protected]. SWOSU Alum Named to Arrest warrant issued for Elk City International Literacy woman accused of stealing electricity Association’s 30 Under 30 PSO, tion in the report if there was that she did not know where it Two ECPD officers arrived indeed no electricity in the was located, A Southwestern Okla- alongside other literacy edu- at the residence and made con- home. I then reiterated to Har- “I suspected that Harris homa State University cators from across the world! tact with the PSO employee. ris that we would only go into had me go to the front door (SWOSU) Reading Specialist We are so very proud of her ‘The PSO employee report- the home if she allowed us to to allow her the opportunity & English Ed Alum, Haleigh and the significant impact Denise Klaus-Belka has been she is making for Oklahoma edly stated that a work crew and that it was up to her,” the to access the breaker box of named one of the Interna- had discovered an under- officer added. the residence and turn off the students,” shares Dr. Dana ground “tap” into the utility Harris reportedly told the electricity before I looked in- tional Literacy Association's Oliver, SWOSU's Reading officers to go to the front door line on the property after re- side the residence,” the officer (ILA) 30 Under 30 honorees. Specialist Program Director. ceiving a tip from a concerned while she went in the back- wrote. Klaus-Belka graduated When asked to elaborate citizen. door. ‘The officer was later able with a Bachelor of Arts in on her early career success, “The PSO work crew had ‘The officer estimated that to make contact with an oc- English Education in Decem- Klaus-Belka shared, “I never ber of 2019 and a Master of dug a small hole and uncov- he stood at the front door for cupant of a camper located on would have imagined that ered two clusters of wires that approximately 20 seconds be- the property. Education, Reading Special- I would be awarded in such fore Harris arrived at the front ist in December of 2021. She had been taped together then Through that, the officer a way. I love teaching, and I had been buried approximate- door to allow him inside. reportedly discovered an ex- taught high school English love reading; the students on Martha Harris Harris allegedly stood in tention cord that ran into the for a year at Geary Junior my campus are often the best ly one foot underground,” the reporting officer wrote. the path, preventing the offi- camper from a nearby shed on High before moving to Cana- part of my day. I was actually cer from stepping beyond the dian Valley Technology Cen- a delayed reader—I didn’t By Shonda Little ‘The reporting officer then very front of the door. the property. ter, the Chickasha Campus, spoke with the homeowner, “[ was able to plug a light learn to read until nearly An arrest warrant has been Harris then reportedly where she now works as the second grade—so the fact identified as Harris, and ex- flipped a switch off and on be- into the extension cord and campus’s first instructional issued a 56-year-old Elk City plained that an illegal tap had fore saying, “As you can see, confirmed that it had electric- that I get to assist others on woman after Elk City Police been allegedly found. ity,” the officer wrote. literacy coach. At this center, there’s no electricity.” Klaus-Belka created the cam- their literacy journeys means allegedly discovered that she “Harris stated that she had “I could not see any light The estimated cost of the world to me. I feel proud pus’s first library and a Little was stealing electricity from been staying there for a while or appliances on in the home damages and cost to repair Free Library, an idea based to know that I am doing my the Public Service Company of without electricity,” the officer at this time, but I did observe PSO's property was reportedly on a nonprofit organization students and Canadian Val- Oklahoma (PSO). wrote. numerous objects that were $5,340.65. with the goal of providing ley justice; I'm a Canadian The arrest warrant for The officer asked Harris plugged into the electric out- PSO also provided a work- every community with access Valley graduate myself, so it Martha Lavonne Harris was if she minded walking him lets of the wall (lamps, air sheet that showed electric- to free books. feels extra special. I truly am filed in Beckham County Dis- through the home so he could conditioners, etc),” the officer ity usage over the past several The ILA is a professional honored.” trict Court on January 6. confirm that there was no elec- wrote years. organization with a mission Thank you to our SWOSU According to the probable tricity. ‘The officer asked Harris if According to the work- of connecting research and alums for always striving to cause affidavit, the investiga- “IL explained to Harris that there was a breaker box in the sheet, there had been $3,443 practice to continuously im- help our communities. Great tion began at approximately I would include the informa- home. She reportedly replied worth of stolen electricity. job, Bulldogs! ‘Earn High Dividends prove the quality of literacy 10:47 am on October 27, instruction across the globe. To read Klaus-Belka’s in- 2022, when an Elk City Police “The fact that ILA is an terview, click here: https:// Department officer was dis- international organization www.literacyworldwide. patched to the 800 block of is part of what makes this org/docs/default-source/ South Boone in Elk City. award such an honor. Ha- communications/literacy- The ECPD had received a ach Month leigh’s background and ap- today/ila-2023-30-under-30. call in regards to stolen prop- plication were submitted pdf?sfvrsn=e915ab_14. erty from an employee with January is braille literacy month in Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY - Lit- Most braille readers and other services through SBVI's eracy—the ability to read and writers prefer braille devices Older Blind Independent Liv- write — is critical to achieving attached to computers or por- ing Program. a successful education, career table electronic note takers to SBVI’s Oklahoma Library for and quality of life. For Oklaho- save and edit text, while braille the Blind and Physically Hand- mans who are blind, learning printers rapidly stamp braille icapped mails free books and to read and write proficiently patterns on the page for mass periodicals in braille and audio in braille provides access to the distribution. formats to Oklahomans who same opportunities. All braille training programs The Oklahoma Department offered by Oklahoma School can’t use standard print. The of Rehabilitation Services pro- for the Blind and Services for library's Accessible Instruc- vides braille training all year. the Blind and Visually Im- tional Materials Center loans Staff celebrate Braille Literacy paired are free of charge to eli- braille, large print textbooks Month in January to create gible Oklahomans. and specialized equipment to awareness about the impor- OSB provides expert braille public school students with vi- tance of braille and its ben- instruction as part of compre- sual disabilities. efits. hensive educational programs Legal blindness occurs when “Braille is composed of for students on campus during vision with best correction is raised dots which are read with the school week, those who 20/200 or less or when side the fingertips,” Tracy Brigham, commute daily from home and vision results in a field restric- DRS Services for the Blind and summer school students. tion of 20 degrees of less. Visually Impaired administra- The school’s curriculum Tn Oklahoma, 128,900 indi- (Onibalances|up)toj$20/000\whenjqwalificationsjareimet: (iiclurenee tor explained. “The basic unit meets all state-mandated edu- is an arrangement of six dots, cational requirements, plus viduals reported a visual dis- two across and three down, students receive specialized ability, according to the U.S. Each dot or combination of instruction in orientation and Census Bureau ‘s 2019 Ameri- dots represent letters of the mobility, low vision adaptive can Community Survey esti- print alphabet.” equipment and technology. mates. “Once students understand In addition, OSB offers For more information about Credit Union the system, almost everyone outreach services for stu- Oklahoma School for the can learn to read and write braille,” said Rita Echelle, su- dents who attend local pub- lic schools. their families and Blind, visit http://osb.k12. ok.us/ or phone 877-229- Federal perintendent for Oklahoma educators. 7136. SBVI's employment and in- School for the Blind, which is also a DRS division. To reach Services for the dependent living programs Blind and Visually Impaired, 105 Regional Drive - 580-225-2690 ‘The braille equivalent of pa- help clients adjust to vision visit https://oklahoma.gov/ per and pencil is the slate and loss through services cus- okdrs/job-seekers/sbvi-html isa Cash: APY nual Percentage Yield. APY is accurate as of 01/01/2023. stylus. A braille user inserts tomized for them, including tions are met during a Monthly paper in the slate and makes instruction in braille, career or phone 800-487-4042 to When the Kasasa Cash ai tactile dots by pushing the planning, orientation and mo- reach the nearest office. The Oklahoma Library for bility and assistive technology pointed end of the stylus into the Blind and Physically Hand- sulting ina range nding on the paper over evenly spaced use. the accounts balance. When Kasasa Cas! account quali tions are3 not met, all depressions in the slate. The Oklahomans who are 55 icapped is available at https:// s in the account earn: APY and ATM fees are not paper bulges on the reverse years of age or older and legal- www.olbph.org/ or 800-523- refunded. Fees may reduce earnings side forming braille cells. lv blind can braille and receive 0288.