January 3, 2024 Issue, Page 8 of 8

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Community 8- The Elk City News January 3, 2024 Motorsports Elk City Leadership Hall of Continued from page 1. Ithas been an exciting time Fame Inducts Three for racing in Elk City with the By Sheryl Ponce Everyone is invited to a reception prior to the addition of Fauver and McCo- nnell coming in to operate EC Elkettes’ battle against Weatherford, from 5 Motorsports Park. Their goal ‘There will be three more individuals honored p.m to 6 p.m, Family and friends of these three is to make the park a commu- for their leadership contributions to Elk City will be present to greet the public, along with nity event each week, and they on Tuesday, Jan. 9th, at the Elk City basketball are working to provide that for games, between the girls’ and boys’ games, at the Elk City Chamber of Commerce who spon- the racer, their families and the Pioneer Center gym. Bill Ansley, Bill Khou- sor the event. friends, and create new racing rie, and Danny McClure will be inducted into Come out to support these leaders, as well as fans. the Elk City Leadership Hall of Fame that eve- the Elks as they take on an I-40 rival, Weath- Stop by the blue building to ning. erford. talk racing, talk Elk City, meet the two newcomers, or pick up National Guard Deployment To Texas Border ECMP merchandise. A lot can be learned in a chat with Fau- Paid For By Disaster Response Funds Oklahoma spent more than Lt. Col. LeeAnn Tumblson, a era Remain in Mexico poli- $544,000 for the state’s Na- spokeswoman for the Oklaho- cy that had asylum seekers tional Guard to help secure ma Air National Guard, said wait in Mexico as their cases the U.S. border with Mexico, during the August mission a progressed through the U.S. money that came from a di- 50-person contingent of Okla- immigration court system. saster fund typically used for homa’s National Guard helped A separate pandemic-related National Guard response to with 969 detections that re- health emergency that limited tornadoes and other extreme sulted in 23 apprehensions by migrant crossings expired in weather events. law enforcement. They suc- May, putting further pressure Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, cessfully turned back 1,183 on immigration authorities at heeding a call from Texas Gov. migrants without incident, she the southern border, Greg Abbott, called up the Na- said. Abbott launched Operation tional Guard for a 30-day state Costs for the deployment are Lone Star in the spring of deployment in August. More complicated. ‘The Oklahoma 2021 with thousands of state than a dozen Republican gov- Department of Emergency Department of Public Safe- ernors, who have criticized Management and Homeland ty troopers dispatched to President Joe Biden’s border Security typically pays for state the Texas border, They were security policies, sent National active-duty National Guard de- followed by thousands more Guard members to assist Ab- ployments out of that agency's members of the Texas Nation- bott’s Operation Lone Star. State Emergency Fund, said al Guard. To date, Texas has The deployments drew criti- spokeswoman Keli Cain. spent more than $5 billion on cism from Democrats because Because the Oklahoma deploy- the initiative, with some of the border security historically is ment used equipment funded money diverted from its pris- a federal responsibility and by the federal government, the on budget. National Guard soldiers and state will have to turn around Abbott recently signed a Texas airmen called up for that role and reimburse the federal gov- law that made illegal immigra- had fewer enforcement powers ernment for those costs, Tum- tion a state crime, allowing po- than U.S. Border Patrol agents. blson said. lice to arrest people they sus- Stitt joined Abbott and Re- ‘The deployment to Texas was pect crossed the Rio Grande publican governors from Iowa, under the governor's powers between ports of entry. That Nebraska and South Dakota to deploy the Guard under law, which takes effect in at a press conference in Eagle state active duty status. Texas March, likely sets up a legal Pass, Texas, on Aug. 21. Stitt did not reimburse Oklahoma challenge from the federal gov- said he was concerned about for the costs. Unlike federal de- ernment. illegal drugs like fentanyl be- ployments domestically or in- Stitt’s callup of the Oklahoma ing smuggled across the bor- ternationally, Guard members National Guard to help with der and people on terrorism deploying under state active Operation Lone Star included watchlists evading authorities duty aren’t eligible for federal a provision to go back in 2024 at border crossings. Veterans Administration care with another 50 Guard mem- “Every state is a border state,” if they get injured. bers if the need arises, Tum- Stitt said at the press confer- ‘The influx of migrants at the blson said. ence, echoing talking points country’s southern border Stitt’s office said there are no from fellow Republican gover- with Mexico stems partly from plans for a second deployment nors. the expiration of a Trump- to the Texas-Mexico border. here in Elk City. A big thank you goes out to the Phillips family and McDonalds for sup- plying our hams for us again this year. Also thank you to Bar-S for supplying us with hot dogs to add to our boxes. Packing and delivery of the boxes was handled by youth in our local churches and high school organizations. A special thank you to the Elk City Stu- dent Council and the National Honor Society representatives who were so instrumental and getting the boxes out the door . We also want to thank the Boy Scouts who kept the tables stocked so the baskets can go out the door in an orderly man- ner. Also, thanks to all of our adult volunteers who helped Giving Makes to mark the boxes on Friday and came to help on Saturday with packing and distributing Christmas Baskets oftheElkboxesCity from the boxes. Thanks to the city for helping us move storage to the distribution center on the a Success ‘Thursday before the event and provided a cardboard truck on Christmas is the season of ty at Christmas time. His son, Saturday to handle all the emp- giving. God gave us the gift the late Larry Wade, was in- ty boxes left after the food had of Jesus on that first Christ- strumental in seeing that the been distributed. A special mas so that we can have hope program continued to bring thanks to St. Matthews Cath- and a future. In turn we show Christmas cheer during the olic church who hosts our call- our love for others by giving holidays. in time and supplies the space to them. For 85+ years the ‘The Elk City Ministerial Al- and tables needed for the bas- people of Elk City have shown liance and the Christmas Bas- kets to be put together. their love to people in our com- ket Committee wish to thank ‘The December of 2024 dis- munity by giving generously to everyone who made this year tribution date has not been set the Elk City Christmas Basket, such a success. Your generos- yet but will be determined in sponsored by the Elk City Min- ity helped us to deliver over the near future. Fund raising isterial Alliance. This program 225 food baskets this year rep- will begin the first of Novem- began in the 1930's during the resenting over 725 people who ber. Great Depression when Paul were able to have sufficient If you would like more Wade, the late editor of the Elk food for Christmas. information concerning the City Daily News saw a need to All of our food was bought Christmas Basket Program, Boy Scouts. help families in the communi- locally to support the economy please call 225-0227.