September 20, 2025 Issue, Page 11 of 12

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The Elk City News NEWS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2025 • 11 52nd Annual Elk City Fall Festival Elk City, Oklahoma (September “From fine arts, to pottery, to tent north of the north exhibit lemonade. Goode Snacks will east kitchen area serving walking event and we’d love to see everyone 11, 2025) – The Elk City Chamber ceramics, to custom-made jew- hall. Those confirmed for the have their kettle corn and pork tacos, frito pies, nachos, pulled from Elk City and the surrounding of Commerce invites everyone to elry and more, the Fall Festival is show includes: MMP Conces- rinds outside and their roasted pork sandwiches, chips, sweet/ communities come out and have the 52nd Annual Elk City Fall Fes- a terrific way to get a head start sions will be serving deep fried nuts, cotton candy and fudge in unsweet tea, lemonade and sodas. fun with us again this year.” con- tival on Saturday, September 20 and on your holiday shopping,” stated oreos, corn dogs, cheese on a the north exhibit hall west room. The food vendors will be serving cluded Cupp. Sunday, September 21. This year’s Chamber Executive Director Susie stick, funnel cakes, nachos, foun- Brown’s Grill smashburgers and beverages. The Fall Festival committee event will be held at the Elk City Cupp. “This is definitely one of our tain drinks and fresh squeezed loaded fries. B’s Drink Merc. will The Fall Festival committee will would like to thank the City of Elk Convention Center at 1016 East favorite events according to our lo- lemonade. Blue Mountain Smoke have specialty drinks, hand shak- present numerous awards in select- City and all our volunteers and ex- Airport Industrial Road. Saturday’s cal residents and the many visitors will have their BBQ pulled pork, en lemonade and teas and flavors. ed booth categories along with the hibitors. event hours are 10AM – 6PM and from around the region and the brisket, sausages, nachos. Pacific The Surf Bar will be serving their high school art. Awards to be pre- 2025 Elk City Fall Festival Com- Sunday 12PM – 5PM. Admission committee does an outstanding Brim will be serving deep fried assorted acai bowls. Gloria’s Bur- sented in the professional booths mittee members include: Ron- is Free. job in pulling it all together,” adds burgers and loaded pork fries & ritos & More will be there. Refuel category will be Best of Show, 1st, da Smith, Chairman, Kathy Bell, Billed as the largest arts & crafts Cupp. more. Heavens Kitchen will be Café will have their lotus energy 2nd, & 3rd place for fine art, pho- Emily & Jeff Johnson, Katherine show in Western Oklahoma and as Along with over 100+ profes- serving fish, nachos, fries, burgers drinks, boba milk tea and iced/ tography, pottery, sculpture and Brown, LaDonna Thomas, Karen in years past, this year’s event will sional booths expected at this and BBQ. Also, Sno Way Shaved hot coffee. You can also find Jen’s fine woods. New this year, high Touchstone and Susie Cupp. For feature artists and crafts people year’s event in the north exhib- Ice will be available with their Inflatables out by the food court. schools can also enter the Pumpkin additional information please con- who will be displaying their items it hall there will be several great snow cones, caramel apples, soft Saturday, in the north exhibit hall, Painting category. tact the Elk City Chamber of Com- for purchase throughout the entire food vendors located at the out- pretzels, nachos, popcorn balls, you can find the First Assembly of “Literally thousands of people merce at 580-225-0207 or email weekend. door food court by the big white daubi strawberry cups and fresh God Church Girls Ministry in the have gone through this annual [email protected]. Virtual health care career expo open to Oklahoma students Oklahoma students interested reerTech. additional information.” speak about scholarship and at https://www.okoha.com/OHA/ of excellence for a comprehensive in learning more about health care “We are doing it to promote Participating locations include mentorship opportunities. Stu- Health_Care_Issues/Workforce_/ statewide system of career and careers can get the information health careers across the state of Rural Wellness Fairfax, Ascension dents will also learn more about Explore-Healthcare---Oklaho- technology education. The sys- they want during a virtual expo on Oklahoma,” she said. St. John Health System in Tulsa, St. CareerTech education and HO- ma-Virtual-Career-Expo-.aspx. tem offers programs and services Friday. Each participating hospital has Mary’s Regional Medical Center SA-Future Health Professionals, Those who can’t attend Friday -- in 29 technology center districts Explore Healthcare: Oklahoma created a video showing one or in Enid, Beaver County Memorial the CareerTech student organiza- or who can only attend part of the operating on 63 campuses, 395 Virtual Career Expo will feature 10 more careers. After each video is Hospital, Integris Health in Okla- tion affiliated with health science career expo -- will be able to find PK-12 school districts, 16 Skills hospitals and multiple health care shown, the webinar will go live to homa City, J.D. McCarty Center education. the full video on the Oklahoma Centers campuses that include professionals from across the state that hospital; students can submit for Children in Norman, Saint The event is free, but regis- CareerTech YouTube channel at three juvenile facilities and 32 during a free Zoom session from questions, and webinar hosts will Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Cleve- tration is required. More infor- https://www.youtube.com/@okca- adult education and family liter- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 19. Oklaho- feed them to the hospital staff, land Area Hospital and Hillcrest mation and a registration link reertech. acy providers. ma CareerTech and the Oklahoma Morris said. Medical Center in Tulsa. can be found on the Oklahoma The agency is governed by the Hospital Association are working “Participants will learn about Careers will include radiology, CareerTech website at https:// OKLAHOMA CAREERTECH: State Board of Career and Tech- together to present the event. high need occupations across the nursing, occupational and phys- oklahoma.gov/careertech/edu- OKLAHOMA’S WORKFORCE nology Education and works The focus is on students in sixth state directly from the hospitals,” ical therapy, respiratory therapy, cators/health-science-education/ LEADER closely with the State Department through 12th grades, but any- she said. “Videos and live chat speech language pathology, phar- conferences-training-workshops/ The Oklahoma Department of Education and the State Regents one can attend, said Lara Morris, with health care professionals will macy, direct care and surgical other-workshops.html. An agenda of Career and Technology Edu- for Higher Education to provide a health science education pro- orient participants to careers and technology. can be found through the Oklaho- cation provides leadership and seamless educational system for all gram manager at Oklahoma Ca- opportunities for scholarships and In addition, presenters will ma Hospital Association website resources and assures standards Oklahomans. Mullin Invites Oklahoma to Apply for Historic Federal Rural Health Transformation Program Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. support to rural states like Okla- uted to all states with an approved is driving nationwide change to ciency and sustainability. Health Transformation Program Senator Markwayne Mullin (R- homa, Senate Republicans passed application. The other half will be envision new possibilities for ru- Workforce development: Attract and to access the Notice of Fund- OK) announced that the Centers the largest ever rural health care awarded to approved states based ral health care and build a future and retain a highly skilled health ing Opportunity, visit the program for Medicare & Medicaid Services investment in President Trump’s on individual state metrics and ap- where all Americans, regardless care workforce by strengthening webpage at: https://www.cms. (CMS) is now accepting applica- ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill,’” said Sen- plications that reflect the greatest of where they live, receive the care recruitment and retention of health gov/priorities/rural-health-trans- tions from all states looking to take ator Mullin. “This historic program potential for and scale of impact on they deserve. care providers in rural communi- for mat ion-rht-program/r u- advantage of the Rural Health Trans- allows Oklahoma to apply for crit- the health of rural communities. ties. ral-health-transformation-rht-pro- formation Program. This unprec- ical funding to address state-spe- The deadline for states to apply BACKGROUND: Innovative care: Spark the gram. edented investment is designed to cific health care needs. I proudly is November 5, 2025. There is only The Program has five strategic growth of innovative care models A video message from Dr. Oz, empower rural states like Oklahoma supported this bill to strengthen one opportunity to apply for fund- goals, grounded in the statutorily to improve health outcomes, co- highlighting the importance of this to strengthen health care infrastruc- rural health care, and I’ll remain ing and one application period for approved uses of funds: ordinate care, and promote flexible investment in rural health care, is ture and improve patient access to in the fight to Make Rural America this program. CMS will announce Make rural America healthy care arrangements. available here: https://youtu.be/Dz- care. The program, authorized un- Healthy Again.” awardees by December 31, 2025, again: Support rural health inno- Tech innovation: Foster use of Srt777t7U der the Working Families Tax Cuts The $50 billion program fund- and will partner with states over the vations and new access points to innovative technologies that pro- For more news and updates, Act, was signed into law by President ing will be allocated to approved program period to ensure strong promote preventative health and mote efficient care delivery, data follow @SenMullin on all plat- Donald J. Trump on July 4th, 2025. states over five years, with $10 bil- oversight and successful implemen- address root causes of diseases. security, and access to digital health forms: X, Facebook, Insta- “Today, only 7 percent of Med- lion available each year beginning tation of initiatives with lasting im- Sustainable access: Help rural tools by rural facilities, providers, gram, Truth Social, & YouTube. Of- icaid spending reaches rural hospi- in federal fiscal year 2026. Half of pact. providers become long-term access and patients. ficial website: https://www.mullin. tals. To fix this issue and get more the funding will be evenly distrib- The Trump Administration points for care by improving effi- To learn more about the Rural senate.gov/ Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District No. 1, Beckham County, Oklahoma Receives $612,500 Grant for System Improvements from the OWRB OKLAHOMA CITY – The Ru- the water system will be financed by ability. The project will include sand- Lori Johnson, chief of the OW- of our financial assistance pro- provide communities and other ral Water, Sewer and Solid Waste the OWRB American Rescue Plan blasting and applying a new protec- RB’s Financial Assistance Divi- grams,” said Julie Cunningham, Ex- eligible entities with the financial Management District No. 1, Beck- Act (ARPA) grant program. tive coating to both the interior and sion, calculated that the District’s ecutive Director of the OWRB. resources necessary to address wa- ham County, Oklahoma (District) The District will utilize the pro- exterior of the tower, replacing ap- customers will save an estimated The ARPA grant program is ter and wastewater infrastructure received approval for $612,500 ceeds to complete critical rehabilita- proximately 300 linear feet of water- $1,015,500.00 compared to tradi- administered by the OWRB with needs within their systems. in funding on Tuesday from the tion work on its ground storage tank, line, and installing all necessary sup- tional financing. funding from the U.S. Department Since 1983 the Water Resources Oklahoma Water Resources Board a key component of the community’s porting components. The estimated “We are grateful to State Senator of the Treasury and appropriated Board has approved over $8.3 bil- (OWRB) to improve the District’s water system. The tank is showing cost of the project is $612,500.00 Brent Howard and State Represen- through the American Rescue Plan lion in loans and grants for water water infrastructure. Construction signs of age and requires protective which will be funded by the OWRB tatives Nick Archer and Anthony Act grants program. This OWRB and wastewater infrastructure im- of upgrades and improvements to upgrades to ensure long-term reli- ARPA Grant of $612,500.00. Moore for their continued support program has been structured to provements throughout Oklahoma.