February 22, 2020 Issue, Page 1 of 10

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ib Serving al Western Oklahoma Since 1901 Elk City commissioners approve uniforms, chapel sound upgrade By Don Munsch, Editor The Elk City City Commission on Wednesday approved »~ new uniforms for the Elk City Fire/EMS Department and Elk City High School students and Tristen Ross, left, and Elizabeth a sound upgrade to the Fairlawn Cemetery chapel. Salisbury and Elk City Rotary Club member Nan Shiblom, center, pre- Commissioners approved $11,489.79 to COPS Prod- pare meals for the Stamp Out Starvation project. Elk City High School ucts of Oklahoma City for the new uniforms. student Lacey Martin inspects the bags of food before handing them off The commission approved a bid from Rogers Elec- to other students, who placed them in a box ready to be shipped. Staff tronics of Altus for a chapel sound and audio system and photos by Don Munsch. acoustic panels for $14,587. Rogers was the lone bidder, and the bid came in a little over $3,400 under what the city had budgeted. Commissioner Jeff Jackson asked Kurt Kramer, cem- etery supervisor, whether the cemetery chapel had a se- ECHS athletes help food project curity system. By Don Munsch, Editor cafeteria, ECHS athletic director Brian Hunt told them this “Not yet, but we’re working on getting internet to it in Part of the appeal of athletic participation is it allows peo- was a great opportunity for them to come together as a group. the future,” Kramer said. “So far we haven’t had any is- ple to be a part of something larger than themselves. “This is bigger than one person,” Hunt said later. “This is sues with [security]. Being out there, we keep the lights Elk City High School athletes participated in a project an opportunity to touch somebody’s life overseas. ... This is on at night. Sitting on top of the hill, it stands out.” Wednesday at the school that allowed them to contribute to an opportunity for them to bond together and know that this Commissioners approved a bid for $92,157.24 from In- cause that has far-reaching effects. mission is for a great cause. I hope it touches their heart and foSys fora new fire alarm system and security alarm sys- Students worked with Stamp Out Starvation, a 501 (c)3 mind and they know they’re doing the right thing.” tem at the Elk City Museum Complex. Billy Sizemore, nonprofit organization based in Cherokee that provides nu- Monte Stewart, president of the board and director of Elk City Fire Department assistant fire chief, said the bid tritious meals to people all over the world and in Oklahoma, came in $7,900 under cost. Stamp Out Starvation, helped out at the Wednesday session. to fix food packages that will be sent to foreign destinations, He said the goal was to ship 50,000 meals from the ECHS The commission also approved a proposal for geotech- including Haiti, the biggest recipient. Athletes from sports nical engineering services to Midwest Engineering & volunteer effort. teams at the school participated in the project, and coaches “It’s just great — it’s the only way we can get anything Testing Corporation of Oklahoma City for work at Elk excused them from practice to help out, said Jeff Waters, City Landfill in the amount of $40,163. The commission done, with groups like this,” he said about the student ath- president of the Elk City Rotary Club, which participated approved a change order to MKEC Engineering of Okla in the project with coordination from Elk City High School. letes. See Commissioners page 2. The school’s Interact club participated. Waters said the Elk City Rotary Club was looking for an On its website, Stamp Out Starvation said each food pack- international project, and Stamp Out Starvation has been in Deadline coming age contains six servings, and each bag is prepared in less than 20 minutes by adding the food package to boiling water. town twice and worked with two different churches: Elk City United Methodist Church and Antioch Christian Church. Each Stamp Out Starvation food package is made up of a “TA project] of this scale has got to have the help of Rotary soon for rice and soy casserole that is fortified with 21 essential vi- tamins and minerals, six dehydrated vegetables and chicken and the student body,” Waters said. Waters’ son, Alex, who plays soccer and starred on the absentee ballots flavoring. This soy - 52% protein - and nutrient-rich formula cross country team and serves as the Interact president, said reverses the starvation process, the website stated. Stamp it was good to see students come together. Just a few days remain for registered voters in Beckham Out Starvation ships food to 15 countries. “In past years, we haven’t had very much as far as service County to apply for absentee ballots to be mailed to them Before the students began work on the bags of food in the See Food project page 2. for the March 3 Presidential Preferential Primary, Beckham SWOSU-Sayre seeks change County Election Board Secretary Sherron Manning said in a news release. Applications for absentee ballots must be received by the County Election Board no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday to be processed in time for the election. Absentee voters may apply in person at the County Elec- tion Board office or may send their applications by mail, fax to tuition/fee structure or e-mail, the release stated. By Don Munsch, Editor ment on the Sayre campus, Swartwood said in the email. An online version of the form may be filled out and sub- Changes could be afoot to how Southwestern Oklahoma “Other benefits include increased enrollment on the mitted electronically at wwwelections.ok.gov. Any reg- State University-Sayre operates its fee and tuition structure, Weatherford campus in future semesters, a positive eco- istered voter eligible to vote in the election may vote by and students could save hundreds of dollars in the process. nomic impact in the Sayre community, a savings to students absentee ballot without stating a reason, Manning said, but SWOSU seeks to return its Sayre location to a community of approximately $1,000 per semester [for students taking absentee voters can activate certain special conditions in the college tuition/fee structure effective in the fall 2020 semes- 15 hours of courses],” he said in the email. “Administra- following circumstances: ter, according to a SWOSU news release. tion at SWOSU saw this as a change that would benefit both --Registered voters who are physically incapacitated and voters who care for physically incapacitated persons who The change would be subject to approval by the Oklahoma SWOSU Sayre and residents in Sayre and surrounding com- State Regents for Higher Education, the release stated. Be- munities and it was not the result of student and/or resident cannot be left unattended may apply for absentee ballots only by mail, fax, e-mail, online or via an agent who is at fore the Sayre campus joined SWOSU at Weatherford on demand.” least 16 years of age and who is not employed by or related July 1, 1987, it was a community college. The new tuition/fee schedule would only apply to face-to- within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to any “This is an incredible opportunity for the residents of west- face classes at Sayre, the release stated. person whose name appears on the ballot. ern Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle to enjoy the benefits “Our main goal is to encourage residents in these areas of --Registered voters who are confined to nursing homes in of a premier regional university coupled with the price and Oklahoma and Texas to attend classes at Sayre,” SWOSU the county may apply by mail, by fax, by e-mail, online or personal attention of a community college,” SWOSU Sayre Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs James via an agent who is at least 16 years of age and who is not Dean Bill Swartwood said in the release. “We are excited South said in the release. “We encourage students to seek an employed by or related within the third degree of consan- about the opportunity.” associate’s degree, which can be completed at Sayre.” guinity or affinity to any person whose name appears on the Swartwood said in an emailed response to questions that The tuition rate with mandatory fees would be $175 per ballot. the change in tuition and fees should be approved at the next hour, a savings of $60 per credit hour and nearly $900 per --Military personnel, residents of Beckham County living regular meeting for OSRHE, scheduled for March 25. semester based on 15 hours. The price does not include Aca See Deadline page 2. The primary purpose of the change is to increase enroll- See SWOSU page 2. Vol. 118, No. 13 ULL ) / 28 75 cents, 10 pgs. Mail delivery 580.225.3000 View online elkcityoknews.com