April 22, 2020 Issue, Page 2 of 20

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Page 2 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Bombing said, “I thought that this was by providing over 15,000 crews were needed in OKC. sources we would need for another Pearl Harbor, and meals. The Salvation Army “Tt was hard to believe, but an incident like that.” I'm surprised that it didn’t served over 100,000 meals. after it set in, I just got out- Government agencies all turn out that way. But I’m Residents from all over the raged,” he said. “It made me over the state were on high glad it didn’t. It seemed like state answered the call for mad that somebody took that alert. Continued from page 1. in uniform, and we helped the United States unified blood donations with over out on innocent people like “Things became a lot more “I don’t have the televi- with whatever we could.” all of one heart and mind. I 9,000 units donated in the that. The little kids, finding cautious, just trying to think sion or radio on when I’m The bombing wasn’t the thought we would all come days following the blast. out about the daycare inside ahead and make our city working, so I didn’t find out first time that Royal had seen together, and we did.” Rick Shelton, retired Elk the building. It was hard.” safer and our department until I went home,” he said. tragedy hit our country. Americans came together City Fire Chief and native Of the 168 people who lost safer where we wouldn’t be “Tt was surreal. We went up “T was 12 years old when in acolossal way. In the days Elk Citian, spoke about their lives, 19 of the casual- as vulnerable,” he said. “We following the disaster, over where he was when he heard ties were children. took a lot of things for grant- there the next day, we were Pearl Harbor happened,” he 12,000 people participated the news. At the time, Oklahomans ed up to that point.” in relief and rescue opera- “T can remember it so didn’t know if there were Shelton said something Merritt book. After high school, tions. FEMA activated 11 of clearly,” he said. “We were more attacks to come. happened to the community Steward plans to attend its Urban Search and Rescue roofing. Me and, well he’s “As days progressed, we and country after the event. Southwestern Oklahoma Task Forces, bringing in 665 the fire chief now, Billy didn’t know if we would be “T think it bonded the com- Continued from page 1. State University and major Word, we were roofing his rescue workers. The national needed, so all of us at the fire munity tighter after that, and Macie Steward, 18, is a sa- in elementary education. humanitarian response was house and had a radio on, station was trying to stay up everyone across the country lutatorian. She has attended She is the daughter of Sa- immediate, and in some cas- and that’s when we heard to date with what was going too became closer,” Shel- Merritt since her freshman die and T.J. Potter, as well as es, even overwhelming. about it. Then we got a call on,” Shelton said. “I think ton said. “We knew that we year. She has been active Large numbers of items from our fire station here could rely on each other and all of the communities were in fast-pitch and slow-pitch Jason and Deanna Steward. were donated, so much so telling us what was going on heightened awareness, call one another when we softball all four years of high She is the sibling of Caitlyn, that it caused inventory con- on. We were stunned.” wondering if there would needed it. There is a great school. She’s also been ac- Matthew, Jace, Abbie, Tyler trol issues, and drop off cen- Shelton, 38 years old at be more bombings. It could deal of sadness around all of tive in basketball two years and Rubie. She is the grand- ters were set up to sort and the time, had already been happen anywhere was the it, and it’s burned into our daughter of Sharon and accept them. The Oklaho- feeling that we had. We of high school a full-time fireman for 15 minds. On the other side, Other extracurricular ac- ma Restaurant Association years and knew that there worried that towns like ours there is also a great deal of Harlen Garrison, Carla and tivities she’s been involved was holding a trade show would be a devasting loss would be more susceptible pride. Proud of where [’m in at Merritt High School Terry Dickey and Janie and in the city during that time of lives. He was on standby to attack because we may from and how we handled are student council and year- Manuel Sanchez. and assisted rescue workers here at ECFD, in case fire not have the immediate re- this whole ordeal.” Cattle the stocker and feedlot sec- as Coronavirus Aid, Relief intended to provide relief for ing authority. industry can weather this tors and across other aspects and Economic Security Act, producers, specialty crops U.S. Agriculture Secretary disruption without federal of the industry. or the CARES Act. The re- and regional agricultural Sonny Perdue recently said action today.” Continued from page 1. The news comes as law- cently enacted $2 trillion systems, and $14 billion will his department will have to Blayne Arthur, secretary Livestock Marketing Spe- makers in Washington, legislation has earmarked go to renew the U.S. Depart- wait until at least summer of the Oklahoma Depart- cialist. Similar economic D.C., struggle with an eco- $23 billion in agricultural ment of Agriculture's Com- to distribute an additional $14 billion in aid, although ment of Agriculture, Food damages will ripple through nomic stimulus bill known aid, of which $9.5 billion is modity Credit Corp. spend- tapping the CCC is also pos- and Forestry, said the value sible. of Peel’s report is obvious, Oversight of $2 trillion coronavirus The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association will share given the struggles of pro- ducers to maintain the coun- the research conducted by relief act hasn't gotten off the ground try’s food supply systems. Peel’s committee with the “The difficult economic USDA and policymakers to situation our nation current- By Jennifer Haberkorn, ered to industry, we have the panel was redundant, Treasury or the Federal help lay plans for further re- ly faces is not entirely new Los Angeles Times the ability to do oversight suggesting Republicans may Reserve have written any covery efforts. to agriculture, though cer- “This study confirms that WASHINGTON _ Over- in real time," Porter said in block any move to approve it checks out of the fund, Ra- tainly worsened by the CO- cattle producers have suf- sight systems are still largely an interview. In_ addition, by unanimous consent. That mamurti said. But he's not fered massive economic VID-19 pandemic,” Arthur dormant for the $2 trillion in watchdogs can "engage in a would mean Pelosi would confident that the rules as coronavirus economic re- meaningful, productive way have to wait until Congress damage as a result of the said. “Beef producers have written now would require COVID-19 outbreak and faced a variety of challeng- lief passed by Congress last with the Treasury secretary is back in session. the agencies to reveal that month, leaving gaping holes about what the terms and Complicating matters: those losses will continue ing market factors for some information immediately. to mount for years to come, time. The most recent hit in accountability just as the conditions of this assistance is Trump, who said as he Treasury did not respond to driving many _ producers Treasury Department pre- should be, making sure it signed the CARES Act into brought on by the coronavi- pares to give hundreds of will help the economy by Jaw that he would not abide several requests for com- to the brink of collapse rus further risks the financial billions of dollars in aid to keeping workers on payroll by some of the oversight ment. and beyond if relief funds health and continued opera- corporations. and with health benefits." rules. In a signing. state- The agencies have ear- aren’t made available soon,” marked how they plan to NCBA Chief Executive tion of many of our cattle The coronavirus response The law put into place ment, the White House said package was the largest in three oversight bodies, and the law's requirement that spend $195 billion of the Colin Woodall said. “This producers." U.S. history, and lawmakers House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the special inspector gen- fund. The Federal Reserve study also clearly illustrates Although the report fo- the fact that while the relief wanted to ensure adequate has proposed a fourth: eral inform Congress if the said this month that it would cused only on cattle, Peel checks and supervision of The law's five-person Con- administration didn't share funds provided by Congress said other agricultural sec- use that money to boost the the massive funding. But gressional Oversight Com- some information might be were a good first step, there tors are hurting just as much. Main Street Lending Pro- with no less than four over- ission _ which will over- unconstitutional. remains a massive need for gram, which helps small and more funding. Of the nation’s 94.4 mil- sight bodies now struggling see the corporate fund _ had Skeptics say the White to get up and running, and ‘only one member until Fri- House's frequent past refus- midsize businesses, and ex- Thomas Coon, vice presi- lion head of cattle, more pand the scope of other pro- than 80 million are involved Congress functioning re- day, when three additional als to respond to congres- dent of OSU’s Division of in beef production. Cattle grams. Agricultural Sciences and motely because of the pan- members were named. With sional inquiries make the demic, lawmakers acknowl- the Capitol and congressio- oversight bodies’ work all Ramamurti, who doesn't Natural Resources, agreed are found on nearly 883,000 edge the deficiency. nal office buildings largely the more important. yet have a budget, is already that the report confirms more farms, and within that total legislative action is needed. "Oversight is occurring; shut down, the first appoin- "The president is not bur- concerned about how the about 729,000 farms have The cattle industry suffered it’s just not occurring as ef- tee, Bharat Ramamurti, a dened with the need to be money could be spent. He beef cows. The U.S. beef fectively as it would be if we former staffer for Sen. Eliza- consistent or accurate or tell said the Federal Reserve's a Significant disruption from cattle industry had $77.2 bil- could have committee hear- beth Warren, D-Mass), has the truth," said Sen. Kamala criteria for cities and coun- drought about eight years lion in sales in 2017, data ago and needed assistance to ings with administration tes- so far tried to do the body's Harris, D-Calif. So it will ties that can access federal recover. shows. timony," said House Major- work from his Twitter ac- be oversight's responsibil- loans excludes the 35 Amer- Since federal, state and ity Leader Steny H. Hoyer, count and through public ity, she said, to ensure the “These market disruptions comments and op-eds. ican cities with the highest pose a serious threat to the municipal —_ governments D-Md. "The ideal, of course, CARES Act doesn't become proportion of black resi- future of our beef and other started enacting virus-con- is to get back into session, The post of special inspec- "something that is only dents. have hearings (and) call wit- tor general for pandemic re- about helping the president's protein industries and the trol safety measures urging "These are all extremely livelihoods of many farm- nesses." covery _ created under the buddies, to the loss of work- people to stay home, retail consequential decisions," he ers and ranchers and the Rep. Katie Porter, D- legislation _ is vacant. Presi- ing families who desperately spending and food consump- said ofthe Federal Reserve's rural communities whose Calif., who has emerged as dent Trump's nomination of need aid and relief." tion patterns have changed one of Congress’ fiercest re- and Treasury's authority to livelihood depends on their White House lawyer Brian The administration's success,” Coon said. “Fed- significantly, driving down questioners, says oversight Miller to the job has raised luctance to work with in- determine what entities got the economy. needs to start immediately questions about Miller's in- spectors general will make money. "The goal of the eral intervention, led by Brus works in Agricultural because an early foot in the dependence, putting his Sen- the Congressional Oversight (congressional) oversight Congressman Frank Lucas, made a difference in 2014. Communications Services at door means watchdogs can ate confirmation in doubt. Commission's role the only commission is to scrutinize shape the way the Corona- Another group of inspec- oversight mechanism with decisions as they are made, It’s inconceivable that the OSU. virus Aid, Relief and Eco- tors general tasked by the teeth, said Porter, who want- in as close to real time as nomic Security Act is imple- law to oversee the entire ed to serve on the panel. possible, because there's an mented. The biggest area of con- cern for Porter and other act, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, Trump administration officials can "thumb their nose" at the inspectors gen- lost its first leader _ Defense opportunity to adjust this stuff on the fly in ways that Conservation can make a real difference Democrats is the nearly Department acting Inspector eral assigned to supervise for people." Continued from page 1. of conservation. Please con- $500-billion fund that the General Glenn Fine _ when implementation of the law The district will be accept- tact the North Fork of Red "The CARES Act is the Treasury Department _ with Trump fired him this month. because they are executive ing applications from April River Conservation District biggest rescue package in significant control by Sec- And, finally, the commit- branch employees, Porter 13 to May 15, 2020. retary Steven T. Mnuchin tee Pelosi wants to set up said. "Which means that this the history of Congress," Because of the safety and at 580-928-3113,ext. 3019, _ will use to buoy corpora- can't get to work until Con- congressional panel, for this McConnell said. "Appropri- health protocols of the pub- to arrange delivery of an ap- ate, objective and nonparti- plication. District staff are tions. gress approves the group's president, is going to be the lic and staff during the cur- "Because that $500 billion existence through a vote. only game in town oversee- san oversight will be key to available by phone from 8 rent health crisis, the district has not yet been scooped House Minority Leader Key- ing that $500 billion." ensuring its dollars and pro- is currently teleworking to a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday out by Treasurv and deliv- in McCarthy. R-Calif.. said It does not appear that grams find their mark." continue the important work through Fridav.