July 11, 2020 Issue, Page 2 of 8

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The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Saturday, July 11, 2020 Preparations coming from the Centers for reported that the athletic de- lations or postponements Disease Control and Preven- partment is being responsive of sports at the appropriate tion. But she said the guide about taking care of facili- time. Continued from page 1. continuous level of learning will have information on dif- ties, such as athletes wiping For now, everything is working together to make throughout the year whether ferent tools and websites. down areas. on, but as far as fans in the decisions to keep our stu- it is at the building site or Garrison asked commit- “They’re doing a great stands, that decision “for the dents safe and healthy,” the with distance learning. tee members to talk to their job,” he said. regular season would be a plan stated, explaining deci- After the committee heard “circle of influence” — i.e., Van Shea Iven, sports local school district decision sions like these are compara- about health protocols, Ari- their acquaintances, friends information director for since the games belong to ble to those made for inclem- elle Howard, health educator and others — about the school the Oklahoma Secondary them,” he said. ent weather and can be made from the Beckham & Greer plan. He also said the district School Activities Associa- OSSAA will provide day to day depending on the County Health Department, needs to know what feed- tion, said in an emailed re- guidance and schools can risk presented. Regardless said the health district is back they’re getting. sponse to questions that make their own decisions of what happens, the district working on a school guide, Elk City High School ath- OSSAA would make an an- on having games this fall, he wants to ensure that it has a with most of the information letic director Brian Hunt nouncement on any cancel- said. clude serving on our safe * Approved a proposal Also at the meeting, dur- Officer cornerstones for the suc- and healthy school commit- cess of our district,” Gar- from METCO of Oklahoma ing the public comment tee and providing educa- rison said. “Often they can City for construction mate- portion, Brandon Hoskins Continued from page 1. tional activities for our well- deter a student that may be rials testing and inspection spoke about his support of noting the school resource ness calendar and building on the borderline of mak- services for a proposed mu- officer has become very im- relationships with students,” ing poor decisions, and by nicipal solid waste landfill marijuana processing facili- portant to the school district Garrison said. building relationships with cell expansion for $99,500. ties in the city limits. over the years and “we have Officers provide educa- them [they] can prevent the The city has to hire an out- On an item centering on been blessed by having some tional programs at the dis- student from possibly hav- side monitoring firm to come initiating the process of hir- really great people serve as trict’s different sites and ing a criminal record down in and oversee quality assur- SROs for our district.” grades and help with child the road. These positions ance and quality control for ing a new city manager, the The Elk City Police De- welfare checks, truancy and are money well spent in my the project, Ivester said, add- commission asked Ivester partment has posted a help school security, and they opinion.” ing that it is a requirement to investigate how much wanted notice for a school are often involved in certain Also at the meeting, the from the Department of En- money it would cost to hire resource officer. The previ- student discipline situations, commission among other vironmental Quality and that an outside search firm and ous officer left at the end he said. They also help with action: it was incorporated into the of the school year, Garrison traffic and work closely with* Approved payment to $1.6 million project cost. then also find out the costs said. building principals in be- the Davenport Group, based * Approved severance pay Officers have several roles ing proactive in maintaining in Lewisburg, Tenn., for — one-year salary plus bene- a search through the Okla- for the school district and are safe and healthy environ- firewall replacement in the fits — to former City Manag- homa Municipal League. important for the school day ments for all of the building amount of $13,509. That er Lee Litterell. His contract Ivester will bring that infor- to mun smoothly, Garrison sites. pays for current software for said his annual base salary said. “These positions have firewalls for all city comput- was $114,744. Litterell was mation to the commission at “Some of their duties in- grown into being one of the ers. terminated in early June. the next meeting. Trump’s school-opening demand dumps new decisions on states By Emma Court and Da- because it will free parents “We know that many Director Robert Redfield restart the economy in the pool testing, to spot pockets vid R. Baker, Bloomberg during the school day to re- cases of domestic violence said at the briefing. Pence hardest-hit counties. of the virus early and isolate News turn to work and ensure chil- and sexual abuse are go- said the move was in re- In Los Angeles County, them so the entire school Months after President dren don’t fall severely be- ing missed, because they’re sponse to Trump’s criticism schools were told to develop plans to continue full-time doesn’t need to shut down. Donald Trump fought with hind in their education and often picked up when chil- of the current guidelines be- The challenge though is that governors over how quickly social development. A report dren are in school,” Surgeon ing too tough. remote learning in addition to planning for a full reopen- pooling is still in an experi- to reopen stores, restaurants by the Brookings Institution General Jerome Adams said “This is the exact opposite ing, given the surge in new mental phase and requires and workplaces closed by estimated the four months of Wednesday. “The president of public health leadership,” cases there, the Los Angeles clearance from the U.S. the pandemic, another bat- in-person schooling already needs to listen to the health said Carl Bergstrom, a biolo- tle with seismic economic lost to the virus could cost officials and educators who gy professor at the Universi- Times reported Wednesday Food and Drug Administra- after obtaining a recording ramifications is developing: the U.S. $2.5 trillion in stu- are pleading for the emer- ty of Washington, in a series of a call with public and tion. whether and how students dents’ future earnings. gency funding.” of tweets. He said Redfield The vice president said should return to classrooms. Reopening schools won't The American Academy was turning the CDC into a private school officials and Public Health Director Bar- that the administration tool for propaganda. “I feel The president said in be cheap. Total costs for im- of Pediatrics has recom- bara Ferrer. would be mindful of condi- dreadful for the thousands tweets Wednesday that his proved cleaning, new staff to mended that “all policy con- of talented, devoted profes- “Tt would be foolish, given tions on the ground, and that own administration had is- help with health protocols, siderations for the coming sionals under his direction.” where our numbers are, for flexibility will be tolerated. sued guidance that was too protective equipment and year should start with a goal The schools debate comes tough, and that he would safe transportation to and of having students physical- school districts not to have “There may be some states as the number of confirmed that plan in their back pock- and local communities that cut funding for schools that from schools could add up to ly present in school.” coronavirus cases in the et,” Ferrer said on the call, didn’t open their doors to almost $1.8 million for the And, of course, parents are USS. passed 3 million on given cases or positivity in according to the Times. students for the coming average district, according seriously affected by wheth- Wednesday, with acute out- Pence painted an optimis- that community may adjust academic year. His White to a study by the Association er their children will be in breaks in Arizona, Texas, tic picture. to either a certain set of days House Coronavirus Task of School Business Officials school this fall. Health and Florida and California. The or certain limitations, and He said the federal gov- Force later pushed for a full International and AASA, Human Services Secretary US. tally represents more ernment is working with we'll be very respectful of reopening of schools - with- the School Superintendents Alex Azar cited a study at than a quarter of all cases recorded worldwide since states, schools and labs on that,” he said. out providing any detailed Association. And there are the Wednesday briefing that the pandemic began late last guidance on how to bring all about 13,600 districts, ac- found one month of closed students back. cording to the National Cen- schools and day cares cost year. America’s more than Worth “Earl” Beard 132,000 deaths account for “It’s time,” Vice President ter for Educational Statistics. the economy $50 billion. 24% of the global total. Worth “Earl” Beard, 79 of Mike Pence said at a task Pence said Wednesday While the administra- Case counts continued to Midland Texas entered into force briefing. “It’s time for that the CARES act had pro- tion has been adamant that swell in states that largely eternal rest on Thursday July us to get our kids back to vided $13.3 billion in funds schools need to reopen - escaped the first wave of 2, 2020 in Midland Texas. school.” to assist reopening schools, Education Secretary Betsy infections this spring. Texas Graveside service will be Sat- The White House effort but that states have used DeVos said at the briefing had its second-straight day urday July 11, 2020 at 10:30 has sparked accusations of only 1.5%. Democrats have that “it’s not a matter of if of record virus deaths, 98, a.m, at Monahans Memorial federal government over- set aside $100 billion in the schools should reopen, it’s which brought total fatalities Cemetery in Monahans Texas. Earl was born on Septem- reach, especially as most next aid bill to help schools simply a matter of how” - in the state to 2,813. ber 16, 1940 in Oak Grove, states grapple with rising reopen and the Senate is also the officials gave little spe- In Florida’s most popu- Louisiana to Amos Beard and case counts. In California, considering how to support cific advice beyond frequent lous county, Miami-Dade, Ophelia Whitaker Beard. He children Shelby Parrish and the number of people hospi- husband Jake, Abbie, Heath, which reported its biggest them. hand-washing, social dis- proudly served as a paratroop- daily jump in new cases Republican Sen. Roy tancing and face coverings, talized with COVID-19 hit er in the United States Army. Mason & Landon Beard, Ty- 1,688, the highest level since ler, Chase and wife Halee, Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Blunt, who chairs the pan- deferring instead to local au- at least early April. Florida After the Army, he loved the Newsom said any dec el that oversees education thorities. reported 223,783 COV- work he did in the oilfield as Makayla and Brayden Brown; on reopening schools will be funding, said that “in the Some guidance has al- ID-19 cases on Wednesday, a district manager for Drill numerous nieces, nephews based on what the case count next coronavirus package, I ready been issued by the U.S. up 4.7% from a day earlier, Co. and was proud of Curley’s and cousins. is then. And in New York, anticipate we will focus re- Centers for Disease Control while deaths rose by 48 to Inspection Service, which he Earl is preceded in death by once the U.S. epicenter and sources on aid to schools, as- and Prevention _ the advice 3,889. owned and operated for many his parents, brothers and sis- now one of the biggest suc- sistance in testing and con- Trump criticized as too dif- But the virus is also surg- years. He was a former pilot ters, Raymond, Curley, Bren- cess stories, Gov. Andrew tact tracing, and support for ficult, It recommended keep- ing in states that endured and had a deep passion for da and Wilma, and a newborn some of the nation’s earli- airplanes and flying. He loved son, Cuomo said Trump has no child care programs.” ing students six feet apart at spending time with his grand- In lieu of flowers, memo- authority to order schools Keeping schools closed all times and increasing the est outbreaks. In California, kids teaching them to play open. has other costs for students. circulation of outdoor air, the number of new cases re- rial donations may be made to ported in one day hit a new cards and pool. Earl was a St. Jude Children’s Research “We will open the schools Months of virtual learning both challenging tasks for kind Christian man, who loved if it is safe to open the have exacerbated racial and districts strapped for funding high of 11,694, although people and would help anyone Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, schools,” said Cuomo, who economic inequities. Keep- in the best of times. Gov. Newsom cautioned he could. Memphis, TN 38105. that the number included Arrangements are under the frequently sparred with the ing students at home can The CDC plans to issue a backlog from Los Ange- Earl is survived by sons president over reopening also exacerbate food inse- new recommendations next Shawn Beard and wife Heath- direction of Nalley-Pickle & les County. The number of businesses. curity for those dependent week to “outline a number er of Southlake, Texas, Dustin Welch Funeral Home & Cre- residents hospitalized has Returning children to of strategies that schools and ‘on school meals as well as jumped 44% over the last Beard of Clyde, Texas, and matory of Midland. Online school is vital to fully re- monitoring for signs of do- administrators can use to ac- two weeks, forcing the state Scott Brown and wife Ritzel condolences may be made at viving the economy. both mestic abuse. complish that goal safely.” to ratchet back efforts to of Elk City, Oklahoma; grand- www.npwelch.com.