 Statewide election activity has officially begun, as of 8am Wednesday, April 13. The official candidate filing period has opened and the following county offices will be filled this year:
County Court Clerk County Sheriff County Clerk County Commission District #2 Candidates who wish to file for state offices will do so with the Secretary of the State Election Board in Oklahoma City. Candidates for County offices will need to file with the Secretary of the County Election Board in Pawhuska. For more election-related information, call the County Election Board at (918) 287-3036 or visit www.elections.ok.gov  This week at the meeting of the Osage County Board of County Commissioners, the commissioners received reports from Steve Guy with Osage County Tourism Committee, Christi McNeil from Osage County Housing Authority, and Austin Chapman with INCOG.
Osage County Tourism Committee Executive Director Steve Guy brought several items before the commissioners for approval to include an updated social media contract, contract for advertising for the Ben Johnson Memorial Steer Roping Competition, a marketing contract for the annual PostOak Wine & Jazz festival, and Advertising for the creation of a Ben Johnson Memorial Statue in Pawhuska. The statue will be displayed as it is formed, molded, and completed at the Fire Station in Pawhuska. As work begins on the statue a complete schedule of viewing times will be released. Osage County Housing Authority Executive Director Christi McNeil briefed the commissioners of the results of their most recent HUD REAC Inspections. The physical inspections make up a majority of the points awarded on the PHAS scale. For project district #1 which covers Pawhuska the Housing Authority received a total of 97 of 100 total points, the highest score in the State is 98. For Project District #2 which covers Barnsdall, Osage, Fairfax, Hominy, and Shidler the Authority received 94 points. The Osage County Housing Authority received a total of 38 out of 40 point on their physical inspections. INCOG Community Development Planner Austin Chapman presented several items to the Commissioners Monday, including the application for CDBG grant funding to get running water to the community of Boulanger. Currently Boulanger falls under WD22 in District 1 and most residents have external water tanks, or use ponds and ground water. The improvements to get running water to the residents would be funded by the CDBG program if approved. The Commissioners approved the application. The Next Meeting of the Osage County Board of County Commissioners will be Monday April 18, at 10am at the Osage County Courthouse in Pawhuska.  This year Oklahoma experienced a unseasonably dry winter which has led to large number of grass and brush fires across the State. The increase in fires has caused many of the 55 rural and city fire departments to run short on supplies, in particular water and Gatorade/Sports Drinks for the firefighters.
Osage County Emergency Management Director Jerry Roberts has found a way for the public to help support Osage County Firefighters. The drive will officially take place from April 25 through April 29, and the following locations will be used for drop-off: Pawhuska – 125 E 6th St – Osage County Emergency Management - 8am – 5pm Skiatook – 2850 W 133rd St N – District #2 Shop - 7am – 3:30pm Fairfax – 100 N 1st St – District #3 Shop - 7am – 3:30pm Shidler – 301 N Cosden Ave – Shidler Fire Station - Drop-off Anytime Hominy – 203 W Pines – Hominy Fire Station – Drop-off Anytime McCord– 129 Howard – McCord Fire Station – Evening Drop-Off Cases of any brand of water or Gatorade/Sports Drink will be accepted. For more information or questions regarding any additional items Firefighters need across Osage County Call Osage County Emergency Management at (918)287-2285. If you would like to Print a Flier and Hang it at your Business here is the link.   This weekend you will see the return of
Woolaroc CEO Bob Fraiser says it takes a lot of people to run the event every year. While you are out at the Spring Traders Encampment make sure you visit all that Woolaroc has to offer, including the Museum, the Lodge, and the very popular petting barn at no additional cost. Visit Woolaroc this weekend for the 2016 Spring Traders Encampment and – Welcome Home.  This week Eagle Medical Transport, an EMS service currently operating out of Osage County covering the Barnsdall/Avant area, announced and submitted their Notice of Withdraw to the Osage County Commissioners. Vice President of Eagle Medical Laura Ward sat down with Bartlesville Radio's Bill Lynch to discuss the details and some good news she received this week.
The inclusion of the membership fee is the second effort Eagle Med has made to work with utilities companies, the first was with Verdigris Valley Electric. Membership services are not a new idea, many local EMS services use membership as a means of supplementing operations cost. Members will not need to pay additional cost associated with calling an EMS when they are needed and if someone chooses to opt out of the membership program, thinking their insurance will cover the cost, they are frequently surprised. You can listen to the complete interview by clicking the following link.  There was a change of scenery this week at the meeting of the Osage County Board of County Commissioners, as the meeting took place in the second floor courtroom to accommodate the large attending audience. The majority of the meeting was dedicated to the discussion of Eagle Medical Transport LLC notice of withdraw from Osage County.
Laura Ward Vice-President and accountant for Eagle Medical Transport spoke to the commissioners regarding their current service issues and discussed the very real possibility that Eagle Medical may be leaving Osage County as early as May 1. Ward discussed that it is with a heavy heart that she submit the notice of withdraw, and announced that they do not want to leave Osage County or the Barnsdall Area but they have been unable to maintain operation since arriving three months ago. Ward stated they have had difficulty maintaining staff and have cut back to a single operating ambulance, however even with a solely volunteer staff they cannot maintain unless action is taken. Discussed in the meeting were several different avenues of funding including an opt out measure in combination with Verdigris Valley Electric, where utility customers would have a service charge added to their monthly bill in order to help maintain the EMS service, unless they opt out. District 2 Commissioner Scott Hilton discussed at length that this was not the first instance of an EMS service closing their doors in Osage County and continues to be an issue. Hilton mentioned an option of submitting a quarter cent sales tax to subsidize EMS services in Osage County but hopes they might find an alternate option first. Eagle Medical is currently working to create a membership program in order to maintain service but fears it may not be enough. The Commissioners decided that they would address the issue again in a few weeks once Eagle Medical has had a chance to address other avenues of funding. The Osage County Board of County Commissioners will meet again next Monday at 10am at the Osage County Courthouse in Pawhuska.  Osage County Election Board Secretary Andrea Conner stated in a press release Friday, that statewide election activity will begin at 8am Wednesday, April 13, when the official candidate filing period opens.
Candidates for state offices will need to file with the Secretary of the State Election Board in Oklahoma City. Candidates for county offices will file with the Secretary of the County Election Board in Pawhuska. Conner said that the following county offices will be filled this year: Osage County Court Clerk Osage County Sheriff Osage County Clerk Osage County Commissioner for District #2 For more election-related information, call the County Election Board at (918) 287-3036 or visit www.elections.ok.gov.  The Filing period for the Osage Nation Congressional elections has come to a close, and the candidates have filed wishing to fill one of the six available seats have filed.
The final list of candidates are as follows: Incumbent Members of Congress Running for Re-election: Shannon Edwards John Jech John Maker Archie Mason RJ Walker Maria Whitehorn. Candidates looking to run again are: W. Jacque Jones Danette Daniels Hank Hainzinger. Candidates running for their first time are: Myron Red Eagle Fidelis Davis Rebekah HorseChief Brandy Lemon Joe Tillman Michael Bristow. The six seats in the Osage Nation Congress will be decided in a tribal election on June 6. Voters may also be asked to consider Constitutional amendments. Osage News will be hosting Candidate Debates which will be catered by the Osage Casinos and streamed live by the Osage Nation Communications Department on the Osage Nation's website: www.osagenation-nsn.gov. For more information visit OsageNews.org and osagenation-nsn.gov or visit the Osage Nation Election Board Office at 901 Grandview Ave. |
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