The Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority board had a regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday afternoon and approved a resolution that will allow New Horizons Therapeutic Massage LLC to make improvements to their building.
The owners plan on making their current windows look nicer and adding new paint to the building as well. Once the contractors begin working on the building, it should take about two weeks. During the Executive Director's Report, Chris Wilson announced that the much anticipated downtown feasibility study will take place in early August. This study is being conducted to see if downtown housing would be wanted in Bartlesville. The board also approved the financial report from the month of June. Up until Tuesday morning, the Osage County Sheriff's Department had been in charge of keeping track of the sex offenders living in the city limits of Pawhuska. Police Chief Nick Silva announced that his department would be taking that over effective immediately.
Investigator Solomon is looking forward to taking this challenge on. Solomon wants the people to know that there are three levels of sex offenders. Level one sex offenders must register with the department once a year, while level two offenders must register every six months and level three offenders must register every 90 days for the rest of their life. When Pawhuska Police Chief Nick Silva took over in April, there were 97 cases that had yet to be solved. That number is now down to nine. Silva says he and his officers have been working very hard to decrease that high number.
Silva doesn't want his officers to investigate any crimes. One thing Silva is implementing to hopefully decrease the city crime rate is a “9 o' clock routine.” This will be a Facebook post once a week reminding Pawhuska citizens to put up their valuables. In order to see these posts, visit the Pawhuska Police Department's Facebook page. Enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year at Pawhuska Public Schools will take place from Monday, August 7th to Wednesday, August 9th at the Elementary School Cafeteria. The school will be open from 8:30 to noon and 1 to 4 each day.
If enrolling a new student to the district, you must bring his or her birth certificate, shot records, social security card and a CDIB card if applicable. All returning students must complete paperwork at enrollment for the coming school year. If unable to come at that time, you can enroll your student at the building they will be attending beginning Thursday, August 10th. The first day of school is Thursday, August 22nd. Pawhuska Police Chief Nick Silva and his officers held a public forum Tuesday evening at the Church of God in Pawhuska.
Silva took over as the Pawhuska Chief of Police in late April. At that time, there were 97 cases that had yet to be solved. He says that number is now down to nine. He added that the Osage County Sheriff's Office had been managing the list of sex offenders. Silva announced that as of Tuesday, it will be up to the police department to keep up with that list for those living within city limits. Silva added that the Pawhuska Facebook page will begin posting a “9 o' clock routine,” once a week. This is to remind citizens to lock their doors and put away any items outdoors so that they won't get stolen. Silva urged citizens to call the department if they see anything suspicious going on, no matter how innocent it may appear. Silva said as a result of that call, they will begin patrolling that area more often. That phone number is 918-287-4545. Sharon Park's contract has been renewed to continue teaching a Loco Fit Health Program in Skiatook. This is designed to get people of all ages more active.
Since Park began the program in 2016, she has seen attendance double from 30 to 70 participants. Park says she sees a number of people from various walks of life. There are also workshops and clinics available dealing with nutrition and continued fitness after the 12 week program ends. A 5-year old was found unresponsive in a Bartlesville pool on Friday.
According to family of the child, Jaxon Coblentz, has been in critical condition at St. Francis Medical Center and according a family friend, doctors recently declared him brain dead. A friend to the family, Dawn Daniels Smith, has started a fundraiser to assist with funeral costs and medical bills. There is one bright spot in such a dark time. The boy’s mother, Stephanie Brown, has decided to donate his heart so that someone else can use it. So far nearly $1,000 has been raised and the end goal is to raise $20,000. You can donate online at Justice for Jaxon. The “Visit the Osage” website is in need of some upgrades and the Board of Osage County Commissioners allowed Tourism Director Kelly Bland to go about making those necessary changes at Monday's board meeting. These improvements will cost up to $5,000 and they will use Visit Widget to do this. The hosting fee will cost 120 dollars a month.
In the past, anytime there was a technical glitch with the website, Bland would call a company called, “One Fast Buffalo.” Bland said she had been dissatisfied with their service and therefore when they developed their app last year, they began using Visit Widget. Bland said most companies budget between $15,000 to $20,000 anytime they wish to redo their website. Visit Widget is willing to cut Bland such a good deal because they are already customers, though. Executive Director for Osage County Tourism, Kelly Bland, was at Monday's commissioner meeting letting the commissioners know things are looking up across the county, as a lot of money is being made because people are coming to Osage County.
Bland added that the county has been getting a good return on its investment for advertising dollars. Bland added that doesn't include lodging dollars from tour buses because the only places to currently hold those buses in the county are casinos. The Board of Osage County Commissioners met for a regularly scheduled meeting Monday morning at the courthouse in Pawhuska and Executive Director for Tourism in Osage County, Kelly Bland, had some good news for the commissioners.
Bland told the commissioners that the county had made more than four million dollars in lodging money during the last fiscal year. That is more lodging money than the county had made in the previous two years. This doesn't count money made from casinos. Bland was also at the meeting hoping the commissioners would approve the tourism board to re-vamp the “Visit the Osage” website and improve the ability for people to find their website online. The commissioners approved that funding request that will cost up to $5,000. Osage County Emergency Manager Jerry Roberts confirmed that the county had been awarded the disaster proclamation from Governor Kevin Stitt. The commissioners also accepted the lowest bidder pending that they have insurance to begin putting in bathroom tiles at the Women's Building at the Osage County Fairgrounds. They also signed an alcoholic beverage law enforcement commission letter allowing the Pawhuska Golf and Country Club to sell alcohol. The next regular scheduled Board of Osage County Commissioners meeting will be next Monday at 10 o' clock in the morning. |
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