There are many events coming up in the Osage County area and Claude Rosendale, a member of the Osage County Tourism Board, was at Monday's Board of Osage County Commissioners meeting requesting money for some of the upcoming events.
The Boy Scouts of America 110th anniversary Camporee is taking place the final weekend in September. Rosendale wants to make thata special weekend for the scouts. The commissioners allowed for $1,000 to be spent on advertising for the weekend. They also allowed for $2,000 to be used for promotional items when Osage County Tourism Director Kelly Bland goes to different conferences across the country. The Punchy in Pink Ranch Rodeo is in October and will take place at the Osage County Fairgrounds. Rosendale was looking for $1,000 to help promote the event and the commissioners granted his request. Money raised from the rodeo will benefit the breast cancer foundation. Osage County continues to wait on a declaration that will aid in public assistance funding for the flooding rains that hit the area in late May and early June, but Osage County Emergency Manager Jerry Roberts says they are one of 10 counties who are getting that assistance from storms that hit the area in late April.
Governor Kevin Stitt signed that declaration and Roberts says Stitt is still waiting on all other counties to complete their damage assessments before making a declaration for those storm that hit the area in May and June. At the Pawhuska School Board meeting Monday evening, an agreement was signed with the Osage Nation providing per-kintergarden students with many great services. A member of the Osage Nation was present to speak on some of the services offered.
This is the second year this agreement will have been in place. All students qualify for the program. The Pawhuska School Board met for a regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening for a brief and productive meeting.
The board approved an agreement with the Osage Nation, giving students in pre-kindergarten the opportunity to take part in a number of programs. This is the second year the school has signed into this contact with the Osage Nation. At the meeting, it was decided that Weaver Drug Testing Lab will be who Pawhuska Schools go through for drug testing procedures. The school board approved the varsity cheer team to do a fall fundraiser in September in conjunction with Sedan Flowers. Dean Hix will serve as the Maintenance and Transportation Director, Bus Driver Inspector and Bus Driver Instructor for the 2019-2020 school year. The Oklahoma State Department of Health has fired Larry Bergner from his post as Administrative Director of the Osage County Health Department. Heather Barkley is an employee of the department and she says Bergner was the right man for the job.
After hearing from some of the people in the Oklahoma City offices, last week, Barkley expects funding for the county to get cut significantly now that Bergner has been fired. Barkley says the health department does have money in their account and they will use that money wisely moving forward. Barkley has turned in her resignation to the health department. The Board of Osage County Commissioners met for a regular scheduled meeting Monday and got some alarming news during citizens input. Heather Barkley is an employee at the Osage County Health Department and she informed the commissioners that Administrative Director of the Health Department, Larry Bergner, had been fired by the state health department earlier in the morning.
Barkley said that Bergner had been moving the department in the right direction and she said funding for programs will likely decline. Barkley has decided to resign from her position at the health department. Osage County Emergency Manager Jerry Roberts was on hand to let the commissioners know the county will start receiving public assistance funding from the storms that hit the county in early May. Roberts said they are still waiting for funding for the late May and early June flooding, but this will be a big help. Claude Rosendale sat in for Kelly Bland to give a tourism update across the county. He said that Southern Living Magazine has done a feature on the Oilman's Daughter in Pawhuska and named Mac's BBQ in Skiatook a top 10 BBQ restaurant to visit in the south. National Geographic also did a story on the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. In addition to that, the American Bus Association selected the Pioneer Woman Mercantile as one of its favorite places to visit in 2019. As a result, the Mercantile will be featured in their fall magazine. Bland also hosted a tourism conference in Pawhuska last week, which brought in tourism directors from all over the state. Rosendale was also there asking for funding from the commissioners. This included $1,000 that would go toward the Boy Scouts of America 110th Anniversary Campout in September and $2,000 used for marketing campaigns. The commissioners approved all of these requests. The County Commissioners made the third and final payment to Builders Unlimited. That payment is for just over $14,000 and they are making improvements to the women's building at the Osage County Fairgrounds. The County Commissioners also approved the Post Oak Lodge Jazz and Wine Festival to serve alcohol. That event is set to take place on August 31. The next regular scheduled Board of Osage County Commissioners meeting will be next Monday at 10 o' clock in the morning. For several years, the Pawhuska School District has had an agreement in place with the Osage Nation that any student registered in the Johnson O Malley program was eligible for free school supplies.
The Pawhuska United Methodist Church has also donated school supplies to students in need for several years. This year, the two groups have joined forces so that all students at Pawhuska Public Schools will get free school supplies. Superintendent David Cash isthankful for their generosity. Education Coordinator for the Osage Nation, Mary Wildcat, said she was very excited to help out when the school district approached them about the collaboration. Wildcat adds that supplies will be available, even to students new to the district. Cash wants the public to know that this covers everything one would normally have to buy for their student when returning to school and Cash expects this agreement to continue well into the future. The Board of Osage County Commissioners will meet Monday morning at the courthouse in Pawhuska for a regular scheduled meeting. Executive Director of Osage County Tourism, Kelly Bland, will be there to give an update on the number of people who have been coming through the area this summer.
Bland will also be at the meeting requesting money for various items. Bland is hoping to get $2,000 for the Osage County Free Fair. She is also hoping to get up to $5,000 to improve the “Visit the Osage” website. The commissioners will consider signing an Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage permit that would allow the Post Oak Lodge Jazz and Wine Festival to sell alcohol. That festival is set to take place on August 31. There will be discussion regarding the selection of an on call engineer for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The commissioners will also go into executive session to interview applicants for part-time employees at the Osage County Fairgrounds. The meeting begins at 10 o’ clock in the morning for those interested in attending. The Pawhuska School Board will meet for a regularly scheduled meeting this Monday and they will look to approve a number of mid-summer items.
The board will look to approve a service agreement with the Weaver Drug Testing Lab. There will also be discussion on looking to approve the annual online policy manual and a subscription service with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association. The OSSBA was created to provide support for local school board members with information, assistance and other services. Personnel matters will also be discussed. The meeting takes place at the administration building and starts at 5:30 in the evening for those interested in attending. The Pawhuska School Board met for a brief special called meeting on Tuesday to authorize a $250,000 transportation bond to take place in September. They also hired Stephen H. McDonald and Associates Inc. to be the financial consultant for the school.
Superintendent David Cash says this bond is needed, as the school owns vehicles that are getting older with time. Cash also mentioned that the Osage Nation, along with The United Methodist Church, will be helping pay for all school supplies for all Pawhuska students. Pawhuska will have its regular scheduled board meeting this Monday at 5:30 in the evening at the Administration Building. |
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