In the last six weeks, The City of Pawhuska has experienced six catastrophic water-line breaks that crews have had to make repairs on. This is an above average number and Mark Chamberlain with the Sewer Department explains why we are seeing the high numbers.
At times, crews have worked nearly 30 hours straight to fix these breaks. As a result of the breaks, there have been some equipment failures, but everything is back to running smoothly now. Chamberlain went on to say some homeowners are experiencing some of the same problems with their private lines that connect to the city utilities. Chamberlain says if a homeowner is to replace a sewer line, they must contact a private plumber first. Chamberlain added that this takes liability cost away from the homeowner. He currently has a few projects in the works with the Osage Nation. Pawhuska Police Chief Lorrie Hennesy recently reported that officers are doing a much better job of collecting camping fees and checking for boat permits at Lake Pawhuska. This is something they have been cracking down on from years past.
Hennesy did say they were recently having trouble with the boat and this is something that Hennesy says they need to address rather quickly. There were no problems to report from Cavalcade Week. Osage Nation members who need help with grocery bills can go to Venture Foods in Fairfax this Saturday. Osage Nation families must show a membership card and upon doing so, a $50 credit will be granted from your grocery bill.
This is a project being put on by a volunteer group, “Osage Unity.” There is a limit of one credit per family and there will be 120 of these credits available lasting from 9 a.m. to noon. Osage Unity has raised money across the United States to assist Osage members with grocery items. To learn more about Osage Unity, or to join the group, visit their Facebook Page. Osage Nation Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear has issued a mask mandate for all employees within the Osage Nation effective immediately. A press release states that constituents and others who visit the Osage Nation Government Offices will be required to wear masks when interacting with employees as well.
On March 19th, Standing Bear declared a Public Health State of Emergency for the Osage Nation, which remains in effect. A recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the state of Oklahoma has increased concerns on how to curb the spread of COVID-19. The press release says an emphasis on wearing face coverings or masks is in the forefront of recommended practices. Because of this, all Osage Nation Government Offices will implement best practices of the wearing of face coverings or masks until further notice. Best practices include wearing a face covering when social distancing isn’t feasible. The press release went on to say that directors shall make arrangements to have face coverings and masks available to the public when entering buildings. The dog days of summer are upon us, but there are still plenty of upcoming events going on across Osage County. The Tallgrass Music Festival in Skiatook has been rescheduled to October to allow for cooler weather, but the Shidler Car Show remains scheduled for August and Pioneer Days will be here shortly as well.
Osage County Tourism Director Kelly Bland said even with things being closed several months ago, she is seeing where the county was still doing well. When looking at the monthly report, Bland found that the advertising campaign they ran during that time had been successful because she was luring people to do social-distancing friendly activities. Bland said that more than 450,000 impressions were shown on Visit the Osage's social media platforms. Leading into the 74th annual Cavalcade some were left wandering if the event should should take place, but many others were curious as to how successful things would be in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. At Monday's Board of Osage County Commissioners meeting, Tourism Director Kelly Bland reported this was one of the best Cavalcade's to date.
Chairman of the Cavalcade Committee, Jeff Bute and all the other event organizers are already excited for the 75th annual Cavalcade, which is set to start on Monday, July 12th. Enrollment for students at Pawhuska Public Schools will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5th and Thursday, Aug. 6th at the Elementary School Cafeteria. Virtual enrollment ends on Wednesday, July 29th.
For those enrolling virtually in kindergarten through fifth grade should contact Beverly Moore and for those joining in grades sixth through twelfth should call the high school office. If new to the district, a copy of the child’s birth certificate must be provided, along with shot records, social security card and tribal enrollment card if applicable. The school reminds the 2020 senior class that their Google Chromebook needs to be turned in as quickly as possible. This must be turned in to avoid any outstanding late fees and receive your diploma. For any questions, contact Sarah Smith atsarahsmith@pawhuskadistrict.org. The Board of Osage County Commissioners made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Osage County Free Fair at Monday morning's meeting. The fair board had voted unanimously that it would be best to cancel this year's fair, but they wanted to leave it in the hands of the commissioners. Fair Board Director Macy Stromexplains how they came to that conclusion.
Strom said a major part of the Free Fair is the involvement of students. After speaking with local schools, Strom was unsure how many schools would be sending students to participate in this year's fair. This was another major reason they decided it would be best to cancel the fair. District one commissioner Randall Jones hates not being able to have the Free Fair, but he wants what is best for everybody involved. Strom said the decision wasn't made lightly and they look forward to returning stronger than ever in 2021. The Bighill Furniture Store in Fairfax has been demolished, but the support wall is still standing at this time. It cost $45,000 to construct the wall. The county paid for half of the wall and the other half came from the Fairfax Medical Facities.
The Chief Operations Officer of the Fairfax Medical Facilities, Cheryl Carter, was at Monday's Board of Osage County Commissioners meeting arguing there was never a contract signed saying they were allowed to haul the steel off. Terry Loftis of JL& Associates said that the commissioners signed and approved a contract to construct and remove the support wall. He didn't have the documentation on hand, as this was brought up in new business and his computer had crashed, something he was working to fix. Loftis added the temporary support wall isn't the property of the owner, as the firm most generally hauls off the metal. Loftis also said the bid was predicated on the firm being able to come back and get the steel for their personal use. The firm is going to go ahead and tear the wall down, but the steel is going to stay on-site for the next week. In the meantime, both parties are going to get quotes on how much the steel would be worth. This is an item that the commissioners will re-visit next week. Dewey Schools held a parade in May allowing the 85 seniors to receive their diplomas. On Friday evening, a more traditional ceremony was held at Bulldogger Stadium. Here is High School Principal Brent Dugger closing out the evening’s festivities.
The Class President was Jayce Guilfoyle, while the Vice President was Jayme Guilfoyle and the Secretary was Lauren McNight. Everyone at Bartlesville Radio congratulates the Dewey Class of 2020. |
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