County Juvenile Airlifted to Tulsa After ATV Crash

An unidentified juvenile male was injured at 5:48 p.m. Tuesday when the ATV he was a passenger on swerved to miss a dog in the road and crashed. The unnamed male juvenile who was driving the ATV was not injured.

The accident occurred on County Road 4560, about 2 miles south and 4 miles west of Sallisaw, when the 2020 Ranger ATV struck the animal in the roadway and veered to the right, throwing the passenger from the vehicle.

The injured juvenile was transported by Medflight to St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, where he was admitted in critical condition with head injuries.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Health Departments Offering COVID Shots

Are you wanting to get a COVID-19 vaccine but don’t want to schedule an appointment?

District 7 Health Departments, which include those in Adair, Cherokee, Haskell, McIntosh, Muskogee, Sequoyah, Okfuskee and Okmulgee counties, will be providing walk-in vaccines today, March 25 and tomorrow , March 25. Vaccines will be distributed from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.

Please note that the Cherokee County Health Department will only be providing doses March 25.

The vaccines will be the Moderna first- and second-dose shots only and shots will be available for those age 18 and older and for those in Phases 1, 2 and 3.

For questions, contact the Sequoyah County Health Department, 612 N. Oak St., Sallisaw OK 74955, (918) 775-6201.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Nursing Home Residents Get 1st Visits in Over a Year

Some area nursing home residents have been waiting more than a year to see their families, and a March 13 announcement from Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has cleared the way for those visits to finally resume.

In Sallisaw, Sequoyah Manor Nursing Home Administrator John Ryan said Tuesday that, according to state guidelines, long-term care facilities can reopen for in-person visits after those planning to visit complete essential care training and other required measures.

The essential care training is expected to take about 15 minutes, Ryan said, and if the resident and family member(s) are both vaccinated, they will be allowed to have non-supervised contact.

The staff at Sequoyah Manor in Sallisaw is looking forward to the resumed visitations, Ryan said, though it may take a week or so to get everything up and running. The agency is in the process of training staff members and ensuring it complies with the governor’s ruling.

Visitors will still have to wear masks, be screened at the door and sanitize their hands as they enter the facility, Ryan said, and they will still need to sign up at the door.

At Sequoyah East Nursing Center in Roland, Long-Term Care Administrator Carolyn Turrentine said Tuesday that her agency has been allowing in-person visitation since Saturday. She said guests are required to make appointments, check in, wash their hands before and after their visit and take their temperatures before and after their visit. Masks are required for each visit, which is limited to one hour. Guests are asked not to make contact with anyone other than the patient they are coming to visit.

“Everybody has been pretty compliant,” Turrentine said. She said Sequoyah East has two rooms set up for visitations and social-distancing procedures are still in place.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Last Week to Request Absentee Ballots for April 6 Vote

The deadline to request absentee ballots by mail is approaching. Applications must be received by the County Election Board no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 30.

Sequoyah County Election Board Secretary Cindy Osborn says absentee voting is available to all voters and can be submitted several ways. “In Oklahoma, no excuse is needed to vote by absentee ballot, and it’s easy to apply! Voters can submit their application online, in-person, by fax, mail or even email.”

Voters can apply online using the OK Voter Portal at oklahoma.gov/elections/ovp. Applications are also available at the County Election Board or can be downloaded at oklahoma.gov/elections. Osborn reminds voters that only the applicant can submit his or her own absentee ballot application. It is against the law to submit an absentee ballot application for another person. Voters who submit their application in-person at the County Election Board will be asked to provide proof of identity. Voters with questions about absentee voting should contact the County Election Board at (918) 775-2614. The Sequoyah County Election Board is at 110 E. Creek St. and is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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Muldrow Police Seek Suspect in Car Break-Ins

A rash of car burglaries has the Muldrow Police Department searching for an unknown suspect, Police Chief George Lawson said Tuesday.

“We’ve had four car break-ins that started March 20,” he said. The four break-ins in the Woodland, Fargo, Inola and Caddo areas occurred on unlocked vehicles, he noted. Two other vehicles, both locked, were also damaged but nothing was taken from them, Lawson said.

Among items taken in the break-ins include firearms and cash.

Most of the crimes took place under cover of darkness, Lawson said, and there have been very few clues leading to a possible suspect.

Lawson urged residents to be vigilant and call the Muldrow Police Department if you notice anything suspicious. Be sure and lock your vehicles, Lawson cautioned.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Commissioners OK New Security Cameras at Detention Center

At Monday's meeting of the Board of Sequoyah County Commissioners the Sheriff’s Office’s planned replacement of security cameras at the detention center was approved.

Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Charles House noted that the new technology is “far above where we were at (before).” The equipment will be purchased from DIGI on a state contract at a cost of about $87,500

House said the sheriff’s office hopes to have the new camera system online by the beginning of the next fiscal year, July 1.

The commissioners also awarded a bid to Beckman Ford for the Vian Fire Department’s purchase of a fire truck, approved an emergency disaster proclamation in Sequoyah County and approved a lease-purchase contract on a Kyocera copier from Wight Office Machines for the OSU Extension office.

The panel also approved state purchase contracts on a Cat 140 JY motor grader through the county road machinery and equipment revolving fund in Sequoyah County District 2, a Cat 140 JY motor grader through the county road machinery and equipment revolving fund in Sequoyah County District 3 and a 2022 Mack 10-wheel dump truck through the District 2 county road machinery and equipment revolving fund.

In other business, the commissioners:

*Appointed Julie Haywood and Larry Vinson as requisitioning agents of Central Fire Department

*Appointed Vernon Smith and Duane Martindale as receiving agents of Central Fire Department

*Approved SAC Nutrition’s final audit.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Cherokee Nation Offers 35 Drive-up Wi-Fi Locations

Cherokee Nation is offering free Wi-Fi at 35 drive-up locations throughout its reservation. Cherokee Connect, the tribe’s universal connectivity initiative, is focused on serving as a broadband resource and deploying connectivity that fills the gap for Cherokee households currently lacking internet access.

“As we continue working toward the long-term goal of delivering affordable, reliable broadband, we know there is an urgent need for citizens to safely connect,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “These sites are now available for families to apply for assistance, elders to get access to telehealth and our students to pursue their education. The way we live now depends on our ability to connect. It’s my hope that these sites can bring a sense of comfort to people, while we continue to push forward with our broadband plan and bridge the digital divide that burdens northeast Oklahoma.”

The self-contained, wireless-driven Cherokee Connect technology allows Cherokee citizens to drive up within 100 feet of the signage, remain in their vehicles and connect to the internet, ensuring they are safely socially distanced while completing necessary online tasks. Simply connect to the “Cherokee Connect” network, accept the terms and conditions and then begin browsing the web.

Currently, 26 Cherokee Connect sites are available for public use, and the remaining locations will be complete over the next several weeks. The Cherokee Nation focused on conveniently locating the sites throughout the reservation with a special emphasis on easy access for those living in rural areas. Cherokee Connect locations are available in the following communities:

*Adair County: Chewey, Stilwell, Westville

*Cherokee County: Hulbert, Tahlequah

*Craig County: Vinita, Welch and White Oak

*Delaware County: Grove, Jay, Kansas, Kenwood and West Siloam Springs

*Mayes County: Adair, Pryor and Salina

*Muskogee County: Fort Gibson, Muskogee and Warner

*Nowata County: Nowata and South Coffeyville

*Rogers County: Catoosa, Chelsea, Claremore and Oologah

*Sequoyah County: Roland, Sallisaw and Vian

*Tulsa County: Sperry

*Washington County: Ochelata and Ramona

“Most of our kids live up the river which is a dead zone. There are kids who have never been on the Internet at home their entire lives,” said Steve Sands, President of the Chewey Community Center, which is slated to get a Cherokee Connect Wi-Fi site. “Now, they can come here and use the Wi-Fi, and see what everyone is doing or stay engaged, and their parents can use it while their kids play.”

The tribe has also launched a new website, connect.cherokee.org, where citizens can find the exact location of a Cherokee Connect site, take a connectivity survey, and learn more about Cherokee Nation’s broadband efforts and federal broadband subsidies for low-income households on tribal lands.

The Cherokee Nation also kicked off a broadband feasibility study that is evaluating the telecommunications infrastructure around all Cherokee community buildings. This study, funded by the U.S. Department of Interior, will help the tribe develop a roadmap to ensure all communities are connected.

“We know that there are great partners providing outstanding broadband services to our citizens in many rural parts of the reservation,” said Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner. “We are studying this existing infrastructure to ensure we make the best long-term decisions. We want every citizen to have access to affordable, reliable broadband, and we can leverage these existing partnerships to continue building upon their success.”

In response to the pandemic, the Cherokee Nation launched the Respond, Recover, Rebuild Mobile Hotspot Connectivity Assistance Program that provided a mobile hotspot device to thousands of Cherokee households lacking internet. The distribution of these AT&T powered devices, with up to a year of service, was focused on providing connectivity to K-12 students and elders needing access to telehealth.

For more information about the Cherokee Nation’s broadband efforts please visit https://connect.cherokee.org.

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