Salisaw Updates Emergency Proclamation Related to COVID-19

The City of Sallisaw, has amended the emergency proclamation related to COVID-19. 

Officials stated that they are following the protocol set out by the State of Oklahoma, following Governor Stitt’s amendment to Executive Order 2020-07 and will continue to monitor the latest updates and "do our very best to keep our citizens informed."

“We are taking these steps for the health and well being of our citizens. We ask all citizens to follow the guidelines set out. It is incumbent upon us as a community to slow the spread of this virus.” said Ernie Martens, Mayor.

Late Tuesday night a resident of Sallisaw received a positive COVID-19 test and is currently in self-quarantine at their residence. Although the State Dept. of Health has not yet listed Sequoyah County as having a confirmed case, Sallisaw officials have been notified of the positive test result.

The emergency proclamation including it's amendments can be viewed in its entirety at http://www.sallisawok.org/DocumentCenter/View/1505/COVID19PROCLAMATIONSallisaw.

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State Votes to End On-site School Instruction for 2020

The Oklahoma State Board of Education held a special meeting Wednesday morning to discuss  and vote on ending on-site learning for the remainder of the 2020 school year and switching to a distance learning plan due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The meeting was historic as it was the first time in history that a state school board meeting was held in a virtual format. 

The board unanimously voted to suspend in-person education and go to a distance learning format with each school district ending education on or after May 8-15.

There was extensive information provided and discussed regarding specific instructions for school districts.

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister stated that there is a plan for a distance learning framework and resources will be available by the end of the week on the state's website at sde.ok.gov. "These resources and guidelines will be of real value," Hofmeister stated.

School buildings will be closed to all non-essential personnel although those needed to provide essential services will be allowed on-site such as food service personnel, grounds and maintenance workers and administrative personnel.

Hofmeister also discussed the waivers of state testing for the year as well as plans for providing meals to students. The state is working with the US Dept. of Agriculture to receive waivers to provide meals for students. Plans include school districts providing grab and go meals, delivery of meals by bus routes, as well as delivery of up to ten meals at a time for those not on a regular bus meals. 

One board member pointed out that distance learning does not necessarily mean "online" learning and that not all students will have access to computers and the internet. She pointed out that it will be up to the local school districts to adapt and make provisions for those students. 

Another board member acknowledged the affect of the closure of buildings and on-site instructions for the seniors of 2020. "We need to take into account how this will affect them." She also noted that they need to be acknowledged and not "shut out" their four years of hard work.

Hofmeister stated that she agrees that there should be some type of graduation ceremony and acknowledgment for the seniors. She said she has heard of  many creative ways that individual school districts are considering to honor their seniors. She described one school district that is considering a a virtual graduation ceremony that would allow people to watch from all around the country. The ceremony would include photos of each senior with a list of accomplishments and also include the traditional student speeches.

"The weight of this decision does not go unnoticed by this board," said Hofmeister. "But to protect the health of our students we have to move to online learning.

"It's 100% worth the struggle," Hofmeister added. "This is temporary but we will have to continue to revisit and see what it looks like for summer and fall instruction."

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First Case of COVID-19 in Sequoyah County

The first positive test for the novel coronavirus ( COVID-19) has been received in Sequoyah County.

Health and city officials can not yet use the word "confirmed" until the official release and confirmation from the Oklahoma State Health Department (OSDH) later this morning.

The individual was tested in Sallisaw and immediately sent home to self-quarantine while waiting on the test results. Officials received word of the positive test results late Tuesday night.

The individual is believed to be a resident of Sallisaw and remains in quarantine at their residence and will do so until cleared by health officials.  

Sallisaw Mayor Ernie Martens stated Wednesday morning that the City of Sallisaw will be releasing an official statement and proclamation later this morning after receiving the official confirmation from the OSDH.

"We don't have a guidebook for this. We are doing the best we can with the information we have in order to keep our people safe and also try to keep doing business as usual in Sallisaw as much as possible," Martens stated.

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CN Announces ‘Remember the Removal’ Bike Ride Team

Nine cyclists from across the Cherokee Nation have been selected to participate in the 2020 Remember the Removal Bike Ride this June.

The annual ride allows young Cherokees to retrace the northern route of the Trail of Tears by bicycle. Their journey spans about 950 miles from Georgia to Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The cyclists, ages 17 to 24, began training in December. The tribe also selected Tracie Asbill, a 38-year-old Cherokee Nation citizen and pediatric nurse, as this year’s mentor rider.

“Participating in the Remember the Removal Bike Ride is truly an opportunity of a lifetime, but it is also mentally and physically challenging, and I commend these young men and women for dedicating themselves to honoring our Cherokee ancestors,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “This group has already spent nearly 15 weeks together training, learning Cherokee language and history and developing a bond that will last a lifetime. When these individuals return home after their three-week journey in June, they will forever be changed, having gained a deeper understanding of our Cherokee history and of their own perseverance.”

The cyclists will average 60 miles a day along the routes used by their Cherokee ancestors, who made the same trek by foot more than 180 years ago. Of the estimated 16,000 Cherokees who were forced to make the journey to Indian Territory in 1838 and 1839, about 4,000 died because of starvation, disease and exposure to elements, giving credence to the name Trail of Tears. 

Participants were selected based on an essay, in-person interviews and a physical to ensure they are up for the grueling challenge. As part of their training, the group spends the weekends undergoing rigorous physical training at the Cherokee Nation Male Seminary Recreational Center and cycling on various routes throughout the 14 counties of the Cherokee Nation. They also train on their own or in groups throughout the week.

Madison Whitekiller, 21, of Claremore has wanted to participate in the Remember the Removal Bike Ride ever since she was a child. Whitekiller is a former Miss Cherokee and Junior Miss Cherokee and remembers watching the riders accomplish the life-changing task. Those memories inspired her to make the same journey.

“I want to understand the difficulties that my ancestors experienced and honor them by learning about their stories,” Whitekiller said. “The best way for me to appreciate them is by learning all that I can about our culture, language, history and traditions. The bike ride is an opportunity for me to do this while building connections with other Cherokee people.”

Shace Duncan, 17, of Westville is a sophomore at Sequoyah High School in Tahlequah. Duncan said he hopes to gain a connection to his Cherokee ancestors by participating in the bike ride. 

“I feel that as a Cherokee citizen it is my obligation to try and better understand our ancestors and the struggles they have gone through,” Duncan said. “I hope I can get something that I can’t get anywhere else. I hope that the next time I have a conversation with someone that is uninformed about the Cherokee removal I can appropriately inform them as well as tell them my experience.”

The cyclists will also have their family tree mapped out by a professional genealogist before the trip, providing them insight into their ancestral past as well as connecting any family links they might share with one another. 

During the three-week trek, the cyclists will visit several Cherokee gravesites and historic landmarks. Among the sites are Blyth’s Ferry in Tennessee, the westernmost edge of the old Cherokee Nation, and Mantle Rock in Kentucky, where many Cherokees huddled together for warmth under a hanging rock as the only source of shelter during frigid winter weather. 

The Cherokee Nation cyclists will be joined by 10 cyclists from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. Together, they will start the ride June 1 in New Echota, Ga.

For more information on the Remember the Removal Bike Ride or to follow along during the journey, visit www.facebook.com/removal.ride.

The 2020 Remember the Removal Bike Ride cyclists from the Cherokee Nation include the following: 

Adair County: 

Shace Duncan, 17, Westville

Cherokee County: 

Tyrus Goodrich, 24, Tahlequah

Whitney Roach, 21, Tahlequah

Kaylee Smith, 19, Tahlequah

Natasia Wacoche, 19, Hulbert

Tracie Asbill, 38, Tahlequah

Mayes County:

Heather True, 19, Pryor

Rogers County:

Madison Whitekiller, 21, Claremore

Tulsa County:

Melanie Giang, 20, Tulsa

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Softball Fundraiser for Library Canceled

The co-ed, slow-pitch softball tournament fundraiser for the Friends of the Library has been canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic, Carrol Copeland, president of the organization, said Tuesday.

The event was originally scheduled for April 24-25.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Gans Teen Making Masks for Area Hospitals

Cassidy Dyer working to make face masks for 

local health care providers

The staff at Northeastern Health System-Sequoyah as well as  the Health and Wellness Center are in desperate need of face masks and one area girl has stepped up to help meet that demand.

Cassidy Dyer, 15, a sophomore at Gans and a seamstress since getting her first sewing machine on her 7th birthday, created her own pattern and began producing the masks as soon as she learned local hospitals were in need.

Cassidy’s mother, Lindsie Dyer, said Tuesday that Cassidy has helped her with several community outreach projects in years past, and helping others during the coronavirus pandemic was a natural progression for her. “Cassidy is a master at many things and has always been by my side, whether it’s passing out backpacks at our annual back-to-school event, volunteering her summers working with the local Boys and Girls club, volunteering at the community Thanksgiving dinner or helping at resource meetings in the community,” Dyer said.

Dyer said she began receiving calls from several Sequoyah County agencies looking for resources for medical equipment (particularly masks). 

Once she learned of the need, Cassidy said masks “can be made in less than 10 minutes and are very beginner-friendly for those who are just getting started in sewing.”

Dyer said Cassidy shared her pattern with the quilters at Trinity Baptist Church in Muldrow so they can help make even more of the protective masks. Cassidy said, "At this time, we are in need of any basic sewing supplies, fabric and/or scraps that are 100 percent cotton, flannel and elastic.” Any donations “would be wonderful,” Dyer said, and they may be made by contacting Lindsie Dyer at ldyer@peopleinc.org or at (918) 775-7787, extension 2144 or Connie Olcott at COlcott@thwcinc.com or (479) 763-8007.

Cassidy is a member of the Gans Public Schools’ SWAT team, the clay and trap-shooting team and she is a Future Farmers of America officer and a Quiz Bowl participant.

As of Tuesday morning, there were 81 positive cases of the virus in the Sooner State, with one case of the illness in nearby Muskogee County and one in Adair County as well as two cases in neighboring Sebastian County, Ark. No cases have been reported in Sequoyah County, Emergency Management Director Steve Rutherford said.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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Cherokee Nation Health Services Reports First Case of COVID-19

Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Health Services have reported the tribe’s first positive case of novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

The male patient is a Cherokee Nation citizen from Adair County in his 40s. Positive test results were confirmed on March 24. The patient is self-quarantined.

The Cherokee Nation is following all safety protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Indian Health Service. This includes Cherokee Nation health officials contacting those people who may have had direct contact with the patient.

“The Cherokee Nation and our health care professionals are taking every precaution to ensure our Cherokee citizen is protected and has access to our health care team,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “I recognize that the presence of this virus is in our communities and can affect any one of us. My family feels that same concern. That’s why I ask that we all continue to pull together while making every effort to be proactive against the spread of COVID-19. This includes taking care of ourselves, our families and our elders, and staying indoors as much as possible. The Cherokee people have always been resilient and we will continue in that tradition. In the meantime, our thoughts are with our fellow Cherokee.”

Cherokee Nation health officials are investigating to determine how the patient was infected.

“I want to ensure all of our tribal citizens, employees and community members that we are taking great steps to protect our workforce and Cherokee families,” said Dr. R. Stephen Jones, Executive Director of Cherokee Nation Health Services. “We are prepared and ready to care for any of our citizens who may be affected by this virus.”

The tribe’s health care professionals continue to urge citizens to practice social distancing – staying at least 6 feet away from other persons – in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Other precautions include staying home unless travel is absolutely necessary, and washing hands often.

Before going to an urgent care or emergency room, unless essential, those who have symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, fever and respiratory problems such as shortness of breath should first contact their health care provider and ask for a nurse. The Cherokee Nation also has a COVID-19 Call Center at 833-528-0063 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday-Friday.

KXMX News Staff

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