Several weeks ago, Canadian County Sheriff Chris West said his office was trying to track down ancestors of a deputy who was killed in a shootout with outlaws more than 100 years ago.
West wants to honor Deputy Sheriff Sam Farris who died in the shootout that took place on the streets of Yukon.
The sheriff thought ancestors of the slain lawman may be living in the El Reno area.
Enter Jean Kyle.
Kyle is a genealogy enthusiast.
When should someone get tested for COVID-19?
On Tuesday, the Canadian County Health Department began drive-up testing at its locations in El Reno and Yukon.
“At this point you can go to your physician or you can call the health department if your physician cannot do tests,” said Maggie Jackson, District 2 Community Engagement director.
District 2 covers the seven counties of Canadian, Logan, Kingfisher, Blaine, Major, Garfield and Grant. On the first day of testing in Canadian County, there were 26 swabs taken in El Reno and 20 in Yukon.
El Reno mayor Matt White updated his State of Emergency Proclamation Wednesday to add what he calls more “teeth” to the city’s fight to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“It’s similar to what we are doing now, but here are some differences. We looked at what Guthrie, Yukon and Oklahoma’s City and what they were doing and then tailored it to us right now. We can add or subtract things depending on how this works,” said White.
The main difference from his first proclamation dated March 16 is the city is asking all residents to shelter in place.
Testing for the COVID-19 virus began Tuesday morning in Canadian County at both the main health department locations in El Reno and the satellite location in Yukon.
Maggie Jackson, District 2 Community Engagement director, said the short notice on starting testing was due to the district not getting supplies until Monday.
“We just received supplies today so we didn’t have a lot of notice. We order viral test mediums every week and as soon as we get them we send them out,” said Jackson.
Businesses all over the nation are doing extraordinary things to try and keep the doors open while finding ways to also help the communities where they provide services.
In El Reno, some restaurants and churches have partnered to help feed those who may be without during the worldwide pandemic caused by the coronavirus or COVID-19. Stores such as Walmart and United are beginning to see shelves again filled with food and household items such as toilet paper. When the COVID-19 scare first erupted, panicked buyers swamped the stores, stripping the shelves bare.
Health-care professionals in El Reno are urging residents to use some form of facial mask or protection when they venture out in public.
“I think this is a fantastic idea and is one that is very much needed. The more people who do wear masks, the more normal it will seem. The more we normalize wearing masks, it will be beneficial,” said Centennial Health nurse practitioner Sarah Menz.
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced 304,826 confirmed cases in the United States and 7,616 deaths through Sunday.
The Indian Health Service Clinton Service Unit which serves Clinton, El Reno and Watonga Indian Health Centers and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes will present a Telephone Town Hall meeting this Friday beginning at 10 a.m.
The call will allow patients of the Clinton Service Unit and citizens of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes an opportunity to listen from home on what is being done to combat the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19 in their community.
Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) will collect convalescent plasma from donors who have recovered from COVID-19, part of an experimental initiative to use the product to treat seriously ill patients.
By creating the only statewide registry of available patients, Oklahoma Blood Institute can ensure local patients receive the donated products and have the best possible chance at fighting the illness.
If a large COVID-19 surge comes, Oklahoma officials want to be sure there are enough doctors, nurses, aides and other health-care workers to treat the
infected.
That involves a lot more than adjusting schedules and paying out a little more overtime.
The number of inmates held in the Canadian County Detention Center might be the lowest since the building was constructed.
Last week, there were 134 inmates being held at the jail. There also was one inmate being held in Dewey County and four inmates who were being held in other jails while awaiting trial.
There were only three people booked into the jail over the weekend. Normally, that number is significantly higher.
