Local/Area News
After a year hiatus due to the Corona virus, the annual Henryetta Labor Day baby pageant was held.
Judging was held Saturday morning at the high school auditorium with special guests judges Amanda Flatt, Mrs Okmulgee Couty and Spring Gray, Mrs. Bixby doing the honors.That evening a smaller field of contestants were on hand for the annual Miss Labor Day pageant. Flat joined with Jennifer Fillmore, Mrs. Oklahoma Earth, and Kristy Eubanks, Mrs. Oklahoma International as judges.
In the baby pageant, the winners included:
0-5 month girls: First place Stoklee Benson, daughter of Whitney Morgan and Andrew Benson. Second place, Avery Pearler, daughter of
Hunter and Natalie Pearler.
6-11 month girls: First place, Oaklynn Blair, daughter of Michel and Cassandra Blair. Second place, Reagan Robertson, daughter of Ryan and Christen Robertson, Third place: Bailee Kennedy, daughter of Cheyenne and Cody Kennedy.
6-11 month boys: First place Zadok Brown, son of Price and Chelsey Brown.
12-23 month girls: First place, Brooklyn Cecil, daughter of Ashley and Justin Jackson and Corey and Kascey Cecil. Second, Pamela Desk, daughter of Lillith and Matthew Desk. Third, Brynlee Garcia, daughter of Davon and Kayla Garcia.
12-23 month boy: First place, Khaki Hart, son of Isaiah and Madeline Hart.
24-35 month girl: First place, Jimmie Mullinks, daughter of Eric and Penny Mulliniks. Second place, River Dennis, daughter of Hunter Dennis and Amanda Bars. Third place, Hazel Cox, daughter of Brandi and Brandon Cox.
24-35 month boy: First place, Noah Smith, son of Davonda Kayla Garcia and Nathan Smith. Second place, Jerry Landrum III son of Jerry and Keisha Landrum.
36-47 month girl: First place, Paisley Blake, daughter of Worren Blake and Hanah Sandman.
The evening judging saw the following:
Petite Miss Labor Day
Queen-Kooper Hargis, five-year-old daughter of Kevin and Kristin Hargis. First Runner up, Lola Stidman, seven-year-old daughter of Lucas and Kristie Stidman. Second Runner up, Henleigh George, five year old daughter of Tyler and Hannah George.
Little Miss Labor Day
Queen-Brittyn Williams, ten-year-old daughter of Roger and Krystle Williams. First Runner up-Savanna Minyard, ten-year-old daughter of Jaboni and Kendall Minyard. Second Runner up-Morgyn Younger, nine-year-old daughter of Kevin and Danielle Younger.
Junior Miss Labor Day- Pazlye Coronel, 12-year-old daughter of Chelsye and Price Brown and Sari and Marcial Coronel.
Miss Labor Day- Kinlee Williams; 17-year-old daughter of Kristi Williams and Marty Williams.
County election board secretary Ashley Carnes said she has already mailed out 192 absentee ballots to voters. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Sept. 7.
The Sept. 14 election is to fill the unexpired county commissioner district 3 term vacated by the resignation of James Connors.
Six candidates, three republicans and three democrats have filed for that election. The winner in each party of the Sept. 14 primary will face off in the Nov. 9 general election.
Carnes reminded county resident they have until Aug. 20 to register to vote. Early voting in the primary will take place Sept. 9 and 10 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Okmulgee County courthouse.
At a special board meeting, Shantell Cox and Andrea Dawson were hired as elementary teaching assistants; Kelsey Wright as an elementary paraprofessional; Ericka Donathan as a bus driver; Cassandra Thompson as elementary Indian education cultural teacher and Scott Wilde as the new middle school math teacher.
During the special meeting, board members gave their approval to apply for grant money to fix the roadway on the campus.
The funding would come from the third round of funding through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER).
Superintendent Dwayne Noble said if the school receives the funding, the roadway from the bottom of the hill by the elementary all the way to Warren Road would be repaved.
“We had to submit the minutes of our meeting showing we want to apply for the money,” he said. No date was set when approval would be given for he project.
As it stands now, students are being given the option to wear a mask in the classrooms and classrooms.
The school policy on returning to class and COVID is available on the school website at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/179/safe_return_plan.pdf
A new fourth grade teacher, Lindsey McKinney, was hired by the Henryetta school board Monday night.
The announcement was made following a short executive session and was part of several personnel actions by the board.
Board members accepted the resignation of Patty Shaddix. She was a three-year-old teacher at the grade school.
Approval was given to designate Justin Been, Lance Beck and Ryan Swallow as adjunct teachers.
Been is to teach one class of drama, Beck three classes of world history and Swallow three classes of health and personal financial literacy.
An adjunct designation is given when a teacher already holds a state teacher certification but not in those classes.
“The state will allow a teacher up to three hours a day to be an adjunct teacher,” said high school principal Kelly Furer. “We would not want to apply for emergency certification because they are already certified she said.”
Board members tabled a decision to hire a bus driver as well as a paraprofessional for the elementary school.
The monthly distribution of sales tax money this month amounted to $274,023. That was $9,286 above the August 2020 collection of $264,737. Prior to that, the lowest increase was $8,212 in February 2017.
Around the area, most communities reported increases in sales tax revenue. Those sales were based on June to mid-July sales.
Okmulgee deposited a check for $642,150. That was a $67,000 game from last year.
The lowest was at Dewar with aan August check for $13,717 compared to $13,177 a year ago.
Other communities and their returns included:
Beggs $40,541 compared to $38,800;
Checotah $479,345 compared to $455,034;
Eufaula $266,210 compared to $257,911;
Morris $25,035 compared to $24,717;
Okemah $160,446 compared to $124,786;
Weleetka $17,500 a decline from $20,495.
The sales tax check to Okmulgee County also showed a drop. This month the county received $342,214 that was lower than the $404,303 a year ago.
Statewide, the disbursement of $183,420,800 in sales tax collections returned to the cities and towns reflected an increase of $15,296,631 from the $168,124,169 distributed to the cities and towns in August last year.