Meeting for the first time in two months, Henryetta Economic Development Authority (HEDA) members approved a $100,800 budget for the coming fiscal year.
The budget projects income of $84,000 in sales tax revenues and $16,800 in interest earnings. The new fiscal year starts July 1.
Out of that revenue, HEDA members say $68,100 will be spent. The largest expenditure will be $30,000 in sales tax reimbursement to Shoney’s Restaurant. HEDA members also set aside $20,000 to be used for business and community development.
That budget will be submitted to the Henryetta city council for approval at the May 19 meeting.
During the meeting, authority members approved the minutes of the March meeting. They did not meet in April due to the COVID19 pandemic.

As part of National Nursing Home Week, residents at Fountain View Manor celebrated with a parade Monday. The parade gave family members the opportunity to see and talk with their loved ones, isolated for over a month due to the corona virus pandemic. 

The state of Oklahoma battle against COVID19 came to Henryetta Saturday morning. A half-dozen members of the Oklahoma National Guard's 63rd Mobile Support team were at Fountain View Manor disinfecting all surfaces.
Team leader Major Franklin Alexander said National Guard units have been working with longterm care facilities across the state for several weeks now. He said his team is booked up with other facilities for the next several weeks.
Fountain View CEO Jennifer Munholland said she appreciates the work by the guard. "They will spend several hours going over all surfaces in the building and even doing the remote controls in the individual rooms." To date, no cases of COVID19 have been found at Fountain View and munholland said staff members have been undergoing extensive helath checks to make sure they don't bring the infecton into the facility.
State senator Roger Thompson was on hand to watch the battle against he virus that has devastated the state budget. He said business reopening, however limited, is still a good thing for Oklahoma. "We need to get the economy going again. We are down $1.3 billion in our budget this year." Thompson pointed out the state does have ample supplies of personal protection equipment. "I have been working witht he Health Department to make sure they have what they need."

Because of the social distancing issue, residents at Henryetta Skilled Rehab have not been able to interact or even see family and friends since March. That was eliminated for a short time Friday afternoon as family members streamed by in a nearly 30-minute long parade. Residents were treated to a real party complete with music by Marcus Whitworth and the appearance of the biggest truck in the Henryetta fire department arsenal. "It's ben a long road," said social services director Reda Dunzy.