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Our thoughts and prayers are with the family Ray Dean Sites, whose service was held this past Monday, 10/9, at the Beckham County Activity Barn in Sayre. Ray Dean was raised in the Sweetwater-Mayfield area and graduated from Sweetwater Public School. Happy Anniversary wishes for this coming week go to JD and Lyndsay Shedd on 10/11; my son and daughter-in-law, Will & Chelsie Pritchard on 10/12, and to Kade & Trasey Johnson who will celebrate on 10/14. Birthdays to celebrate for this issue will be: 10/11-Donna Sanders, Aunesty Crosby, Cathy LeGrand & Missy Henry King; 10/12- Kate Cunningham, Robert Jones, Carla Eslick & Hunter Flanagan; 10/13Jean Ann Street, Brenton Stanford & Jaci Needham; 10/14-LaCinda Miller & Traci Calhoun Sanders; 10/15-Lora Nicholson; 10/16-Marianne Greer, Danny P. Miller, Aaron Hobbs, Julie Fischer & Bethany Penny; and on 10/17-Brad Spitzer & Fisher McGuire. If you enjoy reading this column and would like to help keep it interesting, please call me at 580-243-8923, or mail your news to me at P.O. Box 773, Erick, OK 73645. For your convenience, you can email your items to me at [email protected]. It would be nice to be able to post any showers, meetings, and town happenings etc..., for the people of Erick and the Mayfield-Sweetwater areas to be aware of. Sometimes seeing it on Facebook is too late for the paper’s deadline of Friday by noon for the following week’s edition. The deadline for this column is by Friday by noon for the following week’s edition.

MISDEMEANORS

OKLAHOMA CITY (October 2, 2023) – A new poll shows Oklahomans strongly oppose exempting individuals from paying state income tax based on their status as a member of a Native American tribe.

Ray Dean Sites of Mountain View, Oklahoma, went to his eternal resting place on October 1, 2023 at the age of 69 years, 10 months, and 15 days. Ray Dean was born in Sayre, Oklahoma, to Troy Daine Sites and Joyce Kathleen Honsinger Sites.

John Paul Smith has risen to rare heights while serving his country.

Go to the Elk City Chamber of Commerce Facebook page to find the Elk City Bingo card. It is a way to see Elk City and participate in the many activities around town. Here is how to play: first, find the bingo card on the FaceBook page. Then save the card on the phone. Next, post a picture participating in the activity. An example would be to attend a local high school football game or to have a margarita at Prairie Fire.

Western Oklahoma Historical Society is accepting nominations for the Hall of Fame. Contact Doug Haught for the form that needs to be filled out and returned.

Erick Fire Department raised money for Christmas presents

Sayre High School Band Director Tim Martin knows where his students excel.

Across the country, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities along with family members, ombudsman program representatives, citizen advocates, facility staff, and others will honor the individual rights of long-term care residents by celebrating Residents’ Rights Month. Residents’ Rights Month is an annual event held in October by the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (Consumer Voice) to celebrate and focus on awareness of dignity, respect, and the value of long-term care residents. This year’s Residents’ Rights Month theme - Amplify Our Voices - emphasizes a community of long-term care residents coming together to make their voices heard. For residents, amplifying your voice means being outspoken about your preferences and choices, and sharing who you are and your experiences. “Residents’ voices are the most important at the decision- making table. This year’s Residents’ Rights Month theme reminds residents – your story deserves to be told!” said Lori Smetanka, Executive Director of Consumer Voice.For questions about residents’ rights, contact Cherrie Nutley, Ombudsman Supervisor Western OK, 580562-5032The Nursing Home Reform Law, passed in 1987, guarantees nursing home residents their individual rights, including but not limited to individualized care, respect, dignity, the right to visitation, the right to privacy, the right to complain, and the right to make independent choices. Assisted Living Centers and Residential Care Facilities maintain their rights as U.S. Citizens. Residents’ Rights Month raises awareness about these rights and pays tribute to the unique contributions of long-term residents. The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has worked for nearly 50 years to promote residents’ rights daily. More than 5,900 volunteers and 1,300 paid staff are advocates for residents in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Authorized under the Older Americans Act and administered by the Administration on Aging, the program also provides information on how to find a facility, conducts community education sessions, and supports residents, their families, and the public with one-on-one consultation regarding long-term care.

The last week in September and the first week in October saw the heaviest rains ever known in this part of the country. A four day and night rain accumulated to eight inches of water. Bridges and culverts were washed out; railroad traffic was suspended for two weeks. An accompanying hailstorm beat down crops. Van M. Barr reported that his cotton was almost completely ruined. Dr. Jefferson Denby’s farm south of Carter lost two windmills, a barn and granaries due to the floods.

STILLWATER – The petals on the summer flowers may be curling and turning brown now, but gardeners can look forward to vibrant colors next year by planting spring-flowering bulbs soon.