Thursday, February 3, 2022 - The Board of Sequoyah County Commissioners signed a proclamation declaring the month of February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. The proclamation was signed and approved at the regularly scheduled County Commissioners meeting on Monday, January 31, 2022.
Investigator with the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Department, Cindy Smith, said, "We feel that by creating awareness surrounding teen dating violence, it will have a positive impact on them as they grow up and enter into long-term relationships. Through prevention and awareness, we are hopeful that we can reduce domestic violence situations later in life."
Consideration of resolutions, bids, and contracts consisted of board discussion regarding a lease purchase agreement for a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado crew cab 4WD for the Sheriff's department. The purchase was tabled due to the DA's office not approving purchase prior to meeting.
Discussion to purchase an upgraded camera system for the Sequoyah County Court House from Digi Security Systems on state contact SE1048D was approved.
During the citizens' presentation, the focus was primarily on the effects the current COVID situation is having on healthcare workers and healthcare facilities.
Operations manager for Pafford Ambulance Service, Mechele Cruz said, "Our staff is "tired" but hanging in there. Currently, we have around half of our staff out due to COVID and quarantine protocols. The staff we do have are working non-stop and sometimes don’t have enough time to even eat between calls."
Another issue discussed was the lack of hospital beds currently available. "It’s not just Sequoyah County experiencing this problem; it’s everywhere. In state and out of state hospitals are full, with many states closing their boarders to out of state patients, " Cruz added.
Northeastern Health System Sequoyah Hospital administrator, Stephanie Six, said, "Right now there is a huge staffing shortage throughout hospitals, creating additional strain on bed availability."
Recently, a new and more contagious variant called "Stealth" was announced and will likely continue to have an impact on healthcare workers and facilities everywhere, according to local health officials.
Lindsie Dyer, Staff Writer
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