District 3 County Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny officially accepted the position of Wheatheart Nutrition board member for Kingfisher County.

The appointment came at Monday’s weekly commission meeting.

The Wheatheart program provides a feeding program for senior citizens.

Wheatheart operates a site in Kingfisher at the Masonic Lodge, 1605 S. Main.

The Wheatheart board holds quarterly meetings in Blackwell with emergency meetings as needed.

County Emergency Management Director Steve Loftis submitted a phone call report that the county currently has 118 active coronavirus cases with six deaths. Active cases reported by community included: Kingfisher 40, Hennessey 33, Okarche 25, Cashion 14, Loyal three, Dover two and Omega one.

Commission Chairman Ray Alan Shimanek, District 2, predicted the numbers would increase until a vaccine is released, which some government sources have indicated will come before the end of this year while others suggest the vaccine may be months in arriving, possibly March.

At this point, Kingfisher County is basically open for business although Okarche junior high and senior high schoolshave gone to virtual status due to anoutbreakin that community.

Okarche schools have announced plans to continue the virtual schedule through the Thanksgiving holiday and resume in-person classes on Monday, Nov. 30.

While the elementary school is continuing in-person with no COVID cases reported among students as of late last week, the school is being monitored daily, Supt. Josh Sumrall reported.

Routine matters comprised the agenda: approval of the election board reports for October, the $20,000 emergency management grant, a disaster proclamation for the ice storm that occurred on Oct. 26, approval of the holiday and commissioner meeting schedules, the same as the current year and the court clerk’s records management report.

The disaster declaration entitles the county to receive assistance available for relief due to the ice storm.

District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss joined Dobrovolny and Shimanek in making all actions unanimous.

Also present for the meeting were County Clerk Jeannie Boevers as minute clerk, County Engineer Nik Smith, Pipeline Inspector Cody Murray and Sheriff Dennis Banther.

Smith reported that the Circuit Engineering District 8 surplus equipment auction willbe March 12 and 13 with delivery due by Feb. 12.

Smith said the auction will likely be by Closed Circuit Television due to the coronavirus pandemic.