Kingfisher County commissioners Monday set a tentative date to reopen the courthouse – May 18 – if there is no upsurge in COVID -19 cases in the county.

County Emergency Management Director Steve Loftis reported to commissioners Monday at their weekly meeting that there had been eight reported case in the county with seven recoveries.

(By Tuesday, the eighth local case also had recovered, according to Oklahoma State Health Department statistics.)

Kingfisher has reported no new cases for a week and no deaths from the disease, while case counts continue to creep up in some of the neighboring counties.

Canadian County has reported 103 confirmed cases and three deaths as of Tuesday.

Garfield County has 21 confirmed cases and one death and Logan County has 17 cases and one death.

Blaine County reported its first confirmed case this week and also has no deaths.

County Clerk Jeannie Boevers said two counties she knows of have set reopening dates – Coal County on May 11 and Payne County on May 18.

She received notices later in the day from additional counties: Canadian County on May 18 (with restrictions), such as requiring masks inside the courthouse; Jackson County, May 11 (with restrictions); Harmon County, May 18, and Tillman County, May 18.

Action items taken included the following:

• Approved the emergency management performance grant amendment for 2020, reducing the financial burden on local offices due to the COVID-19 response efforts. A report on the local agency’s efforts in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic will serve as its local disaster response exercise. Reduced paperwork also is included in the amendment.

• Payment for inspection of three bridges in the county from Circuit Engineering District 8 in the amount of $752.

• Approved payment of $1,900 to Pinnacle Consulting Management for right-of-way work on a Turkey Creek Bridge project southwest of Hennessey in District 2.

• Approved a juvenile retention agreement with the Sac and Fox Nation for the 2021 fiscal year.

• Approved $600 for the burial-cremation of Richard Duhamel.

• Approved an OG&E road crossing permit on NS 2790 Road five miles south and six miles west of Hennessey, District 2.

All actions were unanimous by Commissioners Ray Alan Shimanek, chairman; Heath Dobrovolny, vice chairman, and Jeff Moss, member.

Also present for the meeting were County Clerk Boevers, minute clerk; County Engineer Nik Smith, Loftis and Sheriff Dennis Banther.