Fogbow

Our daughter reports that her school district is almost in the same situation as the Vernon ISD. High teacher absences, teachers' aids and administrators covering classes since substitute teachers are not to be found.

She thinks that it may have to shut down if things get any worse.

She also reports that some teachers who had not been wearing masks have started to do so because family members and neighbors have gotten ill.

Wichita County eclipses 500 COVID related deaths, highest number of new cases since start of pandemic

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... C90Qm2i0_I

The Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District reported Monday four new COVID-19 related deaths.

The cases, age 50s, 60s, and 80s bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 502 since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

The Health District also reported Monday 940 new COVID-19 cases in the county, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Wichita County to date to 25,982.

The Health District also reported Monday 59 hospitalizations in Wichita County, an increase from the 47 hospitalizations reported Friday, January 7.

Burkburnett is just north of us.

Burkburnett ISD to close for remainder of the week due to staffing issues

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... m=referral

Officials with the Burkburnett Independent School District announced Tuesday they will be closing the district for Wednesday, January 12, thru Friday, January 14.

Burkburnett ISD Superintendent Dr. Brad Owen said the decision to close was made due to staffing issues caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Wichita County is currently experiencing a massive spike in new COVID-19 cases, with 1,302 new cases reported last week, and 940 new cases reported on Monday, January 10.

This makes the second Texoma school district to close due to staff shortages caused by COVID-19 after Vernon ISD officials announced their district will be closed until January 19.

Just north of us in southern Oklahoma.

Area schools announce closures due to COVID-19, staff shortages

https://www.kswo.com/2022/01/11/area-sc ... ntent=kswo

Boone-Apache Public Schools is the latest to announce closing.

For the remainder of the week, all classes and school activities there will be cancelled.

Sterling Public Schools has already announced it’s closure and Elgin Public Schools was soon to follow.

Elgin Public Schools will be closed beginning Wednesday, Jan. 12 through Monday, Jan. 17. The district said school will resume Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Officials said due to COVID-19 illness, the district is unable to staff daily operations.

Fletcher Public Schools has also closed due to student and staff being out sick.

The district will be virtual Wednesday, Jan. 12 and Thursday, Jan. 13 and students will return on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Lawton Public Schools announced it will begin remote learning and Cache Public Schools will also be closed for the rest of the week.

Olustee-Eldorado Public School sent students home with packets Monday, with the rest of the week designated as virtual days.

Falls Ride is the local municipal bus service.

Wednesday Falls Ride hours reduced due to employee shortage

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/01 ... ntent=kauz

The City of Wichita Falls has reduced Falls Ride hours for Wednesday, Jan. 12, due to a shortage in bus drivers caused by illnesses.

Service hours for the connector route have changed to the following:

Connector route will not run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The night crawler will remain in service. City officials said passengers who normally use the connector route to travel to Sikes Senter Mall can use the central route instead.

1 death, 400 new COVID-19 cases reported in Wichita Co. on Wednesday

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/01 ... ntent=kauz



Newschannel 6
@Newschannel6Now
·
7m
Multiple businesses and school districts have closed this week because of the influx of cases.

These are just the schools closed In central Texoma.

UPDATED: School districts close after COVID surge

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/01 ... hCDIm5Xmic

Texas-

Burkburnett ISD announced it would close until Jan. 18.

Electra ISD is closed until Jan. 18. All extracurricular activities, including FFA, athletics and cheer competitions, will continue as scheduled.

Graham ISD announced it would be closed for the rest of the week because of “escalating staff absenteeism from COVID and other illnesses.”

Superintendent Sonny Cruse said teachers would use the time as planning days, and that all UIL and Young County Junior Livestock Show activities will go forward as planned.

Newcastle ISD will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 13 due to staff illness. They were already scheduled to close on Friday, Jan. 14 due to a stock show. However, extracurriculars will continue as usual.

Vernon ISD will be closed until Jan. 18 due to an extreme staff shortage.

Oklahoma-

Boone-Apache Public Schools
COVID-19 STATUS
Closed Through Friday
Virtual Learning Through Friday 1/14
School

Cache Public Schools
COVID-19 STATUS
Closed Through Monday
School

Chattanooga Public Schools
Virtual Learning Through Monday
School

Duncan Public Schools
COVID-19 STATUS
Closed Through Monday 1/17
School

Elgin Public Schools
COVID-19 STATUS
Closed Through Monday 1/17
School

Fletcher Public Schools
COVID-19 STATUS
Virtual Learning Through Thursday 1/13
School

Flower Mound Public School
COVID-19 STATUS
Closed Through Monday
School

Great Plains Tech Center
Virtual Learning Through Friday 1/14
School

Lawton Public Schools
COVID-19 STATUS
Virtual Learning Through Monday
School

Olustee-Eldorado Public Schools
COVID-19 STATUS
Virtual Learning Through Monday
School

Snyder Public Schools
Closed Through Monday the 17th
School

Sterling Public Schools
COVID-19 STATUS

Not our daughter's district.

WFISD adjusting to increased COVID cases among staff

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/01 ... ntent=kauz

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - In the last two days, Wichita Falls ISD has had nearly 200 staff members out to due to COVID and vacancies in the classrooms throughout the district.

In light of the staffing shortage, WFISD has combined certain classes and even had central office staff members go to various schools to fill in. With the changes in place, Superintendent Michael Kuhrt said instruction will be affected.

“The impact with instruction is definitely less,” said Kuhrt. “Anytime you have somebody in there besides the child’s certified teacher, there’s less instruction that happens. We’re cognizant of that. Teachers are making adjustments to their lesson plans. They will go back and cover material that was maybe missed by students. They’re going to be relaxed on their expectations.”

Kuhrt said the district will stay open after the long weekend and hope a handful of staff are able to return after the extended time off.

Our daughter tells us that her school district will struggle to stay open until it clearly lacks enough staff so as to be sure of getting state funding while closed.

State funding is normally calculated by attendance on a daily basis.

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Planned Parenthood, seeking $10 million in Medicaid payments

https://abc13.com/planned-parenthood-su ... ce=twitter

This is the latest in the state's yearslong battle to remove Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott first vowed to cut Planned Parenthood's funding in 2015, after the release of a heavily edited and subsequently debunked undercover video that suggested abortion providers at Planned Parenthood illegally sold fetal tissue for profit.

At the time, Planned Parenthood received $3.1 million from Medicaid to provide family planning and women's health services to low-income Texans. Those services were separate from the group's abortion services, which receive no public funding.

In a statement, Planned Parenthood Federation of America general counsel Kumiki Gibson called the lawsuit "meritless" and said it was a political attack by anti-abortion politicians.

"Planned Parenthood will continue to fight back against all of these false accusations and political attacks and will continue serving patients in Texas - no matter what," Gibson said.

Looks like we will have a very windy night into Saturday. Hope no fires start.

KXII News 12
@KXIITV
·
8m
The Texoma Regional Blood Center said they are running so low on blood that earlier this week there was no blood available on their shelves.

Our daughter's school district had originally scheduled MLK Day as a teacher work day (no students attending). Yesterday the administration told the teachers to stay home Monday while all the school buildings will get a deep cleaning and disinfection.

Cleaning won't hurt but masks would be more effective at stopping infection.

Times Record News
@timesrecordnews
·
49m
Wichita County broke its record for the number of new cases of COVID-19 this week. https://timesrecordnews.com/story/news/ ... 526650001/

Mrs. V, reports that the local big supermarket was poorly stocked yesterday. Stocks were low for many items. There was no cream cheese at all.

Fortunately olive loaf was available.

Not our daughter's school district.

WFISD teachers asked to clean bathrooms because of lack of custodians


https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/n ... 156951002/

As COVID surges again and labor shortages drag on, Wichita Falls ISD teachers, coaches and principals are being asked to do something outside their usual range of duties: clean school restrooms.

The district is hoping to remedy a shortage of school custodians after a recent media blitz for new hires.

“I’m hearing a lot of complaints about teachers and coaches and principals all being asked to clean bathrooms," At-large Trustee Katherine McGregor said during Tuesday's School Board meeting.

McGregor said educators also returned from the winter break to find trash cans weren't emptied.

WF Police, SWAT respond to disturbance on Lela Lane

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/01 ... ntent=kauz

Wichita Falls Police and SWAT are on scene of a disturbance where a man barricaded himself inside a home.

They were called to Lela Lane Sunday morning in response to a family disturbance.

Police on the scene said a man and woman got into an argument that resulted in the man injuring the woman in the backyard.

Police were able to get the woman over a fence but said the man barricaded himself in the home.

About 7 miles from us.

Ah, the wonders of a dry climate. Tomorrow it is going up to 78F. Thursday night it is going down to 16F.

Rain? What's that?

City of Wichita Falls Police Department
tata1m58c1111ms36reh0u ·
Officers were dispatched to the residence of 3153 Lela this morning at about 8:16 am to investigate a disturbance. The caller could hear the disturbance coming from that residence.
The officers arrived and found the victim, a 42-year-old female, in the back yard screaming. She had been assaulted and was injured. She was transported to the URHCS by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect and ex-boyfriend of the victim, 42-year-old Bobby Cisneros, was said to be in the house. The victim said Cisneros broke into her home and assaulted her, She also told the officers that Cisneros pointed a firearm at her during the assault.
The SWAT team and Negotiators responded to the scene. The Crimes Against Persons detectives also responded. After several hours of negotiating, the SWAT team made entry into the house at about 1:30 pm and arrested Cisneros.
The detectives executed a search warrant but found no firearms. Cisneros was transported to the jail and charged with Burglary of a Habitation.

Volkonski wrote: ↑Sun Jan 16, 2022 2:08 pm WF Police, SWAT respond to disturbance on Lela Lane

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/01 ... ntent=kauz

Wichita Falls Police and SWAT are on scene of a disturbance where a man barricaded himself inside a home.

They were called to Lela Lane Sunday morning in response to a family disturbance.

Police on the scene said a man and woman got into an argument that resulted in the man injuring the woman in the backyard.

Police were able to get the woman over a fence but said the man barricaded himself in the home.

About 7 miles from us.

Here we go again.......

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Norman OK
123 PM CST Mon Jan 17 2022

TXZ084>089-180330-
/O.NEW.KOUN.FW.A.0001.220118T1800Z-220119T0000Z/
Foard-Wilbarger-Wichita-Knox-Baylor-Archer-
123 PM CST Mon Jan 17 2022

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR WESTERN
NORTH TEXAS...

The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a Fire Weather
Watch for extremely warm, windy, and dry weather which is in
effect Tuesday afternoon.

* TIMING...Noon until 6 PM Tuesday.

* WINDS...Southwest 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 15 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...75 to 80 degrees.

* IMPACTS...Any fires that are able to start will be difficult to
contain.

Volkonski wrote: ↑Sun Jan 16, 2022 1:07 pm Not our daughter's school district.

WFISD teachers asked to clean bathrooms because of lack of custodians


https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/n ... 156951002/

As COVID surges again and labor shortages drag on, Wichita Falls ISD teachers, coaches and principals are being asked to do something outside their usual range of duties: clean school restrooms.

The district is hoping to remedy a shortage of school custodians after a recent media blitz for new hires.

“I’m hearing a lot of complaints about teachers and coaches and principals all being asked to clean bathrooms," At-large Trustee Katherine McGregor said during Tuesday's School Board meeting.

McGregor said educators also returned from the winter break to find trash cans weren't emptied.

Local FB Wichita Falls Rants and Raves is getting a lot of posts about Covid-related problems in the WFISD. Bid problem of course is teacher, custodian and bus driver absences. Also reports of high levels of student absences. I get the impression that very little teaching or learning is happening.

In our daughter's school district she is one of 4 second grade teachers. Yesterday she was the only second grade teacher not absent. Not all the others were out due to Covid but they were still absent. (Covid may be dominating the news but all the usual ailings and failings did not go away.)

So far aides are covering the other 3 classes. How long that will work is not clear. Aides get sick too. In any case aides can't conduct proper lessons. Not their fault of course. They don't have the training.

The kids, at least some of them, are in school but not much teaching is happening. Our daughter is trying to keep her students more or less on track on reading and math. It is not easy. Teaching time is lost to hand washing and surface cleaning. The aides covering classes can't do their usual work.

The kids are stressed, their families are stressed, their teachers are stressed. It is a mess.

Our daughter's district is on the very edge of having to close. That must happen for safety reasons once they don't have 80% of the required number of adult staff present on campus.

Our daughter is hoping that will happen. She could use a break.

As Covid-19 cases continue rising higher each week in Wichita County, United Regional Health Care officials said the hospital is effectively full, with limited capacity for additional patients as of Friday.
https://t.co/30F4jPXFPw

This is all so tragic. I hope your daughter stays safe.