ENID —
A plan to close one of two state-run facilities for the developmentally disabled is expected to come to a vote of the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services on July 24.
The plan would close Southern Oklahoma Resource Center in Pauls Valley and transfer clients to Northern Oklahoma Resource Center of Enid.
State Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, has begun a letter-writing campaign with local civic clubs to urge Gov. Mary Fallin to support the plan. Fallin has not indicated which way she will go on the plan and has appointed the past two OCHS members, Anderson said. There are about 245 residents housed at the two facilities.
Mike Peck, an Enid optometrist and chairman of the OCHS property committee, gave a report during the June OCHS meeting in which he proposed closing SORC and keeping NORCE open. Both facilities need repairs, but NORCE is in better condition and more capable of housing SORC residents almost immediately, the report states.
Peck said he and other commissioners met with staff members with Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) of Oklahoma Department of Human Services. DDSD staff members will come up with the plan to be voted on by OCHS, he said.
“The state can’t continue to operate two facilities because of the cost of maintenance. It is too expensive. We must look at doing something,” Anderson said.
NORCE provides a residential center, medical and dental services, physical therapy, job skills and the recycling center, where many residents are employed, Anderson said.
“Enid is far superior and ready to take on additional clients,” he said. “We are trying to ensure Dr. Peck’s plan gets a vote at the July meeting, because the deadline is August 2013 when the SORC facility will no longer meet health department guidelines to continue to operate.”
Anderson said it is important to begin a plan to transfer residents. Peck’s plan gives families of residents the option of transferring them to NORCE or placing them in private care, Anderson said.
“Many people feel strongly the state needs to provide a safety net to those clients and families with NORCE and SORC, and the Enid facility is the best available for that,” Anderson said.
OCHS member Richard DeVaughn said he thinks the measure will be approved if it is on the agenda.
“I think it will be approved, definitely. Whether it’s on the agenda ... we’ve been assured it will be,” DeVaughn said.
DeVaughn said Peck’s plan is needed because the state does not need two institutions, but does need one. DeVaughn said he and Peck have talked with families of residents of both centers, and many want to keep their loved ones in a facility.
“Most of them have had experience with private placement and it’s not good,” he said.
Groups and politicians associated with SORC have opposed the closing of the Pauls Valley facility, proposing a plan to keep both facilities open. A House resolution in the last legislative session asked DHS not to close either one while the Legislature was not in session.
A House analysis estimated the two facilities are in need of about $30 million in repairs. DHS had been required — under terms of a bill passed by the Legislature last year — to come up with a plan for NORCE and SORC. The plan DHS came up with, which was rejected by the Legislature, called for greatly reducing SORC and keeping NORCE in operation. The plan would have reduced the patient census of SORC to about 15 by August 2013, transferring the other clients to NORCE or community housing.
Local News
State may close 1 of 2 facilities for developmentally disabled
- Local News
-
-
Covell/I-35 work on track
The hotel and conference center project on Interstate 35 is very much on track, said John Weeman of Partners In Development told The Edmond Sun on Tuesday. Weeman is in the process of selecting one of three people for a construction partner, he said.
-
2 officers suffer injuries in drug-related pursuit
Two police officers suffered injuries during a call in which suspects fled in a vehicle and possessed meth, police said.
-
City Council approves church remodel
A request by Redeemed Christian Church of God Kingdom Chapel to remodel a facility at 307 E. Danforth for a church was approved recently by the City Council.
“The church wants to rent a 2,302-square-foot space in the office building on the north side of Danforth, east of the convenience store, south of the Timber Ridge Addition,” said Bob Schiermeyer, city planner. “There will be no new construction other than interior remodeling to accommodate the church.
The church does not request changes to the one driveway or sidewalk of the property, Schiermeyer said. No changes will be made to the outside of the two-story brick veneer building. A sprinkler system will not be required. -
Arcadia Lake nears reopening for summer season
Work on reclaiming Arcadia Lake has been ongoing since high water forced its closure earlier this month.
-
Professor: Constitutional heritage can bring sense of belonging to U.S. citizens
Education is fundamental in preparing a citizenry to live under a free constitutional republic, said Kyle Harper, founding director of the Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage at the University of Oklahoma. Harper is also the senior vice provost at OU as well as an associate professor of Classics and Letters.
A sense of identity by belonging to a tradition is an ingredient in being part of a free republic, he said while speaking to the Edmond Republican Women’s Club on Monday. An educated citizen must be aware, alert and intelligent to care about public affairs, he said. -
Red Cross seeks volunteers to aid in Moore storm recovery
Before arriving in Oklahoma last year, Edmond resident Sofia Griffith already had a growing Red Cross volunteer résumé.
-
DA files formal charge in Craigslist sex case
Prosecutors have filed a formal felony charge against an Edmond man arrested on a complaint related to the alleged solicitation of a minor via Craigslist, according to court records.
Friday afternoon, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jessica Brown said a member of the OSBI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested the man that morning after a two-month-long investigation into solicitation for sex with minors via Craigslist. -
Oreo stacking contest slated for Crest Foods in Edmond
Crest Foods is calling all stackers, ages 6-11, to visit the Edmond store from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to try their hand at an Oreo stacking event. The store, 2200 W. 15th St., is one of several Crest sites where youth can attempt to stack Oreos. The team that builds the highest stack in 30 seconds qualifies for the finals round the following weekend, said Donna Kamas, public relations manager.
-
State photo-ID databases become troves for police
The faces of more than 120 million people are in searchable photo databases that state officials assembled to prevent driver's-license fraud but that increasingly are used by police to identify suspects, accomplices and even innocent bystanders in a wide range of criminal investigations.
-
Lucas: Farm Bill approval vital for state farmers
The U.S. House will approve a farm bill this year, Rep. Frank Lucas said Saturday.
The bill will be debated on the House floor Wednesday and Thursday and will pass after 30 to 60 amendments are considered. - More Local News Headlines
-
Spurs' Popovich has no problem with Spurs' intensity
Inside Kim Kardashian's Premature Labor
Three Charged for Enslaving Mother and Daughter
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Paige Butcher Scorches on Hawaii Beach
Video: worst way to load cargo onto a plane
Never-before-seen footage of '08 Times Square bomber
Obama: NSA Secret Data Gathering 'Transparent'
WATCH IT: Lil Wayne tramples American flag
Mariah Carey Looks Beautiful in a Tiny Cut-Out Swimsuit
Out of Control Boat Throws Passengers Overboard
See Lindsay Lohan in Rehab
Sofia Vergara Posts Perky Backside Pic in Thong
Gaga Ditches Her Crazy Couture
Caught on Tape: Teacher Accused of Beating Autistic Child
"Stay Classy" Campaign Aims to Curb Binge Drinking
Sesame Street Tackling Tough Topic Parents in Jail
Miss Utah Fumbles Interview Question
Deranged man claims Newark-bound flight was poisoned
