MID-WEEK EDITION MIAMIOK.COM Have a great day! DOGS FINISH WINLESS, BUT Thanks for supporting your local paper! GARDNER REMAINS UPBEAT SPORTS, PAGE A10 6 54708 11050 1 MIAMI NEWS-RECORD Serving Miami and the surrounding communities since 1903. Tuesday, November 17, 2020 | Vol. 116 No. 92 | $1.00 Telling difference between flu, COVID not easy Jim Ellis Fever, cough and diar- plateaus by late February or washing, keep the immune [email protected] rhea, are common between early March. system in top working the two, Osborn said. Officials from the Centers order by supporting it MIAMI — Trying to “Even though the flu vac- for Disease Control recom- with vitamin C and avoid distinguish between flu and cine is 50 to 60% effective, mend everyone 6 months of cramped indoor environ- the novel coronavirus is not it will limit the number of age and older should get a ments full of sick people. easy, according to Miami times we have to make that flu shot. Osborn is a firm believer physician Clark Osborn. decision about what they Prevention is the best that masks do make a dif- “There is only one symp- have,” Osborn said. “We medicine for both illnesses ference in preventing the tom that really is consistent have medications we can and the best way to protect spread of COVID-19. or telltale for the coronavi- treat the flu with, but we yourself and your loved “Cities where they have a rus is the abrupt loss of the have to start within 48 hours ones is to wear a mask, mask mandate, the rate of sense of taste or smell,” he for it to be effective. With social distance and wash infection goes way down,” worn at Thanksgiving Flu shots are available said. coronavirus, they are work- your hands frequently. he said. “We know that.” celebrations. from primary care physi- Osborn said those who ing on things, but there isn’t Many of the best meth- Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, The U.S. set a single-day cians, at the Ottawa County have coronavirus, about anything documented yet.” ods for sidestepping the the nation’s top infectious record with more than Health Department — and 85% of them that are symp- The flu season, which common cold and the flu disease expert, is recom- 160,000 COVID cases most area pharmacies are tomatic will have that. began in October, usually are the same: frequent hand mending that masks be Thursday. making shots available. Annual toy drive kicks off its 41st year Jim Ellis [email protected] COMMERCE — Jerry JIM ELLIS / MNR Coach’s Santa Claus Pro- Indigo Sky Casino will be one of the participants in gram is stronger than ever, the annual Twin Bridges Park of Lights. even aer 41 years. Coach launched the pro- gram when he was only 7 Park of Lights aer discovering there were children in his community that didn’t always receive Christmas presents. continues — with He estimates he has col- lected more than 50,000 toys over the years. slight changes “We were already going Jim Ellis line on the highway,” she to have a lot more kids, [email protected] said. plus Ottawa County is not Davis said there will be a doing the Angel Tree this WYANDOTTE — record 26 participants this year,” Coach said. Despite COVID-19, the year. The program collects Twin Bridges Park of Churches, organizations, donations of toys and Lights will continue. social groups, businesses money in order to provide This year, the holiday and individuals work at Christmas presents to tradition will open Thanks- designing and building needy area children and giving night, Nov. 26, and exhibits. covers Ottawa County, will run through Dec. 30. Because of COVID-19, Cherokee County, Kansas, “It definitely has turned Santa Claus will not be able and Newton and Jasper into a four-state tradition,” to makes his annual visits to counties in Missouri. said Melissa Davis of the the park office, Davis said. COURTESY PHOTO Twin Bridges Park Partners. Also, candy canes will SEE TOYS, A3 Jerry Coach talks shop with Santa Claus. Davis said that between not be distributed at the 40,000 to 60,000 visitors entrance. viewed the drive-through However, he will be in a display last year. special display that is being “Almost every night last Christmas at the year we had cars waiting in SEE PARK, A3 Stress reliever Coleman can help Carla Nielsen [email protected] OSBI investigating MIAMI – Christmas at the Coleman will be even shooting at Wyandotte more special this year with Staff reports Shamblin was transported multiple events sure to [email protected] to a hospital in Joplin, help get you into the holi- where he was pronounced day spirit, which will be a WYANDOTTE — The dead at the hospital. welcome respite from the Oklahoma State Bureau of The release said the headlines and pandemic Investigation is investigat- alleged shooter was coop- reports. ing a homicide in Ottawa erative and was released To kick off the Christ- County Thursday, Nov. 12. aer an interview that mas season, the Coleman According to a press included several witnesses, will present “Miracle on release, around 11 p.m. according to the OSBI. 34th Street” by the Miami end the season on a high has to be what will do the Allowing for safe social dis- Thursday, the OSBI Upon completion of the Little Theatre, followed note, SIX will return to the trick,” said Danny Dillon, tancing, we invite everyone received a request from the investigation, the OSBI will by Christmas Carols at Coleman for their fourth Coleman Managing Direc- to come in, distance, and Ottawa County Sheriff’s provide a full report to the the Coleman, then A Big engagement. tor. “With that in mind, the escape for an evening into a Office to investigate a Ottawa County District Band Christmas, another “If anything can help Coleman Theatre is pre- Christmas wonderland. shooting at a residence in Attorney’s office for review Christmas classic, “It’s A us escape the mood of this senting enough Christmas Wyandotte. and determination of Wonderful Life,” and, to year, the Christmas spirit to make your spirits bright. SEE COLEMAN, A3 The victim, Melvin potential charges. Follow The "¨ô ö¨æ [A£ Ýn nÏ Miami News-Record AQ¨æÝ ö¨æÏ £nô Ïn on Facebook at Ƽư D B0D _c B0B0 H< Ɨýưóý facebook.com/ ŬľŘÝů óýƼĕƼýŘư ¨ ,H*H]c.:s>]wŴHB *ĘĻ¿ DŽƐ ʼnĻ *©Òʼnʼnħ Ļ¿ cǚĘƫƫÒƉ miamioknews B0ĕǪǪǪƗýƼƟó A2 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020 miamiok.com THE MIAMI NEWS-RECORD NEWS Oklahoma officials continue to push ‘personal responsibility’ statewide mask mandate, long-term care employees proactive and take as many Experts say the governor said he would to receive vaccinations first, approaches as possible not issue one. Stitt, who followed by health care to protect public health. vaccine is has continued to push for workers in hospitals that It is critical that all states months off “personal responsibility” care directly for COVID-19 require facemasks and has said multiple times patients. social distancing to protect throughout the pandemic Pfizer announced on their residents.” Kassie McClung that a mandate isn’t right Monday that its experi- Meagan Fitzpatrick The Frontier for Oklahomans and he mental COVID-19 vaccine is an infectious-disease would leave that decision appeared to be working transmission modeler at take action that curbs this of the governor, saying he OKLAHOMA CITY up to local governments. and that it could prevent University of Maryland intensifying health crisis.” had failed to enact restric- tions to slow the spread of — Gov. Kevin Stitt and The news conference more than 90 percent of School of Medicine. She Renewed calls for the coronavirus. health officials’ message came as Oklahoma has infections. Though early agreed that a vaccine a mask mandate “There’ve been more on Tuesday emphasized continued to break records data is promising, many wouldn’t be available for In Tulsa, the city council than 1,400 COVID deaths an upcoming coronavirus for COVID-19 case growth questions remain. several more months and passed a mask ordinance in Oklahoma, and the gov- vaccine and Oklahomans and hospitalizations, which The federal government advised leaders not wait for on July 15. But most of the ernor has not come up with practicing “personal respon- have hovered around 1,000 hasn’t deemed a vaccine a vaccine to get the pan- communities surrounding a single plan to keep that sibility” as a way to curb the patients for the last week, worthy of widespread demic under control. Tulsa haven’t, and it shows, number from getting to spread of the pandemic. state health data shows. distribution, and Pfizer “It’s best if we think Mayor G.T. Bynum said at 2,000. This is a total failure However, experts, The pandemic has killed at has yet to seek approval about a vaccine as some- a news conference Tuesday in leadership,” she said. though optimistic, say a least 1,451 Oklahomans. from the Food and Drug thing that will help us afternoon. Virgin also called on vaccine likely will not be Tulsa ran out of ICU Administration. deliver the final blow to Since September, about lawmakers to enter a widely distributed until beds for a few hours on When a vaccine is COVID in concert with 61 percent of COVID-19 special session, in part to next year, leaving Oklaho- Monday night. approved, the first batch everything else we can do,” mans to go it alone for the patients being treated in address the issue of a mask Health Commissioner Dr.