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rural
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2020-05-27
Push Back in Rural America
Podcast about the push-back by rural Americans against restrictions. -
2020-06-14
Preparing for the Public Again: Supplies Needed for Reopening Oklahoma Business in Phase 3 During COVID-19
Starting June 1st, Oklahoma Governor Stitt's Phase 3 of Oklahoma's reopening began. The Richey Insurance Agency of Blanchard, Oklahoma has still not opened partly due to the company's employees being in the vulnerable categories. One of the other reasons is the difficulty in obtaining much needed cleaning supplies and the creation of new office protocols to maintain CDC suggested safety measures. Being a small independent business in a rural area, we are not given strict corporate or state regulations to enact. Instead, we are reliant on state and CDC information as well as our own ingenuity of how to best observe these suggestions. Some of the items that we've recently obtained include: plexiglass barriers for two desks, new easily cleanable office chairs, automated hand sanitizer stations, 70% isopropyl alcohol for spray bottles, bulk bottle of hand sanitizer, brightly colored tape for marking distancing locations on the floor, emergency masks, emergency gloves, and document exchange trays. All of these items are newly purchased and weren't necessary before COVID-19. The barriers will help maintain sanitary work spaces and create social distancing gaps. The chairs are especially important because they are replacing the previous cloth chairs. These new chairs' entire surface is either vinyl or metal, making it easier to clean after every customer. The social distancing rules will be a maximum of four customers in the office. This is approximately one third of its usual heavy customer points normally. All of these changes are based on a downward progression of COVID-19 cases to prevent our employees from unnecessary risk. Right now, three of the employees work from home and will continue until the office is officially open. Currently the new COVID-19 cases are on an upward trend in Oklahoma, with 225 new cases on Saturday June 12th, the single largest day since the beginning of the outbreak. With numbers like these, Phase 3 seems to be more of risk than we had planned. Much of the ramp up to open will be stalled until Oklahoma numbers show a significant decline. Personal story submitted for the #ruralvoices collection. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580. -
2020-05-31
Internet Upgrade Occurs Just as COVID-19 Fears of Contact with Others and Staying at Home Heightens
The sign depicts advertising to encourage people to sign up for Pioneer Telephone's Fiber Internet in Blanchard, Oklahoma. As a rural community, we had been waiting for fiber access for quite awhile. We are close enough to the Oklahoma City area to see the capability grow, but were too far away to benefit until recently. The local company Pioneer promoted the coming of the internet upgrade for the past year. I had already signed a contract to receive this upgrade in October of 2019, but by chance my neighborhood's service was ready until March 2nd just as COVID-19 concerns were starting to become more widespread. On March 25th state-wide restrictions put in place by Governor Stitt's executive order closed non-essential businesses, limited public gatherings to no more than 10 people, and enacted the "safer at home" protocol for those over 65 or with underlying medical conditions. During this time period I had restricted my exposure to just a few of my closest family in order to protect the older members. Pioneer called the last week of March to set a date, just as the biggest restrictions were occurring. I decided to move forward not realizing how the idea of a person entering my house would change my thoughts just a week later. The utility companies often send people to do work orders, which had never bothered me in the past. When Pioneer arrived on April 3rd to install the upgrade, I began to realize that this would feel very different. For the past month, we had postponed family nights, group dinners, and outings. During that time, we wouldn't dare answer the door for a sales person or go to grocery stores without a mask. The entire month was mostly just Kelly and I in my home with few outs beyond my work or my grandmother's house. The process was somewhat stressful because of how much the COVID-19 situation had changed since signing up for the service. When the man arrived, I noticed he was cautious about how he entered and the social distancing he kept from us. He did much of the organizing of his equipment in my driveway from his pickup. He was a contract worker for Pioneer and his helper was a young man of about eighteen. The two came inside, with the young man doing most of his work from my attic. This was the first time someone other than a few close family members had entered my house since the executive order. His distancing and professionalism helped alleviate many of the concerns. Once he left we used sanitizer wipes to clean door handles, just to be safe. The time he was in my house was cordial and friendly, but it was far from the normal way rural people would act in circumstances like this in the past. There were no handshakes which would've been a standard practice for many people in these encounters. This situation depicts the feelings of uncertainty and the changing of routine habits that occurred during COVID-19. Many of these changes were gradual, subconscious and only visible once we reflected upon them. Personal story submitted for the #ruralvoices collection. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580. #HST580 #ASU -
2020-05-17
Safe drinking water must be part of coronavirus response package
Access to water must be included as part of the next major federal legislative package. We cannot expect to halt the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic without water for handwashing and basic sanitation. I am even more interested in how this is going to be administered to the Navajo Reservation that continues to struggle with COVID deaths as a result of limited access to water. In some place, zero access to clean and safe water for hygiene and sanitation. -
05/27/2020
Kris McDaniel Oral History, 2020/05/27
Interview of recent high graduate Kris McDaniel of Blanchard, Oklahoma by Clinton P. Roberts on 05/27/2020. Kris speaks about changes to his senior year of high school and the unique ways his rural town created a drive-through graduation ceremony due to COVID-19. Kris also speaks generally on what it was like to be a young person in high school, missing key moments due to the pandemic, and what he wants future people to know about this experience in this rural community. Submitted for the #ruralvoices collection. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580. #HST580 #ASU -
2020-05-19
Crow Agency assembles emergency response team amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
"- When it comes to containing the coronavirus, communities all around the world are having to take unique steps that work for them. And that's true as well for Montana's native tribes." -
05/11/2020
WE HAVE TO ACT NOW AND ORGANIZE OURSELVES AGAINST COVID, WE CANNOT WAIT FOR GOVERNMENT RESPONSES
"To respond to the crisis, Navajo & Hopi Families COVID Relief formed a network of collaboration between all kinds of actors." #IndigenousStories -
05/18/2020
Meat Shortages and Buying Restrictions in Grocery Stores During COVID-19
For the last few weeks the grocery store in Blanchard, Oklahoma has had a restriction on the purchase of meat products due to shortages during the COVID-19 quarantine. The sign alerts potential purchasers with, "ATTENTION CUSTOMERS!!!" describing restrictions to meat purchase quantities and portions for certain items. This is one of the first "food category" restrictions within the store. Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580 -
2020-04-24
Rural America
This image is of an old family homestead in rural Virginia. You'll notice that there are no people in the photograph. This is because, in rural areas of America, not much has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic barley even effects places like this, as self-sustained and poverty is the way of life every singe day. -
2020-03-28
The Coronavirus May Hit Rural America Later
Rural communities and how Coronavirus will affect them -
2020-04-06
Poarch Band of Creek Indians Donates $1 Million to Local Hospital to Offset Costs to Fight the Coronavirus
Tribal leadership invests in the welfare of its rural tribal community and their neighbors through a donation for coronavirus testing and treatment equiptment. #IndigenousStories