August 1, 2021

Chickasaw Nation News

This time on CNTV News, Brad and Quin open the episode with an update on COVID-19. During the pandemic the Chickasaw Nation conducted thousands of COVID-19 tests. Since December 2020 the tribe administered tens of thousands of vaccinations, which are available to the public at no cost, regardless of tribal citizenship and state residency. This summer, the Chickasaw Nation hosted COVID-19 vaccination clinics for anyone age 12 and older. The drive-through vaccinations were held at the Emergency Operations Facility in Ada, the Chickasaw Youth Club in Sulphur and the Tishomingo Community Center.

Brad and Quin speak with Chickasaw Nation Under Secretary of Health Dr. John Krueger to learn more about the vaccination efforts, the vaccine impact on variants and what to expect this fall. He says that the viruses have been mutating, which has resulted in the highly infectious Delta variant, and unvaccinated individuals are most at risk for severe illness. He also tells CNTV News that to date, the Chickasaw Nation has administered a little over 62,000 vaccine doses. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations or to schedule an appointment, please visit www.covidvaccine.chickasaw.net or call the Chickasaw Nation COVID Vaccine Call Center at (580) 272-1339.

Families have until August 4 to apply for the summer EBT program. Children who receive free or reduced school meals qualify for the food program. Tribal affiliation is not required but children do need to be enrolled in a participating public school district within the Chickasaw Nation. Summer EBT Manager Tyra Shackleford provides more details about the program and explains how it benefits area children and families. For more information, please call (580) 272-1178 or visit www.chickasaw.net/summerebt.

To close the episode, Brad and Quin introduce an inspirational young Chickasaw who is a star athlete despite overcoming significant health challenges. Eighteen-year-old Bethel High School graduate Dezmen Loving is a five-sport varsity athlete who will attend Oklahoma City University in the fall on cross country and wrestling scholarships. Raised by his grandparents Gary and Shannon Loving, he has always been a gifted student and athlete, but problems with his vision were a major hurdle. Dezmen had suffered from double vision his entire life and had almost no depth perception, making team sports difficult. But after undergoing eye surgery his senior year, he now sees the world in a brand-new way. Dezmen also excels in the classroom. He'll be pursuing his love for math and a computer science degree with a full academic scholarship.

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