Healthcare workers across the nation have faced an unrelenting foe throughout their battle against the novel coronavirus dubbed COVID-19. From January 20, 2020, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the first COVID-19 case in the United States, through the end of 2021, medical staff have been repeatedly rocked with multiple waves of infections resulting in hospitals filled to capacity, and sometimes beyond. As 2021 drew to a close and 2022 began with yet another COVID-19 surge, the promised return to normal has yet to fully materialize. Manning the frontlines over the last two years has caused resilient healthcare professionals to question their careers and/or the state of healthcare now and in the future.

Best known as the Berlin Candy Bomber, retired Air Force Colonel Gail Halvorsen took off on his final flight with his new set of wings on February 16. The beloved pilot gained fame for dropping candy to German children during the Berlin Airlift from 1948 to 1949, but he touched many lives throughout his 101 years on earth. Halvorsen was born on Oct. 10, 1920, and grew up in Utah and Idaho on small farms. Growing up with his face in the dirt and planes flying overhead, he dreamed of one day taking flight himself. Originally appeared in the March 4, 2022 issue of the Miami News-Record

“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild to pick up a book and read, to a child,” said Dr. Seuss in a famous quote. In celebration of Read Across America Week and Dr. Seuss’ birthday, area schools had fun dress-up days and special events throughout the week of Feb. 28 through March 4. A big part of the excitement at Wilson Early Childhood Development Center was guest readers who came to read to the kids throughout the week. Superintendent Nick Highsmith kicked the week off by reading "Hop on Pop” to some of Miami’s littlest Wardogs. Probably the highlight of the week at Wilson was some special guest readers on Tuesday who surprised the students by bringing a fire truck and ambulance to the school for the kids to climb on and check out close-up. Later, Firefighter/Driver/EMT Kade Witten, with some help from the FirePup, read a book to the enthralled bunch of youngsters. Originally appeared in the March 4, 2022 issue of the Miami News-Record

Horse owners often find it challenging to keep up with the latest vaccination recommendations and some may not fully realize the importance of vaccines in keeping their equine partners healthy and strong. Your horse needs “core” vaccines and may need “non-core” vaccines based on its usual activities, geographic location and other considerations. Although you might be hesitant to poke your horse, it’s for their protection and vaccines are generally safe. They have been well-tested and many have been used for numerous years. Vaccines should be a routine part of your horse’s life, so make a point of knowing current recommendations, potential side effects and the overall importance of vaccines. Originally appeared in the March 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated

Stress has been an ongoing problem for many people long before the challenges and collective loss brought on by COVID-19 made it worse. For some, the ongoing pandemic has caused stress levels to skyrocket even if they weren’t previously prone to feeling overly tense. From the isolation felt during lockdowns to the turmoil of trying to resume daily life once stay-at-home orders were lifted, stress and anxiety may have pushed your mental and emotional wellbeing to the limit. Enter seven stunning little stones that are said to possess healing abilities that may help diffuse some of your anxiety by alleviating your stress. Published in the March 2022 issue of Rock & Gem magazine

February is National Bird Feeding Month and it’s a great time to get in touch with the natural world by inviting some hungry birds to your backyard during the long, cold winter. Your new feathered friends will flourish and thank you. Jenn Donnell, an information and education specialist at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, said feeding birds in your backyard helps them survive harsh weather. “Offering supplemental foods through a bird feeder can really help out local populations of birds especially during winter weather events,” she said. Originally appeared in the February 25, 2022 issue of the Miami News-Record

Transitioning from bedside nursing to nursing leadership starts with supplementing your education and experience. Before you tackle these requirements, be sure it’s a position you really want to take on. Nurse leaders have extensive roles that require much more than telling other nurses what to do and differ from nursing house supervisors, whose role is primarily administrative and doesn’t require advanced education. While each hospital has its own qualifications for RNs wanting to transition to nurse leaders, certain steps are generally standard.

Below freezing temperatures are a common occurrence in Miami during the winter, increasing parents' concern over their kids spending too much time outdoors. When the temperature dips below freezing, it can take fewer minutes than you might realize to get frostbite and even fewer to get frostnip. Kids are more at risk because their little bodies lose heat much faster than adults. Originally appeared in the February 11, 2022 issue of the Miami News-Record

During the second week of January 2022, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in West Carson, Calif. shut down for at least two hours when the trauma center didn’t have enough blood supply to meet demand. Susan Addison, Senior Account Manager with the Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI), said these are the kinds of stories you used to hear about in third world countries. “The blood supply has always been kind of tough,” she said. “Only about 10% of those who are healthy and well enough are willing to donate blood so if we got up to 50% of those who are healthy and well enough, we would stop seeing messaging for emergencies.” Besides the limited number of blood donors, the COVID-19 pandemic has further fueled what’s become an unprecedented blood shortage across the nation because it disrupted regular blood drives. Originally appeared in the February 1, 2022 issue of the Miami News-Record

Annamaria Thomas may not be a stereotypical model but she’s already a popular one. The Miami High School senior recently signed a modeling contract with Elite Modeling Agency in Miami, Fla., but she still plans to live in Miami, Okla. and attend NEO while modeling. Thomas was just 12 years old when a scout singled her out. Originally published in the January 7, 2022 edition of the Miami News-Record

What started with an elderly lady simply buying cream cheese at a local dollar store wound up benefitting two local organizations. Miami Mayor Bless Parker turned a negative experience into something positive and the community once again proved how much it cares. The elderly lady happened to be the mayor’s mom, Margaret Anderson, and she was buying a large amount of cream cheese to make cheesecakes for Christmas. The mayor said he had no idea there was a shortage of cream cheese and there was no limit on how many you could purchase. Originally published in the January 4, 2022 edition of the Miami News-Record

The Modoc recently received a herd of buffalo from Yellowstone National Park. The herd is an entire family from babies to bulls and considered some of the purest buffalo in the nation. On Dec. 16, Defenders of Wildlife announced that they along with the Fort Peck Tribes and the InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC) were facilitating the transfer of 56 Yellowstone buffalo. The Yakama Nation in Washington and the Modoc Nation in Oklahoma would each receive 28 buffalo. It’s the first time they transferred two large intact bison families under the Bison Conservation Transfer Program, which began in 2019. Originally published in the December 31, 2021 edition of the Miami News-Record

Nobody wants to think about a tornado hitting their home or business, but in Tornado Alley it’s a very real threat. When you do think about tornadoes, it’s likely in the spring and early summer when they’re most common. However, wintertime doesn’t mean the danger has passed, which was unfortunately demonstrated last Friday when 40-plus tornadoes ripped through six states causing mass destruction and numerous deaths. The best advice is to be prepared no matter the season . . . Originally published in the Dec. 21 edition of the Miami News-Record / Page 3

Facebook groups and other online platforms have become common places to seek advice on all types of subjects, even veterinary advice for horses. Unfortunately, giving and receiving equine advice of a medical nature can be harmful to your horse, and giving advice may be illegal, even if the person providing the advice is an equine veterinarian. Read on to learn potential ramifications.

The Miami Hi-Noon Business Women’s Club held their annual Miss Merry Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 3 and they crowned the cutest Grinch in the land. Pat Hecksher emceed the event with six participants ranging in age between 3 and 8. Elaina Joyce Parker was the winner of the 2021 Miss Merry Christmas pageant. Three-year-old Elaina is the daughter of Korie Payton and Detrick Parker and the granddaughter of James and Sari Payton. Elaina loves Mr. Grinch as demonstrated by her chosen outfit for the pageant, which sported the Grinch’s signature green fur. She also loves riding bikes, reading books and everything rainbow. Elaina was presented with a sash, tiara, 1st place trophy and piggy bank containing $100 . . . Originally published in the Dec. 7, 2021 edition of the Miami News-Record / Page 3

From infants to older folks, hundreds of people lined the street to watch the 7th annual Picher Christmas parade on Dec. 4. Kids eagerly awaited the first toss of candy from parade participants while two older gentlemen talked about the glory days on the Picher football field. It was a traditional scene filled with small-town charm and community spirit. There was just one big difference between this parade and the many others that took place on Saturday. The Town of Picher technically no longer exists . . . Originally appeared in the Dec. 7, 2021 edition of the Miami News-Record / Page 1

Even though a chick hatches from an egg instead of being born from its mother’s womb, it still has a “belly button.” However, the navel on a chick is more difficult to find, especially on a healthy newborn. A poorly closed navel is a clear sign there’s something wrong with the chick. And it may indicate a problem in your incubator or incubation techniques. A chick’s navel is one of the most vulnerable places for bacterial and fungal infections. So it’s important to understand what a chick’s belly button tells you. Originally appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Chickens