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Welcome Center reopens to public access, masks required in building

The Osage Nation Welcome Center is now reopened to the public after a temporary closure due to increased COVID-19 cases.

On Jan. 24, the Nation announced the reopening of the Welcome Center in Pawhuska, which comes two weeks after a two-day testing drive-thru at the Wah-Zha-Zhe Health Center resulted in 64 positive cases reported among the Nation’s 400-plus government employees. The mandatory employee testing drive was called in wake of the recent increases in positive COVID-19 cases and as an effort to stop the spread.

“The Osage Nation Welcome Center has re-opened to public access,” said an ON Communications announcement. “Face masks continue to be required and constituents are encouraged to conduct business via phone, email, mail, fax, or by using the dropbox (at the north Welcome Center entrance for Tax Commission business), if able.”

During the Welcome Center’s temporary public closure, ON departmental staff continued working remotely.

The ON Tax Commission can be reached at (918) 287-5393 and is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Service information, including vehicle registration and renewal forms and business license and tax applications, are available online at: www.osagenation-nsn.gov/services/tax-commission  

Members of the public requesting information or inquiries can contact Constituent Services at (918) 287-5555 or online by completing and submitting a contact form at: www.osagenation-nsn.gov/contact

In a Jan. 24 update, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 7,679 new COVID-19 cases, which is a 4,700-plus drop from Sunday, Jan. 23’s reported 12,471 new cases.

Individuals with questions related to COVID-19, the COVID-19 vaccine, the COVID-19 booster, or scheduling a test, can call the WZZHC COVID-19 hotline at (918) 287-0028. The WZZHC is located at 715 Grandview Ave. in Pawhuska.


By

Benny Polacca

Original Publish Date: 2022-01-25 00:00:00

Author

  • Benny Polacca

    Title: Senior Reporter

    Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

    Instagram: @bpolacca

    Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

    Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

    Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

    Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

    Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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Benny Polacca
Benny Polaccahttps://osagenews.org

Title: Senior Reporter

Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

Instagram: @bpolacca

Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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