Volume 117, Issue 8
the
VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”
vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista ucentralmedia.com Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Theft, Embezzlement Investigated at Thatcher Hall Former UCO Employee Accused of Selling Stolen Items Online Haley Humphrey @HaleyBHumphrey REPORTER
Former UCO employee, Renda Elaina Walter, is accused of theft and embezzlement of items inside Thatcher Hall on campus. Walter has not been located.
The investigation of stolen items from Thatcher Hall, located between the Center for Transformative Learning and the Nigh University Center is still underway as of Monday. Former University of Central Oklahoma employee Renda Elaina Walter, who was accused of selling the items online, has not been located as of Oct. 2. “Our police are still investigating, which includes compiling a complete list of the items stolen,” Adrienne Nobles, assistant vice president for communications at the UCO said. One professor in Thatcher said her
vacuum was missing. Other items that were potentially sold by Walter on Facebook Marketplace, a shop icon on the social media application that allows people to buy and sell items, were cleaning devices, such as a Swiffer Wet Jet, school supplies and furniture, such as a wooden mailbox and desks. Walter was employed for about a year as a College of Business administrative assistant who managed the accounting, finance and legal studies departments. Her office was in Thatcher where she was a building captain, a responsibility of having key access to all College of Business offices. An affidavit for a search warrant was issued Sept. 25 by an Oklahoma
County District judge to go through Walter’s Facebook messages and Marketplace usage to press possible embezzlement and Violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act charges. A UCO police detective was notified Sept. 13 by a UCO employee that there was a possible larceny happening in Thatcher after the employee had noticed items were disappearing from offices. The same employee told the detective she was on Facebook Marketplace and saw items that looked like the ones missing from Thatcher. The items the employee saw was listed for sale by a Facebook user with the name Elaina B Walter. UCO police Continued on Pg. 6
Tis’ the Season for Sneezing: Flu Vaccinations start at UCO Maury “Kevin” Blair @mauryb007 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The OU Physicians Health and Wellness Clinic at the University of Central Oklahoma is offering flu shots for the 2019-2020 season. William Schaffner, M.D., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases said in a Sept. 26 press conference that a survey indicated only 52 percent of adults plan to be vaccinated. “The sort of good news is that the survey showed that six in 10 US adults, 60 percent, think the flu vaccine is the best preventive measure against flu-related deaths and hospitalization,” Schaffner said. “Of course, that means 40 percent haven’t gotten the word yet.” The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta offers flu prevention tips on
CAMPUS CHAT
A nurse prepares a flu shot at the Salvation Army in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
its website, with an emphasis on vaccination, prevention and treatment. Timothy Siler, M.D., of Canyon Park Family Medicine in Edmond, said that everybody ages six months and older should get the flu vaccine, unless there is some reason not to get
one, but said that those reasons are few. Siler indicated those who should be vaccinated include even “the elderly and women who are pregnant or lactating,” and said the vaccine is “extremely safe.” “Flu is a very serious illness and can
SPORTS
AROUND EDMOND
Thoughts: Impeachment Volleyball Wins Two of UCO Cheer and Dance See Pg. 12 Photo Story See Pg. 7 Inquiry of Trump? See Pg. 5 Three
be potentially fatal,” Siler said. “The benefits far outweigh the risks.” Siler said that two reasons everybody should be vaccinated are to protect themselves and to stop epidemics. “If everyone got a flu shot, it would be very difficult for epidemics to ever start,” Siler said. An OU Medical clinic staff member at UCO provided basic information for those wishing to obtain flu shots on campus. “They need their ID and insurance if they have it,” said LaTisha Davis, a medical assistant at UCO. OU Physicians Health and Wellness Clinic at UCO is located at 100 North University Drive, Edmond, OK 73034 or can be reached at 405271-UCO1 (8261). The clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
STATEWIDE
Letter to the Editor See Pg. 3