Bank to Close Locations in Southwest Oklahoma Amid Digital Banking Shift
The First National Bank and Trust Co. is closing a few locations in southwest Oklahoma as more people move to digital banking.
Bank officials say although the physical buildings won’t be there, the bank will still serve the areas.
First National Bank and Trust is closing locations in Alex, Cyril and Rush Springs.
The bank’s Chief Experience Officer Mike VanSickle said customers increased their use of debit cards and services like mobile banking and mobile deposit, causing less people to be at the bank in person.
Customers of the closed locations can use other branches.
VanSickle said although the sites will close, programs in the areas will continue and ATMs will be installed for people to make deposits and withdrawals. The buildings will be donated to the communities to use how they see fit.
“Our managers are still managing those communities. They're just parking their car in a different location," VanSickle said.
He said the branch managers will work out of the main location in Chickasha and he says other employees will work at different branches.
Norman City Council Approves New Operator for Downtown Emergency Shelter
The city of Norman will soon have a new operator for a downtown emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness.
Last week, the council voted 5-4 to approve a contract with Oklahoma City based nonprofit City Care to take over operations of Norman’s downtown emergency shelter, currently called A Friend’s House.
City Care has operated a shelter in Oklahoma City since 2021. Its operation of Norman’s shelter will also come with increased security measures including walkthrough metal detectors.
Council also voted unanimously to terminate its contract with nonprofit Food & Shelter, which currently operates the shelter.
This follows Food & Shelter’s announcement of its intent to step away from operating the shelter in September. The nonprofit stated it would be willing to continue operations through March of next year or until a new operator was found.
City Care will take over operation of the shelter on Jan. 15 following a two-week transition period.
Proposed Legislation to Expand Medicaid Coverage For Prostate Cancer Screening
A coalition of Oklahoma medical students is proposing a measure with the State Medical Association to expand coverage of prostate cancer screening under Medicaid.
The potential legislation would cover the screening, diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer under Medicaid.
Oklahoma ranks 35th in the U.S. for prostate cancer incidence and 15th for mortality.
Reagan Amason, a third-year medical student at the University of Oklahoma, is leading the charge as the president of the OU-OSMA medical student section.
He said it’s a disservice to Oklahomans that screening for this common cancer isn’t fully covered by Medicaid.
“These men are not getting screened properly, and so then they are presenting to us with worse cancer than if they were screened – we could have caught this more early," Amason said.
The next legislative session begins on Feb. 3.
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