Your Ranch News

2017, Week of Nov. 27th Through December 1st

Saturday, December 2nd

Students Disciplined Following School Threat

Threats by a student to shoot up Chickasha High School this week were determined to not be a credible threat. But unconfirmed reports say at least one student was expelled after the incident. School officials called Chickasha police after learning of the threats Wednesday afternoon. A police department press release stated a student was playing with a smart phone app which made simulated gunshot noises. A second student recorded a snap chat video and added a caption saying "This is what it will sound like when I shoot up the school." The snap chat was sent to several individuals. After interviewing the two students and their parents, authorities said it was an extremely poor joke. On Thursday, a statement on the Chickasha schools Facebook page said appropriate procedures were followed, and that they approach every threat with the possibility it could be carried out. A second Facebook post from the school said appropriate disciplinary action was taken, following guidelines in the student handbook. More than 100 comments and/or reactions from individuals followed the school district Facebook posts.

Military Vet, Possibly with PTSD, Jailed in Double-Homicide

A military veteran who may have been suffering from PTSD is charged with the shooting deaths of his wife and his step-father. 34-year old Shane Josiah Kirk was formally charged with two counts of murder in Stephens County district yesterday. A judge denied bond. Authorities found the bodies of Jessica Kirk and Dennis Duncan in the Kirk home Wednesday night. Court documents indicate that Shane Kirk took his son to the hospital earlier Wednesday, claiming both had been poisoned. Jessica Kirk later arrived at the hospital, and told doctors that her husband suffered from PTSD, and his behavior had become paranoid and erratic. She said she had tried to take him to a veteran's hospital to get help. During his arraignment, Kirk told the judge he went to Colorado recently to get away from people who were trying to hurt him. He also told the judge he believe he suffered from mental illness. Kirk is reported to have told the judge he wanted to represent himself, but it was recommended he hire an attorney, or have one appointed. A preliminary hearing conference is set for Feb. 27th.

School Board Filings Open Monday

Individuals who want to be involved in developing policy and overseeing operations in their public schools will be able to file for school board posts next week. At least one school board office in nearly every school district will be open for candidates. In Chickasha, office No. 3 held by Julie Badgett-Sinn will be open. Candidates must live within the boundaries of the office they are filing for in order to be eligible. The filing period runs next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. School elections, if needed, will be in February.

Hearwarming Story of a Chickasha Sooner Fan

A nice story in the Oklahoman today about a Chickasha man in Dallas for the Big 12 Conference title game between OU and TCU. Jennie Carlson writes about retired banker Bill Graves, among many who are Sooner fans. The 81-year old Graves is making the trip with his grandsons Bron and Kyle. Carlson writes of Graves love for the Sooners, and for his late wife of nearly 56 years. Shirley Graves died in 2012 after a nearly 20 year battle with lupus. Graves was her constant caregiver and companion.

Weekend Programs

Heres what we're talking about this weekend. Blood donations are critical this time of year. Zelda McCall with the Oklahoma Blood Institute will be on our KOOL Konversation program to discuss the need, and, an upcoming blood drive where you can help. We have a link to that interiew on this website under the Community tab.

Friday December 1st

Our Chickasha Schools Academic Person of the week is Pike Butler! Tune at 7AM and 8Am to hear Pike’s story!

Thursday, November 30th

Double-Homicide Investigation in Duncan

Duncan police and the OSBI are looking into the deaths of two people, whose bodies were found in a Duncan home last night. The OSBI has been called in to help with the investigation. First reports indicated the victims had been shot, although the cause of their deaths has not yet been released. Initially, two adults and a juvenile were taken in for questioning. Officials say they have made one arrest. It wasn't clear if the suspect was among those questioned. Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims nor the suspect.

Norman Woman, Children Missing

A woman and two small children are missing from Norman. Authorities say 59-year old Rita Bump, 2-year old Stormy and 5-year old Riley have been missing for three months. But a missing persons report wasn't filed until a couple of weeks ago. Investigators don't believe Bump and the kids are in any danger. However, Bump did not tell relatives they were going to be gone for an extended period of time. Bump is said to be the mother of the two children, but at nearly 60 years old, its unusual for a woman of Bump's age to have children. Police would not explain how she is the children's mother. Bump is Caucasian, with short brown hair. She could be driving a black 2013 Honda Accord with one of two Oklahoma license plates - 397-KXL or GGP-981. If you know anything about Rita Bump and the children, call Norman police, 405-266-5232.

UTV Crash Victim Dies

The Apache man critically hurt in a UTV accident earlier this week has died. 32-year old Scott Thomas Brewer suffered head and internal injuries in the crash west of Fletcher Tuesday night. The highway patrol reports that Brewer died of his injuries early Wednesday morning. Brewer and another man were riding the UTV when it ran off the road and hit a cable stretched between two poles, and over-turned. The UTV landed on top of Brewer. The passenger, 46-year old Billy Ridley, also of Apache, was not injured.

Two Hurt in Caddo County Crash

Two people are injured when a car runs off the road and hits a tree in northern Caddo County. 27-year old Alexander Belsome of Louisiana, and 37-year old Luis Aceves were hurt in the Wednesday morning accident, northeast of Lookeba. Belsome was admitted to a hospital in fair condition and Aceves was admitted for observation. The highway patrol reports Belsome was at the wheel of a 2018 Toyota Camry when it careened off the road and into the tree. The trooper investigating the accident said he Belsome may have been driving too fast.

Former City Hall Being Renovated for Military Vets

Renovations are underway at the former Chickasha City Hall, as officials work to turn it into a center for military veterans. The city council approved a five-year lease with the Disabled American Veterans recently. Michael Chavers, a Grady County Deputy Sheriff and a military veteran himself and other volunteers are working to get the building at 6th and Chickasha in shape. They've already been working for about a month to clean up the building, which has been empty for about three years. Chavers says he's been thinking about creating a permanent home for veterans for a couple of years. DAV has a part-time office at Canadian Valley Technology Center, which has been a big help, but they are finding more and more vets in the area that need assistance. Chavers even enlisted the help of some students with Canadian Valley Technology Center to do some upgrades on the heating and air system, and also to clean the carpets. Chavers hopes to have the center ready by mid-January. Until then, veterans can get assistance in a temporary office at the technology center on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and also at the Workforce Oklahoma office.

Job Fair Set for Vets

Military veterans looking for work can meet a number of potential employers in one location next month. Call it a job fair for the men and women who are veterans, current soliders in a transition phase to civilian life, and those in the National Guard and reserves. The job fair will be hosted by Oklahoma Military Connection, which includes Workforce Oklahoma, the State Department of Career Tech, and the National Guard Employment Coordiation Program. The job fair will be Thursday, Dec. 14th at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Norman. Individuals seeking work, or employers who want to take part in the job fair should register on-line at www.okmilitaryconnection.com

Energy Firm Sells SCOOP, other Assets

Noble Energy has sold part of its huge group of mineral rights in the SCOOP region. The website OK Energy Today reports that Noble has sold millions of acres of mineral rights and royalty interests in Oklahoma, Texas, North Dakota and other states. Noble's SCOOP holdings are part of a $350 million sale to Black Stone Minerals of Houston. The purchase expands Black Stone's holdings in both the SCOOP and STACK plays, and brings its 2017 purchases to $500 million on 135 transactions.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil is $57.30 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $63.11.

Natural gas is $3.18 per million BTUs.

Gold down is $1,284 and silver is $16.56.

Wednesday, November 29th

Pursuit Suspect Apologizes

New developments in the incident where a man led police on a lengthy pursuit earlier this month. Brenton Hager has written a letter apologizing for what he did. Hager led Oklahoma City police on an extended chase on November 10th, after he was spotted driving a stolen truck out of Grady County. He even posted part of the pursuit live on social media. He writes that he wants to apologize to family, friends, law enforcement, and all those negatively affected by his actions. He says he understands he'll have to face the consequences. He said he can't explain why he made the choices he did. Hager faces numerous charges, including assault on a police officer, endangering others, unauthorized use of a vehicle and driving without a license.

UTV Crash Critically Injures Driver

A Caddo County man was last in critical condition after a UTV crash. 32-year old Scott Brewer of Apache suffered head and internal injuries in the accident that happened west of Fletcher in Comanche County Tuesday night. Brewer was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital. The Highway Patrol reports that Brewer and a passenger on the utility vehicle ran off a road and hit a cable stretched between two poles. Both men were ejected, and the UTV overturned and landed on top of Brewer. The passenger, 46-year old Billy Ridley, also of Apache, was not injured. OHP says Brewer may have been drinking. Neither man was wearing a helmet.

Student to Discuss Research at State Capital

A USAO student will have the opportunity to discuss her research on water resource managment to state lawmakers. Jaclyn McCasland of Anadarko will talk about her project next March during Research Day at the state capital. The annual program informs not only lawmakers but the public about research projects at state colleges and universities. McCasland is a chemistry major, and recently completed work on how the management of surface water resources is a growing concern in central Oklahoma. Much of her research was done at USAO's own habitat area.

Teachers Surprised with Funds

A regional financial institution has awarded thousands of dollars in grants to Oklahoma teachers. Arvest Bank contributed more than $16,000 to 33 teachers who were nominated for the bank's We Love Oklahoma Teachers Campaign. In this region, Cassidey Edwards of Chickasha's Bill Wallace School; and Rebekah McAnally of Elgin Middle school were among those presented with $500. Teachers from 90 school districts were nominated for the awards.

Cotton Crop Loans Available

Oklahoma's cotton crop is said to be decent this year. More acres than normal were planted, the yields said to be good, and more cotton is being moved through the ginning process. Mark Jackson with the Grady County Farm Service Agency says cotton producers may want to consider a recourse seed cotton loan.

The loans are available through March 31st. The national loan rate for seed cotton put under loan is 49 cents per pound.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $57.99 a barrel.

London-based Brent is $63.61.

natural gas is per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,297 and silver $16.90.

Tuesday, November 28th

Separate Crashes Send Two to OKC Hospitals

Monday was a bad day for traffic accidents in Chickasha. The day started with a head-on collision between semis north of town, and ended with a two-vehicle collision southwest of the city. Individuals in both crashes were air-lifted to Oklahoma City hospitals. A pickup and an SUV collided at U.S. Highway 92 and Country Club Road about 4:30 p.m. yesterday. An unidentified woman was air-lifted to Oklahoma City with unknown injuries. Another unidentified driver was not seriously hurt. Chickasha police are still investigating, but said it appeared one driver may have failed to yield from a stop sign.

In yesterday morning's head-on semi crash north of town, police say the driver of a southbound big rig crossed the centerline and hit an oncoming semi. 31-year old Dexter Pratt of Conroe, Texas was air-lifted to an OKC hospital, but we called two hospitals, and he was not in either one. 33-year old Roman Betancourt of Ft. Worth was treated at the scene. That accident happened at 2 o'clock Monday morning, a half-mile north of Chickasha on U.S. Highway 81. Police are still looking into what caused Pratt to cross into oncoming traffic. The accident closed the highway in both directions for about four hours.

Mixed Bag of Consumer Spending News

Mixed news in the local economy for consumer spending. Throughout Grady County, estimated spending for September is $40 million, off about 2.4 percent from August. The number is also down more than 11.5 percent compared to the September of last year. However, September is the third largest month for consumer spending so far in 2017. We estimate consumer spending when we see the sales tax revenue for the county, and factor in the sales tax rate of 3/4 of a penny. Grady County collected nearly $600,000 in sales tax revenue this month, based on the September sales. Here's where that money goes: The Grady County Fairgrounds gets nearly $200,000; Grady Memorial Hospital collects more than $175,000; Seven senior nutrition centers share nearly $100,000...each one gets $14,000. 20 fire districts share $100,000, with each one to get $5,000; Tuttle EMS receives $18,000; and Rush Springs EMS gets $4,500.

In Chickasha, consumer spending for September was about $24 million, up slightly from August. The total is up about 11 percent from September of 2016. The city collected more than $900,000 in sales taxes, up slightly from the previous month, and an increase of some $11,000 from the same time last year.

Use tax collections at both the county and city levels were up. Grady County received $90,000 this month, up from $51,000 from the same time a year ago. Chickasha received nearly $120,000 which is 30 percent higher than last month, and three times the amount received last year in September, which was $37,000. Use tax collections are those paid on Internet purchases and are not included in the sales tax revenue numbers.

Library to Hold Food for Fines

Once again this year, the Chickasha Library will allow those who are late in returning their materials to pay fines by helping hungry families. It's called Food for Fines. Throughout the month of December, the library will erase your late fee, as long as you contribute some non-perishable food to the Emergency Food Pantry. Librarian Lilly Huckaby says the dollar amount of the food does not have to match the fine. Huckaby says many library patrons will donate food, even it they don't have overdue books. She also said the Food for Fines program cannot be used for any lost materials. Those items will have to be paid for. The Food for Fines program starts Friday, December 1st.

You Can Avoid Food Poisoning During the Holidays

Food-borne illnesses seem to occur more often during the holidays. Many times, it's because foods are not thoroughly cooked. Meats are among the foods that can cause someone to be sick, if the internal temperature doesn't reach a level hot enough to kill bacteria. Susan Routh with Grady County OSU Extension.

To make sure foods are cooked to the proper temperature, use a meat thermometer and be sure to wash it with hot, soapy water before and after every use.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $58.11 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $63.84.

Natural gas is $2.98 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,298 and silver is $17.13.

Monday, November 27th

One Hospitalized When Semis Collide

U.S. Highway 81 north of Chickasha was shut down for a several hours this morning when two semis collide head-on. Chickasha police say a southbound semi went left of center and struck a northbound semi. Both drivers were trapped for an unknown amount of time before being freed by Chickasha Fire and EMS. Authorities say the driver of the southbound semi was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital with non-life threatenign injuries. The other driver was treated at scene but did not have to go to the hospital. The accident happened around 2 a.m. on U.S. Highway 81 about one-half mile north of U.S. Highway 62. The crash closed the highway in both directions for about four hours.

Winter Will be Here, Eventually

While recent weather has been very pleasant for this time of year, it can turn at any time. Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson says now is a good time to prepare for any snow and ice that may hit when winter does arrive. He has a couple of suggestions when it comes to your vehicle.

Thompson also says its a good idea to have a full tank of gas, and, have a shovel and some kitty litter handy in case you get stuck. He also suggests having some high-energy snacks available if you happen to get stranded. Most of all, he says don't get out in the bad weather unless its absolutely necessary.

Mickey Garrison Passes

Longtime educator and athletic director, Mickey Garrison has died. Garrison passed away Thanksgiving morning at his home at the age of 75. For several years, he and Terrill McBride were leaders for AAU Baseball, where they ran tournaments in Chickasha, as well as Texas, Arkansas, and Florida. Born in Okeene in 1942, the family moved to Wayne where he played baseball. He taught math and science at Clinton, McLish, and Cleo Springs, and coached baseball at Apache. He came to Chickasha to be the district's athletic director and also taught 7th grade math. He retired in 2004. Garrison is survived by his wife Helen; daughter Rhonda and husband Kelly Burrows of Chickasha; daughter Kelly and her husband Johnny Ditmore of Texas; and son Mike and his wife Christi of Amarillo. Funeral mass for Mickey Garrison will be at 10 o'clock Tuesday morning at Holy Name Catholic Church. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Oklahoma Parkinson's Foundation.

Turnpike Crash Holds Up Traffic

The H.E. Bailey Turnpike southwest of Chickasha was closed for almost an hour last night, following a non-injury crash between three vehicles. Both westbound lanes of traffic were shut down after the crash that happened near Mile Marker 75 about 7 o'clock last night. No details of the accident were released.

Energy Industry Bullish Nationwide

There are more oil and gas wells actively drilling across the country this week. The national count was up by eight rigs to a total of 923, which is up about 55 percent from the same time a year ago. Matt Skinner with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission has the count across the Sooner State.