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Mollman Media News

2019 May 25-29

Friday, May 31st

 

Public Hearing Set for City of Chix 2020 Budget

Officials at Chickasha city hall have put together a proposed $19 million general fund budget for the fiscal year that will begin July 1st. City Manager John Noblitt says it includes about $15 million in projected revenue for the coming year, combined with about $4.5 million in carry-over funds. City Councilman Jim Hopkins says there is not a lot of excess in the budget.

 

              

 

One source of funding has been removed from the general fund budget completely. For several years, officials would transfer money from the Chickasha Municipal Authority (CMA) branch of city government. Noblitt said previously, the CMA was providing more than $1.5 million a year to the general fund. Last year, that was cut to about $775,000. A copy of the budget plan can be seen on the home page of the city's website, www.chickasha.org

The public hearing will be held during Monday night's city council meeting.

 

 Event Area Proposed Near Chix Railroad Depot             

Also at Monday's meeting, the council will discuss hiring an architectural firm to design a proposed event space and park for downtown Chickasha. The panel will consider hiring Winterrowd Talley Architects at a cost of a little more than $6,000. City Manager John Noblitt says he and Mayor Chris Mosley have met with an unidentified private partnership group to develop a pavilion, a permanent stage, and food truck area on city-owned property just south of the Rock Island Railroad depot. Noblitt said the firm would design a proposed master plan, determine what the project might cost, and prepare fund-raising efforts.

 

Washita River Flood Threat Continues

The flood threat continues along the Washita River from Anadarko to Chickasha. Flood waters are receding from levels that been as high as  3 ½ feet above flood stage. The latest from the National Weather Service shows the river at Anadarko has fallen about a foot, however it is still 2 1/2 feet  above flood stage. The flood warning at Anadarko has been extended to Monday afternoon. The river is expected to fall below flood stage at Anadarko Monday morning. At Chickasha, the river is down considerably but is still slightly above flood stage. The flood warning at Chickasha will continue through late tonight.

 

'Boil Order' Issued for Tuttle Business 

Contaminated well water has been detected at a Grady County business. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a boil order for Apex Fitness which is east of Tuttle. The boil order was issued after E.Coli bacteria was found during a routine test. The DEQ says any drinking water, or water used in food preparation, dishwashing or even for brushing teeth from that well should be brought to a full, rolling boil for at least one minute. Otherwise, consumers should use bottled water. District One Grady County Commissioner Michael Walker confirmed the boil order. He said business owners have already bleached the water system a couple of times to try to eliminate the bacteria. The owners of the fitness center will be providing additional test samples to the DEQ in the next few days. State officials say users will be notified when the well water is safe to drink.

 

 Anadarko Department Store Marks 70th Year in Business             

An Anadarko business celebrates a big anniversary today. George's Department Store has been around since 1949 - that's 70 years! The Anadarko Chamber of Commerce is hosting a downtown business appreciation for the family-owned store from noon to 2 p.m.  today. Special guests will be the Thunder girls and the Thunder drummers from the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team. The event is open to the public.      

 

Weekend Events in Chickasha             

There is a lot going on in Chickasha this weekend. The annual Twisterfest outdoor concert is a two-day event today and tomorrow at the Muscle Car Ranch. The Oklahoma High School Rodeo Association is hosting its state finals through Sunday at the Grady County Fairgrounds Event Center, and the Relay for Life for Grady and Caddo counties will be tomorrow night at the Chickasha High School Football field.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil in the NYMEX is $56.59 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $66.87.

Natural gas is $2.54 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,303. Silver is $14.52.

 

 

Thursday, May 30th

 

Pedestrian Struck and Killed by Vehicle Near Marlow

A teenager walking along a U.S. Highway near Marlow is struck and killed by a vehicle. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports the 17-year old boy died from massive injuries at the scene. The teen's name was not disclosed as the OHP does not release the name of juveniles. The accident happened about a mile south of Marlow on U.S. Highway 81, just before 1:00 a.m. this morning. The trooper dispatched to the scene said the accident is still under investigation. He said the weather was clear and the road was dry at the time. The driver of the SUV was 42-year old Cristy Rose of Chickasha. The trooper said Rose's condition at the time of the accident was apparently normal. Both Rose and a passenger in the SUV were wearing seatbelts.

 

Flooding Continues for Washita River in Chix, Anadarko

Flood warnings are still in effect for the Washita River at both Chickasha and Anadarko. The river is about 4 1/2 feet above flood stage at both locations. Some county roads north and west of Chickasha are closed due to high water, and there is some flooding of crop and pasture land along the river between Chickasha and Tabler and further downstream. The National Weather Service says some fields may be under as much as six feet of water. There appears to be no flooding threat from Line Creek which runs through the residential area in the north part of Chickasha. The river at Chickasha is near crest and should begin falling around mid-day. It is expected to fall below flood stage Saturday afternoon. The river in Anadarko is also cresting and should also begin falling around mid-day. However,  it is not expected to fall below flood stage there until late Sunday. The floodwaters are preventing Anadarko city officials from getting to their water and waste water treatment facilities. The waste water plant is over-filled because of the flooding. Officials are still warning residents to avoid going into gray-colored water.

 

Water Wells May be Contaminated; Free Testing Offered

Many rural families have water wells that have been submerged with flooding rains this month. Officials with the State Department of Environmental Quality say not to drink well water as it is likely contaminated. The DEQ is now offering free bacteriological testing of well water in all 77 Oklahoma counties. For disinfection and sampling instructions and supplies, go on-line to www.deq.state.ok.us

You can call the agency toll-free at 800-522-0206. The free testing will be available until July 15th.

 

 'Re-Sale' of Grady County Property Nears             

Some Grady County property could be purchased for pennies on the dollar. County Treasurer Robin Burton said the annual re-sale of property will be on Monday, June 10th. These are properties in which the owners are at least four years behind in paying their property taxes. Burton says right now there are 46 properties available though that number could change should the delinquent property taxes be paid before the sale. Burton says it is a "buyer-beware" sale. All properties are sold "as-is" and no warranties of any kind will be offered. Pre-registration is required before the sale. Information can be seen on the website www.oktax rolls.com or by stopping by the treasurer's office.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is 58.81 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $69.45.

Natural gas is $2.62 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,280 and silver is $14.39.

 

 

Wednesday, May 29th

 

No Damage Reported Following Tornado Warning

Severe weather tracked across Oklahoma again last night, and it had many in the Grady, McClain, and Garvin county area on edge. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for a storm moving from Rush Springs to the Lindsay area. The warning was in effect from about 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tornado sirens wailed in Lindsay. It was the second tornado warning for parts of Grady County within the last week. Saturday night, the weather service issued a tornado warning for northern Grady County when radar detected a possible tornado in the Minco area. Minco School Superintendent Kevin Sims said nearly 30 people took shelter in the safe room at the school. There were unconfirmed reports of five inches of rain in the Ninnekah area last night, with a couple of inches of rain in Rush Springs. There have been no reports of widespread damage, other than some road closings. Anyone experiencing storm damage should report to local emergency managers, or go on-line to www.damage.ok.gov

A state of emergency is in place statewide because of all the severe storms this month.

 

Anadarko Water Systems Hampered by Flooding

Flooding in Anadarko is causing some problems for the city's water and waste water systems. On its Facebook page, city officials say the system has been overfilled and that the waste water plant is inaccessible due to flooding. Officials say they are working to address the issues. In the meantime, officials warn that people and pets should not go into any water that is gray in color.

 

 Chickasha Men on Board Train that Struck Pedestrian             

Two Chickasha railroad workers were on a train which hit a pedestrian walking along the railroad tracks in Kingfisher yesterday. The pedestrian survived. He was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital and was last in stable condition with head and trunk injuries. The Highway Patrol reports that 23-year old Dakota Welch of Okeene was walking on the tracks listening to music, and didn't hear the train coming from behind. Welch was knocked a few feet off the tracks. 45-year old Jerry Burrowes and 40-year old Dwayne Crawford both of Chickasha were on the Union Pacific train and they were not hurt. Burrowes was the engineer and Crawford was the conductor.

 

High Bond Set for Domestic Violence Suspect

A call to the Grady Memorial Hospital emergency room leads police to arrest a man on a domestic violence complaint. Now the suspect is facing felony charges which include assault with a dangerous weapon. The Chickasha police blotter indicates that officers were dispatched to the emergency room about 2:00 a.m. Sunday. The female victim said the assault began at the Chickasha Villa Apartments near 4th and Country Club Road. Authorities arrested 56-year old Patrick Joseph Ruth, Jr. in connection with the attack. Ruth remains in jail on a $50,000 bond. Ruth pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer in connection with a previous arrest this past February.

 

One Arrested After Cyril Store Robbed at Knifepoint

A Cyril woman is in custody for allegedly robbing a convenience store at knifepoint. Prosecutors have charged 46-year old Rocky Jockel Blackwell with felony charges of robbery and assault and battery on a peace officer. She also faces a misdemeanor public drunk charge. The robbery occurred at the Cyril Dollar General Store last Thursday afternoon. The Lawton Constitution reports that police were called after Blackwell left the store, and authorities located her a short time later. It's alleged Blackwell got just under $170 in the robbery. Blackwell remains in the Caddo County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $59.14 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $70.11.

Natural gas is $2.58 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,288 and silver is $14.35.

 

 

Tuesday, May 28th

 

Man Drowns at Lake Chickasha

A Memorial Day outing at Lake Chickasha turns tragic for a local family. 34-year old Zachary Tryon of Chickasha drowned at the lake Monday afternoon. The Highway Patrol reports Tryon and two others were on the boat dock just before 5:30 p.m. yesterday, when they saw a young female struggling in the water nearby. All three men went to help the young lady, who managed to get back to shore safely - but Tryon went under the water and did not resurface. His body was recovered a little after 10:00 p.m. Monday only about 10 feet from the boat dock where the water was 8 1/2 feet deep.

 

Memorial Day Ceremonies Honor Fallen Soldiers

The Memorial Day holiday is set aside to honor the men and women in the Armed Forces who died while serving their country. One of many ceremonies was held at the Grady County Veteran's Memorial at Chickasha's Shannon Springs Park. Sherri Lewis with the Oklahoma Veterans Recognition Committee

 

              

 

Guest speaker for the ceremony was Homer Hulme, who was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War. Hulme was a pilot on a B-47 fighter-bomber. He says his crew relied on the stars to fly safely.

 

              

 

Hulme's plane carried a 3-megaton nuclear bomb which was to fly to Moscow had order ever been given to do so.

 

 Couple Hospitalized When Two Bikes Hit Trailer

Two motorcycles crash into a pick-up pulling a gooseneck trailer near Minco yesterday, seriously injuring two riders on one of the bikes. 49-year old Jeffrey Swanson and 44-year old Sheila Swanson, both of Tuttle, were taken to an Oklahoma City hospital with head, arm, leg, and internal injuries. They were wearing helmets. The accident happened just after 2:30 p.m. Monday about 1 1/2 miles west of Minco on State Highway 152. The highway patrol reports all three vehicles were traveling in the same direction, with the motorcycles trailing the pickup. The pickup took a wide turn to go into a private drive, when the Swanson bike hit the truck and both passengers were thrown off the motorcycle. Somehow, the rider of the second bike, 45-year old Barney Neely of Yukon avoided injury, as he managed to jump off the bike and land on his feet before his bike slid underneath the trailer. The driver of the truck was 71-year old Donna Smith of Hinton. Two children in the pickup were a 14-year old boy and a 12-year old girl whose names were not released. No one in the pickup was hurt.

 

Amber Man Named to SWOSU Foundation Board

A local banker will serve on the board of directors for the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Foundation. David Ferrell of Amber holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Finance from Southwestern as well as a Master’s degree in business administration from Cameron University. Ferrell currently serves as president and chief operations officer for the Bank of Commerce and its locations in Chickasha, Anadarko, Carnegie, Duncan, and Lawton. Ferrell previously served as a regent for USAO. Ferrell was appointed to the Finance and Audit committees of the Southwestern Foundation.

 

 Special Guest to Appear at Thunder Basketball Camp             

Thursday is a big day at the Chickasha Area YMCA. The first of the statewide Oklahoma City Thunder youth camps will be held that day.  A special guest from the Thunder will make an appearance. The team's mascot Rumble the Bison will be there about 11:00 a.m. Also, the YMCA is registering teams for the Thunder youth basketball program, which will consist of six games to be played weeknights at the Y starting next month. Contact the YMCA for information about these Thunder-related programs.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $58.63 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $68.69.

Natural gas is $2.59 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,288 and silver is $14.47.

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