Man Pleads Guilty to Negligent Homicide
A man who pleaded guilty to a negligent homicide charge will spend six months in jail. 32-year old Jesse Jones entered the plea in Grady County District Court this week, in connection with a fatal traffic accident that occurred in Minco more than 2 1/2 years ago. Jones, from Bartlesville, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge which was filed after the February, 2015 crash killed Linda Garner. Court documents indicate that Jones was driving a box truck that rear-ended Garner's vehicle. She died at the scene. In addition to spending six months behind bars, Jones will be on probation an additional six months. He was also ordered to pay about $600 in fines and all court costs.
Cole Supports Bump-Stock Ban
4th District Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole says bump stocks on assault rifles should be banned. Cole made the comment during a stop in Chickasha yesterday. Cole said that even the National Rifle Association supports the bump stock ban. The issue came to light after the deadly shooting in Las Vegas concert recently. Cole said he did not support a ban on assault rifles.
Cole believes President Trump and Congress will take action to ban the bump stocks, which make a legal weapon, illegal. Cole said the president should take administrative action immediately to ban bump stocks, and that Congress could follow with the legislative action later.
Long-tme Hotelier Dies
Freddie Thompson-Frederickson, long-time owner-operator of the Chickasha Hotel Coffeeshop has died. She was 97 when she passed away on Wednesday. Freddie and her husband Hayes moved to Chickasha in the early 60s when the purchased a car dealership. They bought the Chickasha Hotel in 1965, to keep it from closing. Freddie ran the apartments and coffeeshop for 40 years. Hayes passed away in 1991. Several years later, she married Sherman Frederickson. He passed away back in June of this year. Funeral service for Freddie Thompson-Frederickson will be at at 1:30 this afternoon at Ferguson Funeral Home.
A Call to Help Domestic Violence Victims
Domestic abuse is a problem nationwide. Grady County District Attorney Jason Hicks says his offices in the region sees it every week,. In addition to prosecuting those who commit domestic violence crimes, Hicks supports a local non-profit agency that helps those who suffer from the crime.
ICAN is the Intervention and Crisis Advocacy Network, which serves the Grady and Canadian County areas. The group is starting a fundraiser next week, to raise $200,000 to purchase the new shelter and offices the organization recently moved into to. The first fund-raiser kicks off with a benefit dinner next Thursday, October 26th at the Grady County Fairgrounds. Individual tickets are $25 and the group is also seeking corporate donors. For information call 405-224-8256.
Antique Auto Swap Meet Underway
The 49th annual Chickasha Antique Auto Club swap meet is underway. The event draws thousands of antique car buffs from around the world. There are several hundred vendors hawking their parts, and some have fully restored antique vehicles for sale. The meet going on just east of the Grady County Fairgrounds, with some vendors on the fairgrounds proper. There's no admission, but there is a parking fee, which goes to local charities. The swap meet runs through tomorrow.
Conservation Districts to Meet
In agriculture news, area conservation districts are getting ready for their annual meetings. The Grady County Conservation District will meet on Thursday, November 2nd at the Grady County Fairgrounds. That includes all of southwest Oklahoma, including Grady, Caddo, Stephens, and Comanche counties The Garvin Conservation District will meet Tuesday, November 14th at Mid-America Technology Center in Wayne. For infomation, contact your local conservation district.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX with a big drop yesterday, down to $51.29 a barrel.
London-based Brent crude down to $57.23.
Natural gas was up a couple of cents to $2.87 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,282 and silver is $17.11.
Thursday, October 19th
Shooting Suspect Due in Court
Warren Klingler, the man arrested following a shootout with Chickashapolice last month, is to be back in court today. Klinger is to announce his attorney in a Grady County courtroom this afternoon. He is accused of barricading himself inside his Chickasha home last month, as police tried to issue a search warrant. Klinger is charged with more than a dozen counts of shooting with intent to kill and assault and battery with a deadly weapon. Several police officers were targeted by Klinger, and two suffered gunshot wounds. Klinger is being held without bail. A second man arrested in connection with the shootout, 19-year old Kevontay Markell Allen, is charged with assaulting an officer. He is also to announce his attorney today.
Autopsy Released on Body Found
The state medical examiner has released autopsy results of a Chickasha man found dead in his home this past spring. The body of Houston Harper was found by his landlord. Authorities believe he may have been dead for up to two weeks before his body was found. The autopsy indicates Harper died from natural causes, but that he likely died from chronic alcoholism. Harper's body was found about two weeks after his 35th birthday.
Thief Caught with Loot and Fruit
An unusual theft at a local convenience store, where a man takes cash and some bananas. It happened at the Love's store on 4th street early Tuesday morning. Chickasha police say a man put two bananas on the counter. When the clerk opened the cash register, he produced a knife. He then fled the store with the cash and the bananas. The alleged thief was caught a few minutes later, after his van broke down. It addition, authorites found he had an oustanding warrant for an outstanding traffic ticket for not wearing a seat belt. 18-year old Peyton Fowler of Chickasha has been charged with a felony count of robbery with a weapon. He remains in jail on a $100,000 bond.
More Energy News
We've spent a lot of time this week talking about all the oil field activity in the region, and there's more news today. A Colorado-based company is expandings its operations. Simmerex Energy of Duncan is investing heavily in an area northwest of Chickasha.
Jerry Bohnen with that report.
4H Sign-up Underway
4H youth throughout the region are taking advantage of fall break, by attending the 4H Youth Action Conference in Stillwater. Several 4Hers from Grady and Caddo counties are taking part. Grady County 4H Educator Liz Taylor says parents can still sign-up their children in 4H, and says there are some new guidelines this year.
Taylor says there are nine traditional 4H clubs in Grady County, and four that specialize in just one project area. Those four groups are Good Eats and Healthy Living, Shooting Sports, Lego robotics and community service; and the Livestock Club.
Energy Prices
Crude oil on the NYMEX surpassed $52 a barrel, to $52.04.
London-based Brent crude topped $58 to $58.15.
Natural gas dropped about a dime to $2.85 per million BTUs.
Tuesday, October 17th
City Council Debates Bidding Process
There was lengthy debate at last night's Chickasha City Council meeting about hiring local businesses for projects, even when they don't have the lowest bid. The issue came up when the council discussed awarding a bid for janitorial services for different city buildings. Councilman Mark Keeling said a local company submitted a bid only slightly higher than the low bid. He said despite the price difference, the council should award the bid to that firm.
Mayor Hank Ross said the situation isn't new.
By a 6-3 vote, the council turned down the higher bid from the local company, T and S Cleaning. by the same 6-3 vote, the council approved going for the low bids from National Facilities of Oklahoma City, which was just under $5,600 a month.
Council Changes Meeting Times
The council also approved changing its meeting times. Beginning in January, the council will hold its meetings at 6:30, which is an hour later than their current time. The panel will also hold work sessions prior to those meetings.
SCOOP Update Next Week
An update on the energy industry in the regional SCOOP play will be reviewed next week. The Oklahoma branch of the National Association of Royalty Owners will meet in Chickasha next week. The SCOOP, which is short for the South Central Oklahoma Oil Play, includes the area from El Reno to Marietta...a regional called the Springer Fairway. Among the speakers will be Rick Howell, the president of the Oklahoma NARO group, and Jay Freede, the group's director. There will also be discussion of Leasing Essentials and Surface issues. The meeting will be held next Tuesday night from 6-8 on the Chickasha campus of the Canadian Valley Technology Center. The program is free for NARO members. Cost is $15 for non-members. Dinner is provided. Check out their website: naro-us.org
Exercise for Arthritis Sufferers
With cooler weather now upon us, it’s starting to affect those who suffer from arthritis. Moving those achy joints may actually help to ease the pain. Susan Routh with Grady County OSU Extension says a new exercise class will be starting soon that could help.
The class begins next Wednesday, Oct. 25th at the extension office in Chickasha. They will be held on Wednesdays and Fridays for about three months. Classes are free and will last about an hour. Routh says the exercises are designed to be pain-free, and can be done while standing or sitting.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX was up Monday to $51.87 a barrel.
London-based Brent crude up to $57.82.
Natural gas was down to $2.94 per million BTUs.
Gold slipped back under $1,300 to $1,291...and silver was down to $17.14.
Monday, October 16th
Grady County community deals with the death of a teenager.
Tragedy hit the town of Tuttle this weekend, when residents learned of the death of a middle school student. Cade Boles died in an ATV accident Friday afternoon. The accident happened near Hinton. Boles death hit the community hard. He was an exceptional student and athlete. His father, David, is an assistant coach for the high school football team. The team learned of Cade's death just a few minutes before they were to play Ada in a home game at Tuttle. Coaches throughout the region reached out to Tuttle coach Brad Ballard and the Boles family. At Oklahoma State University, Coach Mike Gundy and some players sent condolences. Cade's older brother, Rhett, is a walk-on freshman at OSU. There's no word on funeral services for Cade Boles.
Chickasha City council changing times for their twice-a-month meetings?
The panel is to consider meeting one hour later, changing the meeting times from 5:30 to 6:30 on the first and third Mondays of each month. City Manager John Noblitt said it would allow for work sessions to be held prior to the meetings. If approved, the change will take place after the first of the year.
The council will also consider auctioning off more mineral rights. It's for 120 acres of mineral rights east of Lake Chickasha. The sale could be scheduled at the first council meeting in November.
The panel will also discuss the expansion of a grant program, to help property owners install sidewalks and driveway approaches. The measure would match up to $2,500 for sidewalks and approaches, and up to $5,000 for curbs. If approved, the project would be funding with $75,000 this year. The council meets at 5:30 this afternoon at city hall. You can watch the meeting on Suddenlink Channel 3.
A Chickasha police officer is recognized for his work.
Officer Andrew Peck was presented a Law Enforcement Officer award at a recent conference held by the Wichita Mountains Prevention Network. The group includes member organizations such as Red Rock Behavioral Health Services. Law enforcement, substance abuse prevention groups and others met to develop programs and strategies to prevent substance abuse. Peck was honored for his work in 2015 and 2016, for making numerous arrests for hazardous driving violations; including DUI and drug possession. Conference leaders say by making the arrests, Peck protected the safety of motorists and citizens. Peck has graduated from an intense Drug Recognition Expert program, which included classroom and clinical work.
A big year for Chickasha's Festival of Light.
This will be the 25th year for the festival...which is about 30 days away from opening. About 3 million lights will twinkle in Shannon Springs Park this year. Elizabeth Allen says there will be a few changes this year.
The festival will open Saturday, Nov. 18th, and run through New Year’s Eve.
Cattle producers Report
Cattle producers in the region are combining efforts to get more youth involved in that industry. The Grady County Cattle Producers, and the Caddo County Cattlemen are teaming up for what's called the Performance Steer Contest. Youth throughout the region will compete over the next five months to raise a high-quality steer, with some big money going to the winners. David Nowlin with the Grady and Caddo county extension offices.
There is no cost for youth to enter. Students must be in a public, private, or home school in the Grady or Caddo county region. Contact either extension office in Chickasha or Anadarko for more info.
NYMEX
Crude oil gained 4 percent last week, up to $51.45 a barrel.
London-based Brent crude up to $57.17.
Natural gas gained 5 percent last week, to $3.00 per million BTUs.
Gold was higher, topping $1,300 to $1,307.
Silver went over $17 to $17.46.