Saturday, Sept. 7th
Home Invasion Suspects Jailed on $1 Million+ Bonds
Two suspects arrested in connection with a Tuttle home invasion shouldn't be getting out of jail anytime soon. A Grady County judge set bond for both suspects at well over $1 million each. The bond for Nathaniel Jones was set at $2.5 million, while bond for Jessica Roberts was set at $1.5 million. Both are charged with first degree robbery and assault and battery with a deadly weapon in connection with a break-in of a home of an elderly Tuttle couple last week. The couple were beaten and tied up. Jones and Roberts are to announce their attorneys on Sept. 19th, with their preliminary hearing conferences scheduled Oct. 2nd. At last report, authorities were looking for a third person who drove the get-away car after the attack.
Food For Kids Campaign Underway
As Oklahoma children get back in their classrooms, the Regional Food Bank is cranking up its backpack program. Many elementary school children around Grady and Caddo counties and throughout western Oklahoma get a back-pack filled with nutritional, ready-to-eat foods each Friday. And to help out, some companies and individuals are contributing tens of thousands of dollars to help the food bank's Food for Kids drive. The companies will match all donations to the Regional Food Bank, up to $180,000. Cathy Nestlen with the Regional Food Bank says that means your contributions will help even more children.
Among those providing the funds are the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma, 7-11 stores, Lezlie and David Hudiburg, David Gorham, and an anonymous donor. The groups will match all contributions that come in during the month of September, up to $180,000. To donate, visit the website www.foodforkids.us
Some Bird Hunting Now Allowed at Refuge
Bird hunters will be happy to hear that the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge has added some new programs. Turkey and waterfowl may now be sought after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received favorable response from a public survey. Individuals will have to get a permit and keep it with them while they hunt. The permits are available at the visitor's center and various refuge locations. Waterfowl like ducks and geese can be harvested during their respective seasons in specific areas. Turkey hunting will be allowed during a controlled hunt at different times of the year, similar to elk and deer hunts. During those controlled hunts, individuals can harvest feral hogs and coyotes. Hunters cannot shoot from across a road, parking lots, or designated hiking trails. Some bird hunting actually starts today, as the teal season begins.
Fightin' Chicks Win Season Opener at Marlow
The Chickasha Fightin' Chick football team wins it season opener at Marlow, 20-7. The Chicks scored on their first offensive play of the game, on about a 70-yard touchdown pass from Cayss Lowery to Kaden Stephenson. Lowery was 10-15 passing for 150 yards and the one touchdown Stephenson had three receptions for 80 yards and the TD. Running back Hassain Burdex had 90 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries. Defensively, Austin Albright had two interceptions and a fumble recovery and also had 8 tackles. Stephenson stopped a Marlow scoring threat with an interception in Chickasha's endzone. J.T. Richie had a team-high 12 tackles with four for losses and was in on three quarterback sacks. Harrison Funderburk had 8 tackles. Coach Jerry Don Bray liked what he saw early but thought the team's intensity waned in the second half.
The Chicks will have their opener next Friday night when they host Harrah.
Other scores
Tuttle 41, Kingfisher 18
Minco 14, Dibble 6
Elgin 35, Blanchard 20
Anadarko 28, Lexington 7
Bridge Creek 44, Little Axe 24
Laverne 28, Alex 22
Cyril 58, Corn Bible Academy 12
Rush Springs, idle
Friday, Sept. 6th
Special Elections for Some Next Tuesday
Voters in the Blanchard, Carnegie, and Hinton school districts will be going to ballot boxes next week to decide special bond elections. In Blanchard, voters will decide a more than $30 million bond issue which would allow the district to build a performing arts center, a new football stadium, and new classrooms. In Carnegie, voters are to cast ballots on a $5.4 million bond measure for school improvements. In Hinton, a bond issue for $925,000 would allow the district to purchase school buses and related transportation equipment. In Apache, voters are deciding whether to continue a franchise agreement with Public Service Company of Oklahoma. In-person, absentee voting is available at county election board offices today. Early voting for the Blanchard issue is available at both the Grady and McClain county election boards, while voters in Carnegie and Apache can cast ballots early at the Caddo County election board. The election boards are open until 6:00 p.m.
Chix Planning Commission to Hold Re-Zoning Hearings
A couple of requests for zoning changes will be heard during public hearings at next week’s Chickasha Planning Commission meeting. One is for Hoffman Land, LLC to rezone property at 1201 N. 16th Street from single-family residential to light industrial use. The other is for Bill McDuff to rezone property at 202 N. 6th Street from general commercial to light industrial. The Planning Commission will meet at city hall next Tuesday, Sept. 10th at 4:00 p.m.
Mayor Prepares State-of-the-City Address
Chickasha Mayor Chris Mosley is putting together his annual State-of-the-City address. Mosley will give an update of activities over the past year and discuss plans, goals, and ideas for the short- and long-term. Mosley's presentation will be Wednesday morning, Sept. 11th at Canadian Valley Technology Center. It's hosted by the city and the Chamber of Commerce. Breakfast will be available at $10 for chamber members and $15 for prospective members. Seating is limited. Breakfast will start at 7:30 a.m. with Mosley's address at about 8:00 a.m. You're asked to RSVP the chamber and advance tickets can be purchased on-line at events@chickashachamber.com
Alex, Cement Have Weekend Celebrations
There are a couple of small town celebrations in the region this weekend. The Alex Founders Day is all day tomorrow, with a 5K run, fishing tournament, parade, a car show, activities in the park, and a concert. In Cement, it’s the second annual Jesse James Festival, which will also include a car show, the Marlow Gunfighters, and activities for the kids. A Jesse James historian who has been featured on the Discovery and Travel channels will have a couple of presentations, and author Freda Cruse Hardison will have books for sale and conduct research for a new book. Legend has it that Frank and Jesse James spent some time in the area, and some believe the famed bank robbers may have hidden some money in the hills in the Cement area.
USAO Student Works with State Hall of Fame
A USAO student has been selected to help handle numerous artifacts and archives at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. History major Dominique Washington will be working at the Gaylord-Pickens museum. She’ll focus on software programs and best-practices which are critical to the operation of museums. She will also conduct research on hall of fame members and other notable Oklahomans. Washington and fellow USAO history major Cora Clegg both interned at the Oklahoma History Center over the summer. They helped to improve research aids for the Clara Luper Collection, and also served as research assistants for USAO history professor Tonnia Anderson and Bruce Fisher, son of Chickasha civil rights activist Ada Lois Sipuel-Fisher, for USAOs Ada Lois Sipuel-Fisher Center for Social Justice and Racial Healing.
Talk Show Topic
Here's what we're talking about this weekend. Several members of Chickasha Philanthropic Educational Organizations (PEO) are guests on our KOOL Konversation to discuss the 150th anniversary of the international group. We have a link to the program under the Community tab on this website.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $56.30 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $60.95.
Natural gas is $2.43 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,515 and silver is $18.27.
Thursday, Sept. 5th
Costs for City of Chix Emergency Projects Climb
The price tags for emergency repair work on the City of Chickasha's water treatment plant and a storm water line are growing. At this week's city council meeting, City Manager John Noblitt gave the panel an update on the two emergencies he declared this summer. Noblitt said some critical issues happened with some of the equipment at the water treatment plant. He said the initial cost of those repairs is about $29,000 so far. He did say that the city's water towers seem to be keeping up with demand over the last few weeks. The emergency repairs to the storm water drain at 4th and Colorado have topped $35,000 and will continue to rise. Noblitt said the Department of Transportation will not make any further repairs to 4th Street (U.S. Highway 81) unless the city pays them. There are still some sidewalk repairs that need to be made before that project will be considered complete.
Council Postpones Decision on Sale of RV Park Property
The city council also postponed a decision on the possible sale of some city owned land which is currently being leased by Paul Knight for the Time Out RV Park. Knight wants to buy the four acres of land he's currently leasing from the city, and an additional acre and a half. Knight has leased the property for 13 years but would like to expand. Knight says the RV park is full, and that he has turned down 200 requests for RV parking over the past year. Knight says he has already invested more than $250,000 over the years in the property, and feels he cannot invest more money into property he does not own. The issue could be considered again at the Sept. 16 council meeting
Fatal Motorcycle Accident in Stephens County
A Marlow man has died in a motorcycle crash. 59-year old Marcus Law was riding his bike on the Duncan Bypass when the accident occurred about 3:00 p.m. Wednesday. The highway patrol reported that Law may have been traveling at an unsafe speed when he went off the road and hit a sign. Law was air-lifted to a Duncan hospital where he later died.
Former Cop Accused of Sex Crime Appears in Court
A former Cement police officer accused of soliciting prostitution from a teenager was in court this week. Stacy Burger was arrested in June when it was alleged he asked a 16-year old girl for sex and she refused. The incident reportedly occurred at a Chickasha home. A judge has scheduled a preliminary hearing for Burger on Nov. 20th. Burger remains in the Grady County Jail on a $100,000 bond, though his attorney has filed a motion to reduce that figure.
SCOOP Region Has More Top-Producing Well Sites
It's been a while since we've had any reports of lucrative well sites in the SCOOP. We do have one to tell you about today. Gulfport Energy reports completion of a three-pad well with a combined production of almost 2,000 barrels of oil and an eye-opening 53,000 metric cubic feet of natural gas per day. The three Jeanie wells are near Alex in Township 27, Range 5N and 6W. The website www.okenergytoday.com indicates that each well was drilled to a depth of about 21,000 feet in the Woodford formation. It took about a year for the wells to be completed after their spud dates in the spring of 2018. Another large producing site is just north of Grady County. Houston-based Travis Peak Resources reported a well bringing in 1,800 barrels of oil and nearly 3,500 metric cubic feet of natural gas per day about four miles southeast of Yukon.
Premium Sale is Tonight for Caddo County Fair Exhibitors
It's a big day for Caddo County FFA and 4H youth who showed livestock at last week’s Caddo County Fair. The premium sale will be held tonight for nearly 70 animals which qualified for the sale. The seven grand champion animals will command top dollar. The grand market steer was shown by Ryder Klassen of Hydro-Eakly; the grand prospect steer was shown by Tucker Freie of Ft. Cobb-Broxton. The grand barrow was shown by Kade Pendley of the Cyril. The grand market lamb was shown by Stetson Nix of Carnegie and the grand ewe lamb was shown by Barrett Sitton of Binger-Oney. The grand wether goat was shown by Rayli Wright of Lookeba-Sickles, and the grand doe goat was shown by Addy Schneberger of Carnegie. A buyer's dinner hosted by the Caddo County Sirloin Club and CK Energy will get underway at 6 o'clock and the sale at 7 o'clock tonight at the Caddo County Fairgrounds.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $56.26 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $60.70.
Natural gas is $2.44 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,548 and silver is $19.24.
Wednesday, Sept. 4th
Two Arrested in Connection with Tuttle Home Invasion
Two people are behind bars this morning, in connection with that home invasion that occurred in Tuttle last weekend. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) posted news of the arrests on its official Facebook page earlier today. Media reports indicate the arrests came after an overnight standoff at an Oklahoma City home. In custody are 25-year old Nathaniel Jones and 28-year old Jessica Roberts. Jones was picked up on a Grady County warrant for first degree robbery and taken to the Oklahoma County Jail. Roberts was booked into the Grady County jail, also on a robbery charge. The suspects were identified after the OSBI received numerous leads. Jones and Roberts are alleged to have beaten and tied up the elderly couple that lives in the home.
Head-on Crash in Anadarko Claims Three Lives
A violent head-on collision kills three people in Anadarko. The accident happened near the Riverside Indian School on U.S. Highway 281 Tuesday afternoon. 39-year old Amanda Satoe of Anadarko; 32-year old Joshua Westerman of Marshall, Texas; and 67-year old Larry Fitzgerald of Florida all died in the crash that happened about 2:30 p.m. The highway patrol reports that Satoe and Westerman were southbound in an SUV at a high rate of speed. The vehicle ran off the road and the driver over-corrected, then collided with the pick-up driven by Fitzgerald, who was towing a bumper-pull camper trailer.
Motorcycles Crash; Four Injured
Four people are seriously injured and two were last hospitalized in critical condition after two motorcycles collided in Chickasha this past weekend. Jack and Bobbi Jo Martin are still in the hospital. Their cousins Jimmy and Sabra Martin were seriously injured, suffering broken bones. Jimmy and Sabra are home from the hospital. Chickasha police didn't have official information available about the accident which happened Sunday afternoon near 4th Street and Almar Drive. Social media posts indicated that Jack Martin may have suffered from a medical condition that caused him to crash in to Jimmy and Sabra's motorcycle.
Two Injured When Box Truck Hits Turnpike Bridge
Two men are injured when their delivery truck hit a bridge on the H.E. Bailey Turnpike. The driver suffered critical injuries in the accident that happened in the westbound lanes of the turnpike near Mile Marker 90 about 10:00 a.m. Tuesday. The driver, 27-year old Drake White of Mustang, was thrown out of the truck and suffered numerous injuries. He was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital. The passenger, 43-year old Corey Jackson of Oklahoma City, was pinned in the wreckage for about 45 minutes. He was also taken to the hospital but was released after treatment. The initial reports were that the vehicle was a semi but the highway patrol indicated it was a box truck. The trooper investigating the crash reports that White may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
Plans for RV Storage Park Business Shelved
A capacity crowd gathered at Chickasha City hall last night, in anticipation of a public hearing regarding the proposed development of a recreational vehicle storage business. But the hearing was abruptly canceled when the applicant withdrew the plan from consideration. Kelly Boyd was seeking a zoning change to create the RV storage business on 29th Street but the plan met with strong opposition. It's the second time in the last three years that Boyd had tried to re-zone five acres of agriculture property he owns to commercial use to develop the business. In both instances neighboring property owners and others were vocal in their opposition to the plan.
Chix City Council OK's Funds for New Development
The city council signed off on a plan to use economic development funds to encourage the development of about 21 acres of property in the east part of Chickasha. The council authorized the use of $180,000 as part of an agreement with a Mustang company knows as It’s Our Turn. The property is located at Almar Drive and South Grand Avenue, near where a new motel is under construction. The plan is to build a number of residential units which could be apartments or duplexes, as well as a commercial district to add new businesses. The company has 3 1/2 years to show some progress on the development in order to qualify for the city funds, unless the city approves an extension.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $53.94 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $60.40.
Natural gas is $2.36 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,546 and silver is $19.45.
Tuesday, Sept. 3rd
OSBI Probes Tuttle Break-in
Authorities continue their search for the suspects who broke into a home and terrorized a Tuttle couple. It happened late Friday night, when the OSBI says a man and his wife were beaten and tied up. Somehow, the man was able to get free and got his gun and shot at the suspects. A relative of the victim says his uncle unloaded his weapon on one of the suspects, and believes one of them was hit twice. The 79-year old uncle has Stage 4 lung cancer. The nephew said his aunt and uncle met the suspects on-line to sell them some items. Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to contact the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Some video surveillance of the suspects can be seen on the OSBI Facebook page.
Centerpoint Energy OK'd for Rate Hike
Customers of CenterPoint Energy will see an increase in their natural gas bills. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission approved a $1.9 million rate increase for the company. That translates into nearly $1.30 a month increase for residential customers. Commercial customers will also see an increase. The website www.okenergytoday.com reports that the corporation commission approved the rate increase after conducting a yearly review of CenterPoint Energy's plan. CenterPoint has about 100,000 customers in Oklahoma including the Chickasha area as well as southern, southwestern, and northern Oklahoma.
Chix City Council Meeting is Tonight
A public hearing for a proposed recreational storage business will be held by the Chickasha City Council tonight. The council normally meets on Monday, but is meeting tonight because of the Labor Day holiday. Businessman Kelly Boyd is looking to re-zone some of his agriculture property to commercial use, in order to develop a five-acre plot for the RV storage facility. The council is also to consider awarding a bid to a company to replace many of the city's storm sirens. The fire department has received a grant to help pay for that project. The panel will also consider an economic development agreement for a new housing and commercial development. A company called It's Our Turn of Mustang is purchasing about 21 acres of city-owned property, intending to develop about 120 residential units and some commercial property. If approved, the city could pay the company up to $180,000. The city would extend water and sewer lines to the property.
State Lawmaker Wants Help for Emergency Teachers
The shortage of certified teachers in the Sooner State is not unique to Oklahoma. Officials say there is a shortage nationwide, including in the state of Texas, where many Oklahoma teachers are going to take advantage of higher teacher pay. One Oklahoma state lawmaker says that with the hundreds of emergency teacher certifications approved by Oklahoma Department of Education in the Sooner State, many of them are going through on-the-job training. State Representative Toni Hassenbeck of Elgin will have an interim study to look at a $100 million fund designed for teachers and student support.
Hassenbeck says many of the individuals given the emergency teaching certification may have never taught a child how to read before, and that they need to have access to software or other training materials.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $55.10 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $60.43.
Natural gas is $2.29 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,541 and silver if $18.60.
Monday, September 2nd
No news due to the Labor Day Holiday
