Saturday, October 31st
Power Line Repairs Continue
Hundreds of utility workers are now in their 4th day of working to restore power to thousands of homes still without electricity in the aftermath of this week's historic ice storm. Nearly 900 PSO customers in Chickasha are still without power. PSO's website indicates that power may be fully restored by 10 o'clock tonight. More than 20,000 electric co-op members are also still without power across the state. The number is down to about 1,700 in Grady County, including 1,500 OEC members and 220 CK Energy members. In Caddo County nearly 7,000 members are still without electricity, most of them with CK Energy where officials say it will take several days to restore power. In Canadian County more than 4,600 outages are reported. There's good progress in McClain County with the number down to 41 OEC members without power. In Garvin County, 77 members of People's Electric co-op are still in the dark.
Chickasha Expands Brush Drop Off Days
The City of Chickasha has extended the hours of a drop-off site for residents wanting to remove downed trees and limbs. Residents can take brush to the public works headquarters seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. There is no charge to do that. Residents will have to show a city water or utility bill. The city will pick up brush on the curb at no cost but that is expected to take several weeks. The city has only one truck capable of pickup a large amount of limbs.
Knife-Wielding Man Arrested for Disrupting Voters
A man armed with a buck-knife is arrested for allegedly threatening workers at the Grady County Election Board. It happened late Thursday afternoon while people were casting ballots during in-person, absentee voting. An incident report filed by a sheriff's deputy indicates the suspect was acting strange, running back and forth, even dancing with the knife, and lunging at employees. The knife was reported to be in it's sheath at all times and no one was injured. When deputies arrived, the suspect was in the process of voting and appeared to be getting agitated. It's alleged the suspect told authorities he was upset because it was election time and he brought the knife for protection. Authorities arrested 27-year old Ford William Filson of Chickasha without incident on a complaint of interfering with voting. No formal charges have yet been filed against Filson.
Accident Closes Tuttle Intersection for Hours
At least one person was reported to be injured in a traffic accident that included a commercial vehicle in the Tuttle area last night. The accident happened on State Highway 37 about two miles west of State Highway 4. Tuttle police called for OHP assistance after the crash happened about 7:15 last night. Roadways were shut down for several hours finally re-opening just before 1:30 this morning. No information about the accident was available and the extent of the injuries have not been reported.
Daylight Savings Time Returns Tonight
It's the time of year that a lot of people don't care for. Daylight Savings Time returns early tomorrow morning. Most of the country will resetting clocks and other devices back one hour. The switch will provide a little more light in the morning and the sun will appear to set earlier in the evening. Most digital devices will change automatically however analog clocks, watches, and some older kitchen appliances will have to be changed manually. The official change takes place at 2:00 a.m. tomorrow so it's recommended that you make any needed changes before going to bed tonight.
Obituaries
Nancy Todd
No services are scheduled for Nancy Todd, 70, of Mustang. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home, Chickasha.
Kimberly Stumpf
No services are scheduled for Kimberly Stumpf, 50, of Amber. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.
Dorothy Sanders
A private gathering will be held for Dorothy Sanders, 91, of Chickasha. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to Friends Fur Change.
Bill Crittenden
A graveside service for Bill Crittenden, 92, of Chickasha will be at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 4th at Fairlawn Cemetery. He was a plumber for nearly 55 years. Crittenden was a U.S. Air Force veteran serving as an airplane mechanic. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
High School Football Scores
Newcastle 27, Chickasha 20
Tuttle 27, John Marshall 20
Anadarko 40, Mount St. Mary 7
Dibble 48, Stratford 12
Elmore City 45, Rush Springs 38
Marlow 28, Frederick 12
Lindsay 36, Tishomingo 14
Snyder 48, Cyril 0
Mt. View-Gotebo 30, Maysville 6
Thursday
Caddo 42, Alex 28
Today
Minco at Apache
Bridge Creek at McLoud
Friday, October 30th
Chix Mayor Issues Emergency Disaster Proclamation
Chickasha Mayor Chris Mosley has signed an emergency disaster proclamation in the aftermath of this week's ice storm. The proclamation mainly refers to the downed trees and limbs. City crews will be picking up limbs at no cost to residents over the next few weeks. Limbs should be cut to manageable sizes between four and seven feet in length and placed on the curb, but not under trees or power lines. As we reported yesterday, residents can take limbs and brush to the Public Works Department on north Genevieve Street although they must show proof of residency with a water or utility bill. If residents have damaged electric service meters that require repair City Manager John Noblitt says inspections and permits will be required although the fees will be waived. Anyone wanting to volunteer to help with the clean-up can contact city hall by calling 405-222-6045 or by filling out a volunteer form on the city's website at www.chickasha.org/volunteer
The proclamation is also discouraging trick-or-treating through neighborhoods for Hallowe'en tomorrow night because of downed trees and powerlines. Officials encourage residents to attend the community Ne’ewollah Festival downtown or fall harvest festivals and other church-related events. Shannon Springs Park is also closed until further notice because of all the tree damage there. Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Marks said dozens of trees already had lights put on them for the upcoming Festival of Light. The festival opens in just three weeks.
Thousands Still Without Electricity
There are still nearly 2,000 PSO customers in Chickasha without power today. The PSO website indicated that parts of the city could be without power for another couple of days and are estimating that power may be fully restored by 10:00 p.m. Saturday. Western Farmers Electric Co-op reports there are still more than 30,000 members of regional co-ops without power. One of the hardest hit co-ops was CK Energy where nearly 15,000 members are still without power in areas that include Grady, Caddo, and Canadian counties. Boyd Lee with CK Energy says it will be a long-duration event, and there's no way to determine when all power might be restored. He compares it to an ice storm that hit in 2002.
Lee said that the co-op has more than 7,300 miles of power lines stretching from Mustang to near Elk City and south to Quartz Mountain. If families don't have generators to provide power, he says they might stay with relatives who do have power.
Early Voting Continues
Today presents another opportunity for voters to cast ballots ahead of next Tuesday's presidential election. Election boards reported heavy turnouts in the first day of in-person, absentee voting. In-person, absentee voting can be done at county election board offices from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, or from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow. Voters in parts of Grady and Caddo counties will be electing a new member to the state house of representatives next week. Republican Dick Lowe and Democrat Craig Parham are both running for House District 56, the post currently held by Democrat David Perryman of Chickasha. Perryman opted not to run for another term. The district stretches from Chickasha, through Anadarko and Carnegie and over to the Hobart area.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $36.17 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $37.65.
Natural gas is $3.30 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,874 and silver is $23.44.
Thursday, October 29th
Thousands Still Without Power After Ice Storm
Electricity is still out for many Oklahomans today as crews continue repairs on power lines damaged from this week's ice storm. More than 2,800 PSO customers in Chickasha were still without power this morning. They are among more than 14,000 families and businesses in the PSO service area still in the dark. Another 2,800 customers are without power in the Minco and Tuttle area as are about 400 customers in the Amber and Pocasset area. Western Farmers Electric Cooperative indicates that more than 56,000 members of various co-ops are without power. The website www.wfec.com shows county-by-county outages. For Grady County, nearly 4,200 OEC members are without power; CK Energy has nearly 450; Cotton Electric has 120; and REC has more than 60. In Caddo County, nearly 9,000 CK Energy members are without power while 50 OEC customers are still out. In McLain County, nearly 840 OEC members and 15 REC members are without power. The number is less In Stephens County, where a total of 100 co-op members are without power between REC and Cotton Electric.
Storm Clean-up Underway; City of Chickasha
Has Disposal Site for Downed Trees, Limbs
The clean-up is underway after numerous trees were damaged or destroyed in the ice storm. David Buchanan with City of Chickasha's Public Works Department said his crews have been working around the clock to at least partially clear city streets of debris to make them passable. Buchanan said residents clearing their property of damaged trees can take the debris to the city's public works headquarters at no charge. The headquarters is north of the city's animal shelter on Genevieve Street. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Buchanan said residents will need to show a utility bill. He said the reason for that is to prevent contractors from disposing of the limbs and debris they pick up.
In-Person, Absentee Voting Underway
Thousands of Oklahomans have already cast their votes ahead of next week's presidential election with mail-in absentee ballots. Many more will do so over the next few days through in-person, absentee voting at county election boards. Grady County Election Board Secretary Katrina Hughes says she has tripled her staff to help what is expected to be a large turnout. Hughes said she normally has two people working the in-person, absentee process but that will increase to six. Hughes said individuals will need to show either their voter identification card, driver's license, or other official identification. She's also asking voters to wear masks and to social distance while standing in line. Voters should enter the south side of the election board office from the courthouse parking lot. Hughes suggested that voters cast ballots mid-morning or mid-afternoon. She said busiest times will likely be at lunch and after 5 p.m. In-person, absentee voting takes place until 6:00 p.m. today, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, and from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday at county election board offices statewide. She said offices will be open even if there is no power.
Chickasha Hosts Capitalist Roping Event
Many of the country's top team ropers will be in Chickasha the next several days looking for some big pay days. It's a competition call The Capitalist - a 10-day event for open ropers which is put on by open ropers. Thousands of dollars will be paid out as there is $85,000 added money to be won. There are competitions every day at the Grady County Fairgrounds beginning tonight and running through Saturday, Nov. 7th. For information visit the website:
www.capitalistroping.com
Energy and Metals
Crude oil is $37.39 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $39.12.
Natural gas is $2.99 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,878 and silver is $23.23.
Obituary
Joe Epperson
A memorial service for Joe Epperson, 93, of Chickasha will be held at a later date. Epperson spent much of his life in the oil and gas business and was a military veteran of both the U.S. Navy and Army. He served in the Navy during World War II and in the Army during the Korean War. Memorial contributions may be made to Epworth Methodist Church or a charity of choice.
Wednesday, October 28th
Ice Storm Continues for Third Day
Much of central Oklahoma remains under an ice storm warning as freezing precipitation continues to cause havoc for a third straight day. There are nearly 3,000 PSO customers without power in Chickasha and nearly 15,000 PSO customers throughout its southwest Oklahoma are without power. CK Energy is reporting more than 19,000 customers without power with many of those throughout Grady and Caddo counties. REC is reporting more than 1,000 outages in Grady, McClain, Garvin, and Stephens County. A semi pulled down a transmission line on U.S. Highway 81 north of Pocasset yesterday closing the roadway for several hours – and the highway was still closed this morning. Portions of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike between Chickasha and Lawton were shut down for several hours last night due to low-hanging powerlines.
Extra Help Called in to Restore Power
Hundreds of power crews from nearby states have been called in to help restore electricity to the estimated 225,000 households without power across the state. Tim Hushbeck with Public Service Company of Oklahoma said 500 line workers and 130 tree trimmers from Louisiana and Texas made the trip to help out. Hushbeck said the Grady County Fairgrounds is serving as a rendezvous point for many of those workers.
Downed Trees, Limbs Make Travel Difficult
Numerous trees and tree branches have snapped and are blocking Chickasha streets and county roads. In Chickasha, City Manager John Noblitt has not issued a state of emergency. He said that city crews are working to make streets passable by moving downed trees and branches to the curb. Noblitt asks that residents allow the city to remove the brush so that residents avoid getting hurt. He said a brush and limb pickup service will more than likely be implemented within a few days.
Storm Closes Schools Again
Many schools remained closed today including those that held virtual classes yesterday. That includes Chickasha Public Schools. Some county government offices that were closed yesterday were re-opening today although at later hours.
Blood 'Emergency' Issued
The ice storm has forced the Oklahoma Blood Institute to issue an emergency blood shortage notice. Many of the agency’s scheduled blood drives over the last few days have been canceled. Officials say donations have already been down because of the pandemic and they've exhausted all typical recruitment efforts. KOOL-RANCH radio stations will join forces with the blood institute tomorrow for a community blood drive. The bloodmobile will be across the street from the studios at 7th and Chickasha Avenue in the YMCA parking lot from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. No appointment is needed but if you'd like to schedule a time call George Plummer at 405-224-1560.
Grady County Commissioners Change Meeting Locale
(EDITOR'S NOTE - A previous version of this story contained some erroneous information. This story is a corrected version. We apologize for the error) Grady County Commissioners are moving the location of their weekly commissioners meetings. Starting Monday, November 2nd commissioners will be meeting at the Grady County Fairgrounds Community building at 9 a.m. each week. The courthouse has been dealing with COVID-19 quarantines for several days. The county clerk’s office and the court clerk's offices are both closed through part of next week. The treasurer’s and assessor's offices are open.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $39.77 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $41.20.
Natural gas is $3.02 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,898 and silver is $24.30.
Obituaries
Norma “Jean” West
A graveside service for “Jean” West, 93, of Chickasha will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 30th at Rose Hill Cemetery. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
Ed Looney
Funeral service for Ed Looney, 83, of Chickasha will be at 1:00 p.m. Friday, October 30th at College Heights Baptist Church. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.
Rayma “Kaye” Mink
Funeral service for “Kaye” Mink, 76, of Blanchard and formerly of Cement will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 31st at the First Baptist Church of Cement. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
Richard Gene “Rick” Foster
A memorial service will be held at a later date for “Rick” Foster, 56, of Chickasha. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
Tuesday, October 27th
Central Oklahoma Ice Storm Continues
A second round of winter weather is making its way across Oklahoma. An ice storm warning for much of central Oklahoma continues to be in effect through mid-day tomorrow. Early this morning, fire crews were called out to an oilfield site west of Chickasha. Buddy Myers with the Grady County Fire Department said the Pioneer Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the site about three miles west of Norge Highway on CR 1380 (Country Club Road). Schools are either closed or have opted for virtual learning today. Chickasha schools also announcing that no meals would be delivered to those students who opted for full-time virtual learning for the fall semester. The Grady and Caddo County courthouses are closed. There are numerous power outages throughout the region. Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) reported more than 3,600 power outages in its service area in southwest Oklahoma. There were 109 outages in Chickasha and 385 customers without power in an area stretching from Amber north through Pocasset and into Minco. CK Energy reported more than 15,000 outages throughout its service area from Oklahoma City and points west, including many in Grady and Caddo Counties. REC reported more than 500 outages throughout Grady, McClain, and Garvin counties. Among the many traffic accidents was a jack-knifed semi on U.S. Highway 81 about three miles north of Pocasset. The highway patrol reported there was some property damage in the wreck which happened about 4:00 a.m. The highway was closed for three hours.
One Child Dead, Another Critical After Crash
A five year old girl died and a four-year old girl was hospitalized in critical condition after a pickup crashes into an SUV in Lawton. The children were passengers in a pickup driven by 23-year old Jessie Price of Fletcher. Price was not injured. The highway patrol reports that Price ran a stop sign and crashed into the SUV driven by 45-year old James Powers of Lawton. Powers also was not injured. The investigation into the crash is continuing. The initial report from the trooper indicated that it wasn't clear if the children were in restraint seats.
Weather to Improve for Ne'ewollah
While Old Man Winter has Oklahoma at a near standstill, he's expected to go away in the latter part of the week and allow fall-like temperatures to return. That's good news for those who plan on doing some trick-or-treating or hosting Hallowe'en parties this weekend. The Chickasha Chamber of Commerce will be holding the annual Ne'ewollah festival with trick-or-treating downtown Saturday night from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. There is a virtual children's costume contest with three age divisions - four years old and under, 5 to 9 years old, and 10 to 13 years old. The three categories of competition are the scariest, the cutest, and the most creative costumes. Photographs of the costumes can be e-mailed to: events@chickashachamber.com or sent via text to 405-369-3384. Deadline to submit photographs is Sunday, November 1st with the winners to be announce on Monday, November 2nd
History Center to Open New Exhibit
The Oklahoma History Center will be opening a new permanent exhibit which will feature the roles that Oklahomans have played in the country's air and space programs. It's called Launch to Landing: Oklahomans and Space. Officials say it completes several years of coordination and planning with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the nation's capitol and the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas. The exhibit will open November 17th. To celebrate the opening of the exhibit and the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma History Center, the center will offer five days of free admission from Tuesday, November 17th through Saturday, November 21st. See the website: www.okhistory.org
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $38.56.
London-based Brent crude is $40.46.
Natural gas is $3.02 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,901 and silver is $24.43.
Monday, October 26th
Ice Storm Warning Issued
Breaking - The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning for much of central Oklahoma through 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 28th. Some areas could see ice accumations between one-half and one inch. Power outages are expected. Temperatures will be hovering around or below the freezing mark of 32 degrees Farenheit with overnight lows in the upper 20s.
Officials Working to Identify Victim in Fatal Crash
Officials are still working to identify the person who died in a fiery rollover crash west of Rush Springs over the weekend. A passer-by discovered the vehicle on State Highway 17 between Rush Springs and Sterling about 6:00 a.m. Saturday. The trooper investigating the accident reported that the driver failed to go around a curve, ran off the road and overturned several times and then caught fire. The state medical examiner was working to determine the identity of the driver.
Local Man Hospitalized After Osage County Accident
A Chickasha man was hospitalized over the weekend after crashing his jeep in northeastern Oklahoma. 24-year old James Trenton Middleton was airlifted to a Tulsa hospital where he was admitted in fair condition with head, trunk, arm, and internal injuries. The accident happened early Saturday morning in the Osage County town of Fairfax which is northeast of Pawnee. The Highway Patrol reports that Middleton failed to stop at a stop sign at a T intersection, ran off the road and hit a tree. The trooper reported that Middlelton may have been drinking.
Two Grady County Offices Closed Due to COVID-19
A couple of offices at the Grady County Courthouse are closed all week due to COVID-19. The county clerk's office and the court clerk's office are both closed while employees quarantine. The offices will not be opening until next week. The county clerk's office is scheduled to re-open next Tuesday, November 3rd and the court clerk's office is to re-open next Wednesday, November 4th. The county treasurer's office and the assessor's office are open. Also, the county commissioners were to have their regular Monday morning meeting at the courthouse. Also, the trial docket that was scheduled to start in Grady County District Court today was canceled. Trials were supposed to run over the next two weeks. Anyone who received a notice for jury duty will not have to report.
Caution Urged in Generator Use This Winter
Oklahoma is being hit by the first winter storm of the season and it’s here quite a bit earlier than most years. Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson says often times freezing rain and ice storms can take down power lines. Many households use generators during power outages and Thompson has some useful tips when using a generator.
Thompson was on our KOOL Konversation program over the weekend. We have a link to the program under the Community tab on this website.
Absentee Voting Options Available Ahead of Election
We are just over a week away from the presidential and general election. Tomorrow is the deadline to request an absentee ballot. The best way to do that is to go to the state election board website which is www.elections.ok.gov In-person, absentee voting will available later this week. Voters will be able to cast ballots at the election board office in their county Thursday or Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $39.85 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $41.77.
Natural gas is $2.97 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,905 and silver is $24.37.
