Saturday, Oct. 8th
(Burn bans in effect for Grady, Stephens, Garvin, Canadian, and Oklahoma counties)
Grammy-award Winning Recording Artist Jody Miller Dies
Jody Miller, whose singing career spanned six decades and earned her a Grammy Award has died. Miller, who lived in Blanchard for many years, was 80-years old when she passed away Thursday. Her record label says she died after a battle with Parkinson's disease. Miller's singing career took off after a meeting with actor Dale Robertson who was also an Oklahoma native. Miller was best-known for her 1965 song Queen of the House, an answer to fellow-Oklahoma recording artist Roger Miller's King of the Road. (The two are not related). She was nominated for a Grammy for Queen of the House and the song was named Best Country Vocal Performance. She toured with the Beach Boys and performed alongside the Rolling Stones. Glen Campbell and Leon Russell helped with several of her records. Over the last 30 years she was a Christian recording artist. In 2016, Gov. Mary Fallin declared June 29th as Jody Miller Day in Oklahoma. Funeral service for Jody Miller will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11th at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Blanchard. Memorial contributions may be made in Jody's name to the church or to the Blanchard High School band and music programs.
CHS Head Football Coach Resigns
Chickasha High School head football coach Eric Gibson has resigned. Superintendent Rick Croslin confirmed with KOOL/RANCH News that Gibson's resignation from the district was effective Sept. 30th. Gibson was placed on administrative leave last month after some unspecified complaints were made about Gibson's actions. An official statement from the district indicated that Gibson was placed on paid administrative leave for ‘poor judgement pertaining to interactions and word choices’. Officials did not elaborate on what that meant. Gibson had only spent six months as the head football coach. He was hired in March after previous head coach Jerry Don Bray stepped down to focus solely on his athletic director duties. Gibson coached only two games - the season opening win over El Reno and a loss to Marlow. Ross Carter, who was named interim head coach after Gibson's suspension, will remain as interim head coach for the rest of the season. Gibson's resignation is expected to be formally approved by the school board when the panel meets Monday night.
Illegal Marijuana Confiscated by Verden Police
Verden police confiscated about $150,000 worth of illicit marijuana in a traffic stop. A post on the police department's Facebook page indicates that Capt. Matt Perry made a traffic stop in a school zone and upon searching the vehicle he found about 34 pounds of illegal marijuana buds which were believed to have been headed out of state. The driver was arrested and taken to the Grady County Jail on a complaint of illegal trafficking but he was released after prosecutors opted to not file charges at this time.
Bids to Replace Old Sewer Line Higher than Estimated
Chickasha city officials will consider rejecting all bids received to replace a sewer line just west of downtown Chickasha. In special meetings of the Chickasha City Council and the city's Muncipal Authority meeting Monday night, engineers are recommending that all bids be rejected as they are over the estimated cost of replacement. The engineering estimate is about $163,000. The lowest of the two bids submitted was nearly $285,000 and the highest was more than $460,000. The sewer line targeted for replacement is near the intersection of U.S. Highway 62 and 16th Street (16th and Choctaw). It's for nearly 300 linear feet of 12-inch diameter sewer line inside a 20-inch diameter steel casing to go underneath the highway. The engineer says the work is needed to remedy an on-going situation in which the existing sewer line has failed and the city has been compelled to use a bypass pump for an extended period of time. The council will also consider approving a request from Camino Natural Resources to drill a couple of wells in the city limits. The proposed well site is just east of the intersection of U.S. Highway 62 and H.E. Bailey Turnpike. The council is also expected to issue a truck route to keep big trucks headed to and from the site off the city's main roads. The meeting is slated to start at 6:00 p.m. Monday at city hall.
Football Scores
Chickasha 23, Woodward 0
Blanchard 30, Tuttle 28
Perkins-Tryon 34, Anadarko 20
Newcastle 68, Bridge Creek 0
Christian Heritage Academy 28, Minco 7
Dibble 44, Elmore City 6
Rush Springs 20, Wayne 16
Apache 44, Cordell 0
Snyder 28, Carnegie 16
Marlow 27, Dickson 0
Central High 60, Alex 22
Velma-Alma 50, Cyril 0
Grandfield 46, Bray-Doyle 0
Lindsay 44, Little Axe 0 (Thursday)
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Friday, Oct. 7th
(Burn bans in effect for Grady, Stephens, Garvin, Canadian, and Oklahoma counties)
Oilfield Accident Claims Life of 20-year Old
A tragic oilfield accident claimed the life of a young Grady County man. 20-year old Tanner Snider of Alex died in the accident that happened south of Chickasha Wednesday afternoon. Grady County Undersheriff Gary Boggess said the accident happened at Cactus Rig No. 154 just west of the U.S. Highway 81 and State Highway 19 junction. Boggess said crews were pulling a pipe out of the ground when a joint broke and the pipe hit Snider in the face and killed him instantly. There has been an outpouring of love and support on social media for Tanner's family and friends. He had just proposed to his fiancee a couple of weeks ago, and posts say that he was a cowboy and learning how to play the guitar.
Biker Critical After Collision with Deer
A motorcycle rider is in critical condition after he hit a deer. 48-year old Glendon Smith of Marlow was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital with head and leg injuries. The accident happened about a mile west of Marlow on a county road just after 9:00 p.m. Thursday. Smith was not wearing a helmet.
Suspect Jailed in Baseball Bat-Attack
One man is in jail and another is recovering from injuries after he was allegedly hit in the head with a baseball bat. Chickasha police were called to the Castle Inn late Monday evening. A probable cause affidavit indicates the two men got into an argument and the suspect hit the victim in the body with the bat twice and once above his right eye. The victim was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he received seven stitches. Police arrested 20-year old Randall Alen Leitner who was listed as homeless on the affidavit although on-line court records show him to be from Noble. Leitner has been formally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and remains in the Grady County jail on a $15,000 bond.
Sexual Assault Suspect Arrested
A Rush Springs man is in custody for the alleged rape and sexual assault of a woman. 51-year old Keith Robert Gregg was arrested by a Grady County sheriff's deputy earlier this week. Authorities were called a rural home near Cox City early Tuesday morning where the 19-year old victim alleged that Gregg assaulted her at his home. The woman made the call from a neighbor’s residence. A probable cause affidavit indicates the victim and Gregg had both been drinking and the victim claimed he made inappropriate and unwelcome advances. The victim was taken to a shelter in Chickasha for assistance. Authorities went to Gregg’s home later Tuesday to interview him. The affidavit indicates that Gregg admitted to some of the allegations. Prosecutors have formally charged Gregg with rape, sexual battery, and providing alcohol to a person under 21 years old. He remains in the county jail on a $100,000 bond.
USAO Names Employee of the Year
A custodian at USAO is recognized for her work. Angela Kinzinger was named the university's employee of the year for 2022. Kinzinger has been with USAO for five years and is part of the physical plant operations which oversees groundskeeping, building maintenance, motor pool, and carpentry. President John Feaver says her record of service shows how deserving she is of the award and is proud to count her as part of the university's dedicated staff.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $88.45 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $94.42.
Natural gas is $6.92 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,716 and silver is $20.76.
Talk Show Topic
Jim Cowan with the Chickasha Economic Development Council is this week's guest on the KOOL Konversation. Find a podcast of the program under the Community tab on this website.
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Thursday, Oct. 6th
(Burn bans in effect for Grady, Stephens, Garvin, Canadian, and Oklahoma counties)
Tractor Driver Critical After Being Hit by Truck
A tractor driver remains in critical condition after a pickup crashed into him. 60-year old Donnie Rogers of Oklahoma City was taken by Chickasha EMS to an Oklahoma City hospital after the crash yesterday morning. The accident happened about 9 a.m. on U.S. Highway near Old Fred Road in Ninnekah. The highway patrol reported that Rogers was driving a John Deere tractor northbound on the highway. Trailing behind was a Ford F350 pickup driven by 35-year old Justin Henington of Rush Springs. The trooper's report indicates that Henington became distracted and failed to slow down. Henington swerved to try and avoid a collision but was unable to do so. Rogers was ejected from the tractor and suffered head, trunk, and internal injuries. Henington refused treatment at the scene. The accident closed both northbound lanes of U.S Highway 81 for nearly 3 1/2 hours.
Businesses Evacuated After Crew Ruptures Natural Gas Line
Several businesses near downtown Chickasha had to be evacuated yesterday after a construction crew hit a natural gas pipeline. It happened just before 11:00 a.m. Wednesday. Crews were digging behind the Wing T's store at 8th and Chickasha Avenue when they ruptured the pipeline. That's right across the street from the YMCA. The Chickasha Fire Department arrived and went door-to-door to evacuate about a one-square block area. Summit Energy workers were summoned to turn off the gas to the pipeline and make repairs. The businesses were allowed to re-open around 1 o'clock.
State Lawmakers Approve ARPA Projects
State lawmakers approved spending more than $1.4 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. During a special session last week officials authorized funding for about 50 projects out of some 1,400 requests. Most of the funding is geared toward improving mental health services, infrastructure upgrades, and putting a priority on projects that will improve economic development offerings. State Representative Brad Boles discusses another critical area that will share the funds-
The funding proposals now go to Gov. Kevin Stitt for his consideration.
Retired Educators to Host Candidate Forum
Retired educators in Grady, Caddo, and Kiowa counties are combining efforts to hold a forum for candidates who are on the ballot for the Nov. 8th mid-term election. Among the confirmed candidates are Jena Nelson, the Democratic candidate for state school superintendent and state Labor Commissioner, Republican Leslie Osborn. The forum will be held Monday Oct. 10th at the Caddo Kiowa Technology Center. There will be a meet-and-greet with candidates starting at 4:30 and the forum will begin at 5:30.
Anadarko Library Offers Adult Basic Education Class
The Anadarko Public Library is now offering weekly Adult Basic Education classes. The programs are free and open to the public each Monday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The class is being conducted by the Caddo Kiowa Technology Center. For information, contact the Caddo Kiowa Technology Center.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $87.76 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $93.37.
Natural gas is $6.93 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,724 and silver is $20.60.
Obituaries
Alfretta Boardingham-Gill
Funeral service for Alfretta Boardingham-Gill, 77, formerly of Anadarko is pending with Brown-Thomas Funeral Home.
Helen Handke
Funeral service for Helen Handke, 94, of the Verden and Lake Chickasha area will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8th at the First Baptist Church of Verden. Arrangements are with McRay Funeral Home.
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Wednesday, Oct. 5th
(Burn bans are in effect for Grady, Stephens, Garvin, Canadian, and Oklahoma counties)
High Bond Set for Child Sexual Assault Suspect
A Grady County judge set a high bond for a Chickasha area man facing nearly a dozen charges of child rape and sexual assault. 61-year old Bryan Shaun Lile remains in the Grady County in lieu of a $500,000 bond. Lile was arraigned on 11 felonies in Grady County District Court yesterday. Grady County deputies were summoned to a home near Pocasset on Sept. 3rd where it is alleged that Lile was showing a 10-year old girl pornography and X-rated pictures on his phone. On Sept. 13th, investigators took the child to the Mary Abbott House in Norman for a forensic interview and she alleged there were 10 occasions when she was assaulted. Lile is facing one count of rape and several counts of lewd acts with a child. He's to be back in court next Tuesday to announce his attorney with a preliminary hearing conference set next Wednesday.
Farmers Can Now Apply for Drought Relief Funds
Agriculture producers can now begin applying for drought relief approved by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission this week. Each county will have $33,000 to distribute. Producers are eligible for up to $7,500 in drought relief which is part of an 80-20 match. Producers have until December 2nd to fill out the applications with their local conservation districts. In Grady County, the office is at 9th and Choctaw in Chickasha. There are three offices in Caddo County - the South Caddo Conservation District in Anadarko; the West Caddo Conservation District in Ft. Cobb; and the North Caddo Conservation District in Hinton.
Crews Demolish Former Restaurant
to Make Way for New Convenience Store
Demolition has begun on a former Chickasha restaurant to make way for a new convenience store. Crews spent much of yesterday at the former Fisherman's Seafood and Bar in the 500 block of Grand Avenue. The City of Chickasha recently vacated the easements in the alley just north of Grand Avenue to make room for a new Roasters' Market Convenience Store and coffee shop. It will be the second location for Lawson Retail Properties. Mike Lawson said their first location opened in Ada two years ago.
Chickasha Schedules Fall Clean-up Days
Chickasha officials are combining efforts for a community-wide fall clean-up campaign. The City of Chickasha and The Economic Development Council will provide an area for residents to take their unwanted items and debris. This is similar to the spring clean-up campaign however, instead of several roll-off dumpsters located throughout the city there will be just one location. They will be at the city's Public Works Department which is north of the animal shelter on Genevieve Street. The dumpsters will be available all next week - Monday, Oct. 10th through Friday, Oct. 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct 16th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You will have to show a copy of your Chickasha water bill. Items which cannot be placed in the dumpsters include hazardous waste, pesticides, Freon, paint, motor oil, batteries and tires.
Voter Registration Deadline Looms for Nov. 8th Election
The mid-term elections are about a month away and that means the deadline to register to vote Tuesday, Nov. 8th is coming up. Election board officials say individuals who have never registered to vote and want to cast ballots have until next Friday, Oct. 14th to do complete registration. Voters who may need to update their registration because of a name change or a new address are also encouraged to update their registration. Also, registered voters who would like an absentee ballot mailed to them have until Monday, Oct. 24th to apply. You can register to vote at your local county election board or go to the state election board website and use the voter portal. The website is: www.oklahoma.gov/elections
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $86.52 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $91.80.
Natural gas is $6.83 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,714 and silver is $20.46.
Obituaries
Anna Edens
A graveside service for Anna Edens, 85, of Chickasha will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8th at Fairlawn Cemetery. Arrangements are with McRay Funeral Home.
Anita Hood
A graveside service for Anita Hood, 86, of Oklahoma City and formerly of Cement will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10th at the Cement Cemetery. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
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Tuesday, Oct. 4th
(Burn bans are in effect for Grady, Stephens, Garvin, Canadian, and Oklahoma counties)
Suspect Arrested for Child Sex Crimes
A Chickasha man is in the Grady County Jail facing nearly a dozen charges of sex crimes against children. Grady County deputies arrested 61-year old Brian Shaun Lile yesterday afternoon. On-line court records indicate that a warrant was issued for Liles’ arrest on Sept. 22nd. The warrant was for one count of rape by instrumentation to a child under 12 years old. He's facing 10 other charges which include performing lewd acts to children and in front of children under 12 years old. Lile is expected to have his initial appearance on the charges in Grady County District Court today.
City of Chickasha to Sell Vacant City-Owned Lots
A number of vacant or un-used lots owned by the City of Chickasha are going to be sold. Last night the city council approved selling the lots, many of which are large enough to build single-family homes, with a couple of the lots large enough to build duplexes. Parks and Recreation Director Spencer Wizenried says some of the lots are in the flood plain and would have to be built up out of the flood plain before construction could begin. He said city crews currently mow all of the sites and that takes time away from other projects. Details of the lots are available at city hall. Officials will be taking sealed bids on the properties in the near future.
Pursuit Suspect Faces Eluding, Weapons Charges
The man arrested by Apache police over the weekend after leading authorities on a high-speed chase has been formally charged with two felonies in Caddo County District Court. Brett Allen Howard of Oracle, AZ is charged with eluding or attempting to elude and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Howard was arrested Saturday - two days after eluding police in a chase that topped 110 miles per hour. Authorities found a number of rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his vehicle. Howard remains in the Caddo County jail on a $20,000 bond.
Some Drought Relief Approved for Ag Producers
The Oklahoma Conservation Commission will be sending out more than $2.5 million in emergency drought relief to Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. Each of the state's 77 counties will have $33,000 to distribute. These will be cost-share funds that will be available at an 80-20 match. The maximum funds for each producer will be $7,500. State Representative Dick Lowe (R-Amber) said the funds will be distributed by county conservation districts. The staff of the county conservation districts will attend training on the program today. Producers can reach out to their local districts starting tomorrow and producers will have until Dec. 2nd to apply.
Food Truck Championship Winners Announced
We have the winners of the Oklahoma Food Truck Championship which drew thousands of people to Chickasha last weekend. The overall winner was Mindy Mae's Fat Stacks which was the winner of the Savory Category. Creek Bottom Burgers of Verden was the second-place finisher in that division. The Sweet Division winner was Metro Minis with Scotty's Treats the runner-up. The Most Creative food truck was Some Like it Tot, and the fan favorite was Afonsno's Smoked Barbecue.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $83.63 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $88.86.
Natural gas is $6.47 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,717 and silver is $20.94.
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Monday, Oct. 3rd
(Burn bans are in effect in Grady and Garvin counties)
Pedestrian Killed in Caddo County Accident
An Anadarko man died this past weekend after being hit by an SUV. 58-year old Charles Tustison of Anadarko was walking in the area of 38105 CS 2650 about two miles south of Anadarko just before 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Highway Patrol reports that Tustison was struck by an SUV driven by 37-year old Leah Kaulity also of Anadarko. Kaulity and two children in the SUV with her were not hurt.
Grady County Truck Driver Involved in Fatal Crash
The highway patrol continues to investigate a deadly crash that occurred over the weekend involving a Grady County truck driver. The accident took place about 10:00 a.m. Saturday near Coalgate in southeast Oklahoma. The highway patrol reports that a semi driven by 53-year old Russell Dyer of Alex was southbound on a county road and went left-of-center while attempting to turn onto a state highway. The semi was hit by a pickup driven by 78-year old Martin Brown of Coalgate who died of his injuries. Dyer was not injured.
Chix City Council to Consider Declaring
Some City-Owned Property as Surplus
Chickasha city officials will consider declaring a number of city-owned lots as surplus and authorize the sale of those properties. During tonight's city council meeting, the panel will consider locations at 1103 N. 11th; 2111 Dakota; 1407 S. 1st; 923 Minnesota; a parcel of land in the Kenwood addition; and 1007 N. 9th as surplus. Only the surface rights will be sold. If approved, the city will accept sealed bids on those properties with a time and date to be published by a legal publication.
Signal Light Repair Project to be Discussed
The council is also to consider spending about $60,000 to repair the signal lights at 9th and Grand which were damaged in recent traffic accident. The panel is expected to award the project to Traffic Signals, Inc.
Public Hearing to be Held for Use-on-Review Permit
The panel is also to hold a public hearing regarding a proposed use-on-review permit for Josh Woods on property in the 1800 block of West Grand and to consider requests from the Chamber of Commerce. One of them is to hold the annual Neewollah Festival for Halloween on Monday, Oct. 31st; and the other is to close a portion of Chickasha Avenue the evening of Saturday, Nov. 5th for the grand opening of the first phase of the new park being built next to the Rock Island Railroad Depot. The council meets at 6:30 tonight at city hall.
Caddo County Pursuit Suspect Arrested
A man who initially managed to elude Caddo County authorities after a high-speed pursuit was eventually arrested - and he was found to have weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his vehicle. On Thursday, September 29th Apache police were dispatched to the town's sports complex to investigate a verbal disturbance. KSWO-TV reports that the suspect led authorities on a chase at speeds that topped 110 miles per hour and he managed to get away. However, the suspect returned to Apache on Saturday and authorities arrested 53-year old Brett Howard of Arizona on a complaint of felony eluding. In a routine search of Howard's vehicle authorities found several rifles and an estimated 4,000 rounds of ammunition.
Drought Relief for Ag Producers Nears
State agriculture producers are a little closer to getting some drought relief. The Oklahoma Emergency Drought Commission met last Friday and authorized a program proposed by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to distribute $3 million to help producers.
That’s K.C. Shephard with the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $79.49 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $87.96.
Natural gas is $6.76 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,672 and silver is $19.36.
Obituaries
Roger Ziegenfuss
Funeral service for Roger Ziegenfuss, 82, of Chickasha will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, Oct. 7th at Bible Baptist Church. He served in the U.S. Army reserves. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.
