Saturday, Feb. 17th
State's Energy Sector Job Number Steady
Employment in Oklahoma's energy sector is down a fraction. A study shows the state had just over 49,000 jobs in that area last month. That number ranks third in the country behind Texas with more than 314,000 jobs and Louisiana with nearly 54,000. The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that nationwide the number of jobs was down less than one percent from December. Officials say the industry is being impacted by unprecedented attacks from federal regulations. But they are hopeful that as energy demand continues to grow the trend should be for the number of jobs to also increase.
Texas Man Suspected of Drug Trafficking
A Texas man is behind held in the Grady County Jail for alleged drug trafficking. 29-year old Daniel Lugo of Pearland, Texas - which is south of Houston - was arrested by a state trooper on Thursday. No details were available about why Lugo was pulled over or what prompted the arrest. On-line court records show that the Grady County District Attorney's office has charged Lugo with a felony for drug trafficking and a judge set his bond at $150,000.
Environmentalists Want Farmers to Report Emissions from Manure
Should farmers have to submit air emissions reports from manure? The Environmental Protection Agency is considering such a requirement. The website OK Energy Today writes that there is a bi-partisan effort to prevent it from happening. Nearly 50 members in the House of Representatives have signed a letter asking the EPA to not force producers to do so. None of the members of the Oklahoma delegation signed the letter. The letter states that it would be an unnecessary and unjustifiable burden to producers, that it would result in extensive paperwork backlogs, and divert resources away from actual emergencies. It also indicates that local and state emergency response officials say that receiving such reports is of no particular value. Former President Donald Trump exempted animal manure from a law that required reports on chemical releases. But environmental groups are now urging the EPA to revoke the exemption, claiming pollution from animal waste is making people sick in rural communities.
Talk Show Topic
On this week’s KOOL Konversation, Brenda Barwick with the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women is discussing the group’s effort to stop human trafficking. Find a podcast of the program under the Community tab on this website.
Obituary
Jerry Gibson
Funeral service for Jerry Gibson, 85, of Chickasha will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 19th at Ferguson Funeral Home. He worked in the grocery business for many years.
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Friday, Feb. 16th
Death Penalty Sought for Caretaker of Child Found Dead
The Caddo County District Attorney’s office will seek the death penalty for Alysia Adams. She's one of the caretakers who authorities say was responsible for the death of Athena Brownfield two years ago. The body of the four-year old Cyril girl was found buried in a field near Agawam about two weeks after she was reported missing. Prosecutors are asking for the death penalty saying that Adams knowingly created a great risk of death to more than one person, and that Athena's death was especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel. The state medical examiner's office reported that Brownfield died from malnutrition and pneumonia. Adams is currently being held in the Grady County Jail.
Hospital the Site of 'Active Shooter' Training Today
Grady Memorial Hospital will be the site of some active shooter training today. The Grady County Sheriff's Office and state troopers will spend much of the day working on several different scenarios. Officials say there will be simulated gun shots throughout the day and residents in the area will see a big police presence. Grady County deputy Phillip McCarthy says as many as 15 law enforcement officers are taking part in the training along with about 100 Grady Memorial Hospital employees. The exercise is in advance of an active shooter drill that will take place at the hospital next month.
Speakers Scheduled for USAO Symposium on Autism
A scientist whose life was the subject of an Emmy-award winning film will be one of the keynote speakers at USAO's annual Emerson-Weir Symposium next week. Colorado State University Professor Dr. Temple Grandin, a prominent speaker on both autism and animal behavior, was featured in HBO's award-winning film An Open Door last year. Also speaking will be Tim Herbel who founded a non-profit group called Not Your Average Joe which works to help autistic individuals find meaningful employment. Grandin and Herbel will discuss their work at the symposium in conjunction with USAO's Neill-Wint Center for Neurodiversity. The program will be held Friday, Feb. 23rd in Davis Hall at 6:00 p.m. The program is free but registration is required.
Southwest District Livestock Show Continues
Checking the results of the cattle and the broiler shows at the Southwest District Livestock Show.
Market Steers
The grand champion was shown by Madison Shout of Piedmont; the reserve-grand shown by Brett Sturgeon of Cordell; and the bronze shown by Paisley Visnieski of Canute.
Prospect Steers
Claire Collins of Tillman County had the grand champion; Maddox Shout of Piedmont had the reserve-grand; and Cierra Collins of Tillman County had the bronze.
Heifers
The grand champion was shown by Braden Buchwald of Chattanooga; the reserve-grand shown by Reagan Wilbourn of Tuttle; and the bronze shown by Kamden Fillipo of Rush Springs.
Broilers
The grand champion was exhibited by Drew Griffith of Clinton; the reserve-grand by Cassi Ray also of Clinton; and the bronze shown by Gage Stegall of Burns Flat-Dill City. The swine show will start today and will run through Saturday morning. The show will end about noon tomorrow at the Grady County Fairgrounds.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $78.03 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $82.86.
Natural gas is $1.58 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,018 and silver is $23.07.
Obituary
Ila Watson
A memorial service for Ila Watson, 82, of Chickasha will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17th at Epworth United Methodist Church. Arrangements are with McRay Funeral Home.
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Thursday, Feb. 15th
Power Outages Extend into Fourth Day
Utility crews are still working to restore power to areas that have been without electricity since Sunday night's winter weather. About 340 households and businesses throughout the CK Energy service area remain without power. The website which shows outages state wide (outages.oaec.coop) indicates CK Energy still has 233 outages in Caddo County; 58 outages in Canadian County; 38 in Washita County; and 12 in Comanche County.
Chix Chamber Seeks Nominees for Annual Awards
The Chickasha Chamber of Commerce is now in its second century of serving the community and officials are preparing for the chamber’s 101st annual banquet. The organization is accepting nominations for a number of awards that will be presented. Among them will be an inductee into the Civic Hall of Fame, event of the year, business and small business of the year, citizen of the year, public servant of the year, volunteer of the year, and young professional of the year. Nominations need to be submitted by March 8th. The chamber banquet will be held April 12th.
City of Chix Dog Park Temporarily Closed
Chickasha city officials say the Badgett Dog Park will be closed for seasonal maintenance today and tomorrow. Crews sprayed a pre-emergent weed control chemical at the park earlier this week. The park is to re-open on Saturday.
Southwest District Livestock Show Underway
The first day of the Southwest District Livestock Show Wednesday featured the sheep and goat shows as well as the agriculture mechanics show.
Sheep Show
For the ewe lambs, LaRay Cox of Elgin had the grand champion; Sayde Allen of Canute had the reserve-grand; and Kobi Scroggins of Tuttle had the bronze.
For the wether lambs, Sayde Allen had the grand champion; Kobi Scroggins the reserve-grand; and Jack Thomas of Canute had the bronze.
Goat Show
For the doe goats, Kobi Scroggins had the grand champion; Jennica Williams of Ft. Cobb-Broxton had the reserve-grand; and McRae Waldon of Hinton had the bronze.
For the wether goats, Peyton Wimberly of Merritt had the grand champion; Sayde Allen had the reserve-grand; and Baylor Pearson of El Reno had the bronze.
Ag Mechanics
In Ag Mechanics, Elgin FFA had the grand champion; Stran Taylor of Canute had the reserve-grand; and Elgin FFA also had the bronze. The cattle show will be today at the Grady County Fairgrounds.
Big Band Era Music at USAO Tonight
USAO will have a night of big band music this evening as the World Famous Glen Miller Orchestra takes the stage as part of the Davis-Waldorf Performing Arts Series. The evening will get started with members of the Chickasha High School band opening the show. The concert begins at 7:30 at Te Ata Memorial Auditorium and tickets will be available at the door.
Darko Police Offers Unique Valentine's Day 'Gifts'
Anadarko police had an interesting way of encouraging individuals to turn in their exes on Valentine's Day. A post on the department's Facebook page said if exes had arrest warrants or are involved in illegal activities; the ex would get some limited edition platinum bracelets; free transportation with a chauffeur; glamour shots; and a room with dinner.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $76.64 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $81.60.
Natural gas is $1.61 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,007 and silver is $22.64.
Obituaries
Wilma Avant
A private memorial service will be held for Wilma Avant, 90, of Chickasha. She was a homemaker and worked at the Southern Plains Medical Clinic. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
Pamela Doherty
A memorial service for Pamela Doherty, 75, of Yukon and formerly of the Dibble area will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17th at Southgate Baptist Church in Moore. She worked at Tinker Air Force Base. Arrangements are with Ireland Funeral Home in Moore.
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Wednesday, Feb. 14th
Power Outages Linger
Members of Oklahoma's electric co-ops were hit especially hard with Sunday's snow storm. There were thousands of power outages and a lot them were in Grady, Caddo, Canadian, and Comanche counties. There are still hundreds of CK Energy co-op members without power this morning with some 812 members still in the dark. That's way down from the estimated 7,000 who were without electricity at the peak of the outage. CK Energy spokesman Boyd Lee –
About 120 poles and numerous cross arms were damaged or destroyed. Lee said that employees from several other co-ops and private contractors have been helping to restore power. As of this morning, CK Energy reported 423 outages in Caddo County; 29 outages in Grady County; 145 in Canadian County; 75 in Kiowa County; and 26 in Comanche County.
Mixed Results in Tuesday’s School Bond Elections
Tuttle
Voters turned down two bond issues totaling about $1.3 million. Each needed 60 percent approval to pass however more than half of the voters said no to both proposals. A $1 million proposal for roof repairs and the purchase of several items received 244 no votes and only 203 yes votes. A $250,000 proposal to purchase two buses failed by a similar vote with 239 voting no and only 208 voting yes.
Ft. Cobb-Broxton
It was a better result for the Ft. Cobb-Broxton school district as voters overwhelmingly approved a $21 million bond issue for school improvements. It was a more than 80 percent approval with four out of every five giving their approval, 204 to 49. It will allow the district to renovate the middle and elementary schools and build a couple of new classrooms. It's the largest bond issue in the district's history.
Central High
Voters in the Central High school district approved a $6 million bond issue to build a new Career and Technology Education Center. It passed with 62 percent of the vote 172 to 104 with a slim seven-vote margin.
School Board Primary Election Results
There were primary elections for board of education offices in a couple of Grady County school districts yesterday.
Ninnekah
Incumbent Delanie Berry defeated three challengers to avoid a run-off and keep her seat on the school board. Berry received nearly 62 percent of the vote with 76 tallies. Mark Fulton received 26; Damon Stephens collected 16; and Jeff Chadrick had 3.
Minco
A run-off election will be needed as none of four candidates received a majority of the vote. The top two were Mike Herrell and Jared Rumley. Herrell received 141 votes; Rumley picked up 131 tallies; Paige Teel collected 40 votes; and David Brummel received 31. Herrell and Rumley will meet in the run-off on April 2nd with the winner to fill the office currently held by Lance McKee who did not run for re-election.
Grady County GOP Convention is Tomorrow Night
Grady County Republicans will hold their county convention tomorrow night. It's an event that could allow one of the members to be an Oklahoma delegate at the National Republican Convention in Milwaukee this summer. County Chairwoman Carrie Bertrand says any registered Republican can attend and she would like to have representation from all 28 county districts. The convention is open to all registered Republicans who can help draft recommendations to be considered for state and national platforms. Attendees will need to have identification such as a driver's license or passport and will also need their voter ID cards. The county convention will be held at Chickasha's First Baptist Church at 4th and Colorado. Registration begins at 5:15 p.m. and a potluck dinner will be served. Precinct meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the county convention will follow at 7:00 p.m.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $77.87 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $82.77.
Natural gas is $1.67 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,005 and silver is $22.10.
Obituary
Robena Fuller
A memorial service for Robena Fuller, 60, of Chickasha will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17th at Epworth Methodist Church. She served in the U.S. Navy, was a professional driver for Union Pacific Railroad, and worked as a receptionist. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
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Tuesday, Feb. 13th
Power Outages Remain after Winter Storm
There are still hundreds families and businesses in the region dealing with power outages in the aftermath of Sunday's winter storm. Many of them are in Grady, Caddo, and Canadian counties. CK Energy was one of the co-ops bearing the brunt of the storm with more than 4,000 members still without power. As of this morning the count was 215 in Grady County; more than 2,100 in Caddo County; about 1,200 in Canadian County; and about 100 in Comanche County. CK Energy spokesman Boyd Lee said more than 120 power poles and as many or more cross-arms were damaged or destroyed. Lee said a total of 100 workers including those from CK Energy, other co-ops, and a few contractors are making progress today. He expects that power should be restored to most areas by the end of the day.
Some Voters to Decide School Bond Issues Today
Voters in a few regional school districts are going to the polls today to decide special bond issues. There are two bond issues in Tuttle – the first is for almost $1 million to repair and replace roofs at the elementary and middle schools; purchase new playground equipment, a truck for the high school ag department, equipment for the auditorium, and equipment for most of the sports teams. The second is a $250,000 bond issue to purchase two buses, including a 77-passenger bus and a 44-passenger activity bus.
Ft. Cobb-Broxton
Voters will decide a nearly $21 million bond issue to renovate both the elementary and middle schools and build new classrooms to house new art and music classes.
Central High
Voters will decide a more than $6 million bond issue to build a new Career and Technology Education Center. Polls are open until 7:00 p.m. tonight.
Chix Schools Host Parent-Teacher Conferences
Chickasha Public Schools are holding parent-teacher conferences throughout the district this week. For the Bill Wallace Early Childhood Education Center, conferences will be this afternoon from 3:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.; for Grand Avenue, they will be today and Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:40 p.m.; for Lincoln Elementary they will be from 3:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. both tonight and Thursday (Lincoln school will also a fundraiser selling Bundt cakes along with a scholastic book fair at the library tonight); middle and high school conferences will be today and Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. There is no school for Chickasha students Friday or next Monday so they’ll have a four-day weekend. Teachers will have a professional development day Monday.
Southwest District Livestock Show About to Begin
Today is move-in day for the first of the youth who will be exhibiting animals and ag mechanics projects at the Southwest District Livestock Show at the Grady County Fairgrounds this week. About 1,500 youth from 14 southwest Oklahoma counties will be showing about 2,000 animals this year. Show chairman Jerry Renshaw talks about what will be coming in today.
More than $15,000 in prize money will be doled out by week's end. There will be more than 20 agriculture-related vendors on hand for the event which will run through Saturday.
Chix Library Chocolate Celebration Tonight
Everything is coming up chocolate for the Friends of the Chickasha Library chocolate celebration tonight. Thousands of servings of chocolaty goodies will be available. More than a dozen local groups are to have at least 200 servings each to choose from. Tickets are $6 with each ticket holder choosing six servings. There will also be a bake sale. The chocolate celebration will be held at the Epworth Methodist Church Life Center from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. tonight.
Disabled American Veterans Meet Tonight
Grady County DAV Chapter 17 will have its monthly meeting tonight. It's a Valentine's Day meeting and families are welcome. The meeting will get underway at 6:00 p.m. at the DAV headquarters downtown Chickasha at 6th and Chickasha Ave.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $76.92 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $82.00.
Natural gas is $1.77 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,040 and silver is $22.98.
Obituary
Christal Hopkins
Funeral service for Christal Hopkins, 48, of Chickasha will be at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15th at New Life Christian Church. She was a substitute teacher and worked at Grady Memorial Hospital. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
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Monday, Feb. 12th
Three to be Inducted into Chix Schools Hall of Honor
Several long time educators will be inducted into Chickasha Public Schools’ Hall of Honor.
Jim Glaze
Glaze spent 30 years with the district as a teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent. While serving as superintendent he was at the helm when the Bill Wallace Early Childhood Education Center and the Chickasha High School Activity Center were built.
Harly Day
Day coached several sports and guided boys basketball teams to two state titles in the 1950s. He was the high school principal for nearly 20 years and is already a member of the Grady County Administrators and the Oklahoma Coaches Association Halls of Fame.
Judy Duprez
Duprez was a high school English teacher for nearly 40 years and also served as an adjunct professor at USAO. She also was a member of the Oklahoma and the National Councils of English Teachers. All will be inducted into the Hall of Honor in April during the Chickasha Public School Foundation annual gala.
Study of Chix Public Pool Shows Upgrades will be Costly
The municipal swimming pool at Chickasha's Shannon Springs Park has had its share of problems over the last several years. The pool is almost 40 years old and a company recently completed an inspection of the pool to provide recommendations on upgrades and repairs. The study from Paddock Enterprises of Oklahoma City shows that among the major problems are mechanical issues in the pump room and the chemical feed is not working; that neither the pool nor the bath house are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the pool loses more than 15,000 gallons of water per day when its open. The study recommends that between $2 million and $3 million in repairs and renovations are needed which include the construction of a new bath house and the addition of a splash pad. The study is expected to be reviewed by the city’s parks and recreation board which will make its recommendations to the city council. Officials expect the pool to be open this summer.
Crimestoppers Seeks Info on Missing Chickasha Man
Grady County Crimestoppers is seeking information about a missing Chickasha man. 46-year old Richard Clarence Houston was reported missing August 29th of last year. He was last seen in the area of Life Skills Institute at 7th and Colorado. He had been working at Dairy Queen prior to his disappearance. He is Caucasian with short, brown hair and may have a slight moustache and goatee. He has a prosthetic right leg and often walks with a cane. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Richard Clarence Houston is asked to call Crimestoppers at 405-224-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip on the Grady County Crimestoppers Facebook page. A reward could be paid if the information leads to finding him.
Obituaries
Fred Wilcox
A memorial service for Fred Wilcox, 48, of Ninnekah will be held at noon Friday, Feb. 16th at First Church of Chickasha. He was a welder and drove modified stock and E Sprint cars. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
Stanley Davis
A memorial service for Stanley Davis, 66, of Chickasha will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17th at Sevier Funeral Home. He worked in the oilfield and was a car salesman.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $76.89 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $82.19.
Natural gas is $1.85 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,034 and silver is $22.98.
Friend Boys Basketball Team Wins State Title
The Friend Falcon boys basketball team won the Organization of Rural Elementary Schools (ORES) Division III state basketball tournament over the weekend. The Falcons defeated Holly Creek 35-21 for the title in Shawnee Saturday night. Karson Surber was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and was joined on the all-tournament team by Blaine Keeton and Gabriel Garcia.
Middleberg Girls have All Tournament Team Member
Middlelerg's Bentli Brantley was named to the ORES Division II all-tournament team. Middleberg advance to the semi-finals of the state tournament.
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