Saturday, Oct. 12th
ODOT Updates 8-Year Plan for Highway, Bridge Construction
The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approves a plan to spend more than $1 billion a year over the next several years for road construction projects statewide. The panel approved the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's annual 8-year plan which runs from fiscal years 2025 through 2032. The plan includes nearly 3,800 miles of pavement improvements and more than 630 bridge projects. The website OK Energy Today reports there is a companion 'Asset Preservation Plan' which includes about $500 million for maintenance work to extend the life of highway infrastructure. There is also a 'Transportation Alternative Projects' segment which has $35 million for sidewalks, trails, and safe routes to school. All three plans can be viewed on the website: www.odot.org under the Programs and Projects tab.
Highway 81 west bypass of Chickasha included
The 8-year plan includes some construction of the U.S. Highway 81 west bypass of Chickasha. In his media column this week, State Rep. Brad Boles (R-Marlow) writes that work is expected to start next fall on grading and bridge projects on a 6 1/2 mile stretch of the bypass beginning at Quail Road (near 16th Street and the current Highway 81) and going north to U.S. Highway 62. The estimated cost of that work is $83 million and is to include grading for three bridges and on-off ramps.
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Other Grady County projects include continuing upgrades on State Highway 19 between Chickasha and Bradley with an estimated cost of nearly $50 million.
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The plan also includes more work for the improvements underway right now on a 2 1/2 mile stretch of U.S. Highway 277 west of Ninnekah. Crews are rebuilding the highway from Middle Bills Creek to the H.E. Bailey Turnpike with that project cost estimated at $15 million.
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In the northern part of Grady County, crews will resurface six miles of State Highway 37 from Tuttle east to the McClain County line. That's a nearly $2 million project that is expected to start next spring.
Talk Show Topic
On the KOOL Konversation are Kirk Kornfeld and Chase O'Brien with the Chickasha Antique Auto Club with information about the group's Fall Swap Meet next weekend. Find a podcast of the program under the Community tab on this website.
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Friday, Oct. 11th
More Water Line Woes for Chickasha
Dozens of Chickasha homes and businesses had no or low water pressure yesterday. A water line ruptured behind the Plaza North Shopping Center near 10th and Choctaw about 11:00 a.m. The outage impacted about a 56-square block area including parts of downtown from 4th to 8th Streets. The outage forced the Grady County Courthouse to shut down yesterday afternoon and Chickasha Public Schools closed the administration building was which right across the street from the break. The school district also closed its enrollment center which was also in the outage area.
'Imagination Library' Program Serves Hundreds of Children
The Friends of the Chickasha Library are marking their second anniversary of partnering with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The program created by the Country Music Hall of Famer provides free books to young children. Jana Dabney with the Friends of the Library says hundreds of families are taking advantage of the program-
The Imagination Library is for children from birth through five years old. An age-appropriate book is mailed to the children every month and there is no cost to the families. Dabney says the Friends of the Library provides the funding and they are seeking contributions to continue their work. You can reach out to the Chickasha Public Library for information.
Spaghetti Day is Today
Everything is coming up spaghetti today! The Junior Social Workers are holding their 59th annual Spaghetti Day. The project brings in thousands of dollars which benefit a number of local charities including The Salvation Army, Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Intervention and Crisis Advocacy Network, Chickasha Police Department, and the Chickasha Public Schools Foundation. There are two times to get your spaghetti - from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and again from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It all takes place in the north exhibit building of the Grady County Fairgrounds. Dine in and drive-through service is available.
Chix High School Homecoming Parade Today
Students at Chickasha High School are wrapping up Homecoming week which does include a parade downtown this afternoon. The parade will be different than in years past as officials opted to not have the high school classes make floats. Each class will ride on a flat-bed trailer. The parade will start at 4:30 this afternoon and will run basically from 3rd Street and Chickasha Avenue and head west to about 10th Street and Chickasha Avenue where it will disburse.
'Fright Night' Back for a Second Year
After the parade there will be more activities downtown, including the second annual Fright Night. Individuals participating in the pumpkin decorating contest need to have their entries to the Leg Lamp by 6:00 p.m. Then at 6:00 p.m. there is pumpkin painting at Shakespeare Wine Company. The costumed parade will start at 7:00 p.m. at Shakespeare Wine Company and traverse east on Chickasha Avenue (renamed Pumpkin Lane for October) and end at the Leg Lamp.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $75.10 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $78.62.
Natural gas is $2.70 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,655 and silver is $31.35.
Obituaries
Gene Fogle
Funeral service for Gene Fogle, 82, of Gracemont will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12th at the First Baptist Church of Gracemont. He worked at Hollytex and in the energy industry. Arrangements are with Turner Funeral Home of Binger.
Bobby Fritz
A memorial service for Bobby Fritz, 50, of Chickasha will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12th at Parkview Christian Church. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
David Crutchfield
A private memorial service will be held at a later date for David Crutchfield, 77, of Chickasha. He owned and operated This N That convenience store and TNT liquor. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
Cindi Lennier
A memorial service for Cindi Lennier, 60, formerly of Ninnekah, will be held at a later date. She graduated from Ninnekah High School and Northeastern State University.
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Thursday, Oct. 10th
Details Emerge About Pedestrian Death on Turnpike
A follow-up today about that fatal accident on the H.E. Bailey Turnpike last Sunday where a pedestrian died. Court records indicate that Wallace Clay of Owasso was behind the wheel of a car that struck and killed Kreshardra Willhoite of Norman. The accident happened on the turnpike in Caddo County near mile marker 65. KSWO-TV cites court documents that Willhoite was with her family when their vehicle broke down. She and her brother were walking across the interstate looking for a tire when she was struck and killed. The documents say Chickasha police were able to locate Clay and detain him who then turned him over to the highway patrol. Clay reportedly told investigators that he was on the phone with his insurance company and claimed he hit a bird however DNA evidence suggested otherwise. Clay has been charged with a felony for leaving the scene of a fatality accident. He is out of jail after posting a $20,000 bond and a preliminary hearing conference won't be held until Jan. 16th. Clay faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Local Salvation Army to Assist with Hurricane Relief Work
Representatives from the local Salvation Army will be heading to the southeast part of the country to help with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Lt. Crystal McFarland said an employee and a volunteer will be headed to Atlanta, Georgia today to stage for help with Milton. As soon as it is safe to move in they will be sent to Florida to assist and will likely be there for about two weeks. McFarland will be going to Henderson, North Carolina to be the Liaison Officer for the incident command team in the area impacted by Hurricane Helene and will be on that assignment for a couple of weeks.
Defense Workshops Set to Guard Against Domestic Violence
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month which is held to raise awareness about domestic violence and show support for victims and survivors. The Grady County Sheriff's Office will be co-sponsoring some self-defense workshops designed to provide information and techniques which could help save the lives of individuals who find themselves in domestic violence situations. The sheriff's office is teaming up with Wilcoxen's Family Academy to offer the free workshops. Officials say domestic violence is not gender-specific. Women, children, and men can all be victims. A couple of workshops will be available on Saturday, Oct. 26th at Wilcoxen's Academy in downtown Chickasha. The first will be from 9:00 a.m. to noon and the second from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. The workshops are free but they are asking for donations which will be given to local domestic violence service organizations. A flyer promoting the workshop says the workshops are in honor of Holly Jerman and all domestic violence victims. For information contact Deputy Carrie Boggess at the Grady County Sheriff's Office. Victims of domestic violence can reach out locally to the Intervention and Crisis Advocacy Network 24-hours a day by calling 405-222-1818.
Golf Tournament to Benefit Special Olympics
A golf tournament to benefit Oklahoma Special Olympics will be held at the Chickasha Golf and Country Club tomorrow. The Chickasha Police Department will host the tournament in conjunction with the Law Enforcement Torch Run which is held in the days before the state Special Olympic Games in the spring. Assistant Chickasha Police Chief Daiman Alexander has been working with Special Olympics for years. His 15 year old son has Down's Syndrome. Alexander says there are a lot of Special Olympians in this region-
There will be a shotgun start between and 8 and 8:30 tomorrow morning. Entry fee is $100 per person.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $74.45 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $77.74.
Natural gas is $2.64 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,633 and silver is $30.82.
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Wednesday, Oct. 9th
Country Club Road Detour to End Soon
A culvert replacement project on Country Club Road is nearing completion. The project has had traffic near the Elks Lodge detouring through a neighborhood the last couple of weeks. Mayor Zach Grayson tells KOOL-RANCH News-
Another road project coming up in the next couple of months will be upgrades to Norge Road from 29th and Grand to Country Club Road as crews will put down a two-inch asphalt overlay on that stretch of highway.
Chix Municipal Court to Offer Food-for-Fines Program
The City of Chickasha will be offering an amnesty program for those who owe fines. A Food for Fines program will be in place next month where individuals can get $10 off their fines for each can or box of non-perishable food they bring in. The maximum credit per person will be $100. All the food will be given to the Emergency Food Pantry. This is the second straight year for the city to offer the program. The program only ran for about a week last year and in that short amount of time some $2,000 in fines were forgiven. It will run from Nov. 4th through Nov. 22nd.
Grant Awarded to USAO to Assist Native American
and Other Traditionally Under-Served Students
A new grant for USAO will allow the university to expand its student services programs. A more than $150,000 grant was awarded to the university's Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions office and will benefit Native American students and traditionally under-served students. Kendall Walker is the director of the program and says part of the grant will be used to purchase laptops that students can check out from the library which will help to further eliminate barriers to education and create more opportunities for students to thrive. It will also help to launch a new ambassador program that will provide students with leadership and professional development opportunities.
Chix Police Department Adds Another Officer
The Chickasha Police Department has another new officer. Cody Rideout took his oath of office at this week's city council meeting. Cody is originally from Canada. He was inspired to be a police officer due to his father's service in the Canadian Air Force. Cody served with the Canadian Army and while doing so earned an Associate's Degree in Police Foundations. He previously worked for Oklahoma County Corrections and Cleveland County law enforcement.
Voter Registration Deadline for Nov. 5th Election Nears
The presidential election is less than a month away and individuals who are not registered to vote but want to cast a ballot will need to register soon. The final day to register to vote is this Friday, Oct. 11th. Individuals must be 18 years old to register. For teenagers who may turn 18 after Friday but before the election, Maggie Evans with the Rock Island 4H Club said they can go ahead a sign up-
Individuals can go the state election board website to register – www.oklahoma.gov/elections, visit their county election board, or pick up applications at tag offices or libraries. Mailed-in applications will have to be post-marked by midnight Friday in order to get voter identification cards prior to the Nov. 5th election.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $73.84 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $77.37.
Natural gas is $2.70 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,635 and silver is $30.91.
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Tuesday, Oct. 8th
Ninnekah Residents Angry About School Board's Decision
to Have Property Owners Pay Most of Lawsuit Settlement
A number of Ninnekah school district patrons are upset over the school board's decision to have patrons pay for the settlement of a lawsuit filed against the district. Many spoke their minds about the settlement during last night's school board meeting. Last month, a federal judge approved an out-of-court settlement of $7.5 million regarding the lawsuit filed against the district concerning former girls basketball Ron Akins who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting players. Each of 14 victims are to receive about $500,000 each. Insurance will cover $1 million and the school district will pay $500,000. The rest will be tacked on to the ad valorem taxes of the estimated 2,000 property owners in the district which could be as much as $1,000 a year over the next three years. Patrons want the school board to take another look to see if there other options.
Grady, Caddo Counties Now Under Burn Bans
Burn bans are now in effect for Grady and Caddo counties. Commissioners in both areas passed resolutions yesterday at the recommendations of municipal and county fire chiefs. There is to be no trash, brush, or pasture burning, no campfires or bonfires, and no fireworks. Welding is permitted however Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson said precautions must be taken-
Outdoor cooking is allowed with charcoal and propane grills but must away from vegetation that may catch fire. The burn bans are in effect until Oct. 28th. Individuals can face up to one year in jail and a $500 fine if convicted of violating the ban.
Chix Council OK's 'Do-Over' for Norge Road Upgrade
The Chickasha City Council gave its approval to re-do part of a road improvement project. Officials spent tens of thousands of dollars on a chip-and-seal project for the Norge Highway from 29th Street and Grand Avenue to Country Club Road because officials say it did not hold up due to heavy traffic. The council approved a two-inch asphalt overlay at an additional cost of $150,000. It is a joint project with Grady County District 3. It wasn't clear when that work might start. Officials hope to have it completed by winter.
Grant approved for new restaurant
The panel gave its consent to award a $125,000 Central Business District Grant to Luigi's Italian Restaurant. Also approved was hiring a national head-hunting firm to find city manager candidates for the council to interview.
First step to implement flood prevention project begins
The council also took a step to begin a project to attempt to alleviate flooding throughout the city. The group approved an agreement with Meshek and Associates - an engineering firm which would design projects for a flood mitigation effort. It's a massive ordeal with the city to get most of the funds from a 75-25 matching grant from FEMA. The funds would be used to implement a flood-prevention study that was done in 2021. The project would include building three large detention ponds west of the city. The city must first apply for the FEMA grant with the application to be submitted by next spring. Grant recipients will be announced next August and if approved could get underway in 2026.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $77.14 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $80.93.
Natural gas is $2.75 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,660 and silver is $31.52.
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Monday, Oct. 7th
Turnpike Pedestrian Dies After Being Hit By Car
The Oklahoma High Patrol is still investigating the death of a pedestrian who was struck by a car on the H.E. Bailey turnpike yesterday. It happened just after 3:00 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of the interstate near mile marker 65 in Caddo County which is a few miles east of Fletcher. The highway patrol reports that 46-year old Kreshadra Wilhoite of Norman died. The driver of the car identified as 50-year old Wallace Clay of Owasso was not injured. No other information was provided. The report said troopers are still looking into what caused the accident as well as the conditions of the driver and the victim at the time.
Pickup Drives in to Lake Burtschi
First responders were dispatched to Lake Burtschi yesterday after a pickup drove into the lake. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Grady County sheriff's deputies, and the Grady County Dive Team were called out to assist in the recovery of the truck. Fortunately nobody was hurt. No additional information was released. Some photos are posted on the sheriff's office Facebook page.
Council to Consider Firm to Find City Manager Candidates
Tonight, the Chickasha City Council will consider employing a head-hunting firm to find candidates to be the next city manager. Current manager Keith Johnson resigned last month which is effective December 31st. It is being recommended that the council employ Strategic Government Resources to find potential candidates. Previous councils have used the firm. The cost would be no more than $55,000. Two other firms showed interest with one of them submitting a bid of under $25,000 but did not provide a proposal for its scope of work. The other company declined to submit information.
New Restaurant Seeks Grant Funds
The council will also consider giving final approval to a nearly $125,000 grant request to the company that opened Luigi's Italian Restaurant. The funds would come from the city's Central Business District Grant Funds. The proposed grant for Anautics, Inc. has been recommended for approval by the Chickasha Economic Development Council which indicated the company completed all the requirements needed for the grant. It offers one dollar of grant money for every three dollars spent by the firm on approved renovations. The council previously approved the grant this past January.
Panel to consider re-doing project on Norge Highway
The panel will also consider spending an additional $150,000 to re-do a road improvement project on 29th Street (Norge Highway) from Grand Avenue to Country Club Road. Officials say the chip-and-seal project which was just recently completed did not hold up to heavy traffic. Grady County District 3 will again assist. It calls for applying a two-inch asphalt overlay and striping once the project is finished. Officials want to get the work done before winter.
City to seek company to operate water treatment plants
During the Chickasha Municipal Authority portion of tonight's meeting the panel will consider going out for bids from companies that might be interested in operating the city's water treatment plants. If approved bids would need to be submitted by Oct. 31st. They city may interview as many as five companies and choose two finalists. The firm selected will be awarded a five-year contract with a possible five-year extension. The contract would begin July of 2025. The current contractor is USW out of Florida.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $76.33 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $79.86.
Natural gas is $2.83 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,676 and silver is $32.20.
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