Saturday, Nov. 9th
Suspects Face Federal Charges Related
to 2023 Marijuana Grow Facility Robberies
A multi-county grand jury has charged four men for their alleged involvement in robberies at grow facilities in Alex and Marlow last year. 25-year old Geane Johnson, Jr; 21 year old Anthony Jermaine Rainger; 20-year old Amiel Elijah Rainger; and 20-year old Herbert Lee Morris, Jr. all face a number of felonies. The Lawton Constitution reports they are accused of stealing cash and bundles of packaged marijuana from Fuda2020 LLC in Alex and Butter Cookies LLC in Marlow in June of last year. They are believed to be associated with a group known as the Murder One Blood street gang. They face counts of robbery; conspiracy to commit robbery; assault while in disguise; committing a gang-related offense; and engaging in patterns of criminal offenses. Two of them also face weapons charges. It's believed they may also be connected to other robberies that are under investigation.
ODOT Seeks Comment on 25-year Plan
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is asking for your thoughts on its latest long-range transportation plan. ODOT is looking at projects over the next 25 years which is different from the agency's eight-year construction work plan. The website OK Energy Today reports the plan is required by the federal government to establish a comprehensive vision for the future and guiding the development of a network that insures safe, efficient, and reliable transportation options. They include traveling by car, public transit, trains, as well las by bicycle and on foot. It's also to include highways, passenger and freight railroads, airport access and waterways. You can review the plan on the website www.longrangeplan.org and leave comments through Dec. 20th. Additional public input will be needed when the initial proposal is released next summer.
Alpaca Producers Showing at the Grady County Fairgrounds
Alpaca producers from across the country are in Chickasha this weekend. They are taking part in the annual Alpaca Blast-off hosted by Alpacas of Oklahoma. Nearly 60 farms from 21 states are showing about 350 animals this weekend at the Grady County Fairgrounds. Judging is similar to a regular livestock show with the animals rated on their fleece and their body condition. The animals are also led through an obstacle course. Debbie Ashley with Alpacas of Oklahoma says the show is open to the public at no charge, and you can get up close and personal with the animals-
Alpacas are smaller and more docile than llamas. They are raised for breeding purposes and their fleece which is finer and warmer than wool. The fleece is spun into yarn to make sweaters, socks, scarves, and gloves, and is also made into the size of a baseball which you can toss in your dryer to remove static electricity from your clothes. The show begins at 9:00 a.m. both today and tomorrow.
Talk Show Topic
Here's what we're talking about this weekend. Tammy Watts and E Vanbuskirk with Grady County OHCE are on the KOOL Konversation to discuss their organization and its upcoming Celebration of Crafts Show. A podcast of the program under the Community tab on this website.
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Friday, Nov. 8th
City of Chickasha Begins 'Food for Fines' Program
The City of Chickasha has begun its Food for Fines program. Individuals who owe fines for traffic tickets or code violations can have their fines reduced by donating non-perishable food items to the municipal court located at the police department. Each item of non-perishable food donated will reduce fines by $10 with a maximum of $100 taken off what is owed. Officials say individuals who have outstanding warrants can participate without fear of being arrested and will be set up on a plan to pay the remaining balance. Items that will be accepted include canned vegetables and fruit; canned meats like chicken and tuna; bags or boxes of beans and rice; mac and cheese; crackers; and bags and boxes of cereal. Also accepted will be four-packs of toilet paper. All items will be donated to the Emergency Food Pantry. The Food for Fines program runs through Nov. 22nd.
The Imaginaries Release Song for Veterans
The Imaginaries, the musical duo of Shane Henry and Maggie McClure, debut their latest song today. It's a heartfelt tribute to military veterans called Carry Me, Carry On (Veteran's Song)-
The song is in collaboration with a group called Guitars for Vets, a group which raises awareness and funds to help at-risk veterans impacted by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other service-related trauma. The music video was produced by Reagan Elkins and was shot at the Production House in downtown Chickasha.
Veterans Day Events Scheduled
As we head into the weekend before Veterans Day, a unique event will be held in Lawton. It's a 24-hour Veterans Day Walk. It's called Steps Under the Stars and Stripes which will get underway this afternoon at the Lawton-Ft. Sill Visitors Center. Individuals and groups are welcome to join the walk at any time but won't have to walk the entire 24 hours. Tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. the Tommy Franks Mobile Museum will be there and Ft. Sill will have some static displays. A number of guest speakers are scheduled. The visitors center is at 501 Southeast Flower Mound Road.
Grady County program is Monday
The Oklahoma Veterans Recognition Committee will have its annual Veterans Day program on Monday, Nov. 11th which is Veterans Day. The program will be held at the Grady County Veterans Memorial at Chickasha's Shannon Springs Park starting at 11:00 a.m. In case of bad weather the program will be moved to the Chickasha Elks Lodge at 1818 W. Country Club Road. The Elks Lodge will serve all veterans and their guests a meal after the program.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $71.22 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $74.63.
Natural gas is $2.72 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,696 and silver is $31.56.
Obituary
Earl 'Eddie' Cowan
Funeral service for Eddie Cowan, 60, of Verden will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9th at McRay Funeral Home. He worked in a number of hospitals, established the Cottonwood Senior Center in Verden, and cared for more than 180 foster children.
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Thursday, Nov. 7th
Grow Facility Held Up at Gun Point
Grady County deputies are looking for a number of suspects believed to have been involved in the armed robbery of a marijuana grow facility last night. Authorities were called out to the Cement area near CS 2790 and CR1450 about 8:30 p.m. Media reports indicate as many as seven suspects stormed into the facility with weapons. There were no reports of injuries. The suspects and 20 or more employees are believed to have fled the area. Officials have called in the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics to assist with the investigation. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Grady County Sheriff's Office by calling 405-224-0984.
WFEC to Build New Generators
In Anadarko, Western Farmers Electric Co-op recently broke ground to build two new generators. When completed the co-op will be able to generate up to 650 megawatts of electricity. Mark Faulkinberry with Western Farmers says the demand for electricity has been on the rise-
He said the new generators will use jet-engine technology for faster start-ups.
Nat'l Weather Service Part of Middle School Science Fair
Chickasha Middle School students will get some great STEM training tomorrow. Officials from the National Weather Service as well as local and state emergency management groups will have a science fair for 7th and 8th graders. Chickasha Emergency Management Director Edward Perez and Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson will be part of the program. Perez says there will be several stations the students can visit-
Perez says a new phrase has been coined to help individuals protect themselves should a tornado be headed their way. It's 'get in, get down, and get covered'.
USAO Readies for Upcoming Davis-Waldorf Programs
USAO is preparing for its second Davis-Waldorf Performing Arts Series (DWPAS) program later this month. The enchanting world of Japanese folk tales will come to life with performer Kuniko Yamamoto. The performance will be Thursday Nov. 21st at 7:30 p.m. in the Davis Hall Little Theatre. Tickets are now on sale at the USAO business office. DWPAS officials say the university has received a grant which will help fund the third program in the series in February. The $5,000 grant comes from the Mid-America Arts Alliances Regional Touring program. The February 13th show will feature the Houston-based FLY Dance Company, also known as The Gentlemen of Hip Hop.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $71.09 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $74.46.
Natural gas is $2.75 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,671 and silver is $31.21.
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Wednesday, Nov. 6th
Election Results
Former President Donald Trump will return to Washington, D.C. after defeating Kamala Harris in yesterday's presidential election. Trump picked up the minimum 270 electoral votes needed to win the election and that total increased to 277 early this morning. Trump easily won in Oklahoma with more than 66 percent of the vote, receiving more than 1 million of the 1.5 million votes cast. Grady County voters backed Trump with 80 percent of the vote giving him 20,000 of the 25,000 votes cast.
Grady County fire tax gets big win
Grady County voters easily passed a 10-year extension of a sales tax for the nearly 20 fire districts in the county. It received 70 percent of the vote - 17,473 to 7,481. The 1/8th of a penny sales tax brings in about $1 million a year which is distributed evenly to the nearly 20 volunteer and municipal departments to help them buy and maintain vehicles and equipment, and to advance fire protection and prevention services.
New Mayor elected in Anadarko
In Anadarko, John McCasland won the mayor's post over two candidates including current Mayor Kelley McGlothlin. McClasland won despite not getting more than 50 percent of the vote. He received 716 votes which 48 percent; McGlothlin received 603 votes which was 40 percent; and Patrick Michael Hayes received 175 votes or about 12 percent. McCasland will serve out the remaining two years of McGlothlin's term.
Chix Fire Department to get New Ambulance
The Chickasha Fire Department will be getting a new ambulance. The city council this week approved the purchase of a 2024 Ram 550 ambulance through Emergency Vehicle Sales and Services of Oklahoma for more than $385,000. The funds will be reimbursed by the Grady County EMS District.
Shannon Springs Park pool, splash pad renovations approved
The council also approved a bid of more than $460,000 to rehabilitate the municipal swimming pool at Shannon Springs Park. The bid was awarded to Sunbelt Pools. Parks and Recreation Director Spencer Winzenried said it is expected to extend the life of the pool by 10 to 15 years. The council also approved a bid to rehabilitate the splash pad at Shannon Springs Park. The project was awarded to RJR Enterprises at a cost of just under $54,000.
Chix Schools, Community to Benefit from Duncan Non-Profit
A non-profit group out of Duncan is teaming up with several other non-profits across the country to distribute millions of dollars in food and products to school children and communities. Life's Hope is a humanitarian relief organization which has been around for nearly 20 years. The group brought two semi-trailers full of returned and discontinued items from an Amazon distribution center in Illinois to Chickasha's Bill Wallace School today. School employees and community volunteers helped to unload several pallets of items that included household items, bedding, clothing, ceiling fans, air fryers, and much more. The items are all given away starting with students who are allowed to pick one item for themselves and one for someone else. The community is then invited to pick up items at no charge (but they are not to re-sell them), with churches, the Salvation Army and other non-profits also invited to participate. This will take place at all the other school sites over the next few weeks. For information about Life's Hope, check out its Facebook page.
Longtime Farm Service Agency Director Dies
Obituaries today include Darrell Cheshier who was the longtime director of the Grady County Farm Service Agency. Cheshier was 68 when he passed away after a brief illness last week. He was very active with local and state square dancing clubs and had been president of the Swingin' Chicks Square Dance Club for many years. He was recently inducted into the state Square Dancing Hall of Fame. Funeral service was held in Maysville yesterday and he was laid to rest in the Schwartz Cemetery in Oklahoma City. He is survived by his wife Tawana, son Andrew, and daughter Kyla Roach her husband John and their families.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $71.07 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $74.56.
Natural gas is $2.67 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,729 and silver is $32.26.
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Tuesday, Nov. 5th
Chix Council Formally Hires New City Manager
Jim Crosby, who has served as the city of Chickasha's public works director the last four years, was officially hired to be the next city manager at city hall. After a nearly 30-minute executive session last night, the panel voted 8-0 to approve an employment contract with Crosby. Councilman Kelly Boyd was absent from last night's meeting. Crosby has worked in municipal government for more than 50 years and previously was city manager at Yukon and Piedmont. Crosby will start next Monday, Nov. 11th and will work with current city manager Keith Johnson over the next couple of months. Johnson recently announced his resignation and agreed to remain on the job through Dec. 31st. Mayor Zach Grayson said Crosby's base salary will be $145,000 per year plus benefits including a car allowance and some moving expenses.
FOP contract approved
Also in the closed door session, the council unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police Local 129 for fiscal years 2024-26. Details of the contract were not released.
Explanation offered for non-working storm sirens during tornado warning
City of Chickasha officials say a computer glitch and the time change are to blame when the city's storm sirens failed when a tornado warning was issued Sunday afternoon. Emergency Management Director Edward Perez said a new computer has been ordered and it is expected to arrive tomorrow.
Two waterline construction projects OK'd
The council also approved spending nearly 3/4 of a million dollars for a couple of waterline projects. One is for the emergency repairs on a broken waterline underneath the Stillwater National Railroad next to the water treatment plant. The council approved a nearly $283,000 bid from Matthews Trenching Company of Oklahoma City for that project. The panel approved a more than $480,000 bid from Bear Creek Construction of Clinton for a water main construction project near Ada Sipuel Avenue and the Union Pacific Railroad.
Obituaries
Mable Kinsey
Funeral service for Mable Kinsey, 96, of Moore and formerly of the Anadarko and Gracemont area will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6th at Ferguson Funeral Home. She was a nurse.
LeAnn Akins
A come-and-go celebration of life for LeAnn Akins, 77, of Chickasha will be held from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7th at Ferguson Funeral Home.
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Monday, Nov. 4th
Several Tornado Warnings Issued in the Area
Strong thunderstorms have been moving through the Grady, Caddo and Canadian County areas over the last two days with at least three tornado warnings issued. Two of them were Sunday afternoon when storms developed near the communities of Cement and Cogar. A tornado warning for Chickasha was issued just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday when the National Weather Service (NWS) said radar-indicated rotation was near 4th and Country Club Road. KWTV Channel 9 storm chasers Val and Amy Castor showed the rotating mesocyclone as it moved over the city. That stormed moved northeast to the Blanchard area. At nearly the same time the NWS issued a tornado warning for a storm in the Cogar area. That storm moved over Union City and then on to Yukon. Just after 6:00 a.m. this morning the NWS issued a tornado warning for a storm in the Tuttle area moving northeast into Oklahoma City. No tornados touched down in any of those storms and there were no reports of damage or injuries.
Chix Storm Sirens Did Not Work Sunday
Many Chickasha residents are questioning why the city's storm sirens did not go off during Sunday's tornado warning. City officials are also wondering why since the sirens were just tested within the last couple of weeks. A statement issued by the city said the sirens were activated three minutes before the tornado warning was issued but they did not work. The statement said officials are working with the company that serviced the sirens to find out why they didn't sound off. The statement says it's important that individuals have several ways to receive weather updates including having phone alerts, downloading weather apps, watching televisions stations, and having a NOAA weather radio.
Chix Council May Hire Next City Manager Tonight
A proposal to hire Jim Crosby as Chickasha's next city manager could be made official tonight. Crosby, who has been the city's Public Works Director for the last four years, was recommended for the post during a special city council meeting last week. The council gave Mayor Zach Grayson the authority to negotiate a contract. The council will go behind closed doors tonight to consider an employment agreement with Crosby. If approved, he'll assume the post currently held by Keith Johnson after the first of the year. Johnson previously announced he'll be leaving Dec. 31st.
Panel to discuss contract talks with police union
Also in the closed-door session the council will discuss the status of negotiations regarding a collective bargaining agreement between the City and the Fraternal Order of Police Local No. 129 for 2024-26 fiscal years.
Contracts for two water line projects to be considered
The panel will also consider hiring a firm to make emergency repairs to a broken water line under the Stillwater National Railroad near the water treatment plant. A bid from Matthews Trenching Company for more than $370,000 is being recommended for approval. Also to be discussed is a waterline construction project in the area of Ada Sipuel Avenue and the Union Pacific Railroad to Bear Creek Construction of Clinton for nearly $500,000. The council meets at 6:30 tonight at City Hall.
Operation Greenlight Ceremony Held
A ceremony to honor veterans was held at the Grady County Courthouse this morning. It's part of a national campaign called Operation Greenlight, a week-long campaign to recognize veterans and the challenges they face. Featured speakers included Sheriff Gary Boggess, a U.S. Army veteran; retired teacher and school administrator John Smith who served in the U.S. Navy; and restaurant owner and businessman Josh Woods who served in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $71.30 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $74.94.
Natural gas is $2.63 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,747 and silver is $32.88.
Obituary
Roy Sutton
Funeral service for Roy Sutton, 72, of Chickasha will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Ferguson Funeral Home. He worked for Chickasha Manufacturing, the City of Chickasha, Maremont, Delta Faucet, and had a computer business with his brother.
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