Our Chickasha Schools Academic Persons of the week are the entire support staff at grand elementary.

Just click to listen to their story.

Monday, April 30th

Child Dies in UTV Rollover

A sad story out of Amber today, as an eight-year girl has died in a UTV accident. It happened on private property southeast of Amber just before 3:00 p.m. Sunday. The Highway Patrol reports the child was driving a 2018 Polaris Ranger and tried to make a turn. The vehicle overturned and rolled nearly two times, coming to rest on its passenger side. The child was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where she died from head injuries. The girl was not wearing a helmet. State troopers did not release the girl’s name.

Semi Driver Critical After Fiery Crash

A truck driver remains in critical condition following a fiery crash in Caddo County. That accident happened at I-40 and U.S. Highway 281 which is north of Hinton, around mile marker 101. The highway patrol reports the driver fell asleep and ran of the interstate. The semi crashed into two retaining walls and caught fire. The driver, 61-year old Jose Manzanares of California was first taken to an Oklahoma City hospital, then transferred to a Tulsa hospital where he was last in critical condition. Portions of the highway were shut down for more than five hours.

Woman Arrested on Charges of Child Neglect, Harboring Teen

A family found to be living in squalor, and a Grady County woman is facing charges of child neglect and harboring a runaway teen. The home was in such horrible condition that one investigator called it one of the worst he's seen in 10 years, saying every step was like slipping on mud. In a joint investigation by Minco police and the Caddo County Sheriff's Office, authorities found a Cogar home with piles of animal feces and a rancid odor of urine and waste. A cage with as many at 25 chickens was in one of the bedrooms. Acting on a tip called in to Minco police, authorities there called in Caddo County investigators since the home is in the Cogar area, in Caddo County just west of Minco. The Lawton Constitution reports that 48-year old Evelyn Posey of Minco was taken into custody, and was alleged to have been hiding a 13-year-old runaway. She faces both felony and misdemeanor charges in Caddo County District Court. Her bond was set at $50,000. Posey has prior convictions in Georgia for child sexual abuse and failure to register as a sex offender.

Funding Available to Weatherize Low-Income Homes

Two Grady County groups are combining efforts to help low-to-moderate income residents make their homes more energy efficient. The Grady County Home Finance Authority and Grady County Emergency Management  are offering the service. Cody White with the home finance authority discusses some of work that might be done.

There's a minimal amount of funding left in the program. Officials say they can probably help about 20 more families. Applications are available at many senior nutrition centers and at the Grady County Emergency Management Office, 315 W. Pennsylvania, Chickasha, Okla.

Tips to Control Pests in Garden, Landscape

Controlling bugs in the garden and landscape seems like a never-ending battle. In addition to spraying pesticides, you can do things like getting rid of infested plant and trash materials and cultivating the soil to expose and destroy pests that might be living just under ground. Shiann Burns with Grady County OSU Extension says the pests do have some natural enemies.

If you do decide to use a pesticide you might have to re-apply after two or three days. Burns encourages gardeners to limit pesticide use.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $68.10 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $74.64.

Natural gas is $2.77 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,317 and silver is $16.43.

Saturday, April 28th

Several Injured Following Dibble Crash

Several people were taken to hospitals and two were admitted after two vehicles collide in Dibble. The accident happened about 9:30 p.m. Friday at State Highway 76 and 260th Street. The Highway Patrol reports that a car was westbound on 260th Street where a stop sign had been knocked down. The car entered the highway and was hit by a southbound SUV. Five people were taken to hospitals. Two passengers in the SUV, 73-year old Randall Howard and 60-year old Vicky Howard, both of Ringling were taken to an Oklahoma City hospital where they were last in serious condition with head and trunk injuries. The family in the car, 56-year old Gary Pack, 52-year old Kelly Pack, and 18-year old Kassidy Pack all of Newcastle, were taken to a Norman hospital where they were treated and released.

Chain-reaction Accident Involving Semi Injures 3

Three people are hurt and one hospitalized after a chain-reaction crash involving a semi. That accident happened on I-35 south of Wynnewood about 11:00 a.m. Friday. The highway patrol reports the semi, driven by 64-year old Joel Sullivan of Lindsay, had slowed because of traffic congestion. Two vehicles were following behind Sullivan and crashed each other and the semi. Sullivan was not hurt, but a Texas woman in one of the cars had to be air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital. Her condition was not reported. Two others were taken to an Ardmore hospital where they were treated and released.

Convicted Sex Offender Jailed on More Sex Crime Allegations

A convicted sex offender is back in jail, accused sending x-rated messages  to a 10-year old girl. 29-year old Dusty Lee Groseclose, also known as Dusty Torralba, was arrested by Chickasha police and the District Attorneys Task Force this week. Court documents indicate the girl's mother called police earlier this month after seeing lewd Facebook messages that were being sent to her daughter. The documents also indicate Groseclose confessed. Back in 2008, Groseclose pleaded guilty to felony indecent exposure charges and sentenced to 10 years, with all but six months suspended. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender. In 2009 he was charged for failure to register as a sex offender and in 2013 charged for failure to comply with the sex offender registry. Groseclose remains in jail in lieu of $250,000 bond.

Trio Arrested, Charged in Assault, Strong-armed Robbery

Three men are arrested and charged with misdemeanors in connection with an assault and strong-armed robbery. The attack took place Thursday evening in the parking lot of a truck stop west of downtown Chickasha.  A Chickasha police affidavit indicates the victim said the men beat him and stole his wallet with nearly $500 inside. One of the suspects said that the victim owed him some money for helping him with some work earlier in the day. 27-year old Kassey Keeton of Verden, 37-year old Charles Hoehaver of Cyril, and 35-year old Mohit Soni also Cyril are all charged with misdemeanor petty larceny. Keeton was also charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. All three men are out of jail after posting bond.

Groups Urge Turning in Old, Un-used Drugs

Law enforcement agencies and public health groups are encouraging Americans to turn in their unused and expired prescription drugs. Saturday, April 28th is National Take Back Prescription Drug day. Drop boxes are located throughout Grady County for individuals to turn in the old or unused drugs. Julia Cochran with Red Rock Behavioral Health Services tells gives examples of what can be dropped  off .

Over a two-year period, Cochran says the drop boxes at the Chickasha Police Department and the Grady County Sheriff's office have collected 600 pounds of old or un-used drugs. Drop boxes are also located at three pharmacies in Chickasha, including Liberty Drug, Grand Care, and the Chickasha Clinic Pharmacies. There are also drop boxes at the Tuttle Police Department and at Cedar Springs Pharmacy in Tuttle.

Sheriff's Office Warrant List

Each week the Grady County Sheriff's Office issues a list of individuals who have outstanding warrants. Here's Public Information officer Lisa Hatchett

If you have information regarding any of these individuals you're asked to contact the sheriff's office.

Talk Show Topic

Here's what we're talking about this weekend. Low-to-median-income families in Grady County may qualify for a low-cost program to help make their homes more energy efficient. Cody White with the Grady County Home Finance Authority and Amanda Wilkerson with  Grady County Emergency Management talk about the program on our KOOL Konversation. Look for a link to the program on this website, under the Community tab.

Friday, April 27th

Drive-by Shooting Suspect May have Fired at Wrong House

A close call for a Chickasha family that may have been the target of a drive-by shooting. It happened in the neighborhood near 6^th and Washington about midnight Thursday. Police were called and quickly had a suspect in custody. Shawn Bottoms lives next door to the home that has at least five bullet holes in the front door, wall, and a window. He tells KOOL/RANCH News that a relative who lives with him received some threatening text messages just minutes before the shooting.  

Fortunately, the people living in the house that was shot weren’t home. Bottoms believes the motive for the shooting was over $20 his relative owed the suspect.  In custody is 21-year old Derreck Anthony Newsom who is being held on complaints of reckless conduct with a firearm; being a felon with weapon; and using a vehicle to facilitate the use of a firearm. Newsom is on probation on a 2016 conviction of assault on a police officer from 2016.

One Dead, One Critical in Motorcycle-SUV Crash

One person has died and another was critically injured when a motorcycle and SUV collide in Minco. 18-year old Tatum Horn of Tuttle died in the crash that happened about 8:30 p.m. Thursday. She was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by 20-year old Christian Boatman of Moore. Boatman was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital where he is battling head, trunk, and internal injuries. Neither Horn nor Boatman were wearing helmets. The driver of the SUV, 59-year old Alvaro Acosta of Kansas was not hurt. The highway patrol says the accident is still under investigation.

Chickasha Street Closed for Sinkhole Repair

A Chickasha city street is closed while crews work to repair a sink hole. The 300 block of South 9^th Street, which is between Iowa and Colorado Avenues will be shut down until the sink hole is filled. The sinkhole opened after a Waste Connections sanitation truck drove over the weakened pavement. The sinkhole only measured 1 X 3 feet on the surface and about two feet deep. City workers say there is a 36-inch storm drain under the street.

City Council Approves Sale of City-Owned Home

The Chickasha City Council approves the sale of a city-owned home. In a special meeting of the Chickasha Municipal Authority, which is a division of the council, approved a $100,000 bid on the property at 1621 Park Avenue. The approval followed a 15-minute closed door session.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $68.19 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $74.74.

Natural gas is $2.80 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,318 and silver is $16.55

Thursday, April 26th

City-Owned Land May be Sold

The newest members of the Chickasha City Council won't have to wait too long to be part of their first closed-door meeting. The council, which also acts as the governing body of the Chickasha Municipal Authority, will go behind closed doors in a special meeting this afternoon. It will be the first executive session for new councilmen Zach Grayson, Joe Molder, and David Sikes after they were sworn in just two weeks ago. The group is to consider the purchase or appraisal of some real estate in the University Heights addition, and the possible sale of that property. The agenda for the special meeting calls for setting a price for four lots in Block 12 of the addition, and the possible sale of that land to Paul Thompson, Jr. The proposed sale will be voted on during open session. The plans for those lots aren't disclosed on the agenda. There is also a short special meeting of the city council which is open to the public. The one issue to discuss is to waive the bidding requirement to purchase and install about $7,300 in equipment needed for a fifth wheel. The special meetings will get underway at 5:30 this afternoon at city hall.

Some DHS Clients May get More Job Training Help

Low income Oklahomans who receive state and federal assistance may get some added help for job training. Gov. Mary Fallin has signed a bill designed to have the Department of Human Services enhance its partnerships with career tech, community colleges, and other training programs. HB 2825 is expected to assist DHS clients who are part of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF program. In a press release, the governor said the new law should expand opportunities for TANF recipients to participate in and complete employment and training opportunities. The new law will go into effect November 1st.

Teen Business Innovation Camp Set

High school students who may want to run their own business one day have an opportunity to get a crash course on what they might need to do. An Innovation Business Camp will be offered to students to learn the basics of how to build a business plan, get real-world experience and knowledge on how to start and build a business, and network with local business owners and operators and community leaders. It's a three-day course sponsored by the Chickasha Economic Development Council and Zippety's Lazer World. It's available to all high school students and will be held on the USAO campus. There is a $99 fee and some financial assistance may be available. The camp will be Thursday, May 31st through Saturday, June 2nd. Interest forms are available on-line at www.zippetys.com/camp

District Attorney to Discus Medical Marijuana State Question

The medical marijuana state question that is on the June 26th primary election ballot will be getting a lot of discussion over the next eight weeks. It will be among the issues addressed tonight by District Attorney Jason Hicks, who is the guest speaker for the monthly meeting of the Grady County Republicans. Hicks recently ran un-opposed for a third term as DA. He'll be joined by a couple of Republican candidates on the June 26^th ballot, including Charles Wells, candidate for House District 56; and Brian Bingman, a candidate for corporation commissioner. The Grady County GOP group meets at 6:30 tonight at the Canadian Valley Technology Center.

OSU Research Station to Host Wheat Field Day

Wheat producers in the region can get the latest information about the current crop, and other information about the commodity in a program tomorrow. The OSU Research Station in Chickasha will host its annual wheat field day. Manager Michael Pettijohn encourages producers to spend a couple of hours with OSU wheat developers and get information about the grain market, and new directions for wheat. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., with the program getting underway at 9:00 a.m.. The program will wrap up about noon.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $68.05.

London-based Brent crude is $74.00.

Natural gas is $2.78 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,323 and silver is $16.59.

Wednesday, April 25th

Grady County Clerk Retires

After more than four decades of working at the Grady County courthouse, County Clerk Sharon Shoemake is retiring. Shoemake made the formal announcement at this week's Grady County Commissioner’s meeting. Shoemake was 22-years old when she started working at the courthouse in 1977. She's been the county clerk for 22 years. Shoemake's last day on the job will be next Tuesday. Jill Locke will take over the county clerk's post, and will fill out the remaining years on the term.

Chickasha Middle School Teacher Tops in the District

A middle school instructor has been named teacher of the year for the Chickasha school district. Michael Voyles picked up the honor yesterday. Voyles is a language arts teacher in his third year of teaching in Chickasha. He was selected by a panel of school administrators and teachers. Voyles is now eligible to compete for state teacher of the year award.

Tip Leads to Arrest in Stolen Motorcycle Case

Chickasha police credit a tip from a resident for the arrest of a suspect accused of stealing a motorcycle. It happened just after midnight Monday, April 23^rd when the witness noticed a neighbor's motorcycle being loaded into a pickup. The witness called authorities with a description of the truck, a tag number, and direction of travel. It wasn't long before police had the suspect in custody. Authorities arrested 29-year old Nathan Todd Dobson on complaints of larceny of a vehicle and drug possession. It’s the third time Dobson has been arrested in the last three months. Grady County court records indicate he was  arrested a couple of weeks ago and charged with a misdemeanor drug offense. He was arrested in February and faces a felony drug charge in connection with that offense. He was also charged with felony drug possession in 2012. Court documents indicate he successfully completed a drug court program in 2014 following that offense.

Brothers Face Charges in Beating of Carnegie Teen

A Caddo County teen is hospitalized after being brutally beaten and dumped into a trash bin. While he recovers, two brothers have been arrested and formally charged in the attack. 27-year old Ryal Guevera and 23-year old Adrian Guevera, both  of Carnegie, are facing a felony charge of aggravated assault. Formal charges were filed in Caddo County District Court in Anadarko earlier this week. The attack occurred in Carnegie on April 14^th. A probable cause affidavit from Carnegie police indicates the unidentified teen suffered serious head injuries. He was first taken to the hospital in Carnegie, then air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital. It's unknown if the teen is still there.

Hundreds Turn Out for OERB Stem Night

There was a huge turnout for the OERB STEM Night program at Chickasha High School last night. Hundreds of students from kindergarten through high school had the opportunity to see a number of groups that use science, technology, engineering and math in those fields. The OERB presented more than $30,000 in grants to school districts including Chickasha ($7,800),Tuttle ($2,600), Minco ($2,400), Ampo ($1,700), Friend ($1,100), Verden ($1,300), Ninnekah ($2,500), Pioneer ($1,400), Rush Springs ($2,000), Alex ($1,500) and Anadarko ($6,700). The grants are among $2 miilon in grants issued to schools throughout Oklahoma by OERB.

Dry Winter Damages Fall-Planted Crops

While most of Oklahoma is getting some much-needed rain, it did not come in time for many grain producers.  The lack of rainfall over the winter months had a negative impact on many crops planted last fall. Producers may be able to re-coup some of their losses with the USDA's Livestock Forage Program. Amanda Tye is with the Caddo County Farm Service Agency.

Producers should contact their local FSA office for information.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $67.70 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $75.47.

Natural gas is $2.78 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,325 and silver is $16.63.

Tuesday, April 24th

Big Rigs Collide, Block State Highway

The main thoroughfare between Chickasha and Dibble was shut down for several hours last night, after two semis collide at the intersection of a couple of state highways. The accident happened in the community of Naples at State Highways 39  and 19C, which is commonly called the Alex highway. Details about the crash haven't been released. The state trooper working the site indicated there were minor injuries. The names of the truck drivers weren't available. The accident happened about 9:30 p.m. Monday. State troopers say the roadway was blocked for four hours, and didn’t re-opened about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.

State Drug Agents to Discuss Opioid Crisis

The opioid epidemic and how to combat other drug-related problems will be discussed in a public forum in Chickasha tonight. Officials with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) will be on hand to give an overview of the use and abuse of  prescription and non-prescription drugs. Mark Woodward with the OBNDD fears that if the state question to legalize medical marijuana in Oklahoma passes in June, Oklahoma’s overall drug problem would get worse. He points to states like Colorado and California where there have been increases in marijuana use in children as young as 12 and 13 years old. Woodward said individuals who want health benefits of marijuana can instead use CBD oil which is legal. The forum will be held at 6 p.m. tonight on the Chickasha campus of the Canadian Valley Technology Center.

WFEC Reports $1.6 Million in Damage from Wildfires

Oklahoma wildfires not only destroyed homes, livestock, and crops, there was also considerable damage to electric lines. It's estimated that more than $1.6 million in damage was done to facilities, equipment, lines, and utility poles belonging to Western Farmers Electric Cooperative. A press release from the company indicates most of the damage occurred in Dewey County where more than 100 structures were damaged or destroyed. There was also damage in Roger Mills and Woodward counties. More than 260 transmission poles need to be replaced and it’s believed that number could go up.

STEM Night Set for Area Schools

It sounds like a scene straight out of a science fiction movie. Bugs, robots, and drones all invade a high school. It’s not a movie, but a program to show students  the benefits of taking technology and engineering-related courses. The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board (OERB) is hosting a STEM night for area high school students and their families. Younger kids can make slime and check out a live bug petting zoo. A lot of energy-related companies will have exhibits. The teacher that brings the most students to the event will receive a $250 gift card. STEM night will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. tonight at the Chickasha High School Activity Center.

Wheat Field Days on the Calendar

There are a couple of opportunities for wheat producers to see how the Grady County crop is  progressing and to get information about wheat in general. This Friday, the OSU Research Station in Chickasha will host its annual Wheat Field Day. There will be discussion of new directions for wheat, a grain market forecast, and nitrogen management of dual-purpose wheat. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. with the program starting at 9:00 a.m. On Wednesday, May 9th, the Shawnee Mills Elevator in Minco will host a discussion of wheat varieties and general topics. That program will start at 10:30 a.m.

Grady County Woman Earns Southwest Oklahoma Honor

A Grady County woman is recognized for her community service work. Peggy Eiss is named the Rookie of The Year for the southwest district of Oklahoma Home, Community, and Education groups, also known as OHCE. Susan Routh with Grady County OSU Extension coordinates the local OHCE programs.

Eiss will now compete for the state Rookie of the Year award at the state OHCE meeting in July.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $68.64 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $74.71.

Natural gas $2.74 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,329 and silver is $16.75.

Monday, April 23rd

Pedestrian Struck, Killed by Train

State troopers are investigating the death of a man who was hit by a train near Chickasha. Officials have not yet identified the victim, saying only that his is Native American. The accident happened about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, just west of 29th and Highway 62. The highway patrol reports a Union Pacific train with three engines was pulling 55 cars. The engineer was 60-year old Mark Peach of Chickasha and the conductor was 38-year old Michael Prothro of Norman. Neither were injured.

Driver Hospitalized Following Caddo County Crash

A Caddo County man is hurt in a weekend accident where his pickup ran off a wet highway and overturned. 52-year old James David Zahorsky of Aline suffered head and trunk injuries in the crash. It happened south of Alfalfa on State Highway 58 about 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Zahorsky was last in good condition at the Carnegie hospital.

Truck Hauling Fruit Overturns, Causes Slippery Mess

Officials had quite a mess to clean up south of Apache. A truck load of fruit overturned on U.S. Highway 281 about a mile south of Apache Sunday morning. The entire roadway was blocked for more than 3 1/2 hours while the highway was cleared of the debris. There were no reports of injury.

Drones, Bots, Bugs Part of OERB STEM Night Tuesday

An interesting event in Chickasha tomorrow to encourage more students to take science and technology classes. The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board is hosting what is called STEM Night. STEM is short of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Mindy Stitt is the executive director for OERB, and says the agency has provided some $2 million in grants to Oklahoma schools in the past year. Nearly every school district in Grady County has received one of the grants.  STEM night will have drones and robotics, and kids will get to make slime. Stitt says there will be other exhibits, too.

STEM night has activities for students of all ages.. It’s free and open to school districts throughout the region. It' will be held at the Chickasha High School activity center Tuesday, April 24^th from 4:00 p.m. to 7 p.m.

3 Chickasha Police Officers Honored by State Group

Three Chickasha police officers are honored by a statewide group of law enforcement agencies. Sgt. Matthew Schoolfield and Officers Colton Weger and Daniel Ramirez received the Medal of Valor from the Oklahoma Sheriff's and Peace Officers Association. The group held its 104th annual banquet in Midwest City last week. The group honors individuals who contribute to the conclusion of major criminal cases and others for heroism. The group posthumously honored six Oklahoma law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2017.

Chick Police Receives Bio-Hazard Grant

Chickasha police have also received one of a handful of grants to attend biohazard training programs and obtain biohazard equipment. The grant provided by a company called Aftermath, which has 32 regional offices and 40 mobile units nationwide. Chickasha was one of only five departments nationwide to receive such a grant. Initially, Chickasha receives 20 Personal Protective Equipment kits and will receive 30 more over the next few months. Each kit contains a bio bag, a bio-suit, arm sleeves, latex and rubber gloves, a respiratory mask, safety goggles, and shoe and boot covers.

CHS Valedictorians Announced

A baker's dozen of Chickasha High School seniors are sharing valedictorian honors this year. The students achieved the highest grade point average among their peers. They are Emily McKinley; Krishna Patel; Bailey Battershell; and Ethan Christian. Also Vatrea Ellis; Erin Powell; Ashlyn Tryczak; and Madeline Roberson. Plus, Su Xhian Lim; Emily Friend; Brayden Layman; Sam Gerdts; and Ian Turpin. There are expected to be about 160 graduating seniors this year. Graduation will be held Friday, May 18th.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $68.35 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $74.06.

Natural gas is $2.74 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,329 and silver is $16.93.

Our Chickasha Schools Academic Person of the week is Trish Smith. Just click on the Bar to listen to her story.

Monday, April 23rd

Pedestrian Struck, Killed by Train

State troopers are investigating the death of a man who was hit by a train near Chickasha. Officials have not yet identified the victim, saying only that his is Native American. The accident happened about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, just west of 29th and Highway 62. The highway patrol reports a Union Pacific train with three engines was pulling 55 cars. The engineer was 60-year old Mark Peach of Chickasha and the conductor was 38-year old Michael Prothro of Norman. Neither were injured.

Driver Hospitalized Following Caddo County Crash

A Caddo County man is hurt in a weekend accident where his pickup ran off a wet highway and overturned. 52-year old James David Zahorsky of Aline suffered head and trunk injuries in the crash. It happened south of Alfalfa on State Highway 58 about 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Zahorsky was last in good condition at the Carnegie hospital.

Truck Hauling Fruit Overturns, Causes Slippery Mess

Officials had quite a mess to clean up south of Apache. A truck load of fruit overturned on U.S. Highway 281 about a mile south of Apache Sunday morning. The entire roadway was blocked for more than 3 1/2 hours while the highway was cleared of the debris. There were no reports of injury.

Drones, Bots, Bugs Part of OERB STEM Night Tuesday

An interesting event in Chickasha tomorrow to encourage more students to take science and technology classes. The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board is hosting what is called STEM Night. STEM is short of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Mindy Stitt is the executive director for OERB, and says the agency has provided some $2 million in grants to Oklahoma schools in the past year. Nearly every school district in Grady County has received one of the grants.  STEM night will have drones and robotics, and kids will get to make slime. Stitt says there will be other exhibits, too.

STEM night has activities for students of all ages.. It’s free and open to school districts throughout the region. It' will be held at the Chickasha High School activity center Tuesday, April 24^th from 4:00 p.m. to 7 p.m.

3 Chickasha Police Officers Honored by State Group

Three Chickasha police officers are honored by a statewide group of law enforcement agencies. Sgt. Matthew Schoolfield and Officers Colton Weger and Daniel Ramirez received the Medal of Valor from the Oklahoma Sheriff's and Peace Officers Association. The group held its 104th annual banquet in Midwest City last week. The group honors individuals who contribute to the conclusion of major criminal cases and others for heroism. The group posthumously honored six Oklahoma law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2017.

Chick Police Receives Bio-Hazard Grant

Chickasha police have also received one of a handful of grants to attend biohazard training programs and obtain biohazard equipment. The grant provided by a company called Aftermath, which has 32 regional offices and 40 mobile units nationwide. Chickasha was one of only five departments nationwide to receive such a grant. Initially, Chickasha receives 20 Personal Protective Equipment kits and will receive 30 more over the next few months. Each kit contains a bio bag, a bio-suit, arm sleeves, latex and rubber gloves, a respiratory mask, safety goggles, and shoe and boot covers.

CHS Valedictorians Announced

A baker's dozen of Chickasha High School seniors are sharing valedictorian honors this year. The students achieved the highest grade point average among their peers. They are Emily McKinley; Krishna Patel; Bailey Battershell; and Ethan Christian. Also Vatrea Ellis; Erin Powell; Ashlyn Tryczak; and Madeline Roberson. Plus, Su Xhian Lim; Emily Friend; Brayden Layman; Sam Gerdts; and Ian Turpin. There are expected to be about 160 graduating seniors this year. Graduation will be held Friday, May 18th.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $68.35 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $74.06.

Natural gas is $2.74 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,329 and silver is $16.93.

Saturday, April 21st

Despite Rain, City-Wide Clean-up Underway

UPDATE - The city-wide clean-up scheduled for Saturday, April 1st has been canceled because of the weather.

Despite rain and cool temperatures, a city-wide clean-up effort for the City of Chickasha is on for this weekend. Code Enforcement Officer Lisa Perkins says a central meeting point for the Saturday effort will be at Chickasha Police Headquarters. She has 500 trash bags, 250 pairs of gloves, and reflective vests provided by the state department of transportation in conjunction with its statewide “Trash Off” campaign. Perkins encourages civic and student groups to lend a hand, even its only for an hour. Perkins says they'll focus on Choctaw Avenue (U.S. Highway 62) between the H.E. Bailey Turnpike and U.S. Highway 81 North. They’ll also tackle U.S Highway 81 South, from about Pikes Peak Road and north. Perkins also said that a large roll-off dumpster will be located at the Public Works Headquarters both Saturday and Sunday, where residents can take large items (but not appliances). The Public Works Headquarters is north of the city’s animal shelter. That location will accept passenger car, truck, and motorcycle tires. Tires must be off the rim, and rims will not be accepted.

Apache Rattlesnake Festival Runs through Weekend

Officials are hoping the morning rain won't scare away visitors from the Apache Rattlesnake Festival. This is the 35th year for the event, which features one of the largest flea markets in southwest Oklahoma, a carnival, and even opportunities to go on an actual rattlesnake hunt in the nearby Slick Hills. It's one of several rattlesnake festivals held in Oklahoma communities during spring months. There are similar events in Waurika, Okeene, and Waynoka. The flyer promoting the Apache festival boasts that the hunters captured the largest rattlesnake in the world in 2004. At 88 1/8 inches it was more than seven feet long! The Apache Rattlesnake Festival runs through tomorrow.

Chickasha Couple Prepares for Walk to Stillwater

Chickasha's Stewart and Beth Ann Meyer spend a lot of time on the road with their hot-shot business. But coming up next month, they'll take a week out of their schedule to go to Stillwater - on foot. This will be the 18th year that the Myers' take the 125-mile walk. They do it to raise money for Special Olympics, which will hold its state games at Oklahoma State University May 16-20. It takes five days for them to make the trip - walking about 25 miles a day regardless of the weather. Since they started the annual program, they have raised more than $100,000 for Special Olympics. Their work begins Thursday, May 10th, when they hold their Craig Meyer Memorial walk. That event will be held at the Chickasha High School football field. All proceeds of that event go to Special Olympics of Grady County. Registration is $25 and participants get a t-shirt. They will also have copies of their book Craig's Story for sale with proceeds also going to Special Olympics. For information, e-mail Beth Ann at bam30meyer@aol.com

Talk Show Topic

Here's what we're talking about this weekend. How Oklahomans can minimize opioid abuse is the topic of our KOOL Konversation. We'll have representatives from Red Rock Behavioral Health Services, the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) and the Grady County sheriff's office to address the issue on a local level. We have a link to the program on this website, under the Community tab.

Friday, April 20th

Former Educator Enters Plea in Child Molestation Case

Former Ninnekah school administrator and long-time Duncan preacher Jody Hilliard has pleaded no contest in a child molestation case in Duncan. The 73-year old Hilliard entered the plea to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child. He was arrested in April of 2016 for allegedly molesting a 10-year old girl in his care. While a plea of no contest is not an admission of guilt a judge can determine punishment, which is a minimum of 25 years on each count. Sentencing is set for June 20th.

Grants Awarded to Transit Sytems in Chickasha, Lindsay

Public transportation systems in Chickasha and Lindsay are awarded federal grants to help with their programs. Washita Valley Transit System in Chickasha picked up a $43,000 grant to purchase a new van compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Delta Public Transit out of Lindsay was awarded a more than $21,000 grant to buy an ADA light duty bus. The grants were part of a more than $3.5 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The Chickasha and Lindsay systems are among ten rural transit operations to benefit from these grants. Additionally, ODOT received a $2.4 million grant to replace a 50-year old maintenance facility for the transit system for the OSU-Stillwater transit group.

'Darko Police Join "End 4-20 DUI" Campaign

The Anadarko Police Department is among a number of law enforcement groups to combat drug-impaired driving today. State troopers and other groups are teaming up for what's called the END 420 DUI campaign with a number of checkpoints and extra patrol. A press release from the state transportation department says it's focused on drug-impaired drivers who may be getting high today. April 20th, or 4-20 has long been associated with marijuana use. The National Highway Traffic Safety administration said the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes after 4:20 p.m. on April 20^th is higher compared to the same time on days one week earlier and one week later.

Pride of CHS Marching Band Performs in Florida

About 80 members of the Pride of Chickasha High School Marching Band are in Orlando, Florida this week. The group is performing at Disneyworld and Universal Studios which host high school bands all around the country. CHS was the featured band in a parade earlier this week. Kent Barker is the director for the group.

The Pride played the state song "Oklahoma!" during the parade. Barker said they have numerous fundraisers to collect the estimated $850 per student needed for the memorable experience. The students packed up their instruments in two charter buses. They will be leaving Florida tomorrow and are expected home early Sunday morning.

Sheriff's Office Warrant List

Each week the Grady County Sheriff’s Office issues a list of individuals who have outstanding warrants. Here’s public information officer Lisa Hatchett.

If you have information regarding any of these individuals you’re asked to contact the sheriff’s office.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $68.29 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $73.78.

Natural gas is $2.66 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,343 and silver is $17.09.

Thursday, April 19th

Police Provide Details of Pursuit in Which Officer was Hurt

Chickasha police have released some information about a high-speed pursuit earlier this week in which an officer was injured when his cruiser crashed. The unidentified officer will be ok. He suffered minor injuries after crashing into a ditch. He was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released. A written statement by police indicates the pursuit began when the officer tried to make a traffic stop on a pick-up Tuesday night. The driver led police on a high-speed pursuit through several neighborhoods, and put lives at risk by driving into oncoming traffic. The chase left the city limits and into rural Grady County, about 10 miles east of Chickasha in the Naples area. Witnesses tell RANCH/KOOL News that sheriff's deputies and Alex police  joined in the pursuit.  Authorities were looking for the driver of the black, extended cab, Chevy Silverado pick-up.

Child Found Alone at Dangerous Chickasha Intersection

A mother is charged with felony child neglect, after her six-year old girl is found alone in the median of dangerous  Chickasha intersection.  A couple Good Samaritans saw the child at 4th and Country Club road  Tuesday night. They called police, and stayed with the girl until officers arrived. A Chickasha police affidavit indicates the child lives at the nearby Chickasha Villa Apartments with her mother. The girl said  she was walking to a convenience store on the other side of the highway. The child was able to take police to the apartment. Authorities suspected there was marijuana inside the apartment and obtained a search warrant. 26-year old Sandy Jean McCarthy was taken into custody. She has been formally charged with felony child neglect and misdemeanor drug charges. She remains in jail in lieu of $35,000 bond. The child was released to a relative.

Man Critically Injured when Van Rear-ends Semi

A van rear-ends a semi on the H.E. Bailey Turnpike, critically injuring the driver of the van. 42-year old Apollo Thomasian of Lawton was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital. The accident happened just after 2:00 p.m. Wednesday near mile marker 66, near the new turnpike toll booth. The highway patrol reports that Thomasian and the semi were both westbound on the interstate nearing the toll booth. Thomasian failed to slow down and ran into the back of the big rig. Reports indicate that first responders had to use two Jaws of Life tools to get Thomasian out of the wreckage, where he was pinned for nearly an hour. The driver of the semi, 51-year old Timothy Calvert of Oklahoma City, was not injured.

Grady County Jaily Expansion Begins

Groundbreaking was held this week on a new addition to the Grady County Jail. The Grady County Criminal Justice Authority will add a 13,000 sq. ft. facility which will house about 200 inmates. Once completed, officials say the entire jail complex will be one of the largest in the state, able to hold a combined 700 inmates. Cost of the project is $3.8 million. Jail Administrator Jim Gerlach says he is the principal designer, but did ask employees for input.

The new building is being paid for with cash on hand received from jail revenues, not tax dollars. The one-story addition will be built next to the women's jail, across the street from the sheriff's office.  The new building will let the county close the old county jail which is on the top floor of the courthouse. That facility holds about 50 prisoners, but has been out of compliance with state regulations. The new jail is expected to open in the spring of 2019.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $68.47 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $73.48.

Natural gas is $2.74 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,349 and silver is $17.17.

Wednesday, April 18th

Local Fire Crews Called Back into Action

For the second time in a week, Grady County fire crews are answering the call to help battle wildfires that have now burned an estimated 400,000 acres in western Oklahoma. Grady County Fire Department spokesman Buddy Myers says they are deploying eight vehicles and a dozen personnel to the affected areas. Myers says area residents are being generous with donations to fire crews, dropping off water and energy drinks. Myers says they are needing other items as well.

Myers says donations can be dropped off at the Grady County Fire Department headquarters in Ninnekah. Check out the department's Facebook page. A burn ban remains in effect for most of western Oklahoma until further notice. Many relief organizations are accepting monetary, food, and water donations. There are also ways to help the farmers and ranchers who have lost property, livestock and crops. Many need of hay and milk replacements to feed livestock, and fencing and other materials. There is also a need for volunteers to transport items to the fire-damaged regions. Local OSU Extension offices are working with the State Department of Agriculture to get that done.

UPDATE – Myers said the Grady County crews have returned safely after fighting the fire in the Canton area overnight.

Chix Police Officer Crashes During Pursuit

A pursuit by a Chickasha police officer ends when the officer is involved in a crash. Chickasha police have not released any information, but a reliable source tells RANCH News that the pursuit started a little after 6:00 p.m. Tuesday. The pursuit went east of Chickasha and into the Naples area before the officer crashed. It wasn't clear if the officer was injured, nor if any arrests have been made. Lt. Scott Weaver who is the public information officer for the police department said a statement may be released  today.

Former Chix Pharmacist Denied Clemency

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board has denied clemency for Jerome Ersland, the one-time Chickasha pharmacist who shot and killed a teenager at an Oklahoma City pharmacy. Ersland was convicted of murder following the 2009 death of Antuwn Parker, who was one of two teens  who attempted to rob the Reliable Pharmacy where Ersland worked. Ersland was asking to commute the life sentence he received following his murder conviction. The board voted 3-2 to deny the request. Ersland said he wished he could go back and not do it. Now 66-years old, Ersland maintains his claim of self-defense, but takes responsibility for Parker's death.

Sen. Inhofe Supports U.S.-Ally Action Against Syria

Oklahoma U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe supports the recent U.S.-led attack on Syria. Inhofe said President Trump issued the attack after Syrian leaders unleashed a chemical attack on their own citizens, the second such attack that has happened in the last year.

Producers Should Wait to Apply for Damaged Crop Relief

Small grain producers in Grady and Caddo counties who are eligible for USDA’s Livestock Forage Program (LFP) for their winter crops are being asked to wait to apply for relief. Mark Jackson with the Grady County Farm Service Agency tells why.

Jackson said they are waiting on the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor which comes out tomorrow. If conditions worsen from the current D-2 to D-3 drought designation, then the summer crops will also be available for LFP.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $66.52 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $71.58.

Natural gas is $2.73 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,348 and silver is $16.38.

Tuesday, April 17th

Governor's Office Issues Burn Ban for Western Oklahoma

36 counties in Oklahoma are again under burn ban which was issued by the governor's office yesterday. It includes most counties along and west of U.S. Highway 81 and includes Grady, Caddo, Comanche, and Stephens counties. State fire officials now say an estimated 400,000 acres  have been burned in wildfires in western and northwestern Oklahoma that began last week. A fire in Caddo County continues burning between Binger and Lookeba, but officials say it is contained. Extreme fire conditions will be in effect for today, with officials saying fire danger is reaching historic levels which haven't been seen in 10 years. Many farmers and ranchers impacted by the fires need hay for their livestock, and materials to repair and replace fences.

New Mayor, Council Members Sworn In

Five men are sworn in to serve on the Chickasha City Council. All took their oaths of office in a ceremony at city hall last night.

City Atttorney Ryan Riddel was presenting the oath. Mayor Chris Mosley, and councilmen R.P. Ashanti-Alexander, Joe Molder, Zach Grayson, and David Sikes then took their seats on the panel. Outgoing council members were then recognized for their service, including former Mayor Hank Ross, and councilmen Jerry Pittman, Blake Elliott and Howard Carpenter.

Street Improvement Projects OK'd

The revised panel breezed through a short meeting, which included awarding a more than $400,000 bid for street improvements. The only bid submitted came from Donelson Construction out of Missouri. City Manager John Noblitt said they will hold a pre-construction meeting in a few weeks, to determine the order of the projects. The group also approved a nearly $200,000 bid to an Edmond firm to repair or replace up to 100 storm drain inlets. The panel also OK'd a more than $40,000 bid from local contractor Bordwine Development to make street and storm drain repairs in the 1500 block of Virginia Avenue. The council also discussed a proposal to help with a community garden. The city donated land and helped to prepare a plot for a community garden a couple of years ago, but not enough volunteers came forward to work the plot.

Public Works Director Resigns

The city is looking for a new public works director. Rob Camp resigned from the post a couple of weeks ago. Camp served in that role for about the last two years.  City Manager John Noblitt said the city is taking applications for the position, and hopes to have a new director in place as early as mid-May. The city is also taking applications for two employees in the street and maintenance department.

Ft. Cobb Man Critical After Crash

A traffic accident in Caddo County critically injures a Ft. Cobb man. 73-year old Jimmie Gunter was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital with head, trunk, and internal injuries. That accident happened just before 11:00 a.m. Monday morning on State Highway 9 east of Carnegie. The highway patrol reports that Gunter failed to go around a curve, ran off the road, and rolled several times.

Driver Injured in Tanker Truck Rollover

A tanker truck runs off a rural Grady County highway, injuring the driver. The accident happened on State Highway 19C near County Street 1400 between Alex and Naples about 2:30 p.m. Monday. The unidentified driver was pinned in the cab for several minutes before being rescued by first responders. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The tanker was southbound on the highway when - for an unknown reason - the driver ran off the highway, into the ditch and rolled on to the driver's side. We have a video of the crash site on our Facebook page.

Tips for Tomato Growers

A lot of families are planting spring gardens right now, and among the most popular garden vegetables are tomatoes. Shiann Burns with Grady County OSU Extension has some recommendations to help you in your efforts.

Burns says tomatoes should be grown in full sunlight and planted away from trees and shrubs. Also make sure they get plenty of water.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $66.22 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $71.42.

Natural gas is $2.75 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,344 and silver is $16.73

Monday, April 16th

New Chix City Councilors to Take Oaths

Chickasha Mayor-elect Chris Mosley is to be sworn in to office today. Mosley and other newly-elected councilmen will take their oaths of office before tonight's city council meeting. Mosley will take over for Hank Ross, who did not run for re-election. Also to be sworn in, Ward 3 councilman R.P Ashanti-Alexander, who ran un-opposed for re-election. Three new councilors will be seated including David Sikes in Ward 1; Joe Molder in Ward 2; and Zach Grayson in Ward 4. Outgoing councilmen are Jerry Pittman, Blake Elliott, and Howard Carpenter.

Street Repair Bid May be Awarded

Among the first orders of business for the revised council will be to consider approving a street repair project for this summer. It's being recommended that the council authorize a more than $400,000 bid to Donelson Construction out of Missouri. Streets targeted for repair included 2nd Street from Choctaw Ave. south to Minnesota Ave.; 6th Street from Choctaw Ave. north to Frisco Ave.; Chickasha Avenue from 9th Street west to the railroad tracks; Missouri Avenue, from 4th Street west to 9^th Street; 9th Street, from Grand Avenue south to about Parkview Christian Church; Almar Drive from 4^th Street west to 9^th Street; and Country Club Road, from 16th Street west to 29th Street.

Delayed Storm-Drain Project Also may be Approved

The council is also expected to award a bid to replace a number of storm drain inlets. It's an issue that was postponed during the panel’s April 2^nd meeting, to allow officials to re-consider a local bid which initially was determined to be incomplete. Officials say the local bid from Bordwine Development of about $190,000 was incomplete, and won't be considered. The project is expected to be awarded to Luckinbill Development out of Edmond for nearly $199,000. Bordwine Development is expected to be awarded a project for street and sewer repairs in the 1500 block of Virginia Ave. for just over $41,000. The council is also expected to schedule a public auction to lease mineral rights for about 47 acres of city-owned property near the airport for May 7th.

Funeral Planned for Dr. Robert Herndon

Longtime local doctor Robert Herndon has died. Herndon spent more than 50 years in pediatrics. He was one of the early doctors for the Chickasha Clinic, now known as the Southern Plains Medical Group, when it opened in 1954. Herndon was 92 when he passed away last week. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, and after his active duty remained in the naval reserves for 20 years, retiring as a Lt. Commander. A memorial service for Dr. Herndon will be at 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 20th at Epworth Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the church.

Wind Power Group Fights Tax Credit Repeal Plan

State lawmakers are considering a plan that would eliminate tax credits that has helped the development of the wind power in Oklahoma. Mark Yates with the Oklahoma Wind Coalition says that would be a mistake.

The State Senate has already passed a measure to do away with the tax credits. It’s now being discussed in the State House of Representatives.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $67.39 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $72.58.

Natural gas is $2.73 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,346 and silver is $16.60.

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Our Chickasha Schools Academic Persons of the week are Charlotte Tapp & Jo Horton

Here's Charlotte & Jo’s story!

Saturday, April 14th

Grady County Commissioners Challenged in Re-Election Bids

Both Grady County commissioners whose offices are up for election this year draw challengers to their posts. In District 3, Democrats Jeffrey Cramer and Lee Dorman of Rush Springs will run against incumbent Ralph Beard. Both Cramer and Dorman filed yesterday, in the final day of a three-day filing period for county, state, and federal offices. In District 1, Billy Clapper and Michael Walker, both Republicans from Tuttle, have filed to run against incumbent Windle Hardy. Hardy is also a Republican. Two other elected officials in Grady County, Treasurer Robin Burton and Assessor Bari Firestone, ran un-opposed for re-election.

Chix Attorney Runs Unopposed for Associate District Judge

Grady County will have a new Associate District Judge. Joseph Young of Chickasha filed un-opposed for the position, as current Judge John Herndon is retiring. Herndon spent a total of 25 years on the bench, beginning as Special District Judge in 1993, and he has served as Associate District Judge since 2004.

Three Candidates File for Grady, Caddo County District Judge

There were no additional candidates file for District Judge in District 6, which includes Grady and Caddo counties. Incumbent Kory Kirkland is being challenged by Ryland Rivas, II of Chickasha and Doug Carel of Tuttle.

Hicks Runs Un-Opposed for Third DA Term

District Attorney Jason Hicks runs un-opposed, and will serve a  third term as DA for Grady, Caddo, Stephens, and Jefferson counties.

Caddo County Assessor Challenged; 4 Incumbents Un-opposed

In Caddo County, two challengers have filed to run against Assessor Edward Whitworth. He’ll face Democratic challenger Kelly Caye Ratzlaff in the June primary. The winner will face Republican Belita Jo Lee Byrd of Minco in November. Four Caddo County incumbents ran un-opposed for their county offices, incuding commissioners Brent Kinder and Benny Bowling, and Treasurer Regina Moser. Also, Caddo County Associate District Judge Wyatt Hill ran un-opposed for another term on the bench.

Perryman Draws Opponent; Boles Un-opposed

At the state level, Democratic State Rep. David Perryman of Chickasha draws a Republican challenger for House District 56. Charles Wells, 64, of Anadarko filed for the office.  Republican State Representative Brad Boles of Marlow ran un-opposed for his seat in House District 51, a post he recently won in a special election. In House District 65 which includes the Rush Springs area,  Republican Scooter Park Devol  draws three challengers. He’ll face Elgin's Tony Hasenbeck in the June primary, while two Democratic challengers are Brandon Thompson of Cyril and Sonia England of Elgin.

Grady County Volunteer Firefighters Deployed

The Grady County Fire Department is sending equipment and crews to help battle wildfires which have burned more than 200,000 acres and destroyed a lot of property. Fire Department spokesman Buddy Myers says they have deployed seven units and eight fire fighters to help battle the flames, already blamed on at least one death.  Gov. Mary Fallin has issued a state of emergency in 42 counties because of the wildfires, including Grady, Caddo, and surrounding counties. The declaration allows state agencies to expedite the purchase of equipment and supplies that are needed. Several organizations are accepting donations to help fire victims, including the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Foundation, Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers Foundation, and the Farmers Union Foundation.

Blind Horseback Rider Completes Journey

A Bartlesville man has quite the story to tell. You may have seen him riding his horse in the Grady County area the last few days. J.W. Wolfman Black has just finished a nearly 300-mile ride from Bartlesville to Lawton. That's a remarkable feat in itself, but consider that Black is legally blind. Black arrived in Lawton yesterday, to attend the monthly meeting of the Buffalo Soldiers. Black said he wanted to show his respect to the pioneering group of black soldiers, who fought in the Civil War. Black tells KSWO-TV that he and his 17-year old horse Topaz would travel about 25 miles a day, using two cell phones that had Siri navigator. They would camp out at night where ever they could find a safe place. Black said that he and Topaz got hit by a truck traveling through Chickasha this week. He said the passenger-side mirror hit him, the horse, and their saddle bag, but they weren't seriously hurt. See more about Black's story on the KSWO-TV website, www.kswo.com

Sheriff's Office Issues Warrant List                               

Each week, the Grady County Sheriff’s Office issues a list of individuals who have outstanding warrants. Here’s public information officer Lisa Hatchett.

If you have information regarding any of these individuals, you’re asked to contact the sheriff’s office.

Talk Show Topic

Here's what we're talking about this weekend. Greg Gaston with the J.D. McCarty Center, which is a pediatric rehab hospital specializing in the treatment of children with developmental disabilities, is on our KOOL Konversation program. We have a link to the interview under the Community tab on this website. 

Friday, April 13th

Pedestrian Dies After Being Struck by SUV

A Verden man has died after stepping into the path of an oncoming vehicle. Arthur Pete Shrock, II, 45, died at the scene. It happened about six miles east of Anadarko in Caddo County near Highway 62 and CS Street 2740 about 9:45 p.m. Thursday. The Highway Patrol reports that Schrock stepped out of the north ditch onto the highway, and was hit by a westbound SUV driven by 42-year old Kelli Denise Cooper of Anadarko. She was not hurt. The trooper's report alleges Shrock may have been drinking.

Missing Teen Located

A Ninnekah teen reported missing yesterday is back home with his family. Tyler Robnett, 18, had left his home early Thursday morning. His mother said when she went to wake him up to go to school, he was gone. He had only taken a few  clothes, and he left the sim card to his cel phone at the house so no one could call him. A Facebook post overnight states the family thanks everyone for their  support, thoughts, and prayers, and have asked  for privacy.

OEA Strike Over; Chickasha Schools Resume Classes

Today is the first day of classes this month for students in Chickasha schools. The district had shut down last week, to allow teachers and support employees to take part in the state-wide teacher walk-out. The Oklahoma Education Association officially ended the walk-out yesterday, saying that they managed to achieve about 95 percent of their goals during the nearly two-week strike. OEA President Alicia Priest said they were able to secure nearly a half-billion dollars in education funding for next school year, including a more than $6,000 raise for teachers. In a statement, Priest says some state lawmakers are wrong in their beliefs that students don't need more funding. She says they are simply refusing to cross the line. The nine-day walk-out won't have any impact on the Chickasha school calendar. Graduation for high school seniors is still set for Friday, May 18^th and the last day of classes the following Friday, May 25th.

Animal Shelter Closes for Maintenance

The City of Chickasha's animal shelter will be closed for a couple of weeks. Officials say the shelter will undergo cleaning and maintenance, and will not be accepting any animals, nor will they be adopting out any animals during that time. If residents have concerns about stray, abandoned, or abused animals, calls can be made to the non-emergency number at the Chickasha Police Department, 405-222-6050.

Chix City-wide Clean-up Continues

City officials also want to remind residents of the on-going city wide clean-up. This weekend, a 40-foot roll-off dumpster will be placed near 20th and Iowa. That's the old tennis courts across from the high school baseball field. The dumpster is for bulky items including furniture or items too large for your regular trash bins. Things that aren't allowed include appliances, tires, chemicals, paint, and large brush and limbs. The dumpsters will be manned by a city employee both tomorrow and Sunday.

Grady, Caddo County Elected Officials Still Un-challenged

Current county elected officials who are running for re-election in Grady and Caddo counties still have not drawn any opposition for their offices. No challengers came forward in the second day of the three-day filing period Thursday. In Grady County, that's Treasurer Robin Burton, Assessor Bari Firestone, and county commissioners Ralph Beard and Windle Hardy. In Caddo County, it's Treasurer Gina Moser, Assessor Edward Whitworth, and county commissioners Brent Kinder and Benny Bowling.

Now There are Three District 6 Judge Candidates

There was one more district judge candidate file for the District 6 Judge post that serves both Grady and Caddo counties. 50-year old Doug Carel of Tuttle filed for the post Thursday. Current District Judge Kory Kirkland - appointed to the post last year - and Ryland Rivas, II have also filed. There were no new filings for associate district judge either in Grady or Caddo County. Joseph Young has filed for the Grady County post, currently held by John Herndon. Wyatt Hitt of Ft. Cobb is un-challenged so far in his re-election bid for Caddo County associate district judge. For state offices, State Rep. David Perryman, D-Chickasha  and State Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow have so far filed un-opposed. District Attorney Jason Hicks also has not drawn an opponent. Today is the final day of filing for county, state, and federal offices.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $67.07 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $72.02.

Natural gas is $2.68 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,343 and silver is $16.53.

Thursday, April 12th

District 6 Judge Race Develops

A race has developed for District Judge for the Chickasha and Anadarko areas in the first day of filing for county, state, and federal offices. District Judge Kory Kirkland - who was appointed to the District 6 Judge post for Grady and Caddo counties about a year ago - is being challenged by attorney Ryland Rivas II, 48. Both men are from Chickasha.  Kirkland, 36 was appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin following the retirement of Richard Van Dyck. Another Chickasha attorney has filed for Associate District Judge in Grady County. Joseph Young, 46. That's a post currently held by John Herndon, who has served in that capacity since 2004, and previously served as the county’s Special District Judge.  In Caddo County, Associate District Judge Wyatt Hill, 52, of Ft. Cobb has filed for re-election. He’s served in that office since 2004.

County Office Incumbents File Un-opposed in Day 1

In county offices up for election, all the incumbents in  both Grady and Caddo counties filed for re-election. In Grady County, they are Ralph Beard for commissioner in District 3; Windle Hardy for commissioner in District 1; treasurer Robin Burton and assessor Bari Firestone. In Caddo County, they are District 3 commissioner Brent Kinder;  District 1 Commissioner Benny Bowling; treasurer Regina Moser and assessor Edward Whitworth. Also filing for re-election was district attorney Jason Hicks. All have filed un-opposed after the first day of filing.

State Office Filings

In state offices, Democratic State Representative David Perryman, 61, has filed for re-election in House District 56. Republican Brad Boles, 34, of Marlow has filed for a full two-year term in House District 51. Boles just won a special election to the office earlier this year. Four candidates have already filed in House District 65, which includes the Rush Springs area. Republican incumbent Scooter Park, 52, of Devol is being challenged by fellow GOP candidate Toni Hasenbeck, 46, of Elgin. Two Democrats have also filed including Brandon Thompson, 30, Cyril and Sonia England, 53, Elgin.

New CV Tech Chickasha Campus Director Sought

A new director is being sought for the Chickasha campus of the Canadian Valley Technology Center. Tracy Goyne has resigned from the post. Goyne spent more than 20 years with the technology center, starting as a math teacher, then stepping in as campus director six years ago. With Goyne's departure, interim campus director duties are being shared by two administrators. Ronnie Bogle, Director of Student Services and Angie Lewis, Director of Business and Industry Services. A new campus director is expected to be hired this summer.

Plant Program Promotes Oklahoma Proven Varieties

The spring planting season has arrived, but be aware that while temperatures will be very summer-like the next couple of days, there's the possibility of freezing temps this weekend. With that in mind, there's a program next week to share information on which plants and vegetables can tolerate Oklahoma's volatile weather. Susan Routh with Grady County OSU Extension says it’s called Oklahoma Proven.

The program will be held next Tuesday, April 17^th at 10:00 a.m. at the extension office. It's free and open to the public

Chickasha FFA News

Chickasha FFA students had some good results in recent competitions. Emma Victory was the high individual in the meat judging category while the team placed 5th overall in that category. Kreo Johnson was 5th high individual in Veterinary Science. In a speech competition at Jenks High School Clay Grossnicklaus was high individual for 8th, 9th, and 10th grade students. By the way, the Chickasha FFA plant sale will be held next week. Numerous garden and vegetable plants grown in the organization's greenhouse will be sold at the Chickasha schools administration building next Friday and Saturday.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $66.82 per barrel

London-based Brent crude is $72.06.

Natural gas is $2.67 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,351 and silver is $16.61.

Wednesday, April 11th

New Construction Boom in Chix for the 1st Quarter of 2018

2018 is off to a good start for new construction in Chickasha. In the first quarter of the year, permits for about $11 million in construction projects were approved by the city's Community Development Department. Nearly half that total was approved in March, when officials approved nearly $4.7 million in new projects. The largest was for the $3.2 million development of a new pipe yard which was announced by the Chickasha Economic Development Council late last year. A Colorado-based company called CTAP is locating in the north part of the city next to the railroad. Other projects include the new Verizon retail store currently under construction at 4th and Grand, a $450,000 project. Also approved was $65,000 in renovations at Midwestern Pet Foods on North 9th Street, to construct space for a laboratory and additional offices. Red Rock Behavioral Health Services on Choctaw Avenue was approved for $36,000 in remodeling for additional office space. There was also more than $750,000 in residential construction to include one new home valued at $300,000 on Country Club Drive.

Filing Period Opens for County, State, Federal Offices

Candidates for county, state, and federal offices will be flocking to election board offices over the next few days, as the filing period begins for the mid-term elections this fall. In Grady County, offices up for election include county commissoners in Districts One and Three, county assessor, and county treasurer. Regionally, The district judge for Grady and Caddo county is up for election, where Kory Kirkland will be running for the post he was appointed to. Also up for election is the district attorney for District 6, which includes Grady, Caddo, Stephens, and Jefferson counties. Jason Hicks expected to run for re-election. All the seats in the state house of representatives are up for election. Also posts for governor, Lt. Gov. and a number of state offices are up for election. The filing period runs today through Friday. Primary elections will be held in June, any run-offs that might be needed will be in August, with the general election in November.

Drones, 'Bots, and Slime Part of OERB STEM Night

An interesting event coming up later this month designed to create more student interest in science and technology classes. It's called STEM night. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The program will be hosted by the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board and it’s open to all school districts in and around Grady County. There will be hands-on activities for all ages of students including a fossil dig, a live bug petting zoo, robotics, drones, and polymer slime. Plus, the teacher that has the most students attending the event will win a $250 gift card. STEM night will be held on Tuesday, April 24th from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Chickasha High School activity center. It is free and open to the public. For information, check out the OERB Facebook page.

Chix AirGas Store Earns Top Award

A Chickasha firm picks up a nice award from its parent company. AirGas of Chickasha was awarded the National Small Branch of the Year award for its work in 2017. The local company was recognized as being one of the top branches based on customer service, safety, and financial performance. The company is based in Pennsylvania, and has more than 950 retail locations. The firm also has cylinder fill plants, gas production facilities, specialty gas laboratories, and regional distribution centers. Employees of the Chickasha office include manager Cheryl Critchfield, Shane Downes, Travis Anderson, Elizabeth Mehringer, and Danny Allen.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $65.51 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $71.04.

Natural gas is $2.65 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,350 and silver is $16.59.

Tuesday, April 10th

Chix School Board to Discuss Contigency Hours for Walkout

Chickasha schools remain closed as the district allows its teachers to take part in the statewide teacher walkout. The walk-out is now in its 7th day, as thousands of teachers and many of their supporters continue an historic rally at the state capital. They are meeting with state lawmakers in hopes of restoring funds that have been slashed from school budgets over the last 10 years. When the Chickasha Board of Education meets for its monthly meeting tonight, the panel is expected to approve the use of contingency hours for the days that have been and will be missed. The district will be closed through Thursday, which will be a total of nine days from the time the rally started last week. While schools are closed, high school juniors are still able to take their ACT tests today and tomorrow.

Bond Sale, Robotics Program Also School Board Topics

The school board is also expected to consider a resolution to sell about $4.8 million in bonds, which is part of the on-going funds to pay for the construction of the activity center and auditorium at the high school. The group will also recognize the high school robotics team, which turned in a good performance at the Oklahoma City Regional FIRST robotics competition last month. The team finished third overall, but needed one more win to qualify for the World competition. Sponsor Brandon Willis says the team is an alternate, and may still be able to advance if other teams are unable to go. The robotics team also had one of only two students at the regional named as a Dean's List finalist. That was Matthew Thomas, who will get to go to the World competition. The school board meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the school administration building.

Purple Pep Rally Planned for School Foundation

While Chickasha school teachers continue their fight at the state capital, a local group is working in a different way to help school students. The Chickasha Public School Foundation will hold its annual gala next month. The foundation provides thousands of dollars in teacher grants every year, and provides free school supplies to the district's 1,800 students. The theme for the gala this year is a Purple Pride Pep Rally. It's a casual event to include a barbecue dinner, live and silent auctions, and student sponsorship activities. The Purple Pride Pep Rally is Friday, May 4th at USAO. Tickets are $35 per person. Get information on the foundation's Facebook page.

Impact of Freeze on Wheat Crop Not Yet Known

The early forecast for Oklahoma's winter wheat crop is not good. More than half of the crop is in poor to very poor condition and it could get worse after last weekend's freeze. Heath Sanders is the southwest area agronomist for OSU.

Sanders says it will be a week to 10 days before they can tell how the freeze affected the crop.

Hand-Sewn Garments Part of OHCE Fashion Show

The art of sewing may not be as popular as it used to be, but many see it as a hobby in which they can hone their skills with needle and thread. Grady County OHCE members will have their annual fashion show this week to put their talents on display. Susan Routh with Grady County OSU Extension.

The theme of this year's show is "Gone with the Trends." The event will be held at the Canadian Valley Technology Center this Thursday night, April 12^th starting at 6:30 p.m. It's free and open to the public.

Grand Avenue Student is State Finalist in Pageant

A third grade student at Grand Elementary is a state finalist for the National American Miss pageant. 9-year-old Skylianna Hoselton will compete in the junior pre-teen division at the competition in Wichita, Kansas in July. A press release from the organization says the pageant emphasizes the importance of developing self-confidence, learning good sportsmanship, and setting and achieving personal goals. Skylianna participates in cheerleading, dance, and acting. She's also part of the gifted-and-talented program, enjoys astronomy, and Lego architecture. Her parents are Eric and Sheila Hosleton.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $63.42 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $68.65.

Natural gas is $2.69 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,338 and silver is $16.48.

Monday, April 9th

Grady Memorial Surgery Center to Open Soon

The new surgery and imaging center at Grady Memorial Hospital will be opening soon. It's been nearly three years since state and federal health officials shut down the old surgery center. Since then, Grady County voters approved a quarter-of-a-penny sales tax dedicated to pay for the construction of the new facility. Hospital administrator Kean Spellman says it includes several operating and recovery rooms.

Spellman said local contractor CMS Willowbrook is expected to finish up most of its work by the first week in May, after which a state architect will review the construction before allowing the hospital to obtain a certificate of occupancy. In addition to the new operating rooms and imaging center, an entirely new physical plant was built to support the new construction. An open house will be scheduled at a later date.

Lindsay Family Injured in Head-on Crash

Four people, three of them from Lindsay, are seriously injured following a head-on collision on the Turner Turnpike. 35-year old Fa Yuan; 68-year old Chang Yuan; and 62-year old Fenjin Yuan all of Lindsay were taken to Oklahoma City area hospitals. Fa Yuan suffered critical injuries, and was trapped in his SUV for more than 45 minutes. The driver of the other vehicle, 19-year old Bo Mallett of Claremore, was also in critical condition. The accident happened about 4:30 a.m. Sunday about three miles east of Wellston. The Highway Patrol reports that Mallett was westbound in the eastbound lanes and struck the Yuan vehicle.

Life Church of Chickasha Proposes Move

A proposal for a special use permit to allow a church to relocate near Atwoods will go before the Chickasha Planning Commission. A public hearing will be held tomorrow for officials with Life Church of Chickasha who is requesting the permit. Brannan Bordwine and Alan Verser have applied for the permit. The public hearing is the only issue to be considered by the planning commission, when it meets at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday at city hall.

Filing Period Set This Week for County, State, Fed Offices

Candidates for county, state, and federal offices will be filing for those offices this week. It's a three-day filing period, with county candidates filing at the county election board. Candidates for state and federal offices will file at the state election board. Grady County offices up for election include assessor, currently held by Bari Firestone; treasurer, currently held by Robin Burton; County Commissioner District 1, currently held by Windell Hardy, and County Commissioner District 3, currently held by Ralph Beard. Filing is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.

Chix PD Hosts Workshop for Dispatchers

911 dispatchers from the region were in Chickasha recently for training. The Chickasha Police Department hosted the event in conjunction with the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group. Instructor Kevin McCullough led the training, called Professional Conduct for Communication Personnel. Chickasha Police Sgt. Kori Brewer, who oversees communications, said hosting the program provides new perspectives and ideas that let them implement changes and help personnel better serve the community.

Kiowa Tribe Sets Primary, General Elections

The Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma will be holding primary and general elections in the next couple of months. Offices to be determined include chairman, vice-chairman, and legislators for Districts One, Three, and Four. The Kiowa Election Commission is asking members to update their mailing addresses. Officials say they have had numerous mailouts returned as un-deliverable. There are more than 3,500 voters currently registered. A list of people whose addresses have not been updated is published on the Kiowa Tribe website, which is www.kiowatribe.org The primary election will be Saturday, May 5th, and the general election will be held on June 2nd.

Debbie Edwards to Retire From County Clerk's Office

After a 13-year career in the Grady County clerk's office, Debbie Edwards is retiring. She works in the Land Records Department, and her duties pertain to title records and recording legal documents. A retirement ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25th.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $62.06 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $67.11

Natural gas is $2.70 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,330 and silver is $16.31.

Funeral Planned for Dr. Robert Herndon

Longtime local doctor Robert Herndon has died. Herndon spent more than 50 years in pediatrics. He was one of the early doctors for the Chickasha Clinic, now known as the Southern Plains Medical Group, when it opened in 1954. Herndon was 92 when he passed away last week. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, and after his active duty remained in the naval reserves for 20 years, retiring as a Lt. Commander. A memorial service for Dr. Herndon will be at 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 20th at Epworth Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the church.

Our Chickasha Schools Academic Persons of the week is Ashlin Tryczak

Listen to Ashlin’s story!

Saturday, April 7^th

10 Arrested in Connection with Rush Springs Thefts

Rush Springs police arrest 10 people in connection with some recent thefts in that community. Authorities say they've recovered numerous merchandise that had been stolen. Rush Springs Assistant Police Chief Jeff Stonebreaker said the investigation began with reports of numerous tools which were taken from a contractor working on new construction at the school. Among those arrested, 36-year old David Crenweldge. He's been charged with a number of misdemeanors, including possession of stolen property, breaking and entering, and even attempted escape from arrest. A number of the suspects are also facing possible drug charges. One of them, 53-year old Phillip Denham, is charged with felony drug trafficking. Stonebreaker says the investigation continues.

Arrest Made in Animal Cruelty Case

Authorities have made an arrest in connection with a brutal case of animal abuse out of Stephens County. 35-year old Lewis Chastain of  Bray is charged with felony animal cruelty after former conviction, after  authorities found the remains of two horses near the town of Bray back in January. An arrest warrant for Chastain was issued just last week, after a two-month investigation into the allegations.  KSWO TV cites court documents that allege the animals had been severely malnourished for a long period of time. It's alleged that one of the horses was alive when it was dragged by a vehicle with a rope around its neck. It appeared another horse had been killed after suffering head trauma. Chastain is out of jail after posting $50,000 bond.

Chickasha Schools to Remain Closed;

Food Pantry Offers Help to Affected Families

Chickasha schools are to be closed through next Thursday, as administrators continue to allow teachers to be part of a statewide walkout of classes. The teachers want state lawmakers to come up with funding for classroom supplies and materials ... funding that has been cut from public education over the last 10 years. To help the families of teachers and support employees, and even some state workers who have spent much of the week at the state capital...The Chickasha Emergency Food Pantry and the Regional Food Bank have teamed up to offer food boxes to those families. 500 25-pound boxes are available for distribution to families in the Chickasha area. Officials gave away more than 100 of the food boxes yesterday, and the give-away continues from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. today at Chickasha's First Presbyterian Church at 6th and Minnesota. Any food that is not given away will remain with the local food pantry to help needy families.

Talk Show Topic

Here's what we're talking about this weekend. Lisa Perkins who is the Code Enforcement Officer with the City of Chickasha is this week's guest on our KOOL Konversation program to talk about a clean-up Chickasha campaign. Find a link to the program on this website, under the Community tab.

Friday, April 6th

Chickasha Schools Cancel Classes Through April 12th

Chickasha Public Schools will now be closed through next Thursday, in support of the statewide teacher walk-out. A statement issued by school officials says the district is “dedicated to supporting teachers and support staff during the walkout, the purpose of which is to encourage the Oklahoma legislature to find a dedicated source of funding for Oklahoma Public Education”. Interim superintendent Jack Herron said should state lawmakers find a viable solution to school funding ahead of that date, school would return to session the next day. The canceling of classes will not impact the ACT tests that high school juniors are taking next week. Officials say the tests will be given on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Buses will run on those days, but pick-up and drop-off times may vary. Juniors will be sent an e-mail with more information, or students can call the administration office.

Food Boxes Available for Families Affected by Walkout

Two groups have combined efforts to provide weekend meals for the families impacted by the walkout. The Chickasha Emergency Food Pantry and the Regional Food Bank will distribute food boxes to teachers, support employees, and even state workers who have been at the state capital this week taking part in demonstrations. Angie Doss is with the Regional Food Bank.

These 25-pound boxes have enough non-perishable food to feed a family for three days. About 500 of these boxes will be given away today and tomorrow at Chickasha's First Presbyterian Church at 6th and Minnesota, from about 2:00 p.m until 5:00 p.m. today and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. if any remain.

City to Place Large Dumpsters in Neighborhoods in April

In an effort to help Chickasha residents with their spring cleaning efforts, the City of Chickasha will place some large roll-off dumpsters in different neighborhoods every weekend in April. Tomorrow and Sunday, the dumpster will be next to Shannon Springs Park at 12th and Montana. Lisa Perkins is the Code Enforcement officer with the City of Chickasha and says what items residents cannot place in the dumpsters.

Perkins says a city-wide clean-up day is scheduled for Saturday, April 21st in conjunction with a statewide Trash Off day with the State Department of Transportation.

Sheriff's Office Issues Warrant List

Each week, the Grady County Sheriff’s Office issues a list of individuals who have outstanding warrants. Here’s public information officer Lisa Hatchett.

If you have information regarding any of these individuals you’re asked to contact the sheriff’s office.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $63.54 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $68.33.

Natural gas is $2.67 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,327 and silver is $16.26.

Thursday, April 5th

Consumer Spending Remains Strong

Consumer spending throughout Grady County is still strong. January purchases of taxable goods and services topped $104 million. That's down slightly from the previous month, but 70 percent more than January of last year. It’s also the third straight month in which consumer spending in the region topped $100 million. We estimate consumer spending when we see the sales tax revenue at the county level. Grady County sales tax revenue for the month of March – which is paid on January sales -  was nearly $782,000 on a 3/4 of a penny sales tax. Here's how the money is distributed. The Grady County Fairgrounds gets $260,000; Grady Memorial Hospital, $230,000; each of 20 fire districts receive $6,500; each of seven senior nutrition sites gets more than $18,000; Tuttle EMS gets $24,000 and Rush Springs EMS gets $6,000.

City of Chickasha Retail Business Also Good

For the City of Chickasha, consumer spending for January was estimated at more than $25 million. That's up 26 percent compared to January of 2017. The March sales tax revenue, which also reflects collections on the January sales, was more than $960,000 on a 3.75 cent sales tax rate.

Voters Reject Bond Issue for McClain-Grady County EMS

A plan to build a new emergency medical services facility in Newcastle failed in Tuesday's special election. The McLain and Grady County EMS District had asked for a $900,000 bond issue to build a 3,000 sq. ft. facility in Newcastle. The measure failed by 50 votes, 269 to 219. The district serves the Blanchard, Dibble, and Newcastle area but only has a facility in Blanchard. Director Richard Robinson said they EMS board would like to have a Newcastle facility because they are getting an increased number of calls in that area.

Lt. Gov. Lamb Addresses Teacher Walkout

Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb was in Chickasha yesterday, meeting with supporters and also speaking at the on-going USAO forum hosting gubernatorial candidates. Lamb is a Republican candidate for governor, and  talked about his stance on the statewide teacher strike that continues into its fourth day today.

Lamb says less than 50 percent of current school funding goes into classrooms  and that percentage needs to be at least 65 percent.

USAO Spring Triad, Including Droverstock, Underway

A huge day at USAO today, as the university hosts one of its biggest recruiting events of the year. Hundreds of high school students across the state are expected on campus for what the university calls its Spring Triad, for three events taking place on campus. Most everybody else calls it Droverstock. It opens this morning with a sidewalk chalk art competition, which is open to any individual or group, including USAO students. There's also an academic competition, where students are tested in numerous fields of study throughout the day. The campus really comes to life with an all-day concert called Droverstock, where the USAO oval will have numerous games, activities, and food booths. Local and regional bands will perform, including Dollar-98 which will be among the featured bands playing tonight. Organizers aren't sure how many schools may show up due to the statewide teacher walkout, but one official did say several districts have confirmed that they will be attending.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $63.77 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $68.02.

Natural gas is $2.72 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,330 and silver is $16.25.

Wednesday, April 4th

Mosley, Grayson Win City Council Seats

Chickasha voters elect Chris Mosley as the city's next mayor in Tuesday's city council election. In a light turnout of just over 1,500 voters, Mosley picked up nearly 70 percent of the vote in his win over Tom Rose, 1,073 to 476. Mosley said he wants to be part of some long-term planning to improve the city's aging infrastructure.

Mosley will take the mayor’s seat from Hank Ross, who opted not to run for re-election. Chickasha voters also elected a new city councilman in Ward 4. Zach Grayson defeated 10-year council veteran Howard Carpenter, picking up about 58 percent of the vote, 880 to 643. Grayson said he wants city government to be more open about the activities at city hall.

With the election of Mosley and Grayson to the city council, there will be four new faces on the panel. They will join David Sikes, who ran un-opposed in Ward 1 and Joe Molder, who ran un-opposed in Ward 2. Also running un-opposed in Ward 3 was current councilman R.P. Ashanti-Alexander. All will be sworn in on Monday, April 16th.

Friend School Bond Issue Passes

Voters in the Friend school district gave overwhelming approval to a couple of special school bond issues. Both measures received nearly 7 out of every 8 votes cast. A $290,000 bond issue for school repairs, renovations, and the purchase of computers passed with nearly 86 percent of the vote, 84 to 14. An $85,000 bond issue to buy a school bus passed by a nearly identical margin, 84 to 13.

Chickasha Schools Still Canceled due to Teacher Walkout

Chickasha schools are out again today, and will be out indefinitely, to allow teachers to continue to be part of a state-wide walkout to rally for more state funds for their classrooms. Interim superintendent Jack Herron said no decision has yet been made about when classes may resume. Last week, the board of education gave Herron approval to suspend classes all week this week to allow teachers to be part of the walk-out. Herron said he'll be meeting with teachers and support employees tomorrow afternoon to get a progress report. While school buildings will be open for support employees, classes are canceled. 1,800 students are affected with local churches, USAO, and the city library helping with planned activities and meals for the students.

Oil Field Worker Dies After Fall

An oil field worker plummets to his death at a rig near Cement. There's not much information we can tell you regarding the accident.  The name of the victim has not been released. The accident happened at a rig located at County Street 2740 and Count Road 1450. The Caddo County Sheriff's Office was called out to the site, but provided no information about the accident.

Fatal Crash Near Rush Springs

A deadly traffic accident near Rush Springs yesterday. A vehicle trying to turn from a county road on to Highway 81 hits a pick-up, causing the truck to go off the road and overturn. The driver of the pick-up died in the crash, and his wife was hospitalized. 68-year old Ernest Tullos of Comanche died at the scene. 66-year old Carla Tullos, was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital where she was last in good condition. The accident happened just after 2:00 p.m. Tuesday  at CR 1520 and Highway 81 which is two miles north of Rush Springs. The driver of the other vehicle, 51-year old Billy Hepburn of Duncan, was not injured.

Police: Pharmacist Admits Stealing Pain-Killing Pills 

A local pharmacist admits to stealing thousands of pain-killing pills from his work. 49-year old Barry Neil Smith of Yukon, a pharmacist at the Chickasha Wal-Mart pharmacy, was arrested last Friday. A Chickasha police affidavit indicates Smith said he took the drugs to help him deal with a back injury he suffered some years ago. He estimates he may have taken 20,000 pills over the course of his employment. Smith spent the weekend in the Grady County Jail. He has been formally charged in Grady County District Court with four felony counts of obtaining controlled dangerous substance by fraud. If convicted, Smith faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine on each count. Smith is out of jail after posting bond.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $63.51 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $68.12.

Natural gas is $2.70 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,346 and silver is $16.42.

Tuesday, April 3rd

Teacher Walkout Continues

It's day two of a statewide teacher walkout in Oklahoma. Chickasha schools are among those closed for the second straight day to allow teachers and support employees to continue efforts to try and convince state lawmakers to increase  funding in classrooms. A statement from one of the state's teachers unions, the Oklahoma Education Association, says lawmakers promised they were doing all they could to find new revenue, but the State House of Representatives adjourned without doing anything. OEA spokesman Alicia Priest said the disrespect shown by the lawmakers only drives the anger and frustration of teachers and education supporters, and its why Oklahomans have no trust in the legislature. Gov. Mary Fallin said the state has to be responsible not to neglect other areas of need including health and human services and corrections. With Chickasha students out of class again today, churches and other groups are again offering programs, along with breakfast and lunch. First Baptist, Bible Baptist, and Calvary Baptist churches, along with the Chickasha Library and USAO are lending a hand, although less than 100 students combined took advantage of those services on Monday. Chickasha school officials announced that classes will resume tomorrow.

Chickasha City Council, Friend School Elections Today

Chickasha voters are heading to the polls to elect a new mayor today. Its one of two positions on the city council that are being decided. Chris Mosley and Tom Rose are the candidates running for mayor. The other post is in Ward 4, where Zach Grayson is challenging 10-year council veteran, Howard Carpenter. Polls are open until 7 o'clock tonight. Patrons in the Friend school district are also voting on  a couple of special bond issues today. One is for $290,000 for repairs, renovations, and the purchase of computers. A second proposal is for $85,000 to purchase a new bus.

Storm Drain Upgrade Bid Put on Hold

A proposal to replace as many as 100 storm drain inlets in Chickasha was put on hold by the city council last night. It had been recommended that the project be awarded to  Luckenbill, Incorporated, which had submitted a bid of nearly $200,000. It was one of four bids submitted.  A lower bid of about $191,000 from local contractor Bordwine Development was considered to be incomplete. City Manager John Noblitt asked that the council table the proposal, prompting this exchange between Councilman Kimmie Loggins and the city manager.

The council unanimously voted to delay a decision until its April 16^th meeting.

Bid for Lake Chickasha Dam Repairs OK'd

Bordwine Development was awarded a bid to perform maintenance on the dam at Lake Chickasha. While an engineer's estimate put  the cost at more than $150,000 the council approved Bordwine's bid which was less than half that - just over $67,000. The city manager said he was confident that the company could do the work, and the firm's owner, Brannan Bordwine, was on hand to explain his bid.

Bordwine also said the project is not as difficult as it appears indicating that It's mostly manual labor to remove trees, repair the dam, and fences. The only other bid for the project was more than $140,000 from a company called Integrity. It was a unanimous vote to award the project to Bordwine.

Clean Out Storm Shelters for Severe Weather Season

Severe storm season is here, so now is the time to make sure you and your family know what to do should a strong thunderstorm or tornado be headed your way. Susan Routh with Grady County OSU Extension has this recommendation.

Also, get an emergency kit ready in case storms knock out power for several hours or days. Water, non-perishable foods, flashlights and batteries should be included. To help your family get ready for storm season, the Grady County Emergency Management Agency will have a community preparedness day this Saturday at Chickasha's Wal-Mart, with critical information you can use. They will also program NOAA weather radios, regardless of where you might buy one.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $63.01 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $70.14.

Natural gas is $2.68 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,341 and silver is $16.54.

Monday, April 2nd

Chickasha Teachers Join Statewide Walkout

School is canceled in Chickasha and hundreds of other school districts throughout the state today. Teachers are walking out of their classes, with the support of school districts, to take part in what's expected to be a huge rally in support of public education at the state capital. Among the Chickasha teachers heading to the capital are Bill Wallace kindergarten teacher Renee Stallings.

Stallings says she spends about $1,000 of her own money every year to purchase materials for her classroom. Teachers did get a more than $6,000 a year raise from state lawmakers in recent days, but teachers say it did not address several years of cuts in funding in other areas such as school materials and equipment.

Chickasha Schools Out Again Tuesday; back in Wednesday

Chickasha schools announced late this morning the classes would be out again Tuesday, April 3rd. School officials gave tentative approval for classes to be canceled all week. Among the groups helping to provide programs and meals for students who won't be attending school due to the walkout are First Baptist Church, Bible Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, and the Chickasha library. USAO is feeding students breakfast and lunch for today and tomorrow at Gary Hall. Chickasha school officials also anounced that classes will resume as scheduled on Wednesday, April 4^th.

Chickasha Mayor to Preside Over Last Council Meeting

Chickasha Mayor Hank Ross presides over his final city council meeting today. It's his last official meeting, as city voters will be selecting a new mayor tomorrow. After the election, a new mayor will be sworn in at the next council meeting in two weeks. Part of the business for the council to review tonight includes awarding a bid of nearly $200,000 to replace as many as 100 of the city's storm water inlets. It's being recommended that the bid be awarded to Luckinbill, Inc. The council will also consider an agreement with the city of Blanchard to help with its  animal shelter.  Another proposal is holding a city wide garage sale for May 10th through 12th,  and waiving permit fees for garage sales during that time. The city-wide garage sale would be held in conjunction with the spring swap meet of the Chickasha Antique Auto Club. The council is expected to recognized Brooke Morales-Nezario as the city's employee of the month. She is the supervisor for the police department's communications program. Mayor Ross is also to issue a proclamation recognizing assistant police chief G.G. Music. The city council meets at 6:30 tonight at Chickasha City Hall.

Former City Planner Larry Ummel Dies
Former Chickasha City Planner Larry Ummel has died. Ummel was 74 when he passed away over the weekend. Ummel was Chickasha's first city planner, beginning in the mid-1980s. He instrumental in helping the city acquire the Federal Building and post office which is now City Hall.  Most recently he was a bus driver for Chickasha public schools. He was a U.S. Army veteran and also served in the Oklahoma National Guard. Funeral will be at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday at College Heights Baptist Church. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the church, or Buckner Children and  Family Services and East Texas Ministries in Longview, Texas.

Several Weekend Accidents Involve Teen Drivers

There were a number of traffic accidents over the weekend involving young drivers. Two teens were hospitalized when an SUV runs off the highway and rolls. A 16-year old and a 14-year old, both from Oklahoma City, suffered head, arm and leg injuries in the crash that happened on State Highway 152 about  2 1/2 miles west of Minco about 4:15 yesterday afternoon. Their names were not released. The highway patrol reports the 16-year old was driving eastbound on the highway when he became distracted and ran off the road and struck an embankment. The SUV rolled onto to its top. The 14-year old was trapped inside for the vehicle for about 20 minutes. The youths were taken by ambulance to an Oklahoma City hospital, where they were last reported in good condition. A crash in the southern part of Grady County sent a Marlow teen to the hospital. 19-year old Austin Kuhlman was last in fair condition after the accident, which happened about six miles southwest of Rush Springs just after 2 o'clock Saturday morning. The highway patrol reports Kuhlman's pickup ran off the road for an unknown reason and hit a tree. And another accident injured a motorcycle rider, who collided with an SUV that had pulled in front of him west of Marlow. 35-year old Jared Hatcher of Marlow was taken by air ambulance to an Oklahoma City hospital where they were last in serious condition. That accident happened just before six o'clock Saturday evening, about six miles west of Marlow on Highway 7. The highway patrol reports that Hatcher was headed east on Highway 7, when an SUV driven by 18-year old Erin McCaslin of Marlow tried to cross the highway at hit Hatcher's bike. Hatcher was wearing a helmet. McCaslin was not injured.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $64.94 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $70.27.

Natural gas is $2.73 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,335 and silver is $16.45.

Kiowa Tribe Sets Primary, General Elections

The Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma will be holding primary and general elections in the next couple of months. Offices to be determined include chairman, vice-chairman, and legislators for Districts One, Three, and Four. The Kiowa Election Commission is asking members to update their mailing addresses. Officials say they have had numerous mailouts returned as un-deliverable. There are more than 3,500 voters currently registered. A list of people whose addresses have not been updated is published on the Kiowa Tribe website, which is www.kiowatribe.org The primary election will be Saturday, May 5th, and the general election will be held on June 2nd.

Our Chickasha Schools Academic Persons of the week is

Kim Cox

Here's Kim’s story!

Saturday, March 31st

School Out Monday for Teacher Rally

Many public schools in Oklahoma, including Chickasha, will be closed on Monday - if not additional days next week - as state teachers try to put pressure on state lawmakers to improve funding for their classrooms. While state legislators and the governor pushed through a big pay raise for teachers this week, the teachers' efforts now turn to get additional funding for supplies and equipment. The Oklahoma Education Association points to several years of funding cuts to public education saying its had a negative impact on their students. Chickasha schools will be closed on Monday and possibly even longer, depending on what happens as thousands of teachers rally at the state capital. Interim-Superintendent Jack Herron said schools could be closed all week to allow teachers to try and convince legislators to put more funds into their classrooms.

 Man Arrested, Charged with Molesting Teen              

A Chickasha man is arrested for allegedy having sex with a 13-year old girl. 39-year old Adarian Akil Mims is charged with a felony count of lewd or indecent acts to a child and a misdemeanor count of drug possession. A probable cause affidavit from Chickasha Police indicates the teen's mother caught the man molesting the girl and called police. Mims remains in the Grady County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

Sheriff's Office Posts Most-Wanted List

Each week, the Grady County Sheriff's Office issues a list of individuals who have outstanding warrants. Here's Public Information Officer Lisa Hatchett.

If you have information regarding any of these individuals, you're asked to contact the sheriff's office.

CHS Robotics Team Competes

The Chickasha High School robotics team recovered from a slow start Friday to be among the top 15 teams after the first day of competition at a regional competition in Oklahoma City. The Cockadoodle Dominators won a couple of afternoon matches Friday to move up to No. 11 in the FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition at the Cox Convention Center. They have two more events in the qualifying round today, as the team looks to advance to the world competition this summer. In the Hub City regional at Lubbock, Texas earlier this month, Chickasha  finished third in the rankings. So far, the team has a record of 14-9 with their robot, the Cluck-a-vator. This is the 7th year for Chickasha to participate in the international FIRST Robotics program.

Grand Assembly Hosts Huge Egg Hunt

There will be a mad scramble at Shannon Springs Park today, as hundreds of kids will be in search of literally thousands of candy-filled Easter eggs. Grand Assembly of God has put together its annual Easter outreach program for the last few years. This year, organizers increased the number of eggs to 18,000! In case you’re wondering, that's 1,500 dozen! Tickets for some nice prices are included in a few  of the candy-filled eggs, including a couple of Kindle Fire tablets. Besides the search for the eggs, there are inflatable games, pictures with the Easter bunny, and free hot dogs, snow cones, and popcorn.

Talk Show Topics

Here's what we're talking about this weekend. The Chickasha city council election is on Tuesday. We have interviews with several of the candidates with our KOOL Konversation program. Find them elsewhere on this website. Look for the KOOL Konversation link under the Community Tab.

Friday, March 30th

State Teachers Still Expected to Walk Out of Classes

Even though Gov. Mary Fallin has signed a bill to give Oklahoma teachers their largest pay raise ever, many teachers still plan on walking out of class next week to show continued support for public education overall. Fallin signed a $474 million tax hike plan yesterday, calling it an historic day. She said the plan will move teacher salaries from the lowest to the second-highest in the region. The pay hikes go into effect later this year. A statement from the Oklahoma Education Association still calls  on its members to walk out of class on Monday, in order to attend a rally at the state capital. An OEA press release indicates the teachers union had hoped to avoid a walk-out, but say what looked to be a positive step forward, now a historic down payment on Oklahoma children's futures hangs in the balance, as the legislature dismantles some of the funding needed to solve the crisis they created in the first place. Lawmakers removed a $5 per room hotel-motel tax that was part of the original proposal approved by legislators.

No Word Yet if Chickasha Schools Will be Out

There has still not been any official word that Chickasha schools will be closed, although interim superintendent Jack Herron said the district would support teachers. He indicated classes could be shut down all next week. First Baptist Church, Bible Baptist Church, and the Chickasha Library have all put plans in place to have programs and meals for students, if needed.

Robotics Programs Compete

For more than two months, groups of high school students across the state have been building and programming robots in preparation for competitions this spring. They are taking part in the internationally-known FIRST robotics competition. FIRST is an acronym meaning For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. The Chickasha High School team Cockadoodle Dominators is among dozens of teams in Oklahoma City taking part in a regional competition this week. Instructor Brandon Willis says the team had a good day in practice rounds yesterday. Qualifying rounds run today and tomorrow. The robotics programs at the high school and Lincoln school picked up grants from Public Service Company of Oklahoma, which provided a total of $1,600 to the programs.

Kindergarten Teacher Recognized

Let's find out who is doing some exceptional work in the Chickasha Public School district. Our Dennis Linam has his weekly feature.

Thanks, Dennis!

OYE Market Steers Have Event in Chickasha

Some of the top market steers shown at the Oklahoma Youth Expo earlier this month will take to the show ring in Chickasha tomorrow, competing for a lot of cash. The first-ever Oklahoma Slick Shear Expo will be a one-day event at the Grady County Fairgrounds. About 90 animals have been pre-entered, with about 120 entries expected. Exhibitors are competing for a $5,000 top prize. Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn and crosses will be shown. The event is paying out a total of $15,000  to the top 15 steers. Steers had to have been nominated for OYE to compete. Weigh-in is this afternoon, with the show getting underway at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. Tom Farrer of Indiana is the judge.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $64.94 a barrel.

London-based Brent is $70 to $70.27.

Natural gas is to $2.73 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,329 and silver is $16.34.

Thursday, March 29th

Lengthy Teacher Strike May be Averted

A tax increase plan to fund pay hikes for Oklahoma teachers is on its way to the governor. The state senate approved the estimated $450 million proposal last night. The state house of representatives approved the plan earlier in the week. Gov. Mary Fallin says she'll sign the measure, which should prevent a lengthy teacher strike that was scheduled to begin next week. However, leaders with the Oklahoma Education Association say members will still walk out of classes on Monday to rally at the state capital. OEA officials say while the plan will give teachers a more than $6,000 raise, lawmakers also need to increase funding to pay for classroom materials and equipment. There were plans for teachers to strike for at least a week, and many school districts, supporting the teachers, announced that classes would be suspended.

Chix Churches, Library Open for Chickasha Students Monday

In Chickasha, churches and other groups were making plans to try and care for the 1,800 students in Chickasha Public Schools that would be among those out of class because of the teacher walkout. First Baptist Church and Bible Baptist Church are expected to open their doors for students on Monday. Bible Baptist will have programs for pre-K through 6th grade students, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. They'll have vacation bible school programs and activities, and will feed students breakfast, lunch, and snacks. No transportation will be provided.  Contact Bible Baptist Church through Facebook or call 405-224-1569. First Baptist Church will have similar programs, also for pre-K through 6th grade, from 8:00 a.m. through 12:30 p.m., and will also feed students breakfast and lunch. Call 405-224-5196. Also, the Chickasha Library had announced plans for a spring reading program all week. Librarian Lillie Huckaby says they would have programs for children ages four and above, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and also provide breakfast and lunch. Parents are asked to pre-register children this afternoon from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; or Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Early Voting Underway

for Chick City Council, Friend School Elections

Chickasha residents will be electing a new mayor next week. Chris Mosley and Tom Rose are candidates for the post. One will take the seat from current Mayor Hank Ross, who opted to not run for re-election. Also on the city council ballot next Tuesday is a race in Ward 4, where challenger Zach Grayson is taking on incumbent Howard Carpenter.  All registered Chickasha voters can cast ballots for both city council posts. While the election is next Tuesday, April 3rd, in-person, absentee voting may be done today and tomorrow at the Grady County Election Board. Also, patrons in the Friend school district can vote early in the special school bond issue that will be decided.

Spring Enrollment Up for USAO

There is an increase in the number of students attending USAO this spring. Officials say overall enrollment for the trimester is up 4.8 percent. The report shows an increase in the numbers of both in-state and out-of-state students. In a press release, USAO president John Feaver said he was happy to see the increase. He said since it is the mission of the university to provide a high quality and affordable education, the enrollment numbers are a sign that the university is doing something right and students are taking notice. Officials also said on-campus housing was up more than 3.5 percent, to more than 430 students, which is the highest number in 10 years. The increase in on-campus housing was a big factor in the recent renovation of Robertson Hall, which will be open this fall.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $64.38 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $69.53.

Natural gas is $2.70 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,327 and silver is $16.22.

Wednesday, March 28th

Church to Open Doors for Some Students if Teachers Strike

At least one local church will have a program for Chickasha school children next week, should a statewide teacher strike take place. School officials announced earlier this week that all the schools in the district will be closed April 2^nd through 6th, unless state lawmakers come up with a plan to fund teacher pay hikes. The First Baptist Church at 4th and Colorado will host a day camp for younger children and will also serve breakfast and lunch. Pastor Mike Butler said the Bible-school type program will run from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will be for students in pre-K through sixth grade. However, enrollment will be limited to 300 children. The Chickasha Area YMCA - which has an after-school program - will not be able to take on extra students. Director Lewis Kniceley said they are limited to the number of students they already have by the Department of Human Services. Any other churches or community groups that will be offering programs for kids during the walk out are asked to contact the radio station by calling 405-224-1560 so we can get the word out about options that will be available.

Plane Crash Victims Identified

Officials have identified the two men killed in a  plane crash near Hinton earlier this week. 62-year old Walter Mullaney of El Reno was the pilot and the passenger was 27-year old Cesar Gomez of Ft. Lupton, Colorado. The Highway Patrol reports that Mullaney was flying the 1967 Beachcraft Bonanza which was enroute from Odessa, Texas to El Reno. The plane was diverted to the Hinton airport because of bad weather when it crashed west of Hinton late Sunday night.  The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the crash.

One in Custody Following High-Speed Pursuit

A high-speed pursuit that topped 100 miles per hour and went through three counties results in the arrest of an Oklahoma City man. The pursuit started just after 4:30 a.m. Monday near the junction of State Highways 4 and 37 in Tuttle. A Tuttle police officer attempted a traffic stop on an erratic driver. According to a probable cause affidavit, the pursuit when through parts of Tuttle, Newcastle and into Oklahoma City,  when the SUV pulled into Joe's Crab Shack on Southwest 74th. The driver bailed and fled the area of foot, but two passengers were detained. The driver was found a few minutes later. Authorities arrested 23-year old Jose Luis Alegria. He has been formally charged with eluding, drug possession, having a firearm after conviction, and having stolen property. It's alleged the gun was stolen out of Oklahoma City. He remains in the Grady County Jail pending a $100,000 bond.

Arrest Made in Caddo County Hunting Scam

An arrest has made in a recent investigation by Caddo County authorities about a scam involving fake elk hunts. Authorities have arrested 37-year old Dusty Paul Treadaway of the Ft. Cobb area  on 15 counts ranging from computer fraud to obtaining money by false pretenses.  Treadaway is out of jail after posting bond. The investigation began in January, when victims reported paying $1,000 or more up front to take a guided hunt, which would be canceled at the last minute, and their funds not returned. Court documents indicate Treadaway admitted to the scam. He told them he actually conducted five of the hunts, but booked as many as 20. It's alleged he may have taken up to $30,000.

Friend School District Voters to Decide Bond Issues

Voters in the Friend School district will decide a couple of bond issues in a special school election next week. Combined, the bond issues total $375,000. Superintendent Jason Brittain says the first is a $290,000 measure to make repairs to the foundation of the lower elementary school. Brittain says the building is 38-years old and is sinking, and needs repairs. The bond will also install air conditioning in the gymnasium and convert the old cafeteria into three administrative offices. The funds would also purchase about  30 computers for the upper elementary computer lab and upgrade the sound system in the auditorium and the gym. A second proposal is for $85,000 to purchase a new bus. Brittain said there would be no increase in property taxes if the measures pass. The special election will be next Tuesday, April 3rd.

Students in Dr. Oz Program Hold Health Fair

A program designed to help high school and middle school students make better choices when it comes to the food they eat is part of the Chickasha schools curriculum. It's a national non-profit program called Health Corps founded by daytime television's Dr. Oz. Kassandra Johnston is the instructor of the course which in the first year of a two-year program.  She says interest is growing in a high school cooking class.

The high students are hosting a health fair today at the activity center, with about 400 students visiting more than a dozen booths presenting information on the importance of healthy eating and exercise. Among the students presenting are Ms. Warren's Honors Science Class and Frances Reding's Careers Class.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $65.25 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude  is $70.11.

Natural gas is $2.71 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,344 and silver is $16.46

Tuesday, March 27th

Chickasha Schools to Support Statewide Teacher Strike

Chickasha public schools will shut down next week to allow teachers to take part in a statewide teacher strike. The school district's interim superintendent Jack Herron made this statement during a special meeting of the district's school board last night.

School board president Doug Brown also read a proclamation supporting teachers.

Superintendent Herron said that while classes will be cancelled, all sporting events and extra-curricular activities will be held as scheduled. Herron also said the district is working with a number of community groups to help make sure the district's 1,800 students will have day care services and meals available.

Here is what we've been able to find out so far regarding community resources. First Baptist Church at 4th and Colorado will have a Bible-school day camp Monday through Friday next week from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and will feed students breakfast and lunch. The program is only for students from pre-K through 6th grade and it's limited to 300 students.

House Approves Teacher Pay Hike Proposal

In the latest news out of the state capital, the State House of Representatives last night did pass a tax bill that would support a salary hike for teachers, but while the Oklahoma Education Association said the work in the house is a step in the right direction the group is still planning on a walkout. The measure now goes to the senate for consideration.

PLC to be Suspended in Chickasha Schools Next Year

The Chickasha school board last night also voted to suspend the controversial personalized learning curriculum for the 2018-19 school year. The move followed a more than two-hour closed door session, which included discussion with board attorney Karen Long regarding a call from the State Department of Education for the OSBI to conduct a criminal investigation  into allegations of grade tampering and falsifying attendance records of students in the PLC program. School board member Zack McGill.

Superintendent Herron said the personalized learning curriculum will continue through the end of this school year, and that the priority is to make sure seniors currently enrolled in that system graduate this spring.

Caddo County Elk Hunt Scam Suspect in Custody

A follow-up today regarding a scam in Caddo County, where a man was selling guided elk hunts and then not taking customers on those hunts. 37-year old Dusty Paul Treadaway of the Ft. Cobb area has been arrested on 15 counts ranging from computer fraud to obtaining money by false pretenses  in connection with the scam. The Caddo County sheriff's office began an investigation in January, after victims reported paying $1,000 or more up front, and the hunt would be canceled at the last minute and their funds not returned. The Lawton Constitution cites court documents indicating authorities questioned Treadaway about the scam. He told them he actually conducted five hunts, but booked as many as 20. It's alleged he may have taken up to $30,000.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $65.55.

London-based Brent crude is $70.12

Natural gas is $2.69 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,354 and silver is $16.69.

Monday, March 26th

Forecasters Expect Active Severe Weather Season

We all welcome the warm spring weather, but along with it comes the threat of violent thunderstorms and even tornadoes. In any given year, about 55 tornadoes hit the Sooner State. Last year, there were 72. Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson says this year could also be more active than usual.

Thompson said that now is a good time for families to plan what they will do should severe weather strike. He says to listen to frequent weather updates. However, he says many times people mistakenly rely on outdoor warning sirens, which he says is only for people who are actually outdoors.

Thompson suggests families also purchase a NOAA weather radio which broadcasts severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. Thompson and his office will have a Community Preparedness Day on Saturday, April 7^th from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Chickasha Wal-Mart store, where they will distribute information about severe storms, and will help program NOAA weather radios.

No Decision Yet Regarding Chix School if Teachers Strike

Will Chickasha schools be open if there is a statewide teacher strike? There hasn't been an official decision yet. However, the Chickasha school board will decide on a giving the superintendent the authority to suspend classes if that happens. It's one of several issues to be discussed in a special meeting of the school board tonight. The board will vote on whether to give the superintendent the authority to call off school, if he thinks that student safety would be endangered by the lack of adequate staff to provide supervision to students.  The school board is also expected to give the superintendent authority to determine if sporting events and other extra-curricular activities would be held during the walkout. The panel may also approve a resolution which support teachers, and encourages state lawmakers to find a dedicated source of revenue for teacher salaries.

Biker Hurt in Turnpike Crash

There were quite a few motorcycle accidents throughout the state this past weekend. One happened on the H.E. Bailey turnpike near Fletcher just before 7:00 p.m. Saturday night, which sent the rider to a Lawton hospital. 28-year old Walter Bannon of Oklahoma City was westbound on the turnpike when the highway patrol reports he may have been going too fast to exit at mile marker 62. Bannon hit the curb and rolled one time. He was last in fair condition, suffering from arm and leg injuries. Bannon was wearing his helmet.

School Foundation Helps Chickasha School Students

Students and teachers in Chickasha public schools get a big boost each year from the Chickasha Public School Foundation. This school year, the foundation provided about  $40,000 in grants to teachers in every school, making sure that the grants reach every student. Jen Jantzen is the director of the Foundation, and says its endowment has grown to a huge level since the Foundation was created 32 years ago.

The foundation will have its annual fundraising gala on May 4th. Tickets are now on sale for $35 each. Get information on the foundation’s Facebook page or its website www.chickasha4kids.org

Feral Hog Workshop Set

Many farmers and ranchers are having  to deal with the loss of crops and livestock due to feral hogs. Producers can get an update on the issue at a workshop in Caddo County next week. Joshua Gaskamp with the Noble Research Institute will discuss the problem at the Caddo Kiowa Technology Center in Ft. Cobb. The program will be Thursday, April 5th, starting at 9:30 a.m. You can register on-line at the Caddo Kiowa Technology Center website, www.mycktc.com.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $65.88 a barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $70.45.

Natural gas is $2.59 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,353 and silver is $16.61.