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Mollman Media News

2019, Jan. 7th-14th

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Over the next 5 Months CV Tech will be spotlighting students who are striving to better themselves through hard work and education. Today CV Tech’s,“Spotlight Person of the Week’” is Tuttle High school senior Hanna Mchugh. Just tune in to KOOL 105.5 FM News at 7am and 8 am Friday the 11th to listen to the story.

 

 

 

 

Monday, Jan. 14th

 

Oklahoma's New Governor to Take Office

It's a big day at the state capital, as Kevin Stitt will take his oath of office to be Oklahoma's 28th governor. Several other newly-elected officials will also take office, including Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell. Chickasha State Representative David Perryman is looking forward to working with the new leadership. Perryman said Stitt reached out to him last month, and said Stitt indicated he wants to see improvements in all areas of the state.

 

               

 

The two are in opposite political parties. Stitt is a Republican and Perryman is a Democrat. Perryman is also the minority floor leader in the State House of Representatives. After today's swearing-in ceremony, with the inauguration ball tonight. The next legislative session starts February 4th.

 

Other Newly-Elected Officials Also Start Today

Other newly elected state officials to take office today include Leslie Osborn as labor commissioner. The former state lawmaker whose District 37 included part of Grady County is serving her first state-wide post. Other first-time state officials will be Cindy Byrd as state auditor and Glen Mulready as insurance commissioner. Randy McDaniel had already been sworn in as the new state treasurer.

 

Industrial Group Challenges PSO Rate Hike Request

A rate hike proposal from Public Service Company of Oklahoma has some opposition. PSO is seeking an $88 million increase, mainly for industrial customers. A group called Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers says the request is excessive. They say PSO's rates should be reduced. The website www.okenergytoday.com cites a news release from the group which states testimony has been filed with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission that shows the proposed increase is not justified or appropriate. The release also states that the rate hike request is PSO’s third over the last three years. The consumers group says PSO should be instructed to control its costs and spending as private sector business and industry are required to.

 

City of Chickasha Ward Meetings Begin Tuesday               

In order to get more input from residents, Chickasha city leaders are scheduling Ward meetings over the next few months. Residents can meet their city council representatives, Mayor Chris Mosley and city manager John Noblitt. The first of these Ward meetings will be tomorrow night. It’s for Ward One residents, with councilman David Sikes expected to be on hand. Sikes is currently the only Ward One councilman, as Mark Keeling stepped down from his post last week. Tomorrow night's meeting will be at city hall, starting at 6:30 p.m. Other ward meetings will be scheduled in the coming weeks.

 

Chix City Hall Offers Help to Furloughed Federal Workers

The city of Chickasha is offering some relief to local residents who are federal employees affected by the government shutdown. The city will defer utility payments until those employees return to work. Affected workers can visit the utility billing department at city hall and show their federal employee identification or other employment verification. Information is also available on the city's Facebook page and Twitter.

 

Chickasha Schools Survey Asks for Input               

Chickasha school officials want to know what patrons think need to be done within the district. An on-line survey  asks for input on issues such as closing the achievement gap;  raising ACT scores; how administrators can support teachers; repairs and equipment needs; and defining student success. The website is www.chickasha.k12.ok.us or copies are available at all school buildings. The survey ends January 25th

 

Grady County Fair Board Members File Unopposed

No elections will be needed for the Grady County Fair Board this year. All three incumbents filed un-opposed for their seats and will serve three year-terms. They are Elisa Basford in the northern district; Jerry Arthur in the central district; and Barbara Pfenning in the southern district. The fair board is a nine-member panel that oversees operations at the county fairgrounds. Other northern district members are Betty Jones and Beth Norvell; other central district members are Steve Standridge and Ben Janssen; other southern district members are Eddie Rathbun and Rod Schenk. The fair board meets monthly.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $51.59 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $60.48.

Natural gas is $3.01 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,295 and silver is $15.64.

 

 

Saturday, Jan. 12th

 

More Info on Chickasha Schools Audit

That in-depth audit of Chickasha Public Schools issued by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector’s office this week is a 44-page document which addressed several issues brought forth in a citizens petition and one from the local board of education. State Auditor Gary Jones reviewed the findings of his office in a special school board meeting this week. Today, we'll take a look and each of those concerns and summarize what the state auditor's team discovered.

 

Oklahoma Public School Resource Center Contracts

The Oklahoma Public School Resource Center is the group that former Superintendent Dave Cash brought in to implement the Personalized Learning Curriculum (PLC). Auditors determined that all payments made to the Resource Center were appropriate. Highlighted in the audit was that the Resource Center paid for Chickasha school personnel to visit a Salt Lake City, Utah school district which had implemented a similar program.

 

Inventory

The concern was whether the Resource Center may have provided free or low-cost IT equipment to gain influence or special favors. The audit indicated that did not happen. State Auditor Gary Jones said about $220,000 in private monies were donated to the district to purchase the  equipment, and another $5,000 in unrestricted funds were available.

 

School Employee Contract Compliance

Petitioners said support employees should NOT have been paid for time off during extended breaks at Thanksgiving, Christmas and spring break. The finding was that some employee contracts did not accurately reflect the decision of the school board regarding the number of work days, but that the school board acted within its authority to close the entire district during those times.

 

PLC Attendance

This concern alleged the tampering of attendance records for students taking part in the Personalized Learning Curriculum. The audit did find some issues with a virtual time clock, and that a district employee did not directly monitor the main entrance. There was nothing to prevent students from logging in and leaving, or even logging in fellow classmates. The audit did question the hiring a staff member for $2,000 a month to help deal with the time clock issue, while at the same time school officials  said there was not enough money to pay for electronic equipment that would have worked. Still, the audit found there was no manipulation of attendance, saying that staff provided good oversight of attendance, and that staff members knew of any students who warranted special monitoring.

 

Resource Center Payments to School Employees

This issue alleged double-dipping by former superintendent Dave Cash, who worked as a consultant for the Resource Center while at the same time being employed by Chickasha schools. The audit found that Cash should have taken three vacation days from his job as superintendent to account for absences while traveling for Resource Center business. Auditors said there was no problem with Cash earning a reduced payment of $2,500 per month from the district while working full-time with the Resource Center, which occurred over a three month period from November of 2017 to January of 2018. Jones said there was nothing in Cash's contract with the school district that prevented him from having outside employment. Auditors also said that Cash's employment in 2014 was not related to the school board's decision in 2016 to implement the PLC.

 

Nepotism

The concern addressed the issue that Cash had hired his wife and sister to work for the district. The audit indicated that state law regarding nepotism does not apply to administrators. It only applies to school board members

 

Student Grade Changes

This was one of the more contentious concerns, regarding allegations of grade changes by school district administrators. Auditors found that grades were not manipulated to give the impression that the Personalized Learning Curriculum appeared to be performing better than it was. Auditors did say there were conflicts between high school principal Michele Pontikos and teacher Lori Pettijohn. Despite the auditor's opinion, some of Pettijohn's co-workers say Pettijohn left the district because she would not change grades despite Pontikos' demands to do so.

 

Bond Payments

This was not an original topic submitted by petitioners, rather it was a request by school board members to reports costs related to the issuing of bonds. Auditors found that while it isn't required, the district failed to take advantage of a competitive bidding process. They found that more than $450,000 in fees to sell bonds from 2004 to 2010 were not justified. Auditors say the district could have secured an equal or better transaction for less than half the amount paid. School board president Doug Brown said he hoped state lawmakers would consider a law to require school districts to use a competitive bidding process in the future. The complete audit can be viewed on the state auditor's website: www.sai.ok.gov

 

Warrant List

After a hiatus, the Grady County Sheriff’s Office is again providing a weekly list of individuals who have outstanding warrants. Here’s Public Information Officer Lisa Hatchett.

 

 

If you have information regarding any of these individual s you can contact the sheriff’s office by calling 405-222-5085.

 

 

Friday, Jan. 11th

 

School Audit Finds Errors, No Criminal Conduct

An investigative audit into complaints against the Chickasha Public School district found a number of mistakes but nothing that might lead to criminal charges to be filed against former administrators. State Auditor Gary Jones announced his findings during a special meeting of the board of education last night. About 50 people turned out to hear the report. Among the allegations: that former high school principal Michelle Pontikos changed, or, told former teacher Lori Pettijohn to change the grades of about 100 students to make it appear that the  controversial Personalized Learning Curriculum was more successful that it was. Jones said while there were personality conflicts between Pontikos and Pettijohn, Pontikos did not follow the proper procedure when submitting some grades.

 

               

 

Jones said that the State Department of Education had asked the attorney general's office and the OSBI to also look into possible criminal allegations, however the investigation is now closed with no charges to be filed.

 

Reaction to Audit               

In reaction to the audit, former school administrator Robyn Morse - who was among those calling for the audit - says it's time to move forward, and that improved communication is needed between the school, school board, and the community.

 

               

 

Morse will soon be a member of the school board, running un-opposed for a seat. We asked school board president Doug Brown for a comment, and instead he referred us to a prepared statement. In part, it reads that the district had not violated any statutory regulations and that no criminal charges will be filed. The statement also said the auditor did find the district paid excessive fees related to the selling of school bonds, but that other school districts have also been overcharged. Brown said there should be a state law to require districts to go through the competitive bidding process when selling bonds. The full audit is posted on the state auditor's website: www.sai.ok.gov

 

Talk Show Topics

Here’s what we’re talking about this weekend. Chickasha State Representative David Perryman is this week’s guest on our KOOL Konversation. Former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys will be with us on Real Estate Today with John Mosley. We have links to those programs under the Community tab on this website.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is up to $52.59 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude climbs to $61.68.

Natural gas is down a penny to $2.97 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,292 and silver is $15.74.

 

 

Thursday, Jan. 10th

 

Findings of Chickasha School Audit Forthcoming

A long-awaited investigative audit into several complaints against Chickasha Public Schools will be made public tonight. Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones is expected to release at least a partial list of his findings. Chickasha residents petitioned for the audit nearly a year ago, asking for officials to look into allegations of the misuse of public funds; check technology-related purchases compared with inventory records; a review of attendance records; alleged double-dipping by former superintendent Dave Cash and other administrators related to the Personalized Learning Curriculum contracts; and nepotism allegations against the former superintendent. The results will be released during a special meeting of the Chickasha School Board tonight. It will be held at the high school activity center, starting at 6:30 p.m..

 

Lindsay School 'Hit List' News Was Delayed               

Parents of students in Lindsay schools are wondering why officials waited nearly three weeks to tell them about a hit-list found within the district. It's reported the list with about 30 names surfaced before Christmas, but parents apparently just  found out within the last few days. Lindsay Superintendent Dan Chapman takes the blame, saying he dropped the ball. He said normally they would contact police immediately, and he failed to do that. Chapman said they managed to identify Lindsay students who created the list, and that those students are no longer in school. Chapman says the safety of students is his top priority and there are plans to add extra security.

 

Communities to Benefit from REAP Grants               

Several communities will be able to pay for some badly needed infrastructure projects, thanks to grants from the Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG). In Verden, a $35,000 grant will help finance water line improvements. In Alex, a $45,000 grant will help with storm drain upgrades. In Anadarko, a $45,000 grant will assist with street repairs. In Ft. Cobb, a nearly $45,000 grant will help with water and street upgrades. In Fletcher, a $30,000 grant will assist with street sign replacement. Each year, ASCOG presents these Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants. The agency issued 22 grants totaling more than $1.1 million in its eight-county area.

 

Two Hospitalized After Separate Caddo County Crashes

Two people are hospitalized following separate traffic accidents in Caddo County on Wednesday. 38-year old Randell Gowen of Fletcher was last in critical condition after a crash southwest of Gracemont. The trooper dispatched to the accident said Gowen's pick up ran off the road, then hit a fence and a tree. In the other accident, 78-year old Allen Smith of Anadarko was injured when he suffered an unknown medical problem that caused him to black out, run off the road and strike a bridge rail and a dirt culvert. That accident happened on Park Road just west of Anadarko. Smith was last in good condition.

 

More Grady County Fair Board Filings               

Three current members of the Grady County Fair Board have filed for re-election. Elisha Basford in District 1; Jerry Arthur in District 2; and Barbara Pfenning in District 3 want to continue serving on the panel. The filing period for the fair board runs through tomorrow afternoon. Candidates should file at the Grady County Clerk's office. There is no filing fee. Each office is a three-year term. If elections are necessary, they will be held on Jan. 29th.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is up to $52.36 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $61.44.

Natural gas is $2.98 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,295 and silver is $15.78.

 

 

Wednesday, Jan. 9th

 

Councilor: Civil Rights Icon Deserves More Recognition

This week marks the 71st anniversary of a Chickasha resident’s U.S. Supreme Court testimony that would eventually allow her to break the color barrier at the University of Oklahoma Law School. The nation's high court would rule in favor of Ada Lois Sipuel-Fisher allowing her to attend the university. Chickasha City Councilman Dr. R.P. Ashanti-Alexander says the case led to another landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown vs. the Topeka, Kansas Board of Education whch ended racial segregation in public schools across the nation. At this week's city council meeting, Ashanti-Alexander said the city needs to do more to recognize Dr. Sipuel-Fisher’s courage and her place in civil rights history in America, besides part of a city street that is named in her honor.

 

               

 

He said the city is divided by race and economics, and that has to change.

 

Rush Springs School Bond Issue Fails by 35 Votes

A $15 million bond issue that would have built a new gymnasium for Rush Springs Public Schools falls short of the votes needed for passage. The plan did get nearly 55 percent voter approval, but was 35 votes shy of the 60 percent super-majority needed for passage. Nearly 700 votes were cast, with 380 yes votes and 313 no votes.

 

Fletcher School Bond Gets Near Unanimous Approval

Voters in Fletcher give overwhelming support for an $810,000 bond issue to make needed repairs to the roof of the elementary school. The measure picked up 98 percent of the vote, with only 5 no votes in the 228 cast in the election.

 

Medical Marijuana Impairment Workshop Scheduled

With the legalization of medical marijuana in Oklahoma, some are concerned about individuals who may be impaired at work or school. Mark Woodward with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics will be in Chickasha later this month to lead a workshop on recognizing impairment. The program is open to not only business owners and supervisors but educators and parents as well. Woodward will discuss how to determine if someone is impaired; how users cover up their impairment; and how to lawfully handle someone who may be impaired by the use of medical marijuana. The free program will be on Thursday, Jan. 31st on the Chickasha campus of Canadian Valley Technology Center. Reservations for the program are requested. Contact CV-Tech by calling 405-224-7552.

 

Southwest District Livestock Show Returns to Chickasha

The largest youth stock show in southwest Oklahoma returns to the Grady County Fairgrounds next month. The Southwest District Livestock Show will bring about 1,000 youth and their families from 14 counties to Chickasha. More than 2,000 animals will be led through the show ring.  The four-day show runs Feb. 13th through 16th, with youth competing for top prizes of $1,000 for some animals. This show is one of the largest in Oklahoma other than the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) in Oklahoma City each March. All the animals to be shown at the Southwest District Livestock Show must be nominated for the OYE. Pre-registration should be in by February 1st. Exhibitors may also apply for the Vernon Crose Memorial Scholarship. Entry forms can be found on-line at www.okcareertech.org

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is up to $49.78 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude rises to $58.72.

Natural gas is up slightly to $2.96 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,281 and silver is $15.67.

 

 

Tuesday, Jan. 8th

 

Audit Shows County Elected Officials Overpaid               

An investigative audit from the State Auditor and Inspector’s Office shows Grady County elected officials were overpaid by nearly three-quarters of a million dollars over the last 10 years. State Auditor Gary Jones announced his findings in Monday's meeting of the board of county commissioners. Jones said that the error started in 2008 when the elected officials were given a raise when other county employees also received salary hikes.


               

 

The salary issue came to light last summer when it was believed some elected officials were going to be paid $20,000 more than the maximum allowed by state law. District Attorney Jason Hicks then requested the state audit. Hicks says this is the starting point to determine what  happens next, to include asking the state attorney general's office to determine if the money must be paid back. 13 current and former elected officials recieved overpayments ranging from $10,000 to more than $90,000.

 

Chickasha Schools Audit Due Thursday               

Members of the state auditor’s office will be back in Chickasha later this week, to release their findings of an audit of Chickasha Public Schools. The audit was requested following the turmoil that occurred when several employees were suspended, followed by allegations of grade and attendance tampering by administrators. In addition to the suspensions, three school administrators resigned, including then Superintendent Dave Cash and two high school administrators. The findings of that audit will be reviewed in a special Chickasha school board meeting Thursday night. That meeting will be at the high school activity center starting at 6:30 p.m..

 

Chix School Superintendent May Get Contract Extension           

A contract extension for Chickasha School Superintendent Jack Herron is up for discussion by the Chickasha school board  when it meets for a regular meeting tonight. The panel will consider extending Herron's contract one year, through June 30th, 2021. The panel will also consider establishing the number of school hours for next year. The proposal calls for 1,080 hours of class time, of which a maximum of 30 hours will be for teachers’ professional development. The group will also consider contracting with Barlow Education Management Services to handle collective bargaining agreement negotiations with both the teacher's and support personnel unions. The school board will also consider extending the contracts of assistant superintendent Jennifer Stegman; director of curriculum, Kim Haney; maintenance director Dan Turner; and athletic director Jerry Don Bray. The school board meets at 6:30 tonight at the school administration building.

 

Man Dies from Traffic Accident injuries

One of the men critically injured in a head-one crash between Chickasha and Blanchard last week has died. 40-year old James Cannon of Lindsay passed away in an Oklahoma City hospital on Sunday. The accident happened near U.S. Highway 62 and the Alex Highway last Wednesday morning. The highway patrol said Cannon was a passenger in a pickup that was hit by an on-coming truck that crossed the center line of the highway.

 

 Ward One City Councilman Steps Down              

Chickasha City Councilman Mark Keeling has resigned. Keeling's resignation was announced during last night's city council meeting. City Manager John Noblitt said Keeling sent him an e-mail saying the resignation was effective yesterday. Keeling did not give a reason for stepping down. The e-mail said Keeling told Noblitt it had been a great honor to work with him. Keeling was elected to a two-year term in Ward 1 in 2017. There were only a few months remaining on his term. The mayor and city council may opt to appoint an interim councilman to serve out the term. The filing period for city council will be next month, with the city council election in April.

 

School Bond Elections Today

A couple of special school bond elections are underway in the region. In Rush Springs, a more than $15 million bond issue is proposed which would allow the construction of a new gymnasium. In Fletcher, voters are deciding an $800,000 bond issue for roof repairs and other maintenance projects. Polls are open until 7:00 o'clock tonight.

 

Fair Board Filing Period Underway

The filing period is underway for the upcoming election for the Grady County Fair Board. Three seats are up for election, one in each of three county commissioner districts, including Elisha Basford in the northern district; Jerry Arthur in the central district; and Barbara Pfenning in the southern district. As of late yesterday afternoon, Arthur was the only candidate to file. The terms run for three years. Candidates may file at the Grady County Clerk's office through 4:30 Friday afternoon. There is no filing fee. If needed, the fair board election will be held January 29th.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is up to $48.52 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude rises to $57.33.

Natural gas dipped below $3 to $2.94 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,283 and silver is $15.64.

 

 

Monday, Jan. 7th

 

Crews Clean Up Fuel Spill Near Bridge Creek Schools

Crews are cleaning up a fuel spill near Bridge Creek school this morning after a semi crashes. The highway patrol reports that it’s a single vehicle accident, but there's no word on injuries. Authorities say up to 300 gallons of fuel may have spilled onto the roadway, and crews from the Department of Environmental Quality are working to clean it up. The accident is in a rural area, about three miles west of Bridge Creek school near CS 2920 and CR 1230. The accident happened just after 4 o'clock this morning.

 

Resident Falls Victim to Jury Duty Phone Scam

At least one person may have fallen victim to a telephone scam this weekend, where callers were impersonating Grady County deputies. Officials say individuals identifying themselves as deputies were calling people and telling them they missed jury duty and that an arrest warrant has been issued. The caller says to pay for the warrant over the phone with a credit card or go to jail. Sheriff's office Public Information Officer Lisa Hatchett said one person called the sheriff's office and said they did give their credit card number before realizing it may be a scam. It wasn't known if the individual suffered a loss. Sheriff Jim Weir says his deputies will never make these calls and that if you suspect such a call to just hang up, and not give any credit card or bank information over the phone. He asks that you also call the sheriff's office dispatch number, 405-224-0984 to report the incident.

 

Highway 18 Bypass Utility Relocation to be Discussed

The Chickasha U.S Highway 81 bypass project will get some discussion during tonight's Chickasha City Council meeting. The council will review a proposal to work with an engineering firm to re-locate water and sewer lines along the proposed route under an agreement with the State Department of Transportation.  The estimated cost is more than $1.2 million, though the city will be reimbursed for a lot of that cost. City Manager John Noblitt said the agreements must be approved for the project to continue. Noblitt said the work has been moved up in ODOT's eight-year plan, so it wasn't budgeted for the current fiscal year. Noblitt is proposing the use of money from the city's capital drainage improvement fund. The city is expected to be reimbursed more than $570,000 for the re-location of the water mains. Noblitt said the city does not qualify for re-imbursement for sewer line re-location.

 

Flood Prevention Project up for City Council Discussion               

A proposal to minimize flooding in the east part of Chickasha will also be reviewed by the city council tonight. The panel will discuss a possible agreement with an engineering firm to construct a water detention area along East Ada Sipuel Avenue and Grand Avenue extension. The engineering fee is estimated to be nearly $80,000 and officials are asking to use economic development funds for the project. The council will take a look at a second bid to replace the roof at Fire Station No. 2. The roof was damaged in a 2017 hail storm and the initial bids came in over projected costs of repairs and improvements that were sought. Officials are recommending a bid of just under $50,000 from Ground Zero out of Newcastle. That's still about $5,000 more than the insurance settlement. The council will also recognized Amanda Forward as the city's employee of the month. She works in the city clerk's office. The council meets at 6:30 p.m. at city hall.

 

Chickasha Rotary Club Speech Contest Announced

Cash prizes will be awarded to some high school students who compete in an upcoming speech contest. The Chickasha Rotary Club is encouraging students throughout Grady County to participate, writing and presenting a speech based on the club's four-way test. Every week, the club ends its program with four questions of ethics and standards - Is it the Truth; Is it Fair to All Concerned; Will it build good will and better friendships; and will it be beneficial to all concerned. There is no cost to enter. The top three students will awarded cash prizes with a top prize being $300. Entries are due Jan. 16th, with the contest to be held during the group's meeting on Thursday, Jan. 24th. Entry forms are available on the website www.Chickasharotary.org or call Cody White at 405-219-0176.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $47.96.

London-based Brent crude is $57.06.

Natural gas is $3.04 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,292 and silver is $15.81.

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