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Mollman Media News

2019, April 22nd-29th

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Today Let’s meet Canadian Valley Technology Center “Spotlight person of the week is Justin Davis, He lives in Tuttle, and loves studying “Digital Media and Technology , at CV Tech. Tune in Friday the 26th, to KOOL 105,5 FM, (the 7AM and 8AM News) to hear the story.

 

 

 

 

Monday, April 29th

 

Minco Teen Dies in Deadly Crash

A deadly crash north of Chickasha last night claims the life of a Minco teenager. The accident happened about 7:45 p.m. Sunday at U.S. Highway 81 and County Street 1320, which is about a mile north of the Chickasha Airport. The trooper on the scene said the crash involved a pickup and a van and that the accident is still under investigation. The unidentified teenager who died was 17 years old. The Highway Patrol did not release his name. The agency has a policy of not identifying anyone under the age of 18. Minco School Superintendent Kevin Sims says the teen was a sophomore at Minco High School. The young man was a passenger in the pickup which was driven by 21-year old Aaron Lee Murray, also of Minco. Murray was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was treated for head and trunk injuries and released. The driver of the van was identified as 56-year old Rebecca Cook of Blanchard. She suffered external trunk injuries and was also treated and released from Grady Memorial. At Minco schools today, Sims said grief counselors and the local ministerial alliance will be on hand to help students and staff try and cope with the loss.

 

Newcastle School Bus Involved in Accident

Breaking news this morning as a Newcastle school bus has been involved in a traffic accident.  The crash occurred just before 7:30 a.m. on State Highway 76 about five miles north of Blanchard near State Highway 130. Reports are that an SUV rear-ended the bus. It wasn't known if any children were on the bus or if there are any injuries. Reports indicate the SUV had considerable damage.

 

Chickasha Man Unhurt in Boating Mishap

A Chickasha man is OK after a strange boating accident in eastern Oklahoma this weekend. 53-year old Grady Harrell was operating his bass boat on Sardis Lake Saturday morning near Porum in Muskogee County, when the boat started to take on water. Harrell beached the boat and called for help to tow the damaged vessel. But while in tow, the bass boat capsized and got stuck on a stump. Harrell was able to swim safely to the vessel that was towing him. He did have a flotation device with him and was not injured.

 

New President on Board with Chickasha Chamber

The Chickasha Chamber of Commerce has a new president and chief executive officer. Cassandra Ersland was recently hired by the Chamber Board of Directors. She takes the post from Cody Mosley, who has been serving as interim president after previous chamber president Mark Rathe stepped down. Mosley keeps his post as the administrator of the Chickasha Economic Development Council. Ersland previously served as Director of Development at USAO and also worked in marketing, as well as political and non-profit fund-raising in Dallas, Denver, and Oklahoma City. She's a Chickasha native and holds a journalism degree from OU with an emphasis on marketing and advertising.

 

Barry Switzer Touts Scoreboard Project              

Former OU and Dallas Cowboy football coach Barry Switzer will be back in Chickasha this week, promoting the new digital scoreboards that one of his companies is installing at the Chickasha Sports Complex. The scoreboards are being installed at no cost to the city. Switzer's company called Youth Scoreboards has already installed six new digital scoreboards at the complex with several more planned. Area businesses interested in placing ads on the scoreboards are encouraged to stop by and ask questions and get information about how the marketing plan will work. This come-and-go reception will be Thursday, May 2nd from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Regents Room on the USAO campus.

 

State Youth to Rally in Support of Green Energy              

Oklahoma youth will rally in Oklahoma this week with hopes of protecting the environment. The group is called Youth Climate Strike Oklahoma, which is affiliated with an organization that coordinates nationwide strikes. The protest is endorsed by the Oklahoma Chapter of the Sierra Club. The youth are supporting the Green New Deal proposed in Washington, D.C. in hopes of ending climate change. The protest is set from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday in downtown Oklahoma City. The youth hope to enact legislation to combat climate change on local and state levels; adopt the Green New Deal to shift Americans to 100 percent clean, renewable, and net-zero emission energy sources through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers; and to declare the climate crisis a national emergency.

              

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $63.30 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $72.15.

Natural gas is $2.56 per million BTU.

Gold is $1,284 and silver is $15.03.

 

 

Saturday, April 27th

 

WWI Vet's Unmarked Grave to Finally Get Marker

It was more than 100 years ago when Army Private Ulysses Grant Moore served during World War One. Living in Ardmore at the time, he was inducted into the Army in September of 1918 and was honorably discharged in December of that year upon the de-mobilization of the armed forces. Moore died more than a half-century ago. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Oklahoma City but because for a reason nobody knows, his military-issued grave marker never made it to its final destination. The marker was found in the yard of an Oklahoma City home several months ago. The Oklahoman reports that the home previously belonged to Moore's granddaughter - who said she inherited the home - but she has lived out of state for many years. The Oklahoma National Guard is helping to get the marker to the grave. Plus, Moore is eligible for military funeral honors, which includes a two-person honor guard detail to perform a flag-folding ceremony, the presenting of the flag to next-of-kin, and the playing of taps. There doesn't appear to be any record of any ceremony for Moore when he died in 1964.

 

Governor Signs 'Indigenous Peoples Day' Bill              

Oklahoma will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day and Columbus Day at the same time. Gov. Kevin Stitt put his signature on a bill this week that was supported by a coalition of Native American groups. Stitt is said to be the first governor in the country to be enrolled as a member of a Native American tribe. KOCO-TV reports that Stitt said the bill is a fair compromise that gives Oklahomans the opportunity to celebrate both Columbus and the state's indigenous people. Former governor Mary Fallin vetoed a similar bill last year, saying that combining the two holidays could be viewed as an intentional attempt to diminish support for Native American Heritage Month, which is in November. The news report indicated the veto upset many Native Americans who felt Fallin was insensitive to the issue. Many Native American say Columbus is symbolic of the colonial movement in the country that led to the death and forced assimilation of indigenous populations.

 

 More County Road, Bridge Repair Funds OK'd             

More state funds will be available to repair the state's decaying roads and bridges. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed HB 2676 this week, which provides an additional $30 million to what's known as the County Roads and Bridges Improvement Fund. The website www.okenergytoday.com reports the governor's action received glowing remarks from leaders in the energy industry. Chad Warmington with the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association and the Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association said the funds will be used to fund critical repairs of improvements on roads and bridges used by the industry. He said the industry works to reduce the amount of heavy trucks on Oklahoma roadways, but the transportation of machinery - needed to drill for and produce oil and natural gas - means truck traffic will always be a part of the state's defining industry.

 

Talk Show Topics

Here's what we're talking about this weekend. Steve Riggs and Tommy Phillips with the National Association of Letter Carriers are guests on our KOOL Konversation, discussing details of the nationwide Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive set for May 11th. On Real Estate Today with John Mosley, Jessica Hickok with the Oklahoma Association of Realtors is the guest. We have links to both programs under the Community tab on this website.

 

Sheriff's Office Issues 'Wanted' List 

The Grady County Sheriff's Office has issued a new 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 by calling 405-222-5085.

 

 

Friday, April 26th

 

 

Consumer Spending Rises in the Region

Retail outlets throughout the Grady County area collectively saw a little increase in business from January to February. Consumer spending across the county grew about 2.1 percent. It's estimated that some $121 million in taxable goods and services were purchased in the second month of 2019. Retail outlets in the City of Chickasha had about 25 percent of that total. Consumer spending in Chickasha for February was estimated at $29.3 million which is an increase of 5 percent from the previous month. It's about 6 percent higher that February of 2018. At the county level, a three-quarters-of-a-penny sales tax brought in about $905,000. That sales tax revenue funds several voter-approved projects, including improvements at the Grady County Fairgrounds, the surgery and imaging center added to Grady Memorial Hospital, senior nutrition centers, volunteer fire departments, and ambulance services in Rush Springs and Tuttle. For the City of Chickasha, the sales tax revenue was $1.1 million. Half of that goes to the city's general fund, part is for water and sewer services, and part goes toward capital improvement projects.

 

Silver Alert Canceled for Missing Woman

A Silver Alert has been canceled for an Elgin woman who was reported missing yesterday afternoon. The Comanche County Sheriff's Office issued the alert for 79-year-old Audrey Fowler, who was reported missing about 3 p.m. Thursday. News reports indicate that Fowler returned home.

 

Ex-con Faces Life in Prison for Spitting on Officer

A Marlow man faces up to life in prison after spitting in a police officer's face. 37-year old Brandon Ashley Malone has been charged with a felony of assault and battery on a police officer after a confrontation with the officer earlier this week. The Lawton Constitution reports that Malone has five felony convictions on his record already, and if convicted of his most recent offense, could be sentenced anywhere from four years to life in prison.

 

 

Tropical Smoothie Cafe to Open Tomorrow

In business news, Chickasha's new Tropical Smoothie Café will have its grand opening tomorrow. And a number of customers will be walking away with free smoothies for a year! The first 30 customers in line at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning - who purchase a combo - will receive free smoothies for a year. There will also be tastings, give-aways, and special menu deals. The cafe offers flat bread and toasted sandwiches. The Tropical Smoothie Cafe is just south of 4th and Grand Avenue, next to the Cotton Patch Cafe.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $65.21 per barrel.

London-based Brent is $74.35.

Natural gas is $2.51 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,282 and silver is $15.06.

 

 

Thursday, April 25th

 

Chickasha Schools to End 2018-19 Classes Early

There's one less week of classes for kids in Chickasha schools this year. The school board approved a plan to finish school on Friday, May 17th instead of the 24th as originally planned. School officials say the reason is that the district is on a system which provides 1,080 hours of instruction, and there were some extra days built into the calendar. Since there were only a couple of snow days over the winter the decision was made to end classes early.

 

School Board Elects New Officers             

Also at this week's school board meeting, the panel elected a new slate of officers for the upcoming school year. Zack McGill was elected president and will take the gavel from current board president Doug Brown. Robyn Morse was elected first vice president and Laurie Allen was elected 2nd Vice President.

 

'CERT' Team Members Sought

The Grady County Emergency Management Agency is looking to increase the numbers of its Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT). Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson says CERT members can help with damage assessment and other operations to support First Responders during times of storms and disasters. They can also lend a hand at community events to discuss disaster preparedness. Candidates undergo training that includes basic first aid, fire suppression which can be safely handled with a fire extinguisher, light search-and-rescue, and disaster preparedness. It also includes training on how to stop life-threatening bleeding. The training is free and can be completed in a few weeks - generally on Saturdays - or a combination of evenings and Saturdays. You don't have to live in Grady County to be part of the Certified Emergency Response Team but individuals need to be 18 and have a driver's license. If you're interested contact The Grady County Emergency Management office.

 

Anadarko Celebrates 'Honor the Child' Day

Hundreds of young children paraded through Anadarko this morning in celebration of Honor the Child Day. The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes Child Care Services program hosts the parade and a big day of activities for youngsters in tribal and public schools and day care centers. As many as 300 kiddos ages 6 and under usually participate. First, a parade complete with police and fire trucks from the old bowling alley to the Oklahoma Street gym. Then, lots of fun and games for the children who pre-registered for the event. Kathy Hopen is the director of the child care program for the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. She says there's face-painting, pony rides, a petting zoo, an exotic animal display from Tiger Safari. Hopen says the tribe even has a portable planetarium called StarLab.

 

              

 

Hopen says there is great community support for Honor the Child Day, and thanks every group for making it a successful event each year. This is the 13th year for the event.

 

PSO Helps CHS, Lincoln School Robotics 

A nice reward for the Chickasha High School Robotics team. Fresh off its best-ever showing at the FIRST world robotics competition, the group receives a grant to help further its mission. Public Service Company of Oklahoma presented a grant of just under $1,800 to be used for both the high school robotics program, and the Lego League robotics program at Lincoln School. Chickasha was one of 26 programs throughout the PSO service area in Oklahoma to receive a STEM grant to further science, technology, engineering, and math programs. PSO Community Affairs manager Tim Hushbeck says PSO is aware of the critical need for strong STEM education. He says he's proud to have the support of PSO's parent company, American Electric Power, in providing the grants.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $65.89 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $74.57.

Natural gas is $2.46 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,279 and silver is $14.92.

 

 

Wednesday, April 24th

 

Early-Morning Semi Crash Closes U.S. Highway

A traffic accident involving a semi shut down part of U.S. Highway 62 east of Chickasha early this morning. No details are available, but the highway patrol reports the accident happened about 3:30. It was seven miles east of Chickasha at the intersection of CS 2910, also known as Red Bird Road. That's about one mile east of Tabler Y. The trooper on the scene said westbound traffic was blocked for about an hour and a half, and was re-opened about 5 a.m. No one was hurt in the crash.

 

Governor Signs 'Purple Heart' Bill

Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed a bill designating Oklahoma as a Purple Heart State. SB 232 was passed unanimously through both the state house and senate within the last few weeks. The bill was co-written by Sen. Frank Simpson, a navy veteran and Rep. Tommy Hardin, a marine veteran. Simpson said becoming a Purple Heart State shows the world the pride and gratitude Oklahomans have for the more than 1,300 soldiers in the state who have received the award. The U.S. Military has awarded the Purple Heart since World War I. It's presented to servicemen and women who have been injured and to the families of soldiers killed in the line of duty. The bill goes into effect Nov. 1st.

 

State Veterans Office Schedules Chickasha Stop

Military veterans who may be having difficulties in obtaining the benefits earned from their time helping Uncle Sam will be able to get some assistance when representatives of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs stops in Chickasha. The agency's mobile service van will be at the Grady County DAV headquarters tomorrow. Officials will be on hand to answer questions and assist with paperwork from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25th. No appointment is necessary. The Grady County DAV chapter is in downtown Chickasha at 6th and Chickasha Avenue.

 

Lost Hikers Rescued from Refuge

First responders at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge spent several hours of their Easter Sunday morning rescuing a man who got lost while hiking. Officials say the man and his nephew became disoriented while on a trail early Saturday. The nephew did have his cel phone, but was unable to get a signal to call anyone. With just a couple of bottles of water each and very little food, the two men ended up spending the night in the refuge under the stars. It got a little chilly with temperatures dropping into the mid 50's Sunday morning.  Chris Jones is the chief of the Indiahoma Volunteer Fire Department. He said the nephew finally got a signal early Sunday morning and he placed a 9-1-1 call to the Comanche County  Sheriff's Office. Jones said the men were found about 3/4 of a mile from a parking area but the older man was too weak to walk. The rescue crew had a use a back board to carry him out. The job was made more difficult with the rough terrain. An ambulance was waiting when they got to safety, but both men refused treatment.

 

Salvation Army Provides Help Locally, Globally

The Salvation Army which serves the Grady and Caddo county areas stays active throughout the year. In addition to helping needy families in the region, the local church answers the call to help with national and international emergencies. Part of its local work includes what Lt. David Brittle calls the Second Saturday of Service. It’s held each month with the assistance of volunteers from other churches.

              

 

Brittle says USAO students also get involved in The Second Saturday of Service program. Other upcoming events include sending some local youth to the Salvation Army summer camp in Tahlequah.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $66.30 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $74.51.

Natural gas is to $2.45 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,274 and silver is $14.87.

 

 

Tuesday, April 23rd

 

Medi-Flight Closes Chickasha, Other Okla. Bases

The parent company of Medi-Flight, an air ambulance service in Oklahoma, is closing operations in Chickasha and several other bases in the state. Air Methods is the parent company for Medi-Flight. The company is based near Denver, Colorado, and made the formal announcement Monday. In addition to Chickasha, the company has closed operations at Seminole and in two locations in Tulsa. In a prepared statement sent to KOOL/RANCH News, Air Methods stated that nearly 75 percent of their transports are Medicaid, Medicare, self-pay, and uninsured patients, which all together only pay 30 percent of costs. While the Chickasha base has closed, Air Methods officials say the area will still be served by AirKids 1 in Oklahoma City for neo-natal trips. There is another air ambulance service in southwest Oklahoma. Air Evac has bases in Duncan, Weatherford, and Altus.

 

 Newest Chix School Board Member to be Sworn In             

The last of three new members elected to the Chickasha school board will be sworn in tonight. Robyn Morse will be taking her oath of office during tonight’s board of education meeting. She ran un-opposed for a five-year term on the panel. Tonight's meeting was originally scheduled for earlier this month, but was postponed for two weeks. The school will elect officers for the 2019-20 school year, including a president and vice president. Doug Brown is the current president. The group is to consider whether to post the entire forensic audit reviewed at last month's school board meeting on the district's website. The board will also discuss board policy regarding the naming of buildings and facilities throughout the district. In a closed-door session, the group will review the status of a proposal for the Chickasha Senior Nutrition Center, and the possible sale of surplus school land. The executive session will also include discussion of the collective bargaining agreements with the Chickasha United Teaching Association and the Chickasha Association of Support Employees.

 

 

Sheriff's Office Re-Opens

The Grady County Sheriff's Office has re-opened. The business office was closed all day last Friday and about a half-day yesterday as emergency repairs were made after some storm damage late last week. The business office closing did not impact the 9-1-1 or dispatch services.

 

CHS Robotics Team Excels at World Competition

The Chickasha High School robotics team turned in a good performance at the FIRST world robotics competition in Houston last week. Instructor Brandon Willis said the team had its best placing ever in the four years the team has qualified for the world event. Willis said the team won 6 of 10 games in its qualifying rounds, and ranked 24th out of the 68 teams in their division. For the first time in team history, they were part of the playoff round after being selected to join the 4th seed alliance. Earlier this month, the team was runner-up at the state FIRST robotics competition in Oklahoma City.

 

Container Gardening Good for Small Spaces

If you enjoy gardening but have limited space, you might consider container gardening. It's a good option if you live in an apartment or small home. You still have a lot of choices with container gardening, whether its flowers, vegetables, herbs, and even some fruits and small shrubs. Beth Armstrong with Grady County 4H is a state 4H ambassador working with Grady County OSU Extension.

 

              

 

Be sure to use quality potting soil from your local garden center and keep your containers fertilized and watered. The soil will dry out much quicker than traditional gardens or flower beds.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $65.70 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $74.04.

Natural gas is $2.52 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,275 and silver is $15.02.

 

 

Monday, April 22nd

 

 USAO to Host State History Conference             

A statewide conference for historians will be held on the USAO campus this week. The Oklahoma Historical Society will host its annual Oklahoma History and Preservation conference. The three-day event will include a number of guest speakers, tours, and the induction of several new members into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame. The featured speaker will be Ladonna Harris, a member of the Comanche Nation. She's an American Indian activist and founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity and an advocate for women's rights. Harris was an original member of the National Women's Political Caucus, and served as the United States representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. She also serves on the board for the Smithsonian insititute's National Museum of the American Indian. The historical society is partnering with the Chickasaw Nation to celebrate famed storyteller Te Ata, USAO's most famous alum who traveled around the world sharing Native American culture. The conference runs Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Membership to the state historical society is not required to participate. Information is available on-line at: www.okhistory.org

 

Sheriff's Office Closed for Second Day Due to Storm

Storm damage at the Grady County Sheriff's Office has forced officials to close the business office there for a second day. Storms Thursday night damaged an air conditioning unit on the roof and the office was closed Friday. Sheriff Jim Weir said the work does not impact the 911 or dispatch services for the office. Weir is hoping the repairs can be completed today.

 

 Gas Line Repair to Affect 9th and Grand Traffic

A reminder that the intersection of 9th and Grand Avenue in Chickasha will be affected by a gas line repair project. Centerpoint Energy will be working to repair a gas line leak in that area. Southbound traffic on 9th Street off of Grand will be shut down for several days. Any traffic northbound on 9th Street from Country Club road will be detoured at Almar Drive. The work is expected to take about a week.

 

Rig Count Falls in Oklahoma and the Nation

In energy news, the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas was down both in the state and across the country last week. In Oklahoma, the rig count fell by two to 102. That number is also down from the same time a year ago. With the drop, the Sooner State falls to third nationwide for the number drilling rigs - behind Texas and New Mexico. Nationwide, the rig count fell by 10 to 1,012. That number is down by one rig from the same time a year ago, according to a report released by Baker Hughes of Houston.

 

Chix YMCA to Host OKC Thunder 'Hustle Camp'

Each summer, the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team joins YMCA programs across the state to offer what's called a Thunder Hustle camp. The Chickasha Area YMCA will be the first stop of the camp next month. Michelle Matthews is the manager of youth basketball operations for the Thunder and tells why Chickasha was selected.

 

              

 

The one-day camp will be Thursday, May 30th and is for youth 6 to 14 years old. There are a limited number of spots available. There is a $65 fee for the camp. Sign up on the Oklahoma City Thunder website: www.okcthunder.com/youth basketball.

Other camps are scheduled for the Lawton and Oklahoma City areas.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $64 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $71.97.

Natural gas is $2.49 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,280 and silver is $15.09.

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