Sat, Nov. 16th
Suspect Faces Charges in Animal Cruelty Case
Injured and neglected horses found with little food or water leads to animal cruelty charges being filed against a Grady County man. Authorities arrested 31-year old Berry Marshall Randall of Blanchard this week. A warrant for his arrest was issued back in the summer when authorities were called out to check on the welfare of a couple of injured animals outside Blanchard. One of the horses had a serious leg injury and had to be put down. A veterinarian said a second injured horse needed medical treatment. Randall was booked into the Grady County Jail on two felony counts of animal cruelty. He is out of jail after posting a $50,000 bond. A preliminary hearing conference has been scheduled in January.
Details Of Missing Woman who was Found
We have more details about a story we told you about yesterday, regarding a recent case of a missing elderly Grady county woman who had wandered away from her rural home. We reported that the Anadarko Police Department's K9 team of Hayden Young and Pasco helped to find the missing woman. Grady County sheriff's officials say they received a 9-1-1 call about 4:00 a.m. Friday, November 8th about the 74-year old woman missing from her Farwell area home, which is northwest of Rush Springs. Relatives say she suffers from the early stages of dementia. Family members searched the area and were unable to find her, so they called the Grady County sheriff's office. Grady County deputies, members of the Grady County Fire Department, and the Anadarko PD K9 team were all summoned to help. Officials say the woman was found about 6:00 a.m. Friday in a brushy area about 100 yards from her house. Officials say they had searched that same area earlier with no success. The woman had some scratches but was taken to a Duncan hospital for treatment then allowed to go home.
'Gold Star Families Highway' Dedicated
A road which leads to the Ft. Sill National Cemetery near Elgin is christened to honor families military men and women who sacrificed their lives while serving in the Armed Forces. A ceremony was held yesterday to name a portion of U.S. Highway 277 west of Elgin as Gold Star Families Highway. Gold Star families, state officials and others attended the event. Signs will soon be placed along a four-mile stretch of 277 between the H.E. Bailey Turnpike and Porter Hill.
Sheriff's Office Updates 'Wanted' List
The Grady County Sheriff's Office has an updated 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.
High School Football Scores
Tuttle 17, Chickasha 7
Minco 41, Elmore City 7
Cashion 45, Rush Springs 0
Dibble 28, Crossings Chr. 20
Alex 52, Empire 6
Waurika 54, Cyril 6
Lindsay 49, Lexington 46
Kingfisher 45, Marlow 42 (3 OT)
Timberlake 28, Mt. View-Gotebo 24
Friday, Nov. 15th
Construction Nears Completion on New Convenience Store
Contractors are putting the finishing touches on Chickasha's newest convenience store. Domino's has been under construction for the last several months at 4th and Missouri Avenue. City Planner Gene Winsett says operators are hoping to open their doors within a matter of days. Winsett said with construction nearly complete, the city and contractors have come to an agreement for contractors to make repairs to Missouri Avenue which was damaged by heavy truck traffic going in and out of the construction zone. Repair work will narrow traffic to just one lane in the 400 Block of West Missouri Avenue for a few days with the work expected to be completed late Sunday. Officials urge motorists to avoid the 400 block of West Missouri while those repairs are made.
Burger King to Return to Chickasha
A national hamburger chain will be returning to Chickasha. Burger King will be building a new restaurant where OK Skateland was once located. Winsett said contractors picked up a building permit for the project recently. A timeline wasn't immediately available on when they expect the restaurant to open. Winsett also said construction crews are moving dirt to build a new street that will run west from the Burger King restaurant to the neighborhood behind Homeland. Developers plan to build retail and business spaces as well as some additional homes and duplexes in that area.
K9 Officer Locates Missing Woman
A couple of local law enforcement agencies combine efforts to find an elderly woman who went missing from her home. All the details about the incident weren’t immediately available. However, according to a Facebook post from the Anadarko Police Department the agency received a call from the Grady County Sheriff's Office for assistance. The woman had been missing from her home for several hours. Anadarko Police Officer Hayden Young and his K9 partner Pasco were sent to help and were able to find the woman who was unharmed and returned home safely.
Semi Driver Injured in Crash Near Ft. Cobb Lake
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is continuing its investigation into a traffic accident involving a semi near Ft. Cobb Lake. 64-year old Francis Macanarney of Pratt, Kansas suffered head injuries in the accident. He was taken to a Weatherford hospital where he was admitted in good condition. The accident happened just after 10:30 p.m. Thursday near State Highway 146 and CR 1250, about 7 1/2 miles northeast of Ft. Cobb. The trooper's report of the accident offers no details on what might have happened.
'Buy Chickasha' Campaign Begins Next Week
Chickasha business leaders have announced a campaign for shoppers to support their hometown merchants during the holiday shopping period. The Chamber of Commerce has developed a Buy Chickasha program which gives local shoppers an opportunity to win up to $5,000 in cash. Chamber President Cassandra Ersland says it will create a unique experience for shoppers and give local retailers an extra advantage. Here's how it will work - just by visiting a local merchant, individuals will receive one ticket. Then, they receive one ticket for each $10.00 in merchandise purchased. A shopper can get a maximum of 100 tickets per purchase. Participants must be at least 18. There are about 20 businesses taking part. The Buy Chickasha Campaign starts next Monday, Nov. 18th and runs through Sunday, Dec. 15th. Tickets will go into a hopper with three winning tickets to be drawn on Monday, Dec. 16th. Cash prizes of $5,000; $3,000; and $2,000 will be awarded. Businesses who are key sponsors of the Buy Chickasha Program are the First National Bank, Two Vets Clothing Company, Hilliary Communications, and Salt Creek Casino.
SCOOP Region Has Another Big Producing Well
While the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas is down considerably from year ago levels, there are a number of active wells in the region producing some good numbers. The website www.okenergytoday.com reports Marathon Oil has a location near Lindsay bringing in about 1,300 barrels of oil and more than 1,700 metric cubic feet of natural gas on a daily basis. It's the Newby well located about three miles south of Lindsay.
Talk Show Topics
Here’s what we’re talking about this weekend. Lt. David Brittle with the Salvation Army serving Grady and Caddo Counties is our guest on the KOOL Konversation. On Real Estate Today with John Mosley, USAO baseball coach and assistant athletic director Mike Ross is the guest. We have links to both programs under the Community tab on this website.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $56.77 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $62.28.
Natural gas is $2.64 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,466 and silver is $16.86.
Thursday, Nov. 14th
First Step Taken to Create a Trust Authority
for the Grady County Fairgrounds
Grady County commissioners this week took the first formal action to create a trust authority for the Grady County Fairgrounds. The panel unanimously approved a resolution announcing the intention of establishing a public trust authority for the purposes of managing the grounds, buildings, equipment and facilities of the fairgrounds and events center and conducting agricultural, and industrial fairs and expositions.
Tuttle Officials Pleased with Election Results
Officials in Tuttle are thanking voters for approving two tax issues in this week's special election. City Manager Tim Young said it was the first time in several decades that voters approved a general obligation bond. The $2 million plan will build a new police department. Young discusses the first order of business for that project.
Young said they will either build a new 5,000 sq. ft. building or purchase an existing building. Groundbreaking more than likely won't occur until next fall with the completion estimated for the summer or fall of 2021. Tuttle voters also approved a one-half of one cent increase in the city sales tax, with the funds to be used for street improvements. Young says it’s for 10 years and will be implemented April 1, 2020. The first additional revenue from the sales tax increase won’t be realized until June. The first street improvement projects could begin next summer.
Fireball May have Been Part of Metor Shower
There were reports of a large fireball seen in the Chickasha area just before 8:00 p.m. Wednesday night. We've not been able to get a confirmation about what it might of have been, but there is an active meteor shower visible in Oklahoma nearly the entire month of November. It's the Leonid meteor shower. The website www.timeanddate.com reports that the Leonids will peak this weekend from Sunday night in to Monday morning. The best time to catch the meteor shower tonight will be after midnight. You could see up to 15 occurrences per hour.
Dog Show, Arts and Crafts Celebration set for Chickasha
It's another big weekend in Chickasha with a couple of events at the Grady County Fairgrounds. The Sooner Circuit Cluster of Dog Shows opened this morning and runs through Sunday. Two kennel clubs will actually be conducting shows over the next four days. Hundreds of the top dogs in the country will be shown, as exhibitors look to earn points in order to qualify for national dog shows like the Westminster Dog Show and the Eukanuba Dog Show next spring. Admission is free and open to the public. Also at the fairgrounds this weekend is the Grady County OHCE Celebration of Crafts Show. More than 40 vendors will have arts, crafts, and numerous gift items available for the upcoming holidays. A number of county OHCE groups will have food items you can freeze and use for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. Santa will be there for pictures, there is a quilt turning both days, and something new this year is an alpaca petting area. Indian tacos will be available both days as well. The Celebration of Crafts runs Friday and Saturday in the north exhibit building at the fairgrounds.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $57.12 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $62.37.
Natural gas is $2.60 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,469 and silver is $17.02.
Wednesday, Nov. 13th
Tuttle Voters OK Tax Hikes
for Police Station, Street Upgrades
(EDITOR'S NOTE - This version is corrected from an earlier story regarding the voting on the two issues.)
The City of Tuttle will be building a new police station after voters approved a $2 million general obligation bond in yesterday's special election. Voters also approved a sales tax increase to pay for street repairs. The general obligation bond issue passed by only 16 votes, 276 to 260. The bonds will be paid off over 25 years with an increase in property taxes. The proposition to increase the Tuttle sales tax won with 55 percent voter approval, 295 to 241. It calls for increasing the sales tax by one-half of one percent with the proceeds to be used for street repairs.
Minco, Anadarko Election Results
In a close city council race in Minco, Karen Dirickson defeated Mandy Addington by six votes. The unofficial tally shows Dirickson won 46 to 40. She will serve the remainder of an unexpired term on the council. In Anadarko, voters approved seven propositions to update city policies. About 135 voters cast ballots with each proposition receiving at least 62 percent approval.
Chix Superintendent Candidate Interviews to Begin
Interviews with candidates interested in being the next superintendent of Chickasha schools will begin next week. The Chickasha board of education met with its consultant from the Oklahoma State School Boards Association yesterday to review the applicants. School board president Zack McGill says the panel will hold the first round of interviews next week with a second round of interviews to be held the second week of December. A new superintendent is expected to be announced sometime after the first of the year.
School Board Candidate Filing Dates Scheduled
The filing period for candidates interested in running for school board positions throughout Oklahoma is coming up soon. For Chickasha schools, Office No. 5 is up for election. The post is currently held by Christy Clift who was appointed to the post earlier this year. It is a five-year term, which will begin next year. There are school board posts open in nearly every school district. The filing period is Monday, December 2nd through Wednesday, Dec. 5th. Should elections will be held in February.
Suspect Charged with Throwing Rocks at Cop
Throwing rocks at a cop lands a Chickasha man in jail. A Chickasha police officer was called to the neighborhood of 16th and Virginia Avenue before dawn last Thursday morning to check out a report of a man walking down the street and yelling. The officer located the man and a police affidavit indicates the suspect threw a handful of rocks at the officer’s cruiser. The officer got out of his car and the suspect continued throwing rocks. The officer deployed his taser but it had no effect on the suspect. There was a brief scuffle but the officer eventually took the suspect into custody. Prosecutors have charged 49-year old Michael Jay Christian with a misdemeanor of assault with a dangerous weapon. It carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine and six months in jail upon conviction. Christian was released after a posting a $2,500 bond. The case has a December 6th court date.
Turnpike Overpass Repairs Slows U.S. Highway 81 Traffic
There is some traffic congestion to contend with in Chickasha for the rest of the week. Motorists on U.S. Highway 81 at the junction of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike will be hindered. It's due to some work being done on the turnpike overpass over Highway 81 just south of 4th and Grand Avenue. All the northbound traffic on Highway 81 has been moved to the southbound lanes - and there is only one lane of traffic in each direction for a couple of blocks. We were unable to reach anyone with the turnpike to find out what kind of work is being done. We were told by an individual with the state department of transportation that the work should be completed by the end of the week.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $56.80 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $62.06.
Natural gas is $2.62 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,465 and silver is $16.90.
Tuesday, Nov. 12th
Chickasha Schools ACT Test Scores Below State Average
For the first time in the last five years, ACT scores for Chickasha school students were lower than the state average. The board of education will see the numbers when the group meets for its regular November meeting tonight. Average ACT scores were lower than the state average in the four key areas tested as well as the overall composite score. The numbers were provided by an ACT testing firm out of Iowa. The composite score of 18.3 was below the state average of 18.9. English had the lowest score of 16.9 with the state average being 18.2. The highest score was in reading at 19.5 which was just below the state average of 19.6. Math was 17.9 with the state average of 18.3; science was 18.5 which was below the state average of 19.0. There were 150 students who took the ACT test which was almost double the number tested in 2018.
School Board to Review Superintendent Applications
It will be a long day for the Chickasha board of education. They'll be holding a special meeting this afternoon to review applications for superintendent. The group will meet behind closed doors with its consultant from the Oklahoma State School Boards Association. The school board will then have its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the school administration building. Among the discussion items is a possible bond resolution to take to school district voters. There was no information regarding the proposed resolution on the agenda for tonight's meeting.
Boat, RV Storage Public Hearing Canceled
Now an update to a story we told you about yesterday. A public hearing WILL NOT be held by the Chickasha Planning Commission today regarding a re-zoning proposal by Chickasha businessman Kelly Boyd. Boyd sought to re-zone agriculture property to a Planned Unit Development area in hopes of opening a boat and recreational vehicle storage business. City Planner Gene Winsett said the public hearing was taken off the Planning Commission's agenda late last week. The Planning Commission will meet to hold a public hearing on a use-on-review request from John Wood to open a liquor store in the 1500 block of Stewart Drive. The Planning Commission meets at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon at city hall.
City Council to Re-hear Issues from Oct. 21st Meeting
The Chickasha City Council has a special meeting tonight. The group will basically be going over the same business which was dealt with during a meeting last month, when officials thought they had the minimum number of council representatives to hold a meeting. Five council members attended the Oct. 21st meeting which included Mayor Chris Mosely and four of the eight other council members. City Manager John Noblitt told the group during last week's council meeting that the city charter indicates that the mayor cannot be included as part of a quorum. Some of the items to be reconsidered are re-zoning requests for possible medical marijuana dispensaries at 1111 West Choctaw Avenue and at 1426 S. 4th Street; and a re-zoning request to build a miniature golf course near the city's sports complex. Other issues to be revisited are an economic development grant to Crazy 8 Cafe and an economic development agreement with Viridian Coffee of Duncan to open a similar coffee shop locally. The special meeting will get underway at 6:30 tonight at City Hall.
Minco, Tuttle, Anadarko Special Elections Underway
Special elections are underway in several area communities. In Minco, voters are deciding on a candidate to fill an un-expired term on the city council. In Tuttle, voters are deciding two tax-increase proposals. One is a $2 million general obligation bond to build a new police department. The second is a one-half of one penny sales tax increase which would pay for street repairs. In Anadarko, voters are deciding a number of proposals which would update some city codes and policies. Polls are open until 7 o'clock tonight.
Livestock Specialist to Address Cattlewomen Group
Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Specialist Derrell Peel will be in Chickasha tonight. He'll be addressing a meeting of the Grady County Cattlewomen. The group will meet at 6:30 tonight at the Grady County OSU Extension Office.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $56.86 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $62.18.
Natural gas is $2.67 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,454 and silver is $16.75.
Monday, Nov. 11th
Effort Continues to Develop Boat, RV Storage Business
(EDITOR'S NOTE - Chickasha City Planner Gene Winsett notified us Tuesday, Nov. 12th that the public hearing for the boat and RV park storage business had been pulled from the Planning Commission agenda)
A Chickasha businessman continues his attempt to develop a boat and recreational vehicle storage location. The Chickasha Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tomorrow for Kelly and Carrie Boyd. They want to re-zone agriculture property to what's called a Planned Unit Development. The Boyds have been working for several years to develop the business on their property near 29th and Georgia Avenue, but nearby property owners are against the proposal. Earlier this year, a proposal to re-zone the property to commercial use was to be considered by the city council, but the Boyd's decided to pull the item from the agenda from the meeting that night after a number of people opposed to the plan were in attendance. The Planning Commission will also hold a public hearing regarding a request from John Wood to open a liquor store at 1523 Stewart Drive. The location is just north of Brandt's, and between the Subway store on 4th Street and Jungle Ice. The Planning Commission will meet at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon at city hall.
America Pauses to Honor Military Veterans
Today is Veterans Day and numerous ceremonies will be held around the country to honor those who served in the Armed Forces. Fourth District Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole released a statement saying ‘without question, we owe a constant debt of gratitude to generations of veterans who made sacrifices to ensure the safety of our homeland, and who faithfully fought to promote and preserve America's freedoms.’ Federal, state, and county offices are closed as are some city offices. Chickasha City Hall is among those municipal offices closed. Veterans Day ceremonies in the region include the Grady County Veterans Day program which was held at the Chickasha Elks Lodge due to the weather. Chickasha City Councilman Tom Rose, who retired as a Lt. Colonel after 22 years with the U.S. Army was the guest speaker. In Anadarko, a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial at the Caddo County Courthouse was held this morning.
Garvin County Man Perishes in Rollover
A Maysville man has died in a single vehicle accident in McClain County. 32-year old Carry Jonathon Stratton died in the crash which happened late Saturday night near Wayne. The Highway Patrol reports that Stratton's truck left the roadway, rolled 1 1/2 times and landed upside down. Stratton was ejected from the truck and was pronounced dead after being air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital.
Longtime Owner of Ma and Pa Settle Grocery Dies
Longtime Chickasha businessman Derrell Settle has died. Settle and his late-wife Deanna owned and operated Ma and Pa Settle Grocery for many years. There will be a graveside service at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12th at the Spring Creek Cemetery near Gracemont. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
New Anadarko Tag Agent May be Named
Anadarko could have a new tag agent this week. Stephanie Novotny is to be considered for the post when the Oklahoma Tax Commission meets tomorrow. The previous tag agent retired a couple of months ago and there had been concern that the office might close.
USAO Prof has Article Published
A professor at USAO has had an article published in a recent edition of a magazine from the Oklahoma Humanities Council. Dr. John Bruce is a professor of language and literature. His article called 'Against Tinsel and Trickery: Communicating the Tenuous Threads of Connection in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway,' is in the Fall-Winter edition of the council's publication. A release from USAO indicates Bruce's article examines how Woolf's 1925 novel broke new ground through her 'representation of time through the thought, experiences, and shifting perspective of her characters.' Bruce says the novel helped to define a technique which would become a mainstay of 20th century literature.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $57.24 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $62.51.
Natural gas is $2.79 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,466 and silver is $16.87.
