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Today let’s find out what the Chickasha Future Farmer’s have been doing over the last week
Saturday, Nov. 3rd
Pursuit Suspect Behind Bars
A man suspected of trying to elude police last month is in jail. Stephen Dale Franks was arrested by Chickasha police Thursday night. Franks is the man who had to be air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital after crashing his pick-up near Anadarko after a 30-minute pursuit. Franks was in critical condition for a couple of days after the crash which occurred Oct. 22nd. It wasn't clear when he was released. The Chickasha police blotter indicates an officer came in contact with Franks at Braum's Thursday night. A source with knowledge of the arrest says that Franks allegedly starting banging his head against an unknown object and was taken to Grady Memorial hospital for obversation, with a police guard at his door. He was released from the hospital Friday afternoon and taken to the Grady County Jail. Police say Franks had outstanding warrants in both Grady and Caddo counties.
Alex School Fire Traced to Electrical Short
A fire at Alex High School was quickly snuffed out by fire crews. Smoke filled the commons area at the school Friday afternoon about the time students were leaving for the weekend. The fire was traced to a maintenance room, where officials say an electrical short led to the fire. Damage estimate was about $2,500.
Pedestrian Hit by Pickup Remains Critical
A Verden woman is still fighting for her life after being hit by a pickup. 69-year old Kaylene Slatten remains in critical condition at OU Medical Center. Slatten was walking along U.S. Highway 62 west of Verden when she was hit by a pick up Thursday night. She suffered head, trunk, arm, and leg injuries and had to be air-lifted to Oklahoma City.
Runaway Teen Reunited With Family
Now an update to a story we had last week about a runaway teenager. Authorities say that 13-year old Jimi Lee Jorski has been found and is back with relatives. Jorski was living in the Cogar area when her mom reported her missing last week. Caddo County Undersheriff Spencer Davis says it wasn't clear where or when Jorski was found.
State Environmental Grants Available
Student groups studying the environment might consider applying for a grant to help their work. The state Department of Environmental Quality will be issuing thousands of dollars to students, teachers, and schools in January. The DEQ's Education Committee is urging groups to apply for the grant to promote enthusiasm for learning about the environment and natural resources. Groups could receive up to $1,000 for their programs. Projects could include outdoor classroom re-vitalization, recycling and composting programs, edible school gardens, and green school efforts. Applications are due December 15th with grant winners to be notified by January 31st.
Last Day for Early Voting
Oklahoma voters have one more day to cast ballots early, ahead of next week's gubernatorial election. Election boards statewide will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today to allow voters to avoid long lines at polling place on Tuesday. You'll have to fill out a one-page form stating that you are voting early and present your voter identification or driver's license. In addition to the governor's race, there is the lieutenant governor, state attorney general, and state school superintendent on the ballot. There are several state questions, judicial retentions, and a lot of races for state house and senate seats.
High School Football Scores
Anadarko 34, Chickasha 13
Blanchard 49, Harrah 6
Tuttle 49, Cushing 14
Newcastle 56, Elgin 7
Cashion 26, Minco 13
Dibble 50, Velma-Alma 0
Alex 78, Burns Flat-Dilly City 28
Snyder 46, Cyril 0
Friday, Nov. 2nd
Pedestrian Critical After Being Hit by Pickup
A pedestrian is in critical condition after being hit by a pickup near Verden. 69-year old Kaylene Slatten of Verden was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital after the accident, which happened just after 8:30 p.m. Thursday on U.S. Highway 62 about a mile west of Verden. The highway patrol reports that the pickup was driven by 58-year old Susan Routh of Tuttle, who was not injured. Routh spent several years as the family and consumer science director for the Grady County OSU Extension Service. She recently accepted a new job in Lawton. The accident is still under investigation. The trooper called to the accident said Routh's condition was normal and she was wearing her seat belt. The condition of the pedestrian is under investigation.
Space Heater Burns Eldery Woman
An elderly woman suffers second- and third-degree burns when a space heater set her clothing on fire. Chickasha Fire Chief Brian Zalewski said the woman was taken to the burn center in Oklahoma City. Zalewski said HIPPA laws prevented him from releasing the woman's name. It's not clear if she's still in the hospital. Fire crews and paramedics were dispatched to a home in the 600 block of Nevada about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The woman, said to be in her 80s, was home alone when her clothing caught fire. Relatives returned a short time later to find the woman trying to put water on her back. There was some minor damage to the carpet and some curtains in the home. Zalewski said the fire was so hot that it melted the wheels on the woman's walker.
Trial of Police Shootout Suspect Continues
The trial of Alex Warren Klingler continues into its 9th day today. Klingler is the man accused of injuring three police officers in a shootout at his Chickasha home more than a year ago. District Attorney Jason Hicks said he was calling 17 witnesses to testify, and was hoping to rest his case late yesterday or today. Then the defense will then take over to plead its case. Klinger is facing 10 felony charges, including shooting with intent to kill, maiming, and assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
Festival of Light About to Begin
It's hard to believe but Chickasha's holiday spectacular, the Festival of Light, will be opening in a couple of weeks. Some 3 million lights will twinkle at Shannon Springs Park for what will be the 26th year for the event. Blake Elliott said they need some volunteers to help put the finishing touches on the festival before it opens.
All you have to do is show up at Shannon Springs Park on Friday or Saturday the next couple of weeks. Lunch will be provided. The festival opens Saturday, Nov.17th and runs nightly through New Year’s Eve.
Talk Show Topics
Here’s what we’re talking about this weekend. Our KOOL Konversation guests are Joyce Stockton, Jyme Tiner, and Shirley Burns with Grady County OHCE and will talk about their upcoming Celebration of Crafts Show and quilt exhibit. On Real Estate Today with John Mosley our guest is Jen Jantzen with the Chickasha Public School Foundation. We have links to both programs elsewhere on this website. You’ll find them under the Community tab.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is down to $63.69 a barrel.
London-based Brent crude is up to $75.50.
Natural gas is down a couple of pennies to $3.23 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,237 and silver is $14.81
Thursday, Nov. 1st
Child Abuse Supect Jailed After Missing Court Date
A Chickasha man accused of child abuse is back in jail, after authorities say he failed to show up in court. 55-year old Everett Ray Buchanan, Jr. was initially arrested in February of 2017 for the alleged abuse of a five-year old boy. He was also charged with felony drug possession at the time. Buchanan’s trial was originally scheduled in September of this year, but Buchanan was a no-show, so a warrant was issued for his arrest. Chickasha police had him back in custody last week. Buchanan is being held in the Grady County Jail on a new bond of $100,000 and the case now scheduled on a disposition docket in Grady County District Court on December 18th.
Early Voting Begins
In-person, absentee voting is underway in Oklahoma. Voters can stop in to the election board in the county in which they live to cast ballots ahead of next week's gubernatorial election. Voting times are until 6:00 p.m. today, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, and from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Regular precincts will be open next Tuesday. There is one precinct change in Grady County. It's precinct 31, where voters previously cast ballots at the Naples Fire Department. The new voting location is the Tabler Gospel Tabernacle Church, which is just west of State Highway 39 and the Alex Highway. Election board officials say this will be a permanent change.
EMS District Bond Issue to be Decided
Some area voters will decide if a rural ambulance service should expand. It's a $900,000 special bond issue for the Grady and McLain EMS District which includes part of Blanchard, Dibble, and Newcastle. If approved the bond issue would allow the district to build a new EMS facility in Newcastle to include a 24-hour truck. Officials say the addition would reduce response times. If voters pass the bond issue, property taxes in the district would increase about $20 per year on properties valued at $100,000.
Seniors Should Review Medicare Options
This time of year is when senior citizens should review their Medicare plans. There are numerous changes to the program for 2019. Ray Walker with the State of Oklahoma's Medicare Assistance Program says there are a lot of choices.
The open enrollment period for Medicare programs runs through December 7th. Individuals can get help in finding what changes could benefit them by calling the Medicare Assistance Program toll free at 1-800-763-2828. The number is answered by a real person 24 hours a day.
Home Heating Systems Should be Checked
We've already had one cold spell this fall and more are on the way as we head toward winter. Hunter Kelsey with Amber Pocasset 4H says now is a good time to have your home heating system checked by a professional service technician.
If you use space heaters, Kelsey reminds you to keep flammable materials at least three feet away from them. Space heaters also pose a danger to children and pets.
Long-Time Restaurant Operator Passes Away
The long-time owner and operator of Vivian's Restaurant in Verden has died. Vivian Hughes passed away yesterday. She would have celebrated her 99th birthday on Friday. Funeral will be held 2:00 p.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church of Verden First Baptist. Arrangements are with McRay Funeral Home.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX drops 10 percent in October, to $65.31 a barrel.
London-based Brent crude falls nearly 9 percent to $75.47.
Natural gas was up for the month, to $3.26 per million BTUs.
Gold was up slightly for the month, to $1,225 and silver was down a bit to $14.42
Wednesday, Oct. 31st
Superintendent Faces Domestic Violence Charge
The superintendent of Ninnekah Public Schools is accused of assault and battery in connection with an incident that occurred in Lindsay earlier this year. KWTV News 9 is reporting that Todd Bunch is charged with assault and battery, several months after the assault was first reported. Court documents filed just three weeks ago say Lindsay police were called to a Love's store back in June, were a woman was visibly upset. She told police she was sleeping at home and alleges Bunch came into her bedroom and tried to smother her with a pillow. She told police she fought Bunch off, then ran nearly a mile to the store. Police said there were no visible marks on the woman’s body and that she smelled of alcohol. Bunch surrendered to Lindsay police Oct. 16th accompanied by an attorney where he pleaded not guilty to the charge. He's scheduled to be in court this afternoon. The News9 report indicates some parents of Ninnekah school children were concerned that Bunch was still working. A statement from Ninnekah School Board vice president Dale Thompson indicated the district was made aware of the allegations and is working to verify the information. The statement said the district would meet with the state school board association to see what, if any action could be taken.
Continental Reports 3rd Quarter Net Income
Continental Resources reports a big jump in net income for the third quarter of 2018. Officials say the number sky-rocketed to $314 million and will pay about 84-cents a share. That $314 million compares to just $10.5 million from the third quarter of last year. Third quarter production totaled more than 27 million barrels of oil-equivalent, or nearly 300,000 barrels of oil-equivalent per day in Continental's explorations in Oklahoma and North Dakota. Continental's Project Springboard, which is its operation in the SCOOP play on 45,000 acres in the Chickasha area, is on schedule with 14 rigs drilling right now. Eight are targeting the Springer reservoir and 6 are working the Woodford and Sycamore reservoirs.
Drivers Injured in Crash Near Verden
Two people were hurt in a high-speed rear-end collision near Verden yesterday. The accident happened about 8:30 a.m. on U.S. Highway 62 a mile east of Verden. The highway patrol reported an SUV crashed into the back of pick-up. The SUV ran off the highway, rolled several times, and caught fire. The SUV driver was taken by ambulance to an Oklahoma City hospital. The driver of the pickup was taken by ambulance to Grady Memorial hospital. Troopers did not release the names of either driver and it wasn’t clear how seriously they were injured.
Ft. Sill Soldiers Head Overseas
More Ft. Sill soldiers are headed overseas. About 300 soldiers with the 3rd Battalion 13th Field Artillery Division said goodbye to family and friends at a deployment ceremony this week. The troops will initially go to Alaska before moving on to Afghanistan, where they will serve about nine months.
Chickasha FFA Team Performs Well at State Competition
Some Chickasha High School FFA students turn in a good showing at the state opening ceremonies competition. The team placed fifth out of about 50 teams at the contest in Stillwater last night. The team qualified for state after winning the regional competition at Amber-Pocasset earlier this month. Team members are A.J. Scifres, Hannah Downs, Emma Victery, Logan McKinney, Bailey White, and Miana Moon.
USAO Resident Advisor Named to State Regents Program
A USAO resident advisor has been selected to take part in a State Regents for Higher Education program. Bobbie Shores has been selected to be part of the Council on Student Affairs Leadership Academy. The program is designed to enhance professional development, leadership skills, further career opportunities, and help in career advancement for student affairs specialists. Shores will attend several workshops throughout the school year. Shores is a 2008 graduate of USAO and has worked for the university for about nine years.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX stands at $66.18 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $75.91.
Natural gas is $3.18 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,218 and silver is $14.32.
Tuesday, Oct. 30th
Woman Injured in Traffic Accident with Semi Dies
A woman critically injured in a traffic accident with a semi over the weekend has died. 77-year old Caren Storck of Oklahoma City passed away from injuries she suffered in the accident. Storck was a passenger in a sedan that struck the trailer of a semi near Tabler Saturday night. The highway patrol reported that the semi was pulling on to U.S. Highway 62 from a private drive when the car hit the semi’s trailer. Storck was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital where she later passed away from her injuries.
Suggestions Pour in for Chickasha Study
Chickasha residents hoping to see a more vibrant community met with OU students last night, giving their input on activities and development they would like to see. Students with the OU Institute for Quality Communities held an informal gathering to get ideas on a project they are working on. The Chickasha Economic Development Council (EDC) received a grant from the Oklahoma Municipal League to assist in funding the research project. Shane Hampton is the director of the institute.
Among the suggestions were an all-night diner, biking and walking trails, a dog park, good water, and department stores. Hampton said the group will hold similar sessions over the next few months. Students will submit a plan to the EDC in April or May of next year. You can see some video from the workshop on our Facebook page
Firm Asks Feds to Allow Pipeline Construction to Start
The company wanting to build a 200-mile, $1 billion natural gas pipeline in Oklahoma is asking a federal agency to allow construction to begin. Last Friday, Houston-based Cheniere Energy asked the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for authorization to start work on the Midship pipeline.The company plans on building the 234-mile pipeline from Kingfisher to Durant in three segments, and hope to have it completed next year. The website www.okenergytoday.com reports that this past summer, both Gulfport Energy and Marathon Oil previously asked federal regulators to approve the pipeline’s construction. The pipeline will carry natural gas from the SCOOP and STACK plays into the current gas infrastructure in Oklahoma. Officials say the current infrastructure is unable to handle the demand from the two areas.
ATV Safety Workshop on Tap
ATVs and UTVs have grown in popularity for recreation as well as for work. Many large ATVs can be particular dangerous to ride, especially for children, if they don't know how to properly use the vehicle, or are driving one that may be too big for them. An ATV safety workshop for children and adults will be held by Grady County OSU Extension and the 4H youth development program next month. The workshop will be led by Mike Klumpp, who is an instructor with the ATV Safety Institute, in conjunction with ATV Ride Safe Oklahoma. The workshop is free will be held Saturday November 10th at 10 a.m. at the Grady County Fairgrounds. For information, contact the extension office by calling 405-224-2216.
Research Indicates Breakfast Helps Kids at School
We've all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's really important for the kids who need something to get them ready for school. Here is Grady County 4H ambassador Beth Armstrong.
If your kids don't eat breakfast at school, something as simple as a piece of whole wheat toast and a glass of milk can get them started. Boiling eggs the night before can also save you a little time.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX was lower to $67.04 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is down to $77.34.
Natural gas was fairly steady at $3.18 per million BTUs.
Metals were also lower with gold down to $1,223 and silver down to $14.42.
Monday, Oct. 29th
Woman Critical After Car Collides with Semi
A car slams into a semi Saturday night sending an elderly Oklahoma City couple to the hospital with one in critical condition. 77-year old Caren Storck was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital where she was last in critical condition. 76-year old Kenneth Storck was taken by ambulance to Oklahoma City where he was admitted in fair condition but has since been released. The accident happened about 9:00 p.m. Saturday about 10 miles east of Chickasha on U.S. 62 between Tabler and Blanchard. The highway patrol reports that the Storck vehicle was eastbound on Highway 62 when it struck a semi that was entering the highway from a private drive. The semi was driven by 21-year old Payden Miller of Chickasha. Miller was not injured. The accident closed the highway for five hours.
Sleepy Driver Crashes on Turnpike; Passenger Injured A tired driver crashes on the H.E. Bailey turnpike and sends a passenger in the car to the hospital. 26-year old Samatha Phanthanousy of Moore was taken to an Oklahoma City hospital where she is in serious condition this morning. The accident happened just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday near mile marker 77 about four miles southwest of Chickasha. The highway patrol reports that the driver of the car, 29-year old Dustin Quisenberry also of Moore, was eastbound on the turnpike when he ran off the highway and hit a culvert. Quisenberry was not injured.
Trial of Police Shootout Suspect Enters Second Week
The trial of a man accused of injuring several police officers during a shootout continues into its second week. Alex Warren Klinger is now facing 10 felony charges. He was originally facing 15 charges, however four were dismissed this past February and a fifth charge was dismissed as the trial started last Tuesday. The charges include shooting with intent to kill, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and maiming. Klinger, 62, has been held in the Grady County Jail without bond since his arrest following the shootout which occurred in September of 2017.
Dowtown Chickasha Development Ideas Sought
Chickasha residents are being asked to put on their thinking caps and discuss what the downtown area might look like in the future. OU students with the Institute for Quality Communities will be in Chickasha tonight for a come-and-go meeting to discuss development ideas for downtown. Chickasha was one of just two communities selected to take part in the program this year. The meeting will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Grady County Fairgrounds Community Building.
CV Tech's Gay Pettit Up for National Award
A career guidance counselor with Canadian Valley Technology Center is a finalist for a national award. Gay Pettit is among five candidates for the honor which will be announced next month at the national meeting of the Association for Career and Technology Education. Pettit has been in education for nearly 35 years. She created CV Tech’s Mentor Match program, which allows career tech students to get on-the-job work experience with business and industry. The national meeting will be held in San Antonio Nov. 28th.
Energy and Metals
The price of crude oil on the NYMEX was down for the third straight week to $67.59 a barrel.
London-based Brent crude was down to $77.62.
Natural gas also had a down week to $3.18 per million BTUs.
Metals were up slightly for the week with gold up to $1,231 and silver to $14.65.
