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Mollman Media News

2019, April 1st - 8th

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Today Let’s meet Canadian Valley Technology Center “Spotlight person of the week is Toby Sarrett. Toby is a Junor from Minco, who’s studying, “Auto Service Technology, at CV Tech. Tune in Friday the 5th, to KOOL 105,5 FM, (the 7AM and 8AM News) to hear the story.

 

 

 

Monday, April 8th

 

Investigation of Officer-Involved Shooting Continues

The investigation into the officer-involved shooting which resulted in the death of a Chickasha man last month is still on-going. However, the preliminary autopsy from the state medical examiner's office has been released. The report only indicates that 47-year old Kevin Capers died from multiple gunshot wounds. At least two Chickasha police officers are on administrative leave as a result of Caper's death. They're names have not yet been released. Chickasha Police Chief Kathryn Rowell expects their names will be made public once the OSBI investigation is complete. Police were called to a domestic disturbance a couple of weeks ago, where it was alleged that Capers was threatening his girlfriend with a knife. It's alleged that Capers made a threatening move towards police, who opened-fire. Capers died at the scene.

 

Drugged Driver Alleged to Have Caused Crash

Two people, one of them a child, are hospitalized following a head-on collision southeast of Blanchard over the weekend. And the highway patrol alleges a man using illegal drugs may have caused the crash. The accident happened about 8:30 p.m. Saturday near the town of Cole. The Highway Patrol reports that 35-year old William Bottom of Blanchard went left of center and hit an on-coming car. The trooper investigating the crash alleges Bottom was under the influence of drugs. Bottom was not hurt. However, the driver and a passenger in the other vehicle were taken to separate hospitals. 64-year old Gerri Delozier of Purcell was last in fair condition at a Norman hospital. An un-named juvenile female was taken to an Oklahoma City hospital where she was last in serious condition.

 

Hearing Set For Proposed Chickasha Development         

The proposed new development between the 400 and 900 blocks of Grand Avenue and south of Grand is up for discussion at this month’s Planning Commission meeting. A public hearing will be held to review a request from a group called the Chickasha Development Company to discuss a plan to re-zone the area to allow for a planned unit development. Currently, much of the area is zoned for light industrial use, local commercial use to include a shopping center, and multi-family residential.  The Planning Commission will also hold a public hearing regarding a request to allow a business to operate a home in the 1100 block of South 8th Street. The Planning Commission will meet at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday at city hall.

 

Ward 4 Residents to Meet with City Leaders

Residents in Chickasha's Ward 4 will finally have their turn to meet with city leaders. It's an informal gathering for residents to discuss their concerns or talk about ways to make the city better. Residents will meet with Mayor Chris Mosley and City Manager John Noblitt, as well as Ward 4 councilmen Zach Grayson and Jim Hopkins. The meeting will be in the city council chambers at city hall at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9th. Similar meetings have already been held for residents in the city's other three wards.

 

Chickasha School Board Meeting Changed

There is a change for the date of the April meeting of the Chickasha school board. The panel normally meets the second Tuesday of each month, but officials have postponed the meeting for two weeks. The meeting is now scheduled for Tuesday, April 23rd at the school administration building. An agenda has not yet been posted.

 

National Library Week to be Celebrated

If you're looking for something to celebrate this week, head to your local library. April 7th through 13th is National Library Week. While many thought the Internet would be devastating to public libraries, they continue providing important services to the communities they serve. As a matter of fact, the theme for the week is Libraries Equal Strong Communities. Oklahoma’s State Librarian Melody Kellogg says that almost 2 million Oklahomans have a library card. She also says that circulation, program attendance, and use of electronic library equipment are all on the rise. Lillie Huckaby is the director of the Chickasha Public Library. She says the library had more than 67,000 visits last year and has more than 5,100 individuals with library cards. The library has more than 100,000 items available, including 48,000 items in print and more than 43,000 electronic books, nearly 2,000 physical audio books and items, and more than 11,000 downloaded audio and video books and items.

              

 Energy and Metals             

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $63.08 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $70.34.

Natural gas is $2.66 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,300 at $1,301 and silver is $15.14.

 

 

Saturday, April 6th

 

Gov. Stitt Signs Veteran Guardianship Act              

Oklahoma's disabled military veterans will get some needed help. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the Veteran Volunteer Guardianship Act into law this week and it goes into effect immediately. The new law will provide veterans with trained, court-appointed volunteers. The measure was requested by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The new law calls for guardians to be appointed under the current provisions of the state's Guardianship and Conservatorship Act. The guardians will have to have a bond if they are managing a veteran's property. About one in every 10 veterans who are fully or partially incapacitated don't have family or friends to serve as guardians. The law applies to disabled vets living in the state's seven veterans centers as well as those living in their own homes.

 

Two Men Face Drug Trafficking Charges

Two Anadarko men are accused of drug trafficking after being pulled over for running a stop sign. It happened late Monday night in Minco. A probable cause affidavit by the officer indicates he noticed a marijuana odor in the car, and one of the men admitted he had pot but did not have a medical marijuana card. The officer said he would be conducting a probable cause search of the vehicle, where a bag was found to contain about 144 grams, or about five ounces of cocaine. The two men were taken to jail and a juvenile was released to the custody of his mother. Prosecutors have charged both 35-year old Roddy Churchill and 39-year old Jeremy Janmohammadi with felony drug trafficking. Churchill's bond was set at $50,000 and Janmohammadi's bond was set at $25,000.

 

Duncan Model Train Group Has Open House

Model train enthusiasts can re-live their youth at an open house in Duncan today, with the Southwest Oklahoma Railroad Association. It’s a group of about a dozen members who gather at least once a week to work on their lifelong hobby. Rick Duncan says every member of the group is at least 60 years old, and they are looking for younger members to keep the interest in model railroading alive. Duncan is 73 and has had a train ever since he was five years old. He was an electrical engineer and spent some time in the Air Force. The group has four layouts set up in their building, and have layouts that include the large O gauge trains, the more popular HO gauge, the small N gauge and the even smaller Z gauge. On the larger layout, as many as 10 trains can operate at the same time. The open house is from 10 to 4 today. You can find the group at 1803 N. 5th in Duncan which is east of Highway 81 and Plato Road. They also have a Facebook page.

 

Chickasha Library Continues Book Sale

The Chickasha Public Library and Friends of the Library are having their annual book sale through the weekend. It’s a way for the library to recycle some of its older material, and raise money to purchase new books and equipment. Today is half-price day, or you can get a bag of books for $3. Tomorrow everything is free, but donations are encouraged The library will be open from 10 to 2 today (Saturday) and from 1 to 4 tomorrow (Sunday).

 

Masons Flipping Flapjacks Today

The Chickasha Masonic Lodge is having another pancake benefit today. They're just getting started, with the flap jacks flipping until 11 o'clock this morning. There are regular and blueberry pancakes, sausage, orange juice, milk, and coffee. Kids four and under eat free. The Masonic Lodge is downtown Chickasha, just south of 6th Street and Chickasha Avenue.

 

 

 

 

Friday, April 5th

 

Chickasha Construction Numbers on the Rise

March was a good month for new construction in the City of Chickasha. The Community Development Department approved 26 building permits last month totaling about $900,000. That's more than the first two months of 2019 combined. In the commercial sector, Pecan Grove RV Park was approved for its expansion for a $150,000 project. Johhny Trammel with Trammel  Construction was approved for a $130,000 remodel of the old Williams Shoes in downtown Chickasha, which will be the new location for the Crazy 8 Cafe. FPS Tech was approved for a $23,000 project in the 2500 block of West Frisco and Braum's was approved for a $10,000 remodel. In residential construction, Home Creations was approved for two more single-family homes in the Sleepy Hollow addition. One is valued at $164,000 and the other about $125,000. Jack Weaver was approved for a $100,000 remodel for a home in the 1300 block of South 8th. Nine storm shelters were also approved for installation. New construction in Chickasha for the first three months of the year is $1.7 million.

 

Man Faces Stalking Charge

A Chickasha man is jailed for stalking after it’s alleged he violated a protective order filed against him by his estranged wife. 36-year old Jonathan Ray Keith was arrested by police after the victim reported a confrontation with the suspect. Police were called to a home in the 600 block of East Ada Sipuel Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors have charged Keith with a felony for stalking and a misdemeanor of assault and battery for domestic abuse.  Keith remains in jail on a $50,000 bond.

 

Police, Pharmacies Urge Safe Disposal of Meds 

Chickasha police and other local law enforcement groups are teaming up with state and federal agencies to encourage individuals to safely dispose of unused prescription drugs. National Take Back Day is coming up later this month. Left over or old prescription meds can be taken to several locations where drop boxes are available. Among them are the Chickasha and Tuttle Police Departments and the Grady County Sheriff's Office. Several pharmacies also have the drop boxes, including Liberty Drug, Grand Care Pharmacy, and the Clinic Pharmacy in Chickasha, and Cedar Springs Pharmacy in Tuttle. All are combining efforts with Red Rock Prevention Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to encourage the use of the drop boxes, instead of flushing meds down the drain or throwing them in the trash. National Take Back Day is Saturday, April 27th but the drop boxes are always available.

 

Talk Show Topics

Here’s what we’re talking about this weekend. Jen Jantzen with the Chickasha Public School Foundation is on the KOOL Konversation discussing the Foundation’s annual gala and fundraiser. Chickasha City Manager John Noblitt and Airport Advisory Board member Joe Green are the guests on Real Estate Today with John Mosley. We have links to both programs under the Community tab on this website.

 

Well Completions Reported 

Here are some of the newest oil and gas well completions in the region. Continental Resources has two in Grady County. The first is three miles east of the Tabler Y off Highway 62. It's in section 24 of Township 7 North, Range 6 West. The other is about five miles south of Alex in Section 1 of Township 4 North, Range 6 West. Both wells are at a depth of just over 22,000 feet. In Caddo County, Daylight Petroleum has a completion in Section 9 of Township 5 North, Range 9 West at a depth of just under 7,000 feet.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $62.10 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $69.40.

Natural gas is $2.64 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,293 and silver is $15.15.

 

 

Thursday, April 4th

 

Friend House Fire Blamed on Lightning

Lightning is being blamed on a house fire which occurred in the Friend area early this morning. Strong thunderstorms were moving through the area at the time. Damage estimate is in the thousands of dollars, however the family managed to escape uninjured. The Friend Fire Department was summoned to the home of Michael and Sara Niece on Ballard Road just after 1:00 a.m. Buddy Myers with the Grady County Fire Department said firefighters Kimberly Copeland and Jason Knowles managed to quickly get the fire under control the fire and contain the fire to the roof. Estimated damage is $10,000 but Myers said the home is still habitable. Crews were on the scene for about an hour.

 

Anniversary of Teacher Walk-Out Marked with 'Walk-In'

A demonstration to support education was scheduled to take place at a Chickasha school this morning. This week marks the one-year anniversary of the statewide teacher walkout which lasted nearly two weeks. All this week educators and parents at Bill Wallace School have been marking the anniversary with various activities, including Wear Red for Ed(ucation). Renee Stallings, president of the Chickasha United Teaching Association, was encouraging all who support public schools to be part of a "walk-in" this morning. A demonstration scheduled outdoors at the Bill Wallace playground area was canceled because of wet grounds from the morning thunderstorms. State lawmakers have already missed one deadline for education funding this year.

 

Droverstock, Chalk-Art Fest is On Despite Morning Storms

It's going to be a wet start to the day’s activities at USAO as the university hosts its annual spring triad. It’s three events rolled in to one - including an academic competition, a sidewalk chalk art festival, and music. Hundreds of high school students converge on the University the first Thursday each April for the event. There's no parking in the oval today, as officials have marked off hundreds of squares for artists of all ages to display their talents. Later today, the outdoor concert Droverstock will get underway. Local and regional bands will play, with the featured local band Dollar 98 to perform about 9 o'clock tonight. There are food trucks on site and lots of activities for all who attend. Admission is free.

 

Sen. Inhofe Backs Trump on Border-Closing Threat

Oklahoma U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe says he supports President Trump's threat to close the U.S. border with Mexico. In an exclusive interview with KOOL/RANCH News, Inhofe says he backs the president's thoughts even though closing the border would have a big impact on the U.S. economy.

 

              

 

Inhofe said it was estimated that 76,000 people illegally crossed the border into the U.S. in February. He said that is an 11-year high and double the number of illegals that came into the U.S. in February of 2018.

 

Duncan Police Still Searching for Owner of Stolen Guns

Now a follow-up to the story we aired recently about some guns stolen from a Chickasha home more than 20 years ago. Officials with the Duncan Police Department say they've received a lot of phone calls and e-mails about the firearms, but so far the rightful owners have not been found. Duncan Police Capt. Joe Shoemake tells KSWO-TV that the guns were found in a car during a traffic stop. The owner reported the guns stolen to Chickasha police. Shoemake says Duncan authorities kept the firearms as evidence, and normally they would have been released after two or three years. Shoemake says Duncan police have had the guns longer than he's worked there. Shoemake says he's received about 40 phone calls or e-mails about the firearms, but no one has been able to describe them. He said they could be considered family heirlooms, and that having them would mean more than having the most expensive gun in the world.

 

Petroleum Building Schedules Open House              

An open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held today at the Petroleum Building downtown Chickasha. Owner Gail Bush invites the community to stop by to see all the businesses located in the building. The Chamber of Commerce will be on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:00 p.m. today. Door prizes will be given away and refreshments will be served.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $62.24 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $69.31.

Natural gas is $2.68 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,295 and silver is $15.06.

 

 

Wednesday, April 3rd

 

Hopkins, Loggins Win Re-Election to Chix City Council

Two closely contested races in Tuesday's Chickasha City Council election. In the end, the incumbents win re-election with just a few votes to spare. The tightest race was in Ward 4, where Jim Hopkins held off two challengers. Hopkins wins his second term by only 14 votes over Kelly Boyd, 274 to 260. Devin Gagliardo finished with 46 votes. Even though Hopkins did not get more than 50 percent of the vote, a run-off will not be needed. Hopkins picked up 47 percent of the vote, with Boyd capturing 44 percent. In Ward 2, councilor Kimmy Loggins wins a third term, defeating Buddy Hector by only 38 votes, 313 to 275. Hopkins says he wants the council to deal with budget issues with the help of City Manager John Noblitt.

 

              

 

Loggins said the city continuously works on street and water improvements. In addition to the on-going infrastructure upgrades, she wants to work with residents to take steps to improve the city’s quality of life.

 

              

 

It was a light turnout for the election with less than 600 voters casting ballots.

              

Anadarko Mayor Re-elected in Landslide

In Anadarko, Mayor Kyle Eastwood easily wins re-election, receiving 87 percent of the vote over Patrick Michael Hayes. With just over 200 votes cast, Eastwood wins 184 to 30.

 

Incumbent Wins in CV Tech School Board Race

In one of the local school board races, it was also a good night for the incumbent on the Canadian Valley Technology Center board of education. Dean Riddell collected 54 percent of the vote in defeating George Fina.

 

Teen Injured After Falling Out of Pickup

A Blanchard teenager is hospitalized after being thrown out of a pick-up. The unidentified 17-year old male suffered leg injuries and was last in in good condition in an Oklahoma City hospital. The accident happened five miles south of Tuttle about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The highway patrol reports the pickup was driven by an unidentified 16-year old male. The trooper investigating the accident say that for an unknown reason, the passenger grabbed the outside door handle of the truck which caused the door to open, and he was thrown about 30 feet from the vehicle.

 

Stamp to Feature Mural in Anadarko Post Office

It’s quite the honor for the City of Anadarko. One of the historic Native American murals painted in the post office will be featured on a new stamp from the U.S. Postal Service. The murals were painted during the WPA days. Anadarko City Manager Kenneth Corn said they had been working with federal officials for about four years trying to get some badly-needed improvements at the post office in order to save the murals.

 

              

 

The work started last fall to include the installation of new windows, painting the lobby, repairing the driveway, and power washing the building. It was just last week that Corn said he was notified by the Postmaster General that one section of the mural will be featured on a stamp. While stamp will be unveiled nationally next Wednesday in Arkansas, it won't be unveiled in Anadarko until April 30th.

 

Students Rewarded for Perfect Attendance

Eight more elementary students in Chickasha Public Schools are honored for their perfect attendance. The Chickasha Rotary Club awarded the students with bicycles as part of an incentive program to keep kids in school. Winners at Grand Elementary were 4th graders Landon Miller and Jazmyne Kennell, and 3rd graders Preston Spain and Bryelle Kennell. Winners at Lincoln School were 5th graders Beckham Ingram and Jaidlyn Hammons, and 6th graders Tim Chauncy and Kaye McConnell.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $62.58 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $69.37.

Natural gas is $2.68 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,296 and silver is $15.13.

 

 

Tuesday, April 2nd

 

Chix City Council OKs Airport Expansion           

A proposal to build dozens of new hangars at the Chickasha airport received unanimous approval from the Chickasha City Council last night. The panel approved the measure which allows the city manager to work with the Federal Aviation Administration regarding a public and private partnership to add 50 hangars to the airport. Additional hangars have been part of the long-range plan for airport development for several years. The council also scheduled a special election June 11th to ask voters to extend the utility franchise agreement with Public Service Company of Oklahoma. If approved, the agreement would extend the city's non-exclusive franchise agreement for 25 years.

 

City Council and School Board Elections Underway           

Many Oklahoma voters head to the polls for city and town council elections today, and some have school board elections. In Chickasha, there are two seats to be decided on the city council, as well as a seat on the board of education for Canadian Valley Technology Center. For Chickasha City Council, Ward 4 Councilman Jim Hopkins has two challengers in Devin Gagliardo and Kelly Boyd. Ward 2 Councilman Kimmie Loggins is opposed by George "Buddy" Hector. For the Canadian Valley Technology school board, incumbent Dean Riddell is facing former school board member George Fina. There are town council elections in Verden and Rush Springs, and there are school board run-off elections in Rush Springs and Middleberg. There are also town council elections in Anadarko, where Mayor Kyle Eastwood is challenged by Patrick Michael Hayes. Other town council elections are underway in Cement, Ft. Cobb, and Binger. In Apache, there are both a town council election and school board run-off. Polls are open until 7 o'clock tonight.

 

Domestic Violence Suspect in Custody

A Chickasha man is behind bars after police respond to a report of a woman yelling for help and covered in blood. The Chickasha police blotter indicates the call came in about 3:00 a.m. Saturday  from the 1800 block of West Idaho. Officers arrested 43-year old Delos Lonewolf on a domestic violence complaint. Prosecutors have charged him with two felonies, including domestic abuse and aggravated assault and battery. Lonewolf remains in the Grady County Jail on a $25,000 bond. He's to announce his attorney April 18th and a preliminary hearing conference has been set for May 1st.

 

 Stolen Vehicle Suspect Behind Bars          

A Chickasha woman is in custody after a warrant was issued for her arrest in connection with a stolen vehicle. 30-year old Heather Renae Tripp was found by Chickasha police yesterday and booked into the county jail. A felony arrest warrant was issued for Tripp last month following an investigation by Chickasha police. No details were available regarding the theft. Tripp may have her initial appearance on the charge today.

 

Fire Hydrant Repair to Leave Some Without Water           

Here’s a reminder that a portion of Chickasha will be without water today. The area around the Winds of Oak Ridge Apartments east of 4th and Almar Drive will have no water much of the day, while crews repair a fire hydrant. This includes homes on Heatherwood Drive and Alli Circle as well as Southwest Youth and Family Services. The outage is expected to run until 3 o'clock this afternoon.

 

Bill Would Ban All Cel Phone Use While Driving

State lawmakers are working on a bill that would totally ban all hand-held cell phone use while driving. SB 17 has passed the Senate by a 38-8 vote and will now be considered in the House of Representatives. Triple-A Oklahoma supports the ban, citing a recent survey that indicates 74 percent of Oklahoma drivers support a law banning all hand-held cel phones while behind the wheel. The insurance group says it would be a significant step toward reducing distracted driving risks. Senator Lonnie Paxton voted against the bill while Senator Darcy Jech voted for it. The bill will now be reviewed by the house judiciary committee.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $61.59 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $68.35.

Natural gas is $2.71 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,292 and silver is $15.02.

 

 

Monday, April 1st

 

Airport Expansion to be Discussed by City Council                            

A proposed expansion at the Chickasha Airport is to be reviewed by the Chickasha City Council. Officials are working on a proposed public-private partnership that would add 50 hangars to the airport. The hangars would be leased to private individuals. Officials say new hangars are on the short- and long-range plans for the facility. The plan failed to get a majority vote by the Airport Advisory Board, 2-2. City administrators have begun preliminary studies for a taxiway project which would be funded with help from the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s anticipated that project would help to service new hangar development. The city council is also to take a look at going out for bids to make roof repairs at the Rock Island Railroad Depot, which has developed some leaks recently. The council is to honor Roy Maloney as the city's employee of the month.  Maloney has worked for the city for 36 years, and is currently the Parks Supervisor. A closed-door session will also be held, as the council will discuss a sensitive issue dealing with an economic development proposal. Before the regular city council meeting, the panel will have a special work session which will start at 5:30 p.m. The formal meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. with both gatherings to be held in the council chambers at city hall.

 

Fire Hydrant Repair to Cause Water Outage

A neighborhood in the southeast part of Chickasha will be without water much of the day tomorrow. City crews will be repairing a fire hydrant east of 4th and Almar Drive. The area that will be without water includes the Winds of Oak Ridge Apartments, Southwest Youth and Family Services, and homes along Heatherwood Drive and Alli Circle. Water service will be off from about 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

 

Truck Hits Semi Attempting a U-Turn

A Rush Springs man was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital after his pickup crashed into a semi making a U-turn. 67-year old Reaford Charlson was admitted in critical condition after the accident that happened just before 10:00 p.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 81 about two miles north of the Grady and Stephens County line. The Highway Patrol reports that both vehicles were southbound on the highway, when when Charlson hit the semi which was trying to make a U-turn to go back north. Charlson was pinned inside the cab of his pickup for about 20 minutes. The driver of the semi, 61-year old Ronnie Hadley of Lindsay, was not hurt. The accident closed the highway for more than four hours.

 

Scouts Claim State KidWind Challenge

It was a good weekend for those Eagle Scouts competing at the Oklahoma KidWind Challenge. Kyle Main of Minco, Falcon McDoulett of Tuttle, and Nash Tabor of Newcastle took first place in the high school division of the competition held at the Oklahoma Science Museum. The team has been working on a wind energy project for the last several months. With the state championship in hand, the team from Boy Scout Troop 4338 qualifies for the National KidWind Challenge in Houston next month.

 

Droverstock, Chalk Art Festival Set for USAO This Week              

Hundreds of high school and elementary school students from across the state will converge on USAO this week for its annual Spring Triad. The event features three events rolled in to one  - an academic challenge, a sidewalk chalk art competition, and Droverstock, a concert featuring a number of local and regional bands. The scholastic event and chalk-art festival begin early Thursday morning with the concert starting in the afternoon. Local band Dollar 98 will be part of the Droverstock lineup. Admission to all the events is free and open to the public.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $60.14 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $68.39.

Natural gas is $2.66 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,294 and silver is $15.04.

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