Saturday, July 20th
Turnpike Re-opened After Morning Crash
There was quite a mess on the H.E. Bailey turnpike this morning when a semi and a passenger vehicle collide. Fortunately, the OHP reports it was a non-injury accident, but traffic was slow-going for quite some time. The accident happened just before 5:00 a.m. this morning. It occurred in the westbound lanes of the turnpike, between mile markers 99 and 100. That’s not far from the junction on I-44 with State Highway 4. Both westbound lanes of traffic were blocked for a brief period while the site was cleared. It took about an hour and a half to completely re-open the interstate. No details about the accident were available.
Sleepy Driver Critically Injured
A driver is critically injured when his pick-up crashes near Ninnekah. 28-year old Jerad Snyder of Duncan suffered head, trunk, and arm injuries in the accident. He was initially taken to a Duncan hospital by private vehicle, then by ambulance to Oklahoma City. The accident happened about 6:30 a.m. Friday, about one mile south of Highways 81 and 277 at Half-Penny Road. The trooper investigating the crash said that Snyder was north bound when he fell asleep behind the wheel, ran off the road, hit a guard rail, and rolled one time. Snyder was not wearing his seat belt.
Halfway House Escapee Sought
Authorities are looking for an escapee from an Oklahoma City halfway house. Christopher Glenn Coffey was serving a 10-year sentence for stealing a vehicle out of Stephens County. He went missing July 11th when he left the Clara Waters Community Corrections Center with a group of fellow inmates for church. Authorities say Coffey has a previous conviction for aggravated assault and battery, also out of Stephens County. Coffey is Caucasian and 29-years old. He stands about 6'2" and weighs 270 pounds, with close-shaven brown hair and blue eyes. He has a tattoo of a jester on his right arm and a tribal tattoo on his left arm. Authorities say not to approach Coffey or try to apprehend him but to call any local law enforcement office. Tips can be e-mailed confidentially to warrants@doc.ok.gov or through the Department of Corrections Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter.
Holy City Looking to be Nationally Recognized
A southwest Oklahoma landmark is getting closer to being placed among national historic locations. The Holy City of the Wichitas may soon be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Oklahoma Historical Society this week approved the Holy City an Oklahoma historical landmark. The Holy City was built in 1936. Officials are hoping the national designation will provide opportunities to receive grants to help them make improvements to the aging structures, now more than 80 years old. The Holy City is known for hosting Easter pageants each spring and has a museum that is open year-round.
More on Hollywood Actors in Chickasha
As you know, a couple of Hollywood actors made their way to Chickasha over the last few weeks. Bella Thorne was in town a few days ago to film a scene for her upcoming movie called Southland. The actress filmed a chase scene along Sooner Road on Wednesday. Thorne is now moving on to Guthrie, where a casting company is asking for extras to be in a bank robbery scene that will be filmed on Monday. The movie is said to be a crime drama about two lovers who rob their way across the country and post their work on social media, gaining followers and fame ala Bonnie and Clyde. Matt Damon was in Chickasha last month, said to be researching a role for his next film. It's now reported that the film will be called Stillwater. Variety Magazine reports that Damon will play an Oklahoma roughneck who travels to France to visit his estranged daughter. She's in prison and accused of a murder she claims she did not commit. Release dates for the films have not been set.
Friday, July 19th
Chickasha School Enrollment is Declining
A new report shows the number of students enrolling in Chickasha public schools is falling. The report is from the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association, which has released its tentative list of Average Daily Memberships (ADM) for Oklahoma school districts for the 2019-20 school year. The list shows the average number of students per day in school districts, and helps the organization place schools in their respective divisions for athletic, band, and scholastic competitions. The largest school districts are in Class 6A with the smallest school districts in Class C. Once a Class 5A school, Chickasha has been near the top of 4A in recent years. However, the new report shows Chickasha down to the middle of the pack in 4A with 599 students. That’s 13th out of the 32 schools in the class. Chickasha numbers have fallen behind regional schools like Elgin which has an ADM of 667; Blanchard’s ADM at 634; and Newcastle’s ADM at 606. Tuttle is just behind Chickasha with an ADM of 594. Anadarko, Bridge Creek, and Marlow will be designated as Class 3A schools. Bridge Creek's ADM is 419; Anadarko is 418 and Marlow is 380. The OSSAA board of directors will have the final say-so before the ADM's are considered official. See the full report:
http://www.ossaa.net/docs/2019-20/Classifications/MF_2019-20_ADMS.pdf
Mom Faces Child Neglect Allegation
A mother is charged with felony child neglect, after a toddler swallows a prescription allergy pill. 28-year old Alexis Reshell Veve-Howard surrendered to authorities yesterday, walking in to the Grady County Jail. A warrant for her arrest was issued back in May. The arrest warrant affidavit issued by Chickasha police indicates an officer was called to assist paramedics summoned to Veve-Howard's apartment in April. The document states an 18-month old child swallowed Promethazine, an allergy pill which is also used as a sedative. The document indicates the child was taken to the emergency room for treatment and testing. In the affidavit, the officer alleged that Veve-Howard maliciously failed to provide adequate supervision and failed to protect the toddler from exposure to illegal drugs. Marijuana was also reportedly found in the apartment. Following her initial appearance on the child neglect charge yesterday, a judge set Veve-Howard's bond at $30,000.
Blanchard Watering Ban Lifted
A ban on outdoor watering in Blanchard has been lifted. An emergency proclamation was issued July 9th due to some problems receiving water from Oklahoma City. The City of Blanchard's Facebook page said the issue was on Oklahoma City's end. The Facebook post indicates that Oklahoma City is back on course with its system and that Blanchard water towers are full again. Officials say, though, that Blanchard residents remain on a mandatory odd-even watering system. City officials also said that the city's splash pad has re-opened.
Rural Water Well Testing Still Encouraged
A warning for rural residents with water wells. The state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) says well water could still be contaminated due to flooding from this past spring. A lot of water wells were submerged during the flooding and the DEQ says even after all this time, there could still be bacteria left behind. Agency officials have announced that they will continue free testing of private water wells through August 15th. The free tests are available for residents in all 77 counties. Information regarding the free testing is available on the agency's website: www.deq.ok.gov
They recommend not drinking well water until it has been tested and disinfected.
Talk Show Topics
Here’s what we’re talking about this weekend. On our KOOL Konversation, John Bobb-Semple with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is this week’s guest. On Real Estate Today with John Mosley, guests are Andy Maher and Jamie Jones with the Grady County Fairgrounds. There are links to both programs under the Community tab on this website.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $55.30 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $64.35.
Natural gas is $2.28 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,442 and silver is $16.41.
Thursday, July 18th
Two Die in Head-on Crash
A deadly head-on collision in Garvin County results in the deaths of the drivers of the two vehicles involved. 21-year old Dustin Davis and 24-year old Kylie Newey – both of Lindsay - died in the crash which happened four miles west of Maysville about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday. The highway patrol reports that Davis was westbound on Highway 19 in a pickup, and Newey was eastbound in her car. Davis crossed the center line and crashed into Newey's vehicle. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Part of Petree Road in Anadarko Closed Today
If you'll be driving through Anadarko today, a section of Petree Road is closed for repairs. The road will be closed between Highways 8 and 62 until about 4 o'clock this afternoon. An alternate route would be using Central Boulevard throughout the day.
Effort Underway for Medicaid Expansion in Oklahoma
Organizers are preparing a state initiative petition drive in an attempt to put the Medicaid expansion issue to a vote of the people. A group called Oklahomans Decide Healthcare wants the federal health care program in Oklahoma - something that state lawmakers have turned down over the last 10 years. The Oklahoma Hospital Association is among the groups which support Medicaid Expansion. Patti Davis is the director of the group.
The initiative petition effort has not yet begun. Once it does, supporters will have 90 days to collect the signatures of 178,000 registered Oklahoma voters. Supporters are looking at getting the issue on a statewide ballot in November of next year.
Actress Bella Thorne Films in Chickasha
Hollywood actress Bella Thorne was in Chickasha yesterday, filming some scenes of an upcoming independent film. Thorne and a large cast were working along Sooner Road between Grand Avenue and Country Club Road. Thorne spent a little time at the InterUrban Restaurant, where she posed for a picture with employees which was posted on Facebook. Wikipedia shows the 21-year old actress gained notoriety as child actor CeCe Jones on the Disney Channel series Shake it Up. Her film credits include the 2014 movie Blended, which included Adam Sandler; the 2017 film Amityville: The Awakening; and a couple of 2018 films, Midnight Sun and Assassination Nation. Reagan Elkins of Chickasha served as the location manager for the film, tentatively called Southland.
Driver Allegedly Causes Accident With Injury
A Marlow man is alleged to have caused a serious injury to a passenger in his car while driving under the influence of drugs. 19-year old Devin Brisco was arrested after the accident that occurred south of Rush Springs Sunday afternoon. The trooper called to investigate the crash alleges that Brisco failed a field sobriety test and that there was marijuana in the vehicle. A woman and a 4-year old child in the car were both taken to a Duncan hospital for treatment. The woman suffered an arm injury. It wasn't clear how seriously the child was hurt. Brisco has been charged in Grady County District Court with felony counts of DUI with great bodily injury and child endangerment. He also faces a misdemeanor drug possession charge. Brisco is out of jail after posting a $10,000 bond.
Hey! Hay Fair Entries Coming Up
The Grady County Fair is about a month away, and organizers are working to put the finishing touches on the annual event. Officials are already asking hay producers to be preparing their entries for the county hay show and the state fair hay show. Grady County OSU Extension will be taking hay show entries on Wednesday, August 7th from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the county fairgrounds. Individuals will need either five small square bales, or one large round or square bale. Only the small bales will be entered at the state fair. Contact the extension office for more information.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $56.78 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $64.35.
Natural gas is $2.30 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,422 and silver is $16.11
Wednesday, July 17th
Details of the Re-capture of Jail Trustee
A Grady County Jail trustee who ran away from a work detail Tuesday morning wasn't gone very long. Law enforcement had 40-year old Erick Starr back in custody within minutes of his escape. Jail administrator Jim Gerlach said Starr was among several trustees unloading kitchen supplies from a truck when he decided to run. Starr took off into a residential area north of the jail, with corrections officers and sheriff's deputies on his heels. Sheriff Jim Weir said a woman who saw the escapee flagged down deputies and told them he ran into a creek, just a few blocks from the jail. Starr was taken back into custody without incident, only about six minutes after he escaped. Starr, who is from the Tulsa area, had been in the jail less than a month. He had arrests for larceny, drug possession, ordered to appear, and had outstanding warrants out of Texas. He's now likely facing escape charges. The district attorney's office will decide if local charges will be filed.
More Counties Approved for FEMA Help
A number of central Oklahoma counties have been approved for FEMA disaster assistance from spring storms and flooding. Grady and Canadian counties are included on the list of 41 counties that are eligible. Gov. Kevin Stitt announced in a press release that the federal funding is available for city, county, and state government agencies, along with rural electric co-operatives to help pay for infrastructure repairs which occurred due to damaging tornados, straight-line winds, and flooding. Damage estimate throughout the 41 counties was estimated at $22 million. Some counties have been approved for individual assistance from FEMA because of storm damage, including Canadian and Kingfisher counties.
Tribal Chief Survives Re-call Effort
The president of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes remains on the job, after an effort to remove her from office. A recall petition filed against Terri Parton has been dismissed. According to a press release issued by the tribe, the petition dismissal took place this past weekend. It was part of a ruling by the Court of Indian Offenses within the Southern Plains Region of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A final vote to dismiss the petition was passed by tribal members in attendance, 123 to 39. The decision comes nearly two years after the recall petition was brought forth in September of 2017. Parton was first elected president in 2012 and she was re-elected in 2016.
Companies Help Chix Fire Department
The Chickasha Fire Department gets some help in their fire-fighting and rescue efforts with contributions from a couple of businesses. At this week's city council meeting, fire chief Brian Zalewski presented a certificate of appreciation to USW for providing helmets and screw jacks to be used for trench rescue operations. Zalewski talks about how the screw jacks work.
USW also provided a number of modified helmets to be used in trench rescues. The contribution totaled about $2,400. Also, the fire department received about $3,000 from Oklahoma Electric Co-oerative's Operation Roundup program, to purchase 11 new fire helmets.
USDA Relief Progam Approved for Grady County
Grady County farmers and ranchers can apply for federal help to repair damage as a result of spring flooding. Mark Jackson with the Grady County Farm Service Agency says sign-up for USDA's Emergency Conservation Program will start next Monday.
Jackson said producers must be approved for the program before starting any projects. The sign-up runs from July 22nd through August 5th.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $57.62 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $65 to $64.35.
Natural gas is $2.30 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,403 and silver is $15.63.
Tuesday, July 16th
Jail Escapee Back in Custody
BREAKING – An escapee from the Grady County Jail is re-captured just minutes after his escape this morning. Listen to KOOL News at noon today for details.
Council OKs Sale of City-Owned Land
A new motel being built near the Grady County Fairgrounds may be leading to some additional development in that region. The Chickasha City Council approved the sale of about 21 acres of city-owned land to a Mustang development company last night. City Manager John Noblitt tells what the company, HBIC, is planning for that area.
Noblitt said the city is offering a number of incentives in order to try get the development started within a couple of years. The purchase price was $180,000 which was about $8,500 per acre.
Infrastructure Repairs Get Council Approval
The council approved a bid to replace a main water line and the repair of a reinforced concrete box at Congo Creek and Henderson Street. City officials did not recommend the low bid on the project, saying it was incomplete. Authorities recommended the second-lowest but most qualified bid of just under $128,000 which was submitted by H and H Plumbing. That's about $50,000 less than the engineer's estimate. The council also approved the purchase of a new ambulance to the tune of about $260,000. Fire Chief Brian Zalewski said the new ambulance will replace one which is now out of service after amassing about 200,000 miles. Zalewski said it would take about a year for the ambulance to be built. The city council also approved the purchase of a used SUV for the police department. The panel approved the purchase a 2017 Ford Explorer from another law enforcement agency for $25,000. The vehicle has about 50,000 miles on it.
Gun-Toting Homeowner Helps Nab Break-in Suspects
A couple of suspects alleged to have been involved in a residential break-in are held at gunpoint by the homeowner until police arrive. This happened Saturday night in the 100 block of Sooner Road. Chickasha and Ninnekah police and a Grady County sheriff's deputy answered the call. A probable cause affidavit from Chickasha police indicates that two women had gone to the home because they had been told there was a lot of stuff inside. The suspects found the door ajar and went inside. The affidavit indicated that video surveillance shows the women inside the home. Authorities arrested 45-year old Trenda Sue Haile and 44-year old Tricia Marie Missey, both of Chickasha. Both have been formally charged with a misdemeanor for breaking and entering. Haile's bond is $20,000. She was wanted for failure to appear, and prosecutors want to revoke her bond on previous charges. Missey's bond is $5,000. Both remain in the Grady County Jail.
PSO Proposes New Power Plan
Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) has announced a new long-range plan that calls for the use of more renewable energy resources and natural gas to produce electricity. PSO has filed an application with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to add 675 megawatts of wind-generated power to its energy mix. The proposal reflects about a 45 percent share of the total power requested along with its sister company, Southwestern Electric Power Company. PSO issued a press release stating that the proposal includes part ownership in three Oklahoma wind farms located in north-central and northwestern Oklahoma. It represents a $2 billion investment in Oklahoma and it's projected to save PSO customers over $1 billion. Currently, wind power makes up about 20 percent of the energy provided to PSO customers. The new plan also includes using natural gas and solar power to provide electricity over the next decade.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $59.58 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $66.48.
Natural gas is $2.40 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,416 and silver is $15.43.
Monday, July 15th
OHP Investigates Truck-Train Crash
A dump truck and a train collide just south of Minco yesterday. The accident happened just east of U.S. Highway 81 and CR 1210, which is about two miles south of Minco. No details of the accident were released by the highway patrol other than to say CR 1210 was blocked until another train crew could arrive.
Two Hospitalized in Truck Rollover
Two people were hospitalized in a rollover accident near Sterling. 41-year old Charles Hale of Sterling and 38-year old Alicia Harrel of Fletcher were taken to a Lawton hospital. Hale was admitted in serious condition, and Harrel admitted in fair condition. The accident happened about 2:00 a.m. Sunday on Meers-Porter Hill Road three miles northwest of Sterling. The highway patrol reports that Hale was driving the truck when it went off the road, hit a bridge support, rolled, struck a fence, then landed in a creek bed. The trooper investigating the crash reported an odor of alcohol in the truck.
Ambulance, Street Repairs on tap for City Council
A new ambulance and some street repair bids are among the discussion items for the Chickasha City Council tonight. The panel is expected to authorize the purchase of a new ambulance at a cost of nearly $260,000. Officials say it would replace an ambulance that has exceeded its useful life. The unit has nearly 200,000 miles on it. The Grady Emergency Management District would reimburse the city 10 percent of its cost. The council may also award bids to make concrete street repairs to both Maple Lane and Ponderosa Drive. The Public Works Department is recommending that low bids submitted by Bordwine Development be approved for both projects. Bordwine's bid was just under $20,000 for Maple Lane. The highest of three bids on that project was $28,000. Bordwine's bid of just under $46,000 for Ponderosa Drive was significantly lower than one other bid, which was more than $115,000. The city council meets at 6:30 tonight at city hall.
Stephens County OK'd for FEMA Help
Stephens County is one of several areas approved for federal help to clean up from spring storms. 18 Oklahoma counties were approved for FEMA assistance to help city, county, and state governments as well as rural electric coops with infra-structure repairs. Early estimates are that damage, debris removal, and response costs was $7 million. Oklahoma is still awaiting word on a request for a federal disaster declaration for public assistance for 41 counties as a result of flooding and severe weather which occurred, where damage has been estimated at $22 million.
Library Sets Moon-Landing Anniversary Program
This week marks the 50th anniversary of man first walking on the moon. The Chickasha Public Library will host a program at Centennial Park tomorrow night to commemorate the event. It's part of the library's summer reading program, Universe Stories. The library installed ten reading stations at Centennial Park this spring, and the new story is "I Took the Moon for a Walk." Courtney Mayall with the library says tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission, and they have a lot of activities scheduled.
The program is free, and will run from about 8:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. The library will also be showing a video of the original Apollo 11 launch and moon landing.
Ducklings Rescued from Storm Drain
Now for an animal rescue story with a happy ending. Chickasha Animal Control Officer Layce Graham saved some ducklings that were trapped in a storm drain. The City of Chickasha's Facebook page indicates that Graham rescued the tiny birds during the heat of the day on Thursday. There were nine ducklings in all. Six of the ducklings were re-united with their motherand three were taken to a new home at Wildcare.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $60.21 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $66.72.
Natural gas is $2.45 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,417 and silver is $15.35.
