Forgot Password

Not a Member? Sign up here!

 

Mollman Media News

2020, Jan. 20th-25th

Saturday, January 25th

 

Ex-con Charged with Stalking, Assault

A Chickasha man who has been in and out of trouble with the law for the last decade is back in jail. The latest allegations against 30-year old Cody Loveless is that he was stalking an ex-girlfriend and rammed her car with his pick-up while chasing her through a residential area. Just last August, Chickasha police arrested Loveless on weapons complaints, after which he was charged with felony counts of pointing a firearm. He was out of jail on bond and was scheduled for a court appearance on those charges this past week. In connection with his latest arrest, prosecutors have charged Loveless with felony stalking and assault. He remains in the Grady County jail on a $100,000 bond. Loveless previously pleaded guilty to drug charges in 2010 and 2015.

 

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole on President Trump's Impeachment

4th District Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole is critical of the impeachment of President Donald Trump. The Republican from Moore voted against impeachment of the president. None-the-less, the Democrat-controlled house approved two articles of impeachment which was passed along a party-line vote. In an exclusive interview with KOOL/RANCH News Cole says the outcome of the president's impeachment trial underway in the U.S. Senate is a foregone conclusion.

 

              

 

You can hear our interview with Congressman Cole on our KOOL Konversation program. There is a link to the program under the Community tab on this website.

 

Silver Alert Remains for Missing Tuttle Man

A Silver Alert is still in effect for a Grady County man who went missing from his home this week. 67-year old Mark Brown of Tuttle drove away from his home Wednesday afternoon. He recently suffered a stroke and is on medications. He may be driving a 2003 white Ford van with Oklahoma tag number CGJ-512. He is Caucasian with blond hair, a gray mustache, and a close-shaven goatee. He also wears glasses. Call Tuttle police at 405-381-4467 or local law enforcement if you know anything about Mark Brown.

 

Restoration Complete of Historic Refuge Home

An historic home in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge which was nearly torn down a few years ago has been restored. Contractors have completed their work on the Ferguson Home. Work crews have wrapped up the exterior repairs which were needed to meet the requirements of the state historical preservation office. Bobby Williamson, whose parents once lived in the nearly 100-year old home, tells KSWO-TV that he's glad the community came together to rebuild the home. It was severely damaged by fire 10 years ago. A group called the Friends of the Wichitas spent the last six years raising money to bring the home back from the brink of destruction. The group collected about $70,000 that included contributions and grants.

 

Obituaries

Joyce McCoy

Graveside services for 86-year old Joyce McCoy of Tuttle will be at 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 27th at the Resthaven Cemetery in Oklahoma City. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home of Tuttle.

James Lincoln, Jr.

Funeral for 85-year old James Lincoln, Sr. of Chickasha will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, January 27th at Ferguson Funeral Home. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force.

 

 

Friday, January 24th

 

Murder Suspect Held Without Bond; Mental Exam Ordered

A week after his arrest, a Chickasha man was formally charged with murder in connection with the shooting deaths of his mother and step-father. At his arraignment in Grady County District Court yesterday, Corwyn Lane King was charged with two counts of first degree murder and shooting with intent to kill. King's mother, Deborah Hisle and step-father, Stanley Hisle were shot to death in their Chickasha home last Thursday. The charge of shooting with intent to kill was filed after investigators say King fired four times at police when they arrived at the scene. The probable cause affidavit filed by Chickasha police indicates there were three other people in the home when the shooting occurred but they managed to escape. On-line court records show that bond was denied and an order for a mental competency exam has been issued. King was provided a court-appointed attorney and an application to stop prejudicial pre-trial publicity was filed. A preliminary hearing conference is scheduled for March 10th.

 

Early-Morning Fire Destroys Unoccupied Structures              

Chickasha firefighters were called out early this morning to battle a couple of structure fires. Crews were called out about 2:30 a.m. to the 1500 block of Dakota Avenue. Fire Chief Brian Zalewski says no one was living in the structures. Crews from the Grady County Fire Department and Tuttle firefighters were summoned to support with tankers. Zalewski said there was no electricity or gas service to the structures and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

 

Silver Alert Issued for Tuttle Resident

A Silver Alert is still in effect for a Tuttle man. 67-year old Mark Wood was last seen Wednesday afternoon. Tuttle police say he recently had a stroke and is on medication. Wood is reported to have left his home in a 2003 White Ford work van Model 3DC. It has Oklahoma tag number CGJ-512. It wasn't clear what he may have been wearing, other than possibly some house shoes. Wood is Caucasian and photograph shows him with blond hair, a gray mustache and goatee, and wearing glasses. If you have information about Mark Wood you’re asked to contact Tuttle police or local law enforcement.

 

Long-time Verden School Superintendent to be Honored

A long-time educator is being honored for his work. David Davidson, who spent many years as superintendent for Verden Public Schools will be inducted into the Grady County Educators Hall of Fame. He spent about 15 years at Verden and has been superintendent at Cement Public Schools the last couple of years. Davidson previously served as superintendent at Hardesty Public Schools. A formal induction ceremony will be held during the Grady County high school basketball tournament at Alex tomorrow night.

 

Adult Learning Center Declares 'Love 4 Learning' Month

There are many reasons some students don't graduate from high school but some do return to the classroom to earn their general education diploma (GED). Chickasha’s Adult Learning Center has helped hundreds of individuals obtain their GED. Lisa Johnson is the director of the center and says February is designated as Love 4 Learning month. The school is offering free enrollment all month long and all pre-testing fees will be waived. There are morning, afternoon, and evening classes available. The Adult Learning Center is at the old Southwest School at 17th and Missouri. You can message the school through social media on Facebook@ALC or by calling 405-222-6562.

 

Talk Show Topics

Here's what we're talking about this weekend. Oklahoma 4th District Congressman Tom Cole is our guest on our KOOL Konversation. On Real Estate Today with John Mosley, we have the Rick Croslin, the soon-to-be superintendent for Chickasha schools, and Zack McGill who is president of the Chickasha School Board. Find links to both programs under the Community tab on this website.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $55.59 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $62.04.

Natural gas is $1.92 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,564 and silver is $17.81.

 

Thursday, January 23rd

 

Dad Arrested For Alleged Abuse of Infant Daughter

A father is behind bars for the alleged abuse of his infant daughter. Chickasha police say the three-week old child suffered bleeding on the brain after being under the man's care. A DHS caseworker called Chickasha police after the child was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital on Christmas Eve. An arrest warrant affidavit indicates that a CAT scan showed the baby had bleeding on and outside the brain. The baby was then taken to an Oklahoma City hospital. The affidavit states that during their investigation officers spoke with the child's parents and neither said they knew how the child was injured. Investigators determined that the child had been left alone for a time with the father, identified as 21-year old Devin Christopher Bunnell of Anadarko. An arrest warrant was issued for Bunnell last week and he was taken into custody this past weekend. Prosecutors have charged Bunnell with felony child abuse. He remains in jail on a $250,000 bond. He's to announce his attorney February 20th and a preliminary hearing conference is set for March 10th.

 

Town of Alex to Get Expanded Broadband Service

4th District Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole spent a lot of time in Grady County yesterday, addressing a town hall forum in Chickasha and he also had a stop in Alex to announce a program to  improve Internet service in that community. Alex officials applied for and received a loan from USDA to improve broadband service. Cole said it's one of the programs Congress can actually agree on.

 

              

 

Cole said other communities can apply for the program, and can get in touch with USDA officials or Cole's office for information. Cole will be our guest on our KOOL Konversation program this weekend.

 

Chix 5th Graders to Meet Community Leaders

Fifth grade students in the Chickasha school district will have an opportunity to interact with community leaders. Each February, the Chickasha Public School Foundation holds a girls-only program called Diamonds in the Rough and a boys-only program called Gentlemen of Distinction. The goal of the events is to connect students with individuals in business, education, or  government. Jen Jantzen is the director of the Foundation and tells what the programs include.

 

              

 

Should you be interested in taking part in either program, contact Jantzen at the Chickasha Public School Foundation, either through its Facebook page or the school administration office.

 

Aviation, Aeronautics Curriculum Available to Schools

Teachers and school administrators who would like to introduce students to career opportunities in aviation and aerospace can get free curriculum for those studies. The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission is offering the curriculum developed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Schools need to commit to using the curriculum in its entirety for both semesters of a school year, and provide credit which would count toward the students’ graduation. Instructors who will teach the program must take part in a three-day professional development workshop. Officials with the state aeronautics panel say Oklahoma is third in the nation in the number of high school students taking the course. They say its the foundation which will help to build the next generation of aviation professionals. Application deadline is February 28th. Check out the website, www.oac.ok.gov

              

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $56.74 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $63.21.

Natural gas is $1.90 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,553 and silver is $17.67.

 

Obituaries

Tim Ryans

Funeral for 35-year old Tim Ryans of Chickasha will be at 1 o'clock this afternoon (Thursday, January 23rd) at Grand Assembly of God Church.

Bonnie Mahan

Graveside service for 86-year old Bonnie Mahan of Chickasha will be at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, January 24th) at Fairlawn Cemetery. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.

 

 

Wednesday, January 22nd

 

Consumer Spending Rises

Consumer spending throughout Grady County was up slightly from September to October of last year. Spending was up about 5.7 percent to $101 million to start the 4th quarter of 2019. That number is down more than 16 percent from the previous year. In the City of Chickasha, consumer spending for the same month was up about 6 percent to just under $30 million. That number is up about 3 percent from October of 2018.

 

Monthly Sales Tax Revenue Numbers Climb

As far as the sales tax revenue from that consumer spending, Grady County received $756,000 in December. That’s up from $715,000 the previous month, but down from $908,000 in December of 2018. The City of Chickasha's sales tax revenue last month was about $1.1 million - up $60,000 from the previous month. The breakdown of where the county sales tax dollars go includes: $253,000 for the county fairgrounds; $223,000 for Grady Memorial Hospital; $18,000 for each of the seven senior nutrition centers;  $6,300 for each of the 20 fire departments; Tuttle EMS receives $30,000; and Rush Springs EMS picks up $6,800. Each of those projects won approval from county voters. Use tax collections last month for Grady County were $102,000, down from $126,000 in November. For Chickasha, December use tax collections were $136,000 which is up from $96,000 the previous month. Use taxes are paid on Internet purchases.

 

 Local Teacher Sits in on President's Impeachment Trail             

A Minco school teacher is taking advantage of a rare opportunity. Tracy Allen, a middle school history teacher, was selected to go to Washington, D.C. where she will witness part of the impeachment trial of President Trump. Allen will spend one day in the nation's capitol as U.S. Senators are deciding the president's fate on two articles of impeachment brought forth by the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

State Rep. Brad Boles Pre-Files Several Bills

State lawmakers are gearing up for the 2020 legislative session. Members of the house and senate combined to file more than 2,000 bills, a number which doesn't include several pieces of legislation carried over from last year. In his media column this week, State Rep. Brad Boles (R-Marlow) discusses several bills he has filed. HB 3269 would change municipal audit requirements which Boles said would lead to better financial transparency; HB 3270 modifies the law that allows motorists to keep their tag when they purchase a new vehicle; HB 3271 would allow county governments to use on-line bidding for projects; and HB 3273 would change the current salary formula for elected county officials, increasing the base salary to just under $50,000 a year. The second year of the 57th Legislative Session starts Feb. 3rd.

 

Group Calls for More Counselors in Public Schools

A state group that works to help disadvantaged youth looks to increase the number of counselors in public schools. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is asking state lawmakers to provide additional funding for schools for that purpose. OICA Director Joe Dorman says in Oklahoma, there is only one counselor for every 439 students. The recommended ratio by the American School Counselor Assocation is one counselor for every 250 students. Dorman says that sometimes schools are the only safe haven for children who are experiencing trauma at home, and that more properly-trained counselors are needed to handle those situations and help prevent chaos in the classroom. Dorman also is asking state lawmakers to modernize school suspension laws to reduce the number of students sent home. He says it’s important to find ways to help children deal with the issues that are causing them to lash out.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $58.38 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $64.59.

Natural gas is $1.89 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,557 and silver is $17.83.

 

Obituaries

Vivian Holder

Funeral service for 67-year old Vivian Holder of Chickasha will be at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, January 23rd at Sevier Funeral Home. She worked for Delta Faucet for 26 years.

 

 

Tuesday, Jan. 21st

 

Groups Look to Develop Agri-Tourism Events            

Agri-tourism is a growing industry in Oklahoma. Such activities include events like the Rush Springs Watermelon Festival, the Apache Rattlesnake Festival, and even school field trips to a pumpkin patch in Cyril. Agriculture producers are thinking out of the box to create other events which would bring business to their communities. Caddo-Kiowa Technology Center and the Caddo County Extension Office are partnering together to generate ideas. The goal is to recognize the region as a key place to seek agriculture education and entertainment and ultimately increase tourism and local economies. The first meeting is set for Thursday, January 30th at 2:30 p.m. at the Caddo County Extension Office in Anadarko. Contact David Nowlin for information by calling 405-247-3376.

 

Street Improvements to be Discussed by City Council

Street upgrades in Chickasha will be part of the discussion during tonight's city council meeting. The panel will consider giving City Manager John Noblitt the authority to approve an agreement with Chisholm Trail Consulting regarding bid services for a resurfacing project this year. The estimated cost is about $7,000. A survey of the city's Lake Chickasha property is also up for discussion. It's being recommended that the city enter into a contract with Brunt Surveying at an estimated cost of $40,000. The panel will also consider changing a master plan for city parks developed in 2013 to include property south of the Rock Island Railroad Depot. Officials are in negotiations with private investors which include the Chickasaw Nation and The Oklahoma City Energy Football Club to create a new park in that area. The council will also consider going out for bids for some equipment for the police department’s Special Response Team. The police department received a grant of $5,700 from the Grady County District Attorney's office. The funds were taken from drug seizures made by Chickasha police. The city council meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight at city hall.

 

Chocolate and Birthday Celebrations Set for Library

A couple of big events are coming up for the Chickasha library. First is the annual Chocolate Celebration hosted by the Friends of the Library. Literally thousands of servings of chocolate will be available during the fundraiser. The library is seeking groups to be part of the event with groups asked to provide at least 200 servings of chocolatey goodies. The event will be on Thursday, Feb. 13th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Epworth Methodist Church. During the come-and-go event, you can purchase a container of six servings of chocolate for six dollars. Many patrons carry out several containers. Proceeds from last year’s celebration allowed the library to install new front doors. Coming up in March, the library will be celebrating its 115th birthday. That event will be discussed during the quarterly meeting of the library trustees which will be held at 6:00 p.m. tonight at the library tonight.

 

Business Leaders Developing 'First Impression Training'

A program is being developed by business leaders to help project a positive image of Chickasha. The Leadership Chickasha program through the Chamber of Commerce is developing a First Impression Training program (FIT). It's designed for convenience store and restaurant workers who many times are the first people to greet visitors when they come to town. Suehzen Mosley, who is part of the Leadership Chickasha program is credited with the idea.

 

              

 

Officials are in the process of creating the FIT program. Contact the chamber of commerce for information by calling 405-224-0787.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $58.54 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $64.85.

Natural gas is $2.00 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,554 and silver is $17.97.

 

Obituary

Billy Rhodes

Funeral services for 85-year old Billy Rhodes of Chickasha will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jnaury 24th at Ferguson Funeral Home. He was a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran which included a couple of years at Andrews Air Force Base with the same squadron assigned to Air Force One.

 

 

Monday, January 20th

 

Fire Destroys Grady County Home

An attic fire is to blame for the total destruction of a home and its contents. The fire occurred last Friday afternoon in the Pocasset area in the 1400 block of CS 2802. It was the home of Kendall Bennett. Buddy Myers with the Grady County Fire Department said Bennett was notified by his alarm company that the smoke alarm had activated. Fire crews from Pocasset, Amber, Friend, and Minco all responded. Myers said the metal roof on the home caused the fire to spread throughout the entire attic which made it difficult for firefighters to control, and there was no safe way to keep the fire out of the living area. Damage estimate was about $300,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

 

Congressman Tom Cole in the Area This Week

4th District Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole has scheduled a couple of stops in Grady County this week. On Wednesday morning, he'll be in Alex to talk to officials about the effort to improve rural broadband service. That afternoon, he'll be in Chickasha to hold a town-hall type forum. That will be at 2:00 p.m. at the Canadian Valley Technology Center. Cole is expected to discuss the upcoming impeachment trial of President Trump, and the trade agreements approved by the president last week. KOOL/RANCH News will also have an exclusive one-on-one interview with Cole, which we'll air on our KOOL Konversation program this coming weekend.

 

Continental Resources Reports More SCOOP Activity

More oil continues to be pumped out of the ground in Grady County. Continental Resources reports a couple of sister wells bringing in a combined 1,500 barrels of oil and nearly 2,000 mcf of natural gas per day. These are the Kathryn and Phelps wells which are about three miles east of Chickasha. They are in Section 31 of Township 7 North and Range 6 West in what's known as the Springer formation. The website www.okenergytoday.com cites completion reports from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission as saying the spud dates were in January of last year and the completion dates were last July. Drilling depths are 21,000 feet to nearly 28,000 feet. The report said one of the wells was a dramatically long horizontal well. Continental also reported a well completion in Stephens County six miles northeast of Velma in the Mississipian formation. The Leon well was producing about 630 barrels of oil and about 1,000 mcf of natural gas per day from a depth of about 18,000 feet.

 

Healthy Lifestyle Program Set

If you're trying to live a healthier lifestyle there are a lot of challenges to overcome. Dr. Tom Essex is an internist at Grady Memorial Hospital who will offer some suggestions to help you stay on track. Essex will lead a discussion tomorrow night to address a number of issues that are important in helping you to achieve your goals.

 

              

 

This is a free program which will be held in the classroom at Grady Memorial Hospital tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. It should run about an hour and there will be time for a question-and-answer session.

 

Chickasha Chamber Seeks Award Nominations

The Chickasha Chamber of Commerce is getting ready for its annual banquet. A number of awards will be presented and the business group is looking for nominations. There are awards for Civic Hall of Fame, Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Citizen of the year, Volunteer of the Year, Event of the Year, Woman of the Year, and Public Servant of the Year. Nominations are being accepted on-line at the chamber's website, www.chickashachamber.com or forms are available at the chamber office. Nominations are due by next Monday, January 27th. The chamber's annual banquet will be Friday, February 21st at USAO and sponsorships are available for the event.

              

Marketing Meeting for Ag Producers Tuesday              

Grady County ag producers are reminded of a marketing meeting which will be held tomorrow at the Grady County OSU Extension office. The guest speaker is Jake Grossnicklaus. The meeting will get underway at 7:00 a.m. at the Extension Office in Chickasha at 9th and Choctaw Avenue.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $58.54 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $64.85.

Natural gas is $2.00 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,560 and silver is $18.06.

 

Weather

Recently Played

Pro Auto Care Drive @ 5