Saturday, February 22nd
Denver Talley Inducted into Chickasha Hall of Fame
A number of awards were doled out at the 97th annual Chickasha Chamber of Commerce banquet last night. The most prestigious of the awards was a new member for the chamber's Hall of Fame. Mayor Chris Mosley made the announcement.
Other top awards announced were Steve LaForge as Citizen of the Year; Jen Jantzen as Woman of the Year; Jason Pruner as Volunteer of the Year; Cassandra Ersland as Young Professional of the Year; and City Manager John Noblitt was named Public Servant of the Year. Two businesses were honored - Ross Seed Company was named Small Business of the Year and Arvest Bank was named the large business of the year. The Event of the Year was the Oklahoma Food Truck Championship, held during the Rock Island Arts Festival each October. Andy Maher, the new chairman for the Chamber Board of Directors, outlined the chamber's business plan for the next year.
Maher is the executive director for the Grady County Fairgrounds. Maher said the chamber would continue its goal to advance the continued success of Chickasha as a thriving community with a vibrant business climate.
Ex-School Janitor Charged with Rape Gets New Court Date
A former Anadarko school custodian accused of raping a student was back in court this week. 29-year old Richard Pewenofkit is charged with rape by instrumentation and forcible sodomy after the student came forward and alleged the two had an inappropriate relationship. A Caddo county judge scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for June 23rd. Pewenofkit is out of jail on bond.
Salon Robber Sentenced
A man accused of holding up of a Marlow nail salon has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars. 49-year old Mark Duncan of Marlow was convicted of first degree robbery in connection with the robbery that occurred in January of last year. Investigators say Duncan initially broke into the business and pointed a gun at two women, demanded money and threatened to kill one of them.
Sheriff's Office Issues Wanted List
The Grady County Sheriff's Office has an updated list of individuals who have outstanding warrants. Here's Public Information Officer Lisa Hatchett.
If you have information regarding any of these individuals contact the sheriff's office by calling 405-222-5085.
Friday, February 21st
Mom Thinks She Knows Home Invasion Suspects
Chickasha police are still looking for two suspects who broke into a home last week and stabbed and pistol-whipped a teenager. The teen's mother, Jacklynn Claywell Linn, thinks she knows who did it, and tells our partners at KWTV News 9 she hopes someone can provide in information that could lead to their arrests.
Linn says even though the suspects wore masks her 17-year old son recognized their voices. And Linn thinks they broke into her home because she wouldn't share her medical marijuana with one of them. The suspects left the teen tied up with a belt, and stole her medical marijuana, a clip to her pistol, a cel phone and keys to the house and car. Anyone with information about the home invasion is asked to contact Chickasha Police by calling 405-222-6050 or Crimestoppers at 405-224-TIPS. Tips may also be given anonymously on the Crimestoppers Facebook page.
Driver Enters Plea in Manslaughter Case
A Caddo County man enters a blind plea to manslaughter in connection with a fatal traffic accident that happened more than two years ago. 40-year old George Allen Kodaseet of Carnegie entered the plea in Caddo County District Court last week. The Lawton Constitution cites court records that say Kodaseet pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and causing the crash which killed 50-year old Kendall Coker. The accident happened in November of 2017. Kodaseet, who has been in jail since his arrest, will not have to spend any more time behind bars unless he violates probation. A judge sentenced Kodaseet to 10 years with all but 305 days suspended. So Kodaseet will be on probation until the year 2029.
Chix Chamber of Commerce to host Annual Banquet
Tonight is one of the biggest nights of the year for the Chickasha business community. The annual Chamber of Commerce banquet will include a re-cap of events of the past year and a look ahead. One of the highlights will be the induction of a new member into the Chickasha Hall of Fame. Awards to be presented include Citizen of the Year, Public Servant of the Year, Woman of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year. There will also be a Business of the Year and a Small Business of the Year, and an Event of the Year will be named. The sold out event will be held in the USAO ballroom.
PSO Gets OK to Expand Wind-Related Production
Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) has been given the go-ahead to increase its wind-power producing capabilities. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission approved a settlement agreement which allows PSO to add 675 megawatts of wind energy to serve its customers. Matt Skinner is with the corporation commission-
PSO will not be increasing rates as part of the agreement. Cost savings resulting from the project will be passed on to its customers.
Talk Show Topics
Here’s what we’re talking about this weekend. Dr. John Phillips with the 29th Street Dental Clinic is our guest on the KOOL Konversation, discussing the Dentistry from the Heart event coming up next week. On Real Estate Today with John Mosley, our guest is Mindi Stitt with the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board. Find links to both programs under the Community tab on this website.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $53.78 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $59.31.
Natural gas is $2.00 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,637 and silver is $18.49.
Obituaries
Sharan Kennedy
Funeral for 73-year old Sharan Kennedy of Amber will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, February 24th at the First Baptist Church of Pocasset. She was the cook at Pocasset Elementary school for 20 years. Arrangements are with McRay Funeral Home.
A.J. Pearcy
A memorial service for 83-year old A.J. Pearcy of Chickasha will be 6:30 p.m. Monday, February 24th at Southern Oaks Church of Christ. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran and worked at Tinker Air Force base for more than 30 years. Arrangements are with McRay Funeral Home.
Thursday, February 20th
Caddo County Couple Faces Federal Drug Charges
Federal authorities are looking for a Caddo County couple they say planned to distribute a large amount of drugs. Federal indictments were filed in the Western District U.S. Court in Oklahoma City this week against 34-year old Andres Goevany Flores-Lopez, and 21-year old Minet Arreola. Their home towns were not listed. The charges are the result of an investigation last November by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The Lawton Constitution cites court records indicating that Flores-Lopez - also known as Andres Mora-Lopez - and Arreola are each charged with one count conspiracy and one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Each count carries penalties of 10 years to life in prison and up to a $10 million fine. It's reported that Flores-Lopez and Arreola are accused of attempting to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
State Lawmaker Opposes Governor's Sooner Care 2.0 Plan
A Grady County state lawmaker is opposed to Governor Kevin Stitt's plan to expand Medicaid to Oklahoma. Chickasha State Representative David Perryman says the governor's Sooner Care 2.0 plan won't go far enough to help Oklahoma's working poor. Stitt announced his plan a few weeks ago after going to Washington, D.C. to discuss the possibility that federal block grants that could be used. Perryman denounced that proposal.
Perryman is hopeful that the governor will put SQ 802 on the statewide ballot in November.
Local True Value Stores Recognized Nationally
Ross True Value stores of Chickasha and El Reno picked up a big award while attending a national spring market convention in New Orleans earlier this month. The El Reno store was named one of the top 15 stores out of more than 4,500 True Value stores around the country. Matt Martin, great-grandson of the founder Henry Ross accepted the award. Store managers purchase a lot of merchandise for the coming spring and summer seasons at these markets. Attendees also had a chance to attend a concert by the 1970s and 80s rock group The Steve Miller Band.
Dallas String Quartet to Perform Twice in Chix Today
There’s a special treat in store for students at Lincoln elementary school today. The youngsters will get to experience a performance of the Dallas String Quartet. The quartet will also perform tonight as part of USAO's Davis-Waldorf Performing Arts Series. USAO's Katie Davis organizes the Davis-Waldorf programs. She says 5th and 6th grade students have choices about electives in music and art. Davies says nothing inspires the youth more than seeing the possibility of the arts first-hand. The Dallas String Quartet performs music from a number of genres, from Bach to Bon Jovi. Tonight's performance at USAO will be in the Davis Hall Little Theatre, starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $53.29 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $59.12.
Natural gas is $1.96 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,614 and silver is $18.27.
Wednesday, February 19th
County Commissioners, Fire Fighters
Meet to Settle Differences
Officials are hoping a strained relationship between Grady County Commissioners and the county's volunteer firefighters was put to rest following a joint meeting of the two sides last night. All three county commissioners met in a special meeting as the same time as the monthly Grady County Fire Board meeting at Ninnekah High School. County Commissioner Chairman Ralph Beard apologized for a recent action of the commissioners, when the panel decided against appointing a new district fire chief for the southern part of the county.
Beard also assured fire fighters that commissioners were not thinking about closing any stations.
Beard said that county commissioners have never said "no" to any equipment or supply needs of any of the departments. Beard also addressed concerns that commissioners took away firefighter funding. He noted that before voters approved a sales tax to fund the county's 20 fire districts, commissioners gave them about $180,000 per year in gross production tax collections. Commissioners said that was money that could have been used for road repairs. Some firefighters complained that roads are still in bad shape because of oil field traffic. One firefighter said he spent his own time and money fixing his county road, after county workers were there.
Consumer Spending Dips in Grady County
Consumer spending throughout Grady County last November dropped to its lowest levels in more than two years. Spending was down more than 18 percent from the previous month to about $82 million. That total is off about 38 percent from November of 2018. We estimate consumer spending when we see sales tax collections for the county. January tax collections that were paid on consumer spending from last November were $615,000. That is down from $756,000 in December and down $993,000 from January of last year. Here's how the $615,000 was distributed - all approved by Grady county voters. Grady County Fairgrounds gets $205,000; Grady Memorial Hospital collects $180,000; each of the seven senior nutrition centers gets $14,000; each of county's 20 fire districts receive $5,000; Tuttle EMS picks up nearly $19,000; and Rush Springs EMS collects $4,700.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX was steady at $52.05 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude was up to $57.75 per barrel.
Natural gas was up to $1.98 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,613 and silver if $18.35.
Obituary
Lila Dickey Conder
Funeral for 93-year old Lila Dickey Conder of Chickasha will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 21 at Sevier Funeral Home.
Tuesday, February 18th
Rush Springs Mourns Accidental Death of a Child
A Rush Springs family is devastated with the death of a little boy and the community is grieving with them. 8-year old Gavyn Sweat passed away Friday in what Rush Springs authorities say was an accident. Rush Springs Police Chief Payne did not say how Gavin died. The second grader is being remembered as an active child who liked to play football and baseball, and he would work out in what he called his ‘work-out’ clothes. Pastor Josh Abbott with the Victory Fellowship Church tells KSWO-TV that Gavyn’s death is hard on the whole community. First responders are also hit hard as several of the boy’s family members are firefighters. Fire Chief Rick Gilleland said responding to a call for a child is hard enough but it hits even harder when it’s one of your own. Rush Springs Fire and EMS will be collecting donations for the family at the 4-way stop in Rush Springs today and tomorrow. Memorial contributions may also be made at the First National Bank in Rush Springs. Gavyn's funeral will be at 10:00 a.m. Friday, February 21st at Victory Fellowship Church.
Some Chickasha Homes to be Without Water Today
Several Chickasha homes will be without water today (Tuesday, February 18th). The homes are in the neighborhood northeast of 9th and Country Club Road. The reason for the outage is that city crews are installing a new fire hydrant. City officials estimate about 40 homes will be affected. Homes on Belmont, Riveria and Basin Streets will be without water, while a few homes on Country Club Road, Arlington, and Telegraph may have low or no water pressure. Residents in the area received notices on their doors last Friday. The outage is expected to run until 3:00 p.m. today.
Chickasha Sidewalk Program Approved
The Chickasha City Council clears the way for that big sidewalk project we told you about yesterday. The sidewalk will connect the Rock Island Railroad Depot downtown to Wal-mart on the south side of town. In last night’s city council meeting the panel voted unanimously to award the more than $270,000 project to Luckinbill Development out of Edmond. Most of the funds are coming from a federal Community Development Block Grant the city applied for. After a 15-minute closed door meeting last night, the council took no action after discussing the collective bargaining negotiations underway with the city's fire and police unions. The two unions are in contract talks with the city manager for the fiscal year which starts in July.
School Volunteer Named 'Key' Citizen
Chickasha Mayor Chris Mosley presented a key to the city for a volunteer with Chickasha schools. Darci Hays was named a “Key Citizen of the Quarter” for her work at both Bill Wallace and Grand Avenue schools. Mosley said he wants to recognize people who do work behind the scenes who don't normally get publicity for the work they do.
Chocolate Celebration Deemed Successful
Last week’s Chocolate Celebration for the Friends of the Chickasha Public Library brought in thousands of dollars. Librarian Lillie Huckaby says the celebration brought in more than $8,000 which will be used to make improvements to the community room. The Friends of the Library is now looking for used books to sell during its upcoming used book sale which will be in April. Contact the library if you have books you'd like to donate.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $52.05 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $57.32.
Natural gas is $1.84 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,590 and silver is $17.85.
Monday, February 17th
Dibble Bomb Threat Suspect Arrested
A bomb threat in Dibble over the weekend was diffused by law enforcement. The Dibble Police Department posted information on its Facebook page about the threat which occurred just after 8:00 a.m. Saturday regarding a suspicious person wanted for domestic violence. Dibble Police, the Dibble Fire Department, McClain County Sheriff's deputies and state troopers all responded. As officers approached the man, he claimed to have a bomb on his person that would blow up about a three-mile radius. The suspect was taken into custody without incident. The suspect's name was not released. The bomb threat canceled youth basketball games that were scheduled at Dibble schools Saturday morning.
Chickasha Sidewalk Project to be Considered
The Chickasha City Council is expected to award a bid to an Edmond firm to build a sidewalk that will run from the Rock Island Railroad Depot to Wal-Mart. It's being recommended that the more than $270,000 project be awarded to Luckinbill Development of Edmond. The recommendation comes from the city's engineering firm, Chisholm Trail Consulting. The project will be paid in part by a Community Development Block Grant from the federal government. The sidewalk will run along 1st Street and construction may start this spring. The council is also expected to approve a final $35,000 payment to Barrington Electric for electrical upgrades done at Shannon Springs Park. The panel will also go behind closed doors to discuss the status of collective bargaining negotiations with the police and fire unions. The council will also recognize longtime firefighter John Carpenter who has retired after a 25-year career. The council meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight at city hall.
Grady County Commissioners, Fire Board to hold Join Mtg
A joint meeting of the Grady County Fire Board and Grady County Commissioners is scheduled for tomorrow night. The groups will discuss fire department activities, operations, procedures, and organization. The meeting was scheduled after volunteer firefighters say county commissioners over-stepped their authority recently, when they said they would not appoint a new district chief for the southern part of the county after a previous chief stepped down. It will be a special meeting for the commissioners, and the agenda was posted last Friday afternoon. The meeting will get underway at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Ninnekah school cafeteria.
Chickasha Police Warn of Numerous Scams
Chickasha police are warning residents to be aware of any number of scams that may occur this time of year. The warning posted on the department's Facebook page indicates some common scams include an unsolicited check mailed to you. It asks potential victims to deposit the check, then send part of the money to another location One phone and e-mail scam claims to be someone from the IRS, saying if you don't pay immediately you'll be arrested. The IRS will only contact you through the regular mail. Another phone scam preys on grandparents who get phone calls from individuals claiming to be their grandchildren who are in jail in another country. Authorities say if you suspect a phone scam that you should simply hang up. If you suspect a suspected mail or e-mail scam, ignore it.
Tuttle Area Oil Wells Bring Good Numbers
Some oil and gas wells drilled in northern Grady County are big producers for Roan Resources. The company reports that three sister wells are bringing in a combined total of more than 1,300 barrels of oil per day. These are the Barbara Campbell wells which are in Section 5 of Township 9 North and Range 5 West which are about four miles west of Tuttle. The website www.okenergytoday.com reports the spud dates for these wells was April of last year. The wells are all in the Mississippian formation, and the drilling depths are between 21,000 feet and 24,000 feet.
Southwest District Swine Show Results
We have the swine show results from the Southwest District Livestock Show that concluded at the Grady County Fairgrounds this past Saturday. For the barrows, Gage Winters of Altus had the grand champion; Liberty Carson of Yukon had the reserve; and Hydee Milam of Sterling had the bronze. For the gilts, Darren Lucas of Altus had the grand; Hadley Cooper of Ampo had the reserve; and Karch Carlson of Merritt had the bronze. Two youths were awarded Vernon Crose Memorial Scholarships. Kailen Urban of Mt. View-Gotebo and Jaramiah Chumley of Temple were presented the scholarships at the conclusion of the show.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $52.05 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $57.32.
Natural gas is $1.83 per million BTUs.
Gold is $1,583 and silver is $17.76.
