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Mollman Media News

2021, March 8th-13th

Saturday, March 13th

 

 

U.S. Marshals Arrest Wanted Grady County Man

U.S. Marshals have arrested a man suspected of having numerous stolen guns, stolen vehicles, and drugs at a rural Grady County home. 38-year old Samuel David Mirich, who lists a Blanchard address, was arrested in Oklahoma City Thursday. A Grady County arrest warrant was issued for Mirich after authorities found the items at home in the Dibble area west of the Grady and McClain County line on March 2nd. Mirich was identified as one of two suspects who fled the home as authorities arrived to investigate a report of a stolen vehicle. U.S. Marshals were able to locate Mirich with the help of the Grady County Fugitive Task Force. Deputies Les Sanders and Phillip McCarthy spent the last couple of weeks chasing down leads. One of those leads helped U.S. Marshals find Mirich at an undisclosed location in northwest Oklahoma City. Sanders said the arrest didn't come easy as Mirich led authorities on a high-speed pursuit which ended when Mirich crashed. Mirich was taken to a hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries then taken to the Oklahoma County Jail. It is expected that Mirich will eventually be taken to the Grady County Jail to face the local charges. The initial investigation began when sheriff's deputies found more than 100 stolen guns, several stolen vehicles, and drugs. Grady County Sheriff Jim Weir said at the time that Mirich had a lengthy criminal record, including a guilty plea to being an accessory to a Cleveland County murder a few years ago.

 

Cyril Couple Sought on Child Neglect Warrants

Arrests warrants have been issued for two Cyril people who are accused of exposing their pre-teen child to drugs. Caddo County authorities are looking for 32-year old Caitlin Sinclair Biggs and 26-year old Austin Scott Wylie. The warrants are for four counts of child neglect. The Lawton Constitution cites reports from Cyril police which indicate that the 12-year old boy had recently been removed from the home and is now staying with guardians.  The child told police that Biggs and Wylie would smoke marijuana in front of him and talked about taking acid and eating hallucinogenic mushrooms. He also said the couple took him to a Stillwater medical marijuana farm where they worked and isolated him in what he called a 'container.' He also said he was also forced to wait in the family truck in the snow while Biggs and Wylie worked at the farm.

              

Two Hurt in Semi-SUV Crash Near Lindsay              

Two people are hospitalized after yet another accident involving a semi and a passenger vehicle. One of the victims is in critical condition after the crash near Lindsay last night. The two people hospitalized are from New York and authorities have not released their names as relatives have not been identified. The accident happened just before 7:00 p.m. Friday on State Highway 59 east of Lindsay. The highway patrol reports the couple's SUV failed to yield at a stop sign and was hit by a semi driven by 36-year old Michael Weisenbeck of Lindsay. Weisenbeck suffered minor injuries but was taken to a Purcell hospital where he was treated and released. It's the third accident in the region this week involving semis and passenger vehicles. One occurred at the Tabler Y and another involved a tanker truck and a pickup south of Lawton where two people were critically injured when both vehicles caught fire.

 

Talk Show Topics

Here's what we're talking about this weekend. On our KOOL Konversation we have the second part of our two-part program with District Attorney Jason Hicks. He talks about his frustration with the State Pardon and Parole Board and the state's criminal justice reform program in a press conference after murder charges were filed against Lawrence Paul Anderson. On Real Estate Today our guest is Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson who talks about severe weather preparedness this spring season. Find links to both programs under the Community Tab on this website.

 

Friday, March 12th

 

Grady County Sales Tax Revenues Increase

Sales tax revenues across Grady County are on an upswing although they have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The collections were up for the second straight month in February to $467,000 – an increase of 16 percent from January and up 30 percent compared to December. Sales tax revenues are distributed to a number of projects which have all been approved by Grady County voters. For February, the Grady County Fairgrounds received $156,000; Grady Memorial Hospital collected $138,000; seven senior nutrition centers shared in $78,000 with each one getting 11,000; 20 county fire departments shared $78,000 with each one getting $3,900; Tuttle EMS collected $12,000; and Rush Springs EMS picked up $3,000.

 

Passerby Calls in Ninnekah Fire

An early morning fire in Ninnekah is snuffed out quickly by fire crews and first responders thanks to an alert driver passing by. Grady County fire officials say the fire was called in about 4 a.m. by Charlesanna Ryans, who noticed a glow around the Mitch Kilgore mobile home on Old Fred Road. Ryans drove up to the mobile home and saw a wooden deck on fire. Ryans called 9-1-1 and pounded on the side of the mobile home to awaken the residents. Grady County Deputy Corie Loftice was first on the scene and tried to douse the flames with a garden hose. The Ninnekah Fire Department sent four trucks and five firefighters to the home. The deck valued at $5,000 was totally destroyed while the mobile home had some minor smoke damage but nobody was hurt. The fire started from embers falling out of a chiminea that hadn't been completely extinguished from the night before.

              

Chickasha Man Wanted for Alleged Child Sexual Assault

A Chickasha ex-con is being sought for the alleged sexual assault of a teenager. Caddo County authorities have issued an arrest warrant for 51-year old Tony Ray Brookshire. The Lawton Constitution cites court documents which allege Brookshire molested a 13-year old girl in Cement between October and November of last year. Brookshire has several prior drug convictions out of Grady County, including one from last summer. He faces anywhere from 20 years to life in prison if convicted of the most recent charge.

 

Carnegie Residents Injured in Crash

Two people – one of them a teenager - are critically injured after a pickup crashes near Medicine Park. 46-year old Timothy Bailey, Sr. and an un-named 16-year old boy both of Carnegie were taken by air ambulance to an Oklahoma City hospital. A woman in the truck, 39-year old Courtney Davis also of Carnegie refused treatment. The accident happened northeast of Medicine Park just before 2:00 p.m. Thursday. The highway patrol said Bailey was at the wheel when the truck ran off the road then hit an embankment, a concrete barrier, and a power line pole.

 

Purcell Man Hurt in Tabler Y Accident             

That crash that happened at the Tabler Y Thursday morning sent one person to hospital. 53-year old Gregory Bay of Purcell was taken by ground ambulance to an Oklahoma City hospital where was admitted in serious condition. The Highway Patrol reports that Bay attempted to turn east onto U.S. Highway 62 and was hit by an eastbound semi driven by 31-year old Billy Hogg of Splendora, Texas who was not hurt.

              

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $66.02 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $69.63.

Natural gas is $2.67 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,699 and silver is $25.58.

 

Obituaries

Jacob Trevino

Funeral service for Jacob Trevino, 41, will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 13th at Grace Christian Center in Anadarko. Arrangements are with Brown-Thomas Funeral Home.

LaDana Burson

Funeral service for LaDana Burson, 69, of Chickasha is pending with Brown-Thomas funeral Home.

Mike Craig

Funeral service for Mike Craig of Chickasha will be at 1:00 p.m. Monday, March 15th at First Baptist Church. Arrangements are with McRay Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the El Reno FFA program.

 

Thursday, March 11th

 

Emergency Crews Dispatched to Semi, Pick-up Collision

Breaking – A traffic accident between a semi and a pickup occurred just before 7 o’clock this morning at the Tabler Y. That is about six miles east of Chickasha on U.S. Highway 62 at the junction of State Highway 39. Listen for updates on KOOL News at noon and at 5:00 p.m. (Thursday, March 11th)

 

Contractor Begins Brush Pickup

A contractor hired by the City of Chickasha to pick up downed trees and limbs from last October's ice storm hit the streets yesterday. Crews from Greenbelt Turf Management out of Wilson, Oklahoma won the bid for the clean-up and the contract was signed yesterday. Mayor Chris Mosley said he knows residents are eager to see everything cleaned up. He urges residents and property owners to get debris to the curb because they are expecting the clean up to be completed quickly. Crews are working with two tandem grapple trucks and they started near the Chickasha Middle School yesterday (Wednesday) and are working west from there. Next week, a fleet of smaller trucks and trailers will sweep neighborhoods where some limbs have already been collected by city workers.  The city was unable to pick up some debris because it was too close to low hanging power lines, trees, and gas meters.

 

Two Critically Hurt in Tanker-SUV Crash

Two people are critically injured in a fiery near head-on collision involving an oil tanker and an SUV. 56-year old Bobby Starcher of Marlow and 39-year old Yolonda Powell of Lawton were both taken by air ambulance to an Oklahoma City hospital. The accident happened just before noon yesterday south of Lawton and near the Comanche and Cotton County line. The highway patrol reports that Powell crossed the center line and hit the tanker, then both vehicles caught fire. First responders were hampered in their rescue efforts due to the intense flames and the crash also sparked a grass fire. Officials with the State Department of Environmental Quality were called out to monitor the crash site for potential hazards from the burning fuel. Roadways were closed for about five hours.

 

Deadline Nears to List Personal Property with Assessor

Grady County property owners have until next Monday to list all personal property with the county assessor’s office without penalty. March 15th is also the deadline and to apply for any property tax exemptions individuals may qualify for. In a press release, County Assessor Bari Firestone said anyone who has purchased a home, opened a business, acquired or sold equipment for a business, acquired or sold farm equipment, or purchased or sold a manufactured home, should report that information to the assessor's office. She said many individuals received assessment papers by mail and those papers need to be signed and returned by March 15th even if there are no changes from the previous year. Any improvements made to property should be reported which includes square footage added to your home, a storage building, deck, shed, porch, or barn. There is a 10 percent penalty for filing after March 15th and the fine increases to 20 percent if it’s filed after April 15th. Those who may be eligible for exemptions include disabled veterans and senior citizens. Contact the assessor's office for more information.

 

Paxton Bill OK'd By Senate; Heads to House              

Legislation from Senator Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) gets approval from the full senate. SB 959 would change the way Oklahoma would fill one of its U.S. Senate seats, should one become vacant in the middle of its six-year term. As it stands right now, the governor would call a special election to fill the vacancy and Paxton said that costs upwards of $4 million. If approved, the bill would spare the state that expense, by allowing the governor to appoint someone to that post for the remainder of the term. However, the appointee would not be able to run for the post at the next scheduled election. The appointee must have been a registered voter in the same party as the previous U.S. Senator for five years. The measure now goes to the State House of Representatives for consideration.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $64.44 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $67.90.

Natural gas is $2.69 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,734 and silver is $26.41.

 

Obituaries

Barbara Kennedy

Funeral mass for Barbara Kennedy, 71, of Amber will be at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, March 20th at Holy Name Catholic Church. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.

 

Wednesday, March 10th

 

State Lawmaker Apologizes for Racist Remark

Marlow State Representative Brad Boles has issued an apology for using a racist term. The Associated Press reports that Boles apologized for using the term 'colored' to describe black babies during debate on an anti-abortion bill on the floor of the State House of Representatives. During a moment of privilege Boles said he used a word that was not what it was intended to be. He apologized to members of the house or anyone who listened to the debate on-line and that he was truly sorry. State Democratic Party Chair Alicia Andrews, who is black, had called for Boles to publicly apologize and that she was disturbed that he would use the term at all. She said folks her grandmother's age used the term and that it's been weeded out in the hearts of good people for 60 years. A spokesman for House Speaker Charles McCall said it wasn't clear if Boles would face disciplinary action for the remark.

 

Two Hurt in Motorcycle Crash

Two people were injured in an early morning motorcycle accident southwest of Chickasha but weren’t at the scene when first responders arrived. The highway patrol, a sheriff’s deputy and Ninnekah Fire Department were called out to a rural area southeast of Norge about 4:00 a.m. A woman had called 9-1-1 and said she had a broken arm. Buddy Myers with the Grady County Fire Department said Chickasha EMS later received a call from a home in Chickasha about a woman being injured in a motorcycle accident and she was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. Myers said the driver of the motorcycle also eventually made his way to the hospital. Neither the victims’ names nor their conditions were available.

 

Driver Clocked at 100 miles per hour in Rush Springs

A driver caught speeding through Rush Springs at more than 100 miles per hour is facing reckless driving and drug charges. 20-year old Deonta Dshawn Hartsfield of Duncan was arrested Monday afternoon after a Rush Springs police officer clocked him at 107 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone. The vehicle eventually pulled over about seven miles north of Rush Springs. In routine search of the car the officer found drugs and drug items in the trunk. Hartsfield is charged with felony eluding and misdemeanor drug charges and remains in the Grady County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

 

Old U.S. Highway 81 Construction Continues

Road construction work continues on old U.S. Highway 81 in Ninnekah. Starting today, contractors for the State Department of Transportation will be milling the old concrete highway between the Ninnekah Water Department and Old Fred Road. Grady County crews will be hauling off the debris and using it for its projects. That work is expected to take about a week. There are detours in the area.

 

Dibble Sailor Home after Deployment

A Dibble sailor recently completed a nearly year-long overseas deployment. Christopher Rodriguez-Crispo is a Chief Retail Service Specialist with the Navy who is stationed in Washington State. He was assigned to the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and spent the last 11 months with the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleets, which included freedom of navigation operations as part of Operation Freedom Sentinel. The mission began in 2015 and followed Operation Enduring Freedom in which U.S. troops continue working with allies in the global war on terrorism.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX slides to $64.01 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude dips to $67.52.

Natural gas was fairly steady at $2.66 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,708 and silver is $25.77.

 

Tuesday, March 9th

 

More Oklahomans Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine

Phase 3 of the state health department's COVID-19 vaccination program is underway. Officials say it’s due to an increasing vaccine supply and the flexibility of the state's distribution plan. It also means that counties can roll out the vaccines based on their population and needs. Oklahomans now eligible to get the vaccine are staff and students in educational settings outside of pre-K through 12 and critical infrastructure personnel. About 3.5 million of Oklahoma’s 4 million residents are now eligible for the vaccine. Individuals in the new priority group can register through the state's vaccine scheduler portal if they haven't already done so.  After registration, available appointments will be shown on the portal. It is still expected to take several months before the immunization process will be completed.

 

Lawmakers Face Legislative Session Deadlines

State lawmakers are working on hundreds of bills this week as they approach one of several deadlines during the legislative session. Representative Brad Boles (R-Marlow) says the house passed nearly 180 bills last week and sent them to the senate for consideration and nearly 300 bills are still eligible to be considered this week. Among Boles' favorites is HB 1602 which is called the Oklahoma Computer Data Privacy Act. If it makes it through the legislative process, it would require Internet companies to obtain explicit permission to collect and sell personal data. The house also approved HB 2648 which is called the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act, saying anything that might lead to the closing of a place of worship would be considered a burden on the freedom of religion, a right guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. It would prevent any government from forcing churches to close, which Boles says has happened in other states last year. In the state senate, a bill has been passed which would provide tax credits to businesses that host blood drives. It's SB 905, sponsored by Senator David Bullard (R-Durant). He said he worked with the Oklahoma Blood Institute on the measure in an attempt to build up blood supplies which have been critically low during the pandemic and winter storms. The tax credit would be $20 per employee-donor to businesses that host on-site blood drives. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

 

Several New Chickasha Businesses to Open Doors

Some new businesses have or will be opening their doors in Chickasha in the next few weeks. In his Good Stuff column this week, Economic Development Director Jim Cowan writes that Tammie's Bling has just opened downtown. The Iron Tree Coffee Shop is planning on opening next month in the new development just south of 4th and Chickasha Avenue, next to the Perrrefite Gift Shop. Everyone is anticipating the opening of the Jungle Ice Fun Zone which is the miniature golf course which is near the city's sports complex. And a new bicycle shop called Legendary Bicycles will be opening downtown in late summer or early fall. Cowan was also on hand for the grand opening of the Merit Auto Group dealerships last weekend which are at the former locations of the Byford Auto Group. Cowan also expects a couple of surprises that will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

Festival of Light Earns Regional Award

Put another feather in the cap of the Festival of Light. The festival was recently named Best Festival during the annual Chickasaw Country awards program. The Festival of Light received the award over events like the Okie Noodling Festival in Pauls Valley, the Artesian Arts Festival in Sulphur, the Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival in Tishomingo, and the National Sand Bass Festival in Madill. Chickasaw Country is a 13-county region in the south-central part of the state.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $65.06 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $68.24.

Natural gas is $2.66 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,699 and silver is $25.72.

 

Obituary

Denny Trammell

Funeral service for Denny Trammell, 72, of Chickasha will be at 10:00 a.m. Thursday March 11th at Ferguson Funeral Home. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam.

 

Monday, March 8th

 

Driver Hospitalized Following Weekend Crash

A Grady County woman had to be air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital over the weekend after she swerved to miss an animal then ran off the road and hit a tree. 34-year old Heather Williams of Rush Springs was last in fair condition with head injuries in an Oklahoma City hospital. An un-named 9-year old boy in the SUV was not hurt. The accident happened just after 10:00 p.m. Saturday about three miles east of Rush Springs.

 

New Chix City Manager May be Hired This Week

The City of Chickasha could have a new city manager this week. The city council has another special meeting tomorrow night to interview one candidate. The council had two interviews in a closed-door session last week. Tomorrow night’s meeting is set for 6 p.m. and will also closed to the public.

 

Public Hearings Set for Proposed Cell Phone Towers

Several proposed cell phone towers for the City of Chickasha will be reviewed during public hearings in this month’s Planning Commission meeting. Branch Communications is requesting tower locations at 527 East Choctaw, 1224 South 3rd, and 1000 S. 9th Street. The Planning Commission meets at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday at city hall.

 

Bond Sale on Chix School Board Agenda

$2.7 million in bonds approved by Chickasha school district voters are expected to be sold during tonight's Chickasha Board of Education meeting. The funds will be used for numerous upgrades throughout the district and are part of what leaders called the Restoring Excellence Bonds. The district's annual audit will be reviewed, and some weight room and football equipment is expected to be declared surplus property. Also, the school calendars for the next two school years will be considered. The school board will recognize middle cchool employee Mindy Crow as support employee of the quarter and Chicken Express will recognize the February and March employees of the month. For February they were Sandy Ford and Whitney Molder at the quality academy. For March they are Alice Hurry and Patti Balinger at the Adult Learning Center. The school board meets at 6:00 p.m. tonight at the high school auditorium.

 

County Commish Meetings Return to Courthouse              

Grady County Commissioners are changing their weekly meeting locations. For the last several months they have been gathering at the county fairgrounds. Starting this morning, they will be meeting back at the commissioners’ office at the county courthouse. Items to be discussed today include a contract with a company called Spatial Data Research for the State 911 Grant, and a bid request for a double-cab 4X4 truck for District 2. The group will also discuss adding a part-time employee for emergency management. Prior to the commissioners meeting, a special meeting of the Grady County School Finance Authority was held.

 

Guardrail Work Affects Traffic Near Blanchard              

Some guardrail work will have State Highway 76 south of Blanchard down to one lane for short time this morning. This will be in the area between State Highway 74B and South Tyler Avenue. Flaggers will be on location and motorists will need to use extreme caution. There could be some delays and drivers may want to choose an alternate route. The work is expected to run from about 10:00 a.m. until noon today.

              

Fire Crews Have Hectic Weekend; Say Fire Danger High              

Grady County Firefighters responded to 11 fires over the weekend and say the risk for wildland fires will be elevated the next several days. Afternoon highs will be around 70 today and tomorrow and mid-to-upper 70s Wednesday with winds gusting to 30 miles per hour. Firefighters ask that you postpone any outdoor burning, motorists should make sure safety chains aren't dragging on the roadway, and are also asked to not throw cigarette butts out the window.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $66.09 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $69.76.

Natural gas is $2.70 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,689 and silver is $25.37.

 

Weather

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