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Mollman Media News

2023, March 6th-11th

Saturday, March 11th

 

Fourth Drug Trafficking Suspect Arrested

Another drug trafficking suspect wanted in connection with a probe at a Chickasha home this week is behind bars. Grady County deputies arrested 53-year old Gregory Otis Johns of Chickasha last night. An arrest warrant was issued for Johns earlier in the day Friday for felony charges that include aggravated drug trafficking, possession of controlled dangerous drugs (CDS) with intent to distribute, conspiracy to distribute CDS, and having a firearm while committing a felony. Johns was the fourth suspect sought when the U.S. Marshal’s office and Grady County deputies executed a federal arrest warrant in the 1100 block of South 9th Street Wednesday. The federal warrant was for 33-year old Garret Woodle who is in the custody of U.S. Marshals and is being held in a federal facility. Also arrested Wednesday were 28-year old  Kaley Rashell Johns and 31-year old Braden Pierce Harris of Chickasha. All have been charged with alleged drug trafficking. Gregory Johns has been arrested twice before on drug charges. He pleaded guilty in connection with an arrest in 2017 and spent some time behind bars. He also pleaded no contest to another felony drug charge in 2018 and was ordered to attended drug court.

 

Sheriff's Office Warns of Phone Scam

The Grady County sheriff's office is warning residents of a telephone scam. Officials say some individuals have received phone calls from someone posing as a deputy and asking for money. A post on the sheriff's office Facebook page says anyone receiving the calls should not send money. Investigators are working to identify the culprits.

 

Town of Amber to Have Boots and Badges Appreciation Day

The community of Amber is holding its boots and badges community appreciation dinner today. It is a hamburger and hot dog cook out to benefit the police and fire departments and its by donation. There are activities for the kids including a bounce house and pony rides and they can get a look inside the fire trucks. There is also a cake auction and a silent auction. It will be held at the Amber-Pocasset high school cafeteria from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 

Time to 'Spring Forward' into Daylight Savings Time

Oklahoma and much of the country will be switching to Daylight Savings Time late tonight. The change takes place at 2 o'clock tomorrow morning so be sure to move your clocks and watches forward one hour and we'll lose an hour of sleep. Cell phones, most personal computers, and some devices will automatically make the change but if you still have analog alarm clocks or other items you'll have to manually make the change.

 

Talk Show Topics

Laurie Applekamp with the March of Dimes is this week’s guest on the KOOL Konversation talking about the group's effort to improve health care for babies and expectant mothers in Oklahoma. On Real Estate Today this week’s guest is Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson. There are podcasts for both programs under the Community Tab on this website.

 

Obituary

Tracy Healton

A memorial service for Tracy Healton, 62, of Chickasha will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, March 13th at Sevier Funeral Home.

 

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Friday, March 10th

 

Three Arrested for Suspected Drug Trafficking

Three people are in custody for alleged drug trafficking after authorities find drugs and Fentanyl-laced pills at a Chickasha home. Grady County Deputy Jim Peek who works with the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted U.S. marshals who had a federal arrest warrant for an individual and went to a home in the 1100 block of South 9th Street Wednesday. The arrest warrant was for 33-year old Garret Woodle of Norman who officials allege is a large supplier of Fentanyl-laced counterfeit tablets in Grady County and surrounding areas. Authorities arrested Woodle as well as 28-year old Kaley Rashell Johns and 31-year old Braden Pierce Harris both of Chickasha. A probable cause affidavit indicates there was a fourth suspect who was taken to the hospital for treatment of unknown health issues. We're withholding the name of that individual as formal charges have not yet been filed.

 

Grady Memorial Installing New MRI

A new Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine (MRI) is being installed at Grady Memorial Hospital. Administrator Kean Spellman said it's a more than $2 million project.

 

              

 

Spellman said the old MRI is about 12 years old.

 

Arts Council Has Another 'Art Walk'

The Chickasha Area Arts Council will hold another art walk in downtown Chickasha tonight. The walks are held the second Friday of each month. Area artists will be displaying their works at more than 30 downtown locations along Chickasha and Kansas Avenues between 1st Street and 8th Street. Among some businesses and groups participating are the Grady County Historical Society, Alexander Eats, the Chickasha Community Theater, Jay's Jewelry and the Okie Mountain Trading Company, The Chickasha Area Arts Council headquarters, USAO's Art Wrecker Studio, the Petroleum Building, the Chickasha Art Center, Canadian River Brewery, and Shakespeare Wine Company. The art walk is from 5 to 8 o'clock tonight.

 

Salvation Army to Serve Some Caddo County Kids for Spring Break

The Salvation Army which serves Grady and Caddo counties will be taking its food truck to several Caddo County communities next week. The agency will be serving hot lunches and providing snack packs for kids during spring break. They call the food truck Hope on Wheels. On Monday, the food truck will be in Cyril at the Cyril Housing Authority from 10 a.m. to 11a.m. and also at the Anadarko Housing Authority from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. On Tuesday, they will be at the Binger Baptist Church from 10 a.m. to noon.

 

Fundraiser Saturday for Cyril Girl

There's a fund-raiser for the little girl whose three-year old sister died allegedly at the hands of her caretaker. The event for Adina Brownfield will be held tomorrow night. The body of her sister Athena was found buried in a rural area near Agawam earlier this year. The fundraiser is a barbecue dinner with either pulled pork or chicken that will take place at Lyndsay's Tavern which is just west of Cement on U.S. Highway 277. The fundraiser starts at 6 p.m. and you can get a to-go order by calling 405-999-2713. Live music will start at 8 o'clock with the band Trujillo.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $75.72 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $81.59.

Natural gas is $2.54 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,838 and silver is $20.11.

 

Obituaries

Joe Allen

Funeral service for Joe Allen, 83, of Denton, Texas will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 13th at Erin Springs Baptist Church. He worked for many years with the National Geophysical Data Center, a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.

Marjorie ‘Joyce’ Hobgood

A memorial service for ‘Joyce’ Hobgood, 82, of Verden will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 14th at the Verden First Baptist Church. She worked for Safeway for over 30 years. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.

 

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Thursday, March 9th

 

Numbers Look Good for New Construction in Chickasha

2023 is off to a good start for new construction in Chickasha. We have the building reports for the first couple of months from the city’s Community Development Department. January got the year started with a big number with more than $2.5 million in projects approved. Commercial permits approved include one for SGA Design Group for the new Casey's General Store under construction at U.S. Highway 81 and Almar Drive which is a $1.6 million project. Also, a commercial renovation permit was issued for the Production House downtown Chickasha at the old PSO building at 5th and Chickasha Avenue which is a $60,000 project. Another commercial remodeling permit was issued to Rooster Cogburn who is renovating Roy's Barbecue in the 300 block of Missouri. In residential construction for January, Raush Coleman Homes was awarded permits to build three new single family homes valued at about $160,000 each on Dillard Drive. A residential remodel permit was issued to Rodrigo Torres for a home at 720 W. Minnesota for $140.000 in upgrades.

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February's building report was not as impressive as January with just under $640,000 in new construction approved. In the commercial sector, CDBL was issued a permit for new construction at 413 West Country Club valued at $100,000; and Bassam Zoabi was awarded a permit for new construction at 16th and Grand valued at $80,000. Royal Lantz was awarded a permit for a commercial remodeling project in the 1200 block of East Choctaw valued at $20,000. In residential construction, a permit to build one new home was issued to Cordeiro Home Services in the 300 block of Pondridge valued at just under $190,000. New construction was approved in the 400 and 500 blocks of West Alabama for Lighthouse Residential Homes for total project costs of $55,000. Residential remodeling permits were issued to Bare Bones Construction in the 2300 block of S. 18th for $75,000; Magnolia Nookes in the 900 block of West Kansas for $70,000; Brandon Bickerstaff in the 1200 block of West Dakota for $30,000; Tom Shearer in the 1000 block of Iowa for $15,000; Erica Patrick in the 1900 block of S. 5th for $3,000; and to Lovejoy Construction at 3 Woods Pond Road.

 

Suspect With Old Warrants Faces A New Drug Charge

A Chickasha man wanted for misdemeanor crimes as far back as seven years ago is now facing a felony drug charge. A state trooper pulled over 42-year old Ronald Gene Ward last weekend for an illegal lane change. The trooper was told that Ward's driver's license had been revoked and that he had outstanding arrest warrants. One was in connection with a misdemeanor drug arrest from 2019 and one was for attempting to obtain property by false pretenses in 2017. In his probable cause affidavit the trooper said he found suspected drugs in the vehicle which field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Ward was taken to jail and prosecutors have charged him with a felony for possession of CDS with intent to distribute. He is out of jail after posting a $15,000 bond.

 

Chix Rodeo Foundation Seeks Queen, Princess Candidates

Officials with the Chickasha Rodeo Foundation have begun taken applications from young ladies who would like to be candidates for the queen and princess contests this spring. The 84th annual Chickasha rodeo will be held in June. Candidates will sell advance tickets to the rodeo and help promote the event. Queen candidates should be 12 to 18 years old and princess candidates should be 11 and under. The queen winner will receive a 16-foot bumper-pull trailer being manufactured by Jackson Trailers that has an estimated value of $10,000. The princess will receive a new saddle. The registration deadline for candidates is April 15th. Contact Silke Barthelme for information by calling 405-574-4909.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $76.66 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $82.66.

Natural gas is $2.55 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,823 and silver is $20.18.

 

Obituaries

Alan Anderson

Funeral service for Alan Anderson, 18, of Lawton will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, March 11th at St. James Baptist Church in Lawton. Arrangements are with Brown-Thomas Funeral Home.

James Green

Funeral service for 59-year old James Green of Chickasha will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 14th at Shepherd Street Christian Church. Arrangements are with Brown-Thomas Funeral Home.

 

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Wednesday, March 8th

 

State Voters Reject Plan to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

State Question 820, a proposal seeking to legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma, failed in yesterday's special election. The measure failed in all 77 counties with just over 61 percent of voters casting ballots against the measure. In Grady County the count was 6,730 to 2,529; in Caddo County, 2,646 to 1,020; In McClain County, 5,101 to 1,984; in Garvin County, 3,051 to 1,154; in Stephens County,  5,121 to 1,559; and in Comanche County, 6,480 to 4,030.

 

Crash Leads to Arrest of Drug Trafficking Suspect

A traffic accident leads to the arrest of suspect for allegedly trafficking drugs. The accident happened three miles west of Dibble in rural Grady County early Saturday where a car had crashed into a culvert. A probable cause affidavit said a passenger was trying to hide in a nearby field but investigators found him with a bag which allegedly contained about 30 grams of methamphetamine. 50-year old Todd Alan Furra of Oklahoma City was taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries and then cleared to be taken to the Grady County Jail. Prosecutors have charged Furra with felony drug trafficking and he remains in jail on a $40,000 bond.

 

One Arrested After Pursuit Tops 125 MPH

A high-speed pursuit at speeds that topped 125 miles per hour and went for 30 miles through two counties lands a man behind bars. It started about 1:00 a.m. Monday when a Rush Springs police officer attempted to pull over a speeding motorist. The driver sped south on U.S. Highway 81 to Marlow where Marlow police joined the chase - then to Duncan where Stephens County deputies and Duncan police also joined the pursuit. The motorist ran numerous red lights through Duncan then abruptly stopped just south of that city. Authorities arrested 35-year old Christopher Cornelius McKnight of Shawnee who had a Tennessee driver’s license which had been revoked. McKnight has been formally charged with felony eluding and misdemeanors of reckless driving and possession of marijuana. He remains in the Grady County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

 

Group Looks to Improve Health Care for State Moms, Babies

Officials with the March of Dimes say Oklahoma received an F on a recent report card regarding pre-mature births. The agency reported that one out of every nine babies born in the state last year were pre-term. Laurie Applekamp with the March of Dimes says that has parents facing difficult situations.

 

              

 

Volunteers with the March of Dimes will be at the state capital tomorrow as part of its national March for Change to encourage lawmakers to pass legislation to help improve health care for Oklahoma's moms and babies. Officials say while the birth rate has been decreasing the maternal mortality rate has been increasing over the last 10 years. Oklahoma's mortality rate of 25 per 100,000 is higher than the national average of 17.3.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $77.58 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $83.29.

Natural gas is $2.69 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,820 and silver is $20.21.

 

Obituaries

LeRoy Carr

A graveside service for LeRoy Carr, 88, will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, March 9th at Pleasant View Cemetery in Pine Ridge, Oklahoma south of Ft. Cobb. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home. He was an ordained Pentecostal minister.

Amy Mason

Funeral service for Amy Mason, 45, of Newcastle will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, March 10th at the First Baptist Church of Newcastle. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.

 

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Tuesday, March 7th

 

Chix City Council OKs Code Enforcement Changes

The Chickasha City Council has approved some revisions to the city's code enforcement regulations designed to give officials more authority to help clean up dilapidated properties. The approval came after a series of public hearings.

Abandoned, Wrecked, and Non-Operating Vehicles

In a 5-4 vote, Mayor Chris Mosley broke a 4-4 tie to allow code enforcement to have abandoned vehicles towed from private property. Also voting for the proposal were Zack Grayson, Nate McAlla, Kia Ginn, and Georgianne Hebblethwaite. Voting against were Dr. R.P. Ashanti-Alexander, Brian Gerdes, Kelly Boyd, and Oscar Nelson.

Unlawful Storage of Abandoned Items

The panel voted 6-3 to approve an ordinance to make it illegal to store abandoned items outdoors in public view - regardless of whether they would be covered with a tarp or under a canopy.  During the public hearing on this issue there was a concern among some councilors that the ordinance seems like city ‘over reach’ – that the city would be going too far in determining if a property was violating codes. Voting yes were Mosley, Nelson, Ginn, Hebblethwaite, Grayson, and McAlla. Voting no were Boyd, Ashanti-Alexander, and Gerdes. Community Development Director Rachel Bernish said the regulations give the city the authority to enforce ordinances that are already on the books. Bernish said the changes are to target absentee property owners she described as ‘slum lords’ who live out of the area or even out-of-state who are unwilling to clean up their properties. She said if local property owners are in a bad situation and need help removing items that the city can help find groups that would provide assistance.

International Property Maintenance Code

The council voted unanimously to have the Community Development Director serve as a hearing officer in demolition cases instead of relying on a panel to make the decision.

 

Council OKs Sewer Line Relocation Project

Despite Cost Nearly Doubling in Five Years

The council also approved entering into to contract with an Oklahoma City firm to relocate a sewer line near U.S. Highway 62 and U.S. Highway 81. The project was awarded to Matthews Trenching which submitted the low bid of just over $616,000. That price tag is nearly double the original estimate of $319,000 received in 2018 to move the line. Officials said the project sat dormant for several years and that the COVID-19 outbreak, inflation, and rising costs of labor and materials were to blame for the increase.

 

Warrant Sweep Nets More than A Dozen Arrests

More than a dozen arrests were made by Grady County sheriff's deputies over the weekend after authorities performed a county-wide warrant sweep. Sheriff Gary Boggess said there was a combination of outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants from Grady and other counties and municipalities. Among the 14 arrests are:

-32-year old Johnell Pimpton, III of Chickasha was wanted for alleged assault and battery by strangulation after two previous felony convictions. A felony arrest warrant was issued for him last November;

-57-year old Richard Shaun Johnson of Alex was wanted for failure to appear after pleading guilty to a felony charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle stemming from a 2019 arrest;

-46-year old Timothy Shawn Yarberry of Minco was wanted in Stephens County on a felony arrest warrant issued just last week for larceny of lost property and some pending Grady County charges, and;

-37-year old Tasha Nicole Provence-Davis of Chickasha was wanted for failure to appear for a misdemeanor embezzlement charge stemming from an arrest last November.

 

Oklahomans Deciding Recreational Marijuana Proposal

Oklahomans are going to the polls today to decide if recreational marijuana use should be legalized in the state. It's the only issue on the ballot. Polls are open until 7 o'clock tonight.

 

Chickasha Dog Park Closed for Maintenance

The City of Chickasha's dog park will be closed for the next three days as officials spray for weeds and stickers. The Susan Dale Badgett Dog Park next to Centennial Park will re-open on Friday, March. 10th.

 

4Her Combines Horsemanship, Archery Skills

A Grady County 4Her is combining two projects into an interesting hobby. Curtis McDermott has discovered an event call Match Archery. He describes two different types of the competition which are sports track and field archery.

 

              

 

Match archery is a fairly new competition in the United States which was introduced in this country in 2001.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $80.46 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $86.18.

Natural gas is $2.57 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,847 and silver is $21.05.

 

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Monday, March 6th

 

Additional Sewer Line Replacement  Work

for U.S. Hwy 81 Bypass Project up for Review

Another sewer line replacement project connected to ODOT's Highway 81 bypass construction will be up for discussion by the Chickasha City Council tonight. The panel will consider awarding a bid of $616,000 to Matthews Trenching of Oklahoma City. The engineering firm Chisholm Trail Consulting is recommending the bid which officials say was the lowest and best of four bids submitted. This project is for more than 1,100 linear feet of 14-inch in diameter sewer line on the north side of U.S. Highway 62 at U.S. Highway 81. The engineer said it would be necessary to bore and encase about 400 linear feet under Highway 81. The engineer said the city will be responsible for the entire cost of this project. Last month, the city approved a previous sewer line project also associated with the bypass for about $300,000 with ODOT paying about 60 percent of that work.

Public Hearings Set to update Code Enforcement Policies

The council will hold several public hearings to discuss updates to code enforcement policies. One is to make it unlawful to store abandoned items outside in public view regardless of whether the items are covered or sheltered. Another is to give code enforcement officials the authority to tow abandoned wrecked and non-operating vehicles from private property. Another is to adopt amendments to the International Property Maintenance Code and provide that the city's community development department director be the hearing officer in demolition cases. The city council meets at 6:30 tonight at city hall.

 

Chix Board of Education Also Meets Tonight

The Chickasha school board meets a week earlier than usual tonight since the usual date for the monthly meeting falls during spring break. The group will consider renewing its agreement with Vype Magazine and will consider some overnight travel for administrators to attend a Women in School Leadership conference in Tulsa. The panel will also discuss accepting a $10,000 contribution from Focus Federal Credit Union from the financial institution’s Support Our Schools program. The group will also recognize Deborah Clark with the Quality Academy and Rose Halcomb in the central kitchen as the Chicken Express Employees of the Month. The high school wrestling team will be recognized for its season as it qualified for dual state and finished 4th at the state high school wrestling tournament; Jarret Patty's state wrestling title and unbeaten season; and coach Chad Randle for being named 4A coach of the year. The high school pom team will be recognized for its hip-hop state championship and Ma'lek Murphy will be recognized for being named an all-state football player by the Oklahoma Coaches Association. The school board meets at 6 o'clock tonight at the school administration building.

 

OHCE to Hold Discussion on Dangers of Fentanyl

It seems like there is something in the news nearly every day about the dangers of Fentanyl - a drug that the National Institute on Drug Abuse says is a powerful synthetic pain-killing drug similar to morphine but 50 to 100 times more potent. Even a small amount of Fentanyl can be fatal. The Grady County OHCE Family Issues Committee will hold a program about the dangers of the drug tonight. Grady County Deputy Jim Peek, who is also an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, will share information about the drug. The program will run from about 6 to 7 o'clock tonight and will be held at the Grady County Fairgrounds Community Building.  The program is free and open to the public.

 

Friend Fire Department Hosts Fundraiser

The Friend Fire Department will hold its annual community appreciation barbecue dinner and cake auction this afternoon and tonight. The annual fund raiser will be held at the Friend School cafeteria from 3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Donations will be accepted. The cake auction gets underway at 6 o'clock.

 

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $79.68 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $85.83.

Natural gas is $3.00 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,856 and silver is $21.24.

 

Obituary

Fern Allen

Funeral service for Fern Allen, 98, of Chickasha will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 11th at College Heights Baptist Church. Arrangements are with McRay Funeral Home.

 

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