Saturday, Dec. 23rd
State Attorney General Seeks Input on Alleged
Natural Gas Price Manipulation in 2021 Storm
Oklahoma and much of the central part of the U.S. were locked in a lengthy period of extremely cold weather in February of 2021. Known as Winter Storm Uri temperatures were at record-low levels of 10 to 20 degrees below zero in Oklahoma alone for more than a week. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is wanting to talk to people who may have had inside knowledge about how natural gas marketers handled the situation, or other questionable activity related to what many believe were artificially-inflated prices. That eventually led to utilities issuing the sale of long-term bonds to pay for the fuel. Those costs were then passed on to customers and will take decades to pay off. The Winter Storm Uri tip-line is available on the attorney general's website, however OK Energy Today says it’s not the easiest to find. The website is ok.ag.gov and it can be found under the tab ‘forms and tiplines.' It is the last of the five tip-lines on the site. Gentner said he is committed to holding bad actors accountable and to return what was taken from ratepayers.
More Tax Cuts to be Considered at State Capital in 2024
As 2023 comes to an end some state lawmakers have already begun making plans for the new year. There will be more discussion about cutting taxes when the legislative session begins in February. House Speaker Charles McCall says he'll be filing more than a half-dozen tax cut measures. In a media column McCall says they are the latest in a series of tax cut plans the house has filed and passed over the last three years. New proposals include cutting personal income taxes anywhere from 25 to 50 percent for 2024 and 2025; a flat 4.25 percent personal income tax effective in 2024; and a phase out of corporate income taxes over a five-year period. Tax cut plans previously approved in the House and awaiting action in the Senate include changing the current personal income taxing framework from a standard deduction to a flat-rate system at 4.25 percent and a 50 percent cut in personal income taxes effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Obituaries
Barbara June Thomas
Funeral service for Barbara June Thomas, 82, of Ninnekah will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28th at Ferguson Funeral Home. She was a long-time member of the OHCE and Extension Homemakers and won the State Homemaker of the Year award.
Charles Mackey
No service is scheduled for Charles Mackey, 87, of Chickasha. He owned a number of manufacturing businesses and was involved in real estate. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
---
Friday, Dec. 22nd
Chix Police Department Issues End-of-Year Awards
Several Chickasha police officers and civilians who work for the department were recognized for their efforts this week. Master Sgt. Chad King was named the Officer of the Year which is an award voted on by department employees. This past year, King earned his CLEET Advanced Law Enforcement Certification. Lt. Traye Alexander was recognized for 24 years of service. Police Chief G.G. Music said Alexander has done just about everything for the police department during his career. That includes hostage negotiations, investigations, field training; serving in the patrol division, and supervising records and the court clerk. Alexander is also the unofficial police department historian. Zack Nickels was named the Civilian of the Year. Nickels has worked in the communications division for several years. He was recognized at a state conference this year for his leadership in moving the dispatch center from Fire Station No. 2 to the police department headquarters. The Animal Control Division was recognized for its effort to be a no-kill facility for their more than 90 percent survival rate of the animals in their care.
Blanchard Family Surprised with New Home
A Blanchard family gets an unexpected Christmas present. Hugo Gonzales and his four sons are getting a new home. Gonzales is a single father and he and his children were given the key to their new home by Habitat for Humanity. It's an organization that Hugo and his oldest son, 24-year old Hugo, Jr., have been volunteering with. The three other boys range from 4 to 11 years ol. The family had been living in a one-bedroom home. Gonzales tells KOCO-TV that it was all God's timing to make his need for a bigger home become a reality. Gonzales says he's thankful and that it’s the best Christmas gift they family could receive.
Big Weekend Anticipated for Festival of Light
This is the last weekend before Christmas and there will once again be a lot of people coming to Chickasha for the Festival of Light and the Leg Lamp. Chamber of Commerce President Jim Cowan said last weekend might have been the largest turnout ever with an estimated 15,000 visitors! Mild weather is forecast for tonight, however rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast tomorrow night. Many visitors will start downtown to see the Leg Lamp and will take advantage of the Santa Shuttles which will take visitors to Shannon Springs Park and back allowing them to avoid the long wait in line. Tonight and tomorrow night are the final nights for the Santa Shuttles this season. Other visitors can take a 20-minute airplane ride over the park with flights originating from the Chickasha Airport. The Festival of Light will run through next Sunday, Dec. 31st.
Police Department's 'Food for Fines' Program Deemed Successful
The Chickasha Municipal Court's Food for Fines program has been called a success. Officials say nearly 20 people took advantage of the opportunity to donate food in place of paying fines. Officials say about
$1,800 in fines were forgiven and many of them brought in more items than was suggested. Officials waived $10 in fees for every one item that was donated. All the food was passed on to the Emergency Food Pantry. Officials expect they'll offer the program again.
Talk Show Topic
Here's what we're talking about this weekend. Tom Zigler, the Community Economic Development Director for the Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG) will be on our KOOL Konversation program. He'll be discussing the recent Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants that have been issued to numerous communities in the region. Look for a podcast of the program under the Community tab on this website.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $73.89 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $79.39.
Natural gas is $2.47 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,068 and silver is $24.75.
---
Thursday, Dec. 21st
Lawmaker Says State Education a Big Winner in 2023
State Senator Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) says the 2023 legislative session was a transformational one for education in Oklahoma. In a media column Paxton writes that lawmakers delivered what one education official said was the largest common education funding increase in state history. It included as much as a $6,000 pay increase for teachers and a $125 million increase to bolster support for schools in districts with low local tax revenues. He said the funding increase puts more resources into classrooms and help schools recruit new and talented educators. Lawmakers also allocated $150 million to support parents who home school their children. While Paxton said he's been a strong supporter of public schools, he recognizes that some children thrive in different environments and that's a decision best left to parents. He said the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credits program that will be available next year will help make private and home-school options more affordable.
No Injuries Reported in Tank Battery Fire
Social media reports of an explosion at a tank battery east of Chickasha late Tuesday may have been exaggerated. Grady County Fire Chief Rodney Gregory said there was a fire at tank battery owned by Continental Resources on the Alex Highway between State Highway 39 and U.S. Highway 62. He said about six units from the Naples Fire Department were dispatched to the site about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. The site is just down the road from the fire department. Gregory said there was not an explosion but a fire and that Continental workers had the fire out before the fire department arrived. There were no injuries.
Anadarko School to Ban Earbuds, Headphones
Anadarko High School is banning the use of earbuds and headphones during school hours after the first of the year. A letter from high school principal Danny Harris has been posted on Facebook with Harris saying the devices have become a major distraction to the learning process and have caused some safety concerns. Harris said he witnessed first-hand that the safety of students wearing the items could be a danger. He pointed to an incident earlier this month when the high school was placed on lockdown as police were looking for an armed and dangerous suspect near the campus. He said a number of students did not hear a request for them to come inside. Harris said that the policy does not affect wearing ear buds and headphones during extra-curricular activities. A series of punishments have been listed for students who are found to have the items on them on campus during the school day.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $74.22 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $79.66.
Natural gas is $2.45 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,045 and silver is $24.50.
---
Wednesday, Dec. 20th
Child Dies in SUV Crash
The highway patrol continues its investigation of an SUV crash that claimed the life of a seven-year girl and injured three other family members. The accident happened southwest of Pocasset Monday night. A 5-year old boy and a 10-year old girl were both hospitalized with head and internal injuries. The driver of the SUV, 53-year old Jera Smith of Verden, was last in critical condition. The names of the children were not released by OHP which is standard policy for the agency. The child who died was a second grader at Verden Elementary School. School Superintendent Mickey Edwards posted a statement on the district's Facebook page asking patrons to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers and that counselors would be available. The elementary school’s Christmas program which was supposed to be held last night was postponed and will be re-scheduled at a later date.
Murder Suspect Booked into Grady County Jail
The suspect accused of the horrific death of a Chickasha mother and her unborn child was booked in to the Grady County Jail last night. Prosecutors filed an arrest warrant for 37-year old Kenneth Johnson last month, nearly three years after the body of Ashley Cannon was found in her Chickasha apartment. Johnson had been in the Comanche County Jail on unrelated charges. He could have his initial appearance on the two murder charges in Grady County District Court today. Johnson's wife, Katrina, was also arrested in connection with Cannon's death. She has been formally charged with accessory to murder and she remains in the Grady County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
Second Suspect Arrested in Child Sexual Assault Case
A second person has been arrested in connection with a child sexual assault which was reported last month. An arrest warrant for 52-year old Angela Crichton of Marlow was issued on Monday and she was taken into custody Monday evening. She has been formally charged with enabling child sexual abuse. Court documents indicate that a 14-year old girl reached out to a women's crisis hot-line alleging David Crichton began molesting her at his Grady County home when she was 10-years old. David was arrested last month and charged with lewd or indecent acts to a child. He remains in jail on a $100,000 bond while bond for Angela Crichton was set at $75,000.
Chix City Council OKs Grant for Downtown Venue
The Chickasha City Council this week approved a grant for a company that opened a new venue in the downtown area. The panel approved a more than $25,000 Central Business District Building Grant for GPP Development Company. The firm owns the building a 301 Chickasha Avenue which is the Wild Ox Axe Throwing venue.
City council OKs grant qualifications for other downtown sites
The council also approved qualifications for similar grants for three other locations although the actual grant requests haven't been submitted yet. One is for Alora Real Estate at 411 West Chickasha Avenue which is the former Steelman's location. Chickasha Economic Development Director Jim Cowan told the council that plans are to have three retail spaces on the first floor with office space on the second floor and possibly the third floor. The city council also approved two grant qualifications for developer Chet Hitt. One is at the Savoy 1902 Hotel at 1st and Chickasha Avenue he is renovating. That is expected to be a barbecue restaurant on the first floor and perhaps a haunted house on the second floor. The second is for work being done on the former Mill Building at the Rock Island Railroad Depot across the street.
LSI, Resurrection House to Provide Free Christmas Meals
The Resurrection House and Life Skills institute will offer free Christmas Mission meals tomorrow. They will serve warm dine-in meals from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. and will offer take-out meals and food boxes from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. The agencies are located at 7th and Colorado Avenue.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $73.44 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $79.23.
Natural gas is $2.49 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,049 and silver is $24.29.
---
Tuesday, Dec. 19th
Chix City Council OKs Purchase of Video Surveillance Systems
The Chickasha City Council gave its approval to spending nearly $420,000 to install security cameras at many city-owned buildings last night. The council signed off on a bid from Verkada to install cameras and video surveillance equipment at 12 city sites. City Manager Keith Johnson said the system has been needed for some time. He pointed to one instance where a security system might have helped to identify suspects who vandalized vehicles at city hall.
He also said there have been thefts at the Public Works Headquarters. Johnson said that Verkada is on a state contract and said the company's bid was solid. The company provides security systems for several Oklahoma companies, municipal governments and schools - including Chickasha Public Schools. The system comes with a 10-year warranty.
Bids to be accepted for waterline project
The panel gave city officials the approval to solicit bids for a water line replacement project near Ada Sipuel Avenue and the Union Pacific Railroad. This has been a years-long process to get that project started. Officials said it has taken a while for Union Pacific to approve the right-of-way. The water line will run underneath the railroad tracks to provide water to homes east of the railroad tracks. Officials say they have had to re-route other lines to provide water to those homes.
Reward Offered in Anadarko Homicide Investigation
Anadarko police are now offering a $1,000 reward for information about the shooting death of a man earlier this month. Police were called to a shots fired report in the 100 block of Moran Drive the night of Dec. 7th and found that 36-year old D'Angelo Pollard had died from a gunshot wound. Police Chief Eric Harlan said his detectives have been working with the District Attorney’s Office and the OSBI, have conducted more than a dozen interviews, and are following up on numerous leads. Anyone with information is asked to call Anadarko police at 405-247-2411 and use option 3 to leave a message with detectives. The agency can also be contacted on Facebook or e-mail: APD@cityofanadarko.org
Communities to Benefit from REAP Grants
Several regional communities will get financial help for some needed projects. The Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG) issued grants totaling more than $2.5 million. They are Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants which were applied for earlier this year. Here is a list of some of the grants - Verden will receive $45,000 for storm drain engineering; Minco will receive $45,000 for a sewer camera; District 3 in Grady County will get $50,000 for water well repair; Cement will get a $45,000 grant for water line repairs; Cyril will get a $45,000 grant for water line replacement; and Dibble will receive $60,000 for storm sirens. Each of the three Caddo County Commissioner districts will get $50,000 for community center parking at the Caddo County Fairgrounds; Gracemont will receive $45,000 for sewer lagoon repairs; Binger will receive $45,000 for sewer line replacement; Lookeba will get $45,000 to help obtain a new water source; and Apache will receive more than $136,000 to upgrade a community center.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $72.47 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $77.95.
Natural gas is $2.50 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,039 and silver is $24.23.
Obituary
Baylee Bradford
Funeral service for Baylee Bradford, 19, of Chickasha will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20th at Bible Baptist Church. She was attending the University of Central Oklahoma and pursuing a career in nursing. She was a member of the Chickasha High School cheerleading team that won a national competition in Las Vegas. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
---
Monday, Dec. 18th
Water Main Project, Security Cameras
to be Considered by Chix City Council
There's a lot of work for the Chickasha City Council to get through in a special meeting at city hall tonight. Among the items is to give the public works department the authority to go out for bids for water line construction at Ada Sipuel Avenue along the Union Pacific Railroad. The council is also to consider spending more than $400,000 to install security cameras and equipment in all city-owned buildings. The contract is expected to be awarded to a company called Verkada which is on state contract.
Dowtown grants also to be discussed
Also up for discussion will be awarding a couple of Central Business District Building grants. One is for a maximum of $40,000 to Alora Real Estate at 411 Chickasha Avenue. Another is for more than $25,000 to GPP Development for upgrades on property at 301 Chickasha Avenue which is the Wild Ox Axe Throwing venue. Both are being recommended by the Economic Development Council (EDC). As part of its consent docket the council is expected to accept the recommendation of the EDC to NOT award a more than $83,000 grant requested for property at 117 N. 2nd.
Grant qualifications submitted for other projects
The panel will also consider approving the qualifications for Central District Building Grants requested by developer Chet Hitt. One is for a maximum of $266,000 to assist with renovations to the Savoy 1902 Hotel at 1st and Chickasha Ave. He's also requesting a grant of up to $52,000 to assist with renovations to the former Mill Building across the street. The EDC approved the grant requests and stressed this not for any funds to be disbursed at this time. The council meets at 6:30 tonight at City Hall.
City of Chix 'Food for Fines' Program Begins
The City of Chickasha is offering a food for fines program this week. Anyone who has a traffic ticket or a fine can pay off some of that fine by donating non-perishable food items. For every one item donated - $10 will be knocked off the total fine. A maximum of $100 will be forgiven with the donation of 10 items. Items must be delivered by the person who has the fine. Individuals who have outstanding warrants can participate without fear of being arrested and will be set up on a payment plan if there is a remaining balance. Items can be donated at the police department from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today through Thursday. All food donations will be given to the Chickasha Emergency Food Pantry.
Two Chamber of Commerce Gift Cards Still Available
There are still a couple of unclaimed gift cards from the Chickasha Chamber of Commerce Buy Chickasha campaign which ended last week. A $2,000 gift card and a $500 gift card from Jay's Jewelry and Okie Mountain Trading Company have not been claimed. The number for the $2,000 gift card is 45232 and came from Jay's/Okie Mountain. The $500 gift card number is 32905 and came from Chick's Liquor. Ticket holders have until 3 o'clock this afternoon to verify their tickets otherwise there will be another drawing.
Energy and Metals
Crude oil on the NYMEX is $71.43 per barrel.
London-based Brent crude is $76.55.
Natural gas is $2.49 per million BTUs.
Gold is $2,033 and silver is $24.18.
Obituaries
James ‘J.V.’ Gregory, Jr.
A graveside service for ‘J.V.’ Gregory, Jr., 82, of Mustang and formerly of the Pocasset area will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19th at Rose Hill Cemetery. He owned a motor rebuilding company and was a long-time member of Kiwanis International. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.
James Hegwald, Jr.
A memorial service for James Hegwald, Jr., 66, of Chickasha will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20th at Ferguson Funeral Home. He worked for Maremont and the Ninnekah Water Department.
Fannie McCoy
A graveside service for Fannie McCoy, 76, of Ninnekah will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21st in the Denison Cemetery in Idabel. She worked as an LPN in nursing homes. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.
