Wednesday, March 29th

Search for Next USAO President Begins

Regents for the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) have officially begun the search to find the university's next president. Current president John Feaver previously announced plans to retire at the end of this calendar year. He has served as president for more than 20 years and has been associated with USAO for more than 40 years. An independent search firm has developed a profile which is being used to recruit highly-qualified candidates. Diana Ming is the regent who is chairing the presidential search committee. She said it is an exciting time in the more than 100-year history of the university and she's confident they will have a robust and diverse pool of candidates. Regents are working with the firm called Higher Education Leadership Search to help find candidates. The group held open forums with USAO faculty, staff, students, alumni, the USAO Foundation, and members of the community to develop the profile. Applications for the post will be accepted through April 28th.

Senior Citizen Arrested for Allegedly Stabbing Brother

A 75-year old man is arrested for allegedly stabbing his brother. Gary Stringfield was arrested by Chickasha police after they were called to the Whispering Pines Apartments on Frisco Avenue last Wednesday. Authorities received a 9-1-1 call from a man who said the victim came to his door bleeding. The victim had been stabbed in his neck and chest and he was taken to the hospital. A probable cause affidavit indicates police found Stringfield in another apartment and saw blood on his hands. Authorities asked him if he had been in an altercation with his brother to which Stringfield replied 'hell yeah we fought - we're brothers’. Stringfield told police he didn't know how his brother got hurt. Authorities found a folding metal knife with blood on it in the apartment. Stringfield has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and remains in jail in lieu of a $75,000 bond.

Oklahoma Rural Jobs Act Funds Now Available

Rural Oklahoma businesses looking to expand can now apply for loans to help them with their growth. Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce say that five certified participants have been authorized to infuse $100 million of capital to businesses in rural communities. The program was created through the Oklahoma Rural Jobs Act signed into law last year. Companies can use the funds to invest in equipment, purchase supplies, and hire employees when they have to opportunity to expand. Commerce department officials say the program is expected to create jobs in rural areas and help improve the state's economy.

PSO Receives Energy Star Partner Award

Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) receives recognition from a couple of federal agencies. PSO was selected as an Energy Star Partner of the Year from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for what the agencies call 'sustained excellence.' In a press release, PSO officials say the award reflects the value and success of PSOs energy efficient programs for its customers - helping them save energy and money while improving the comfort of their homes. It's the seventh straight year that PSO and its parent company American Electric Power have received the award.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $73.20 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $78.60.

Natural gas is $2.03 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,985 and silver is $23.43.

Obituary

Cledia Rakestraw

Funeral service for Cledia Rakestraw, 94, of the Tuttle and Mustang area will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 30^th at the First Baptist Church of Mustang. She graduated with a class of nine students from Middleberg High School where she played basketball and softball. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home of Tuttle.

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Tuesday, March 28th

'Old Town Chickasha' Development Plans Revealed

California developer Chet Hitt formally announced his plans to invest millions of dollars in downtown Chickasha yesterday. Called Old Town Chickasha, Hitt unveiled his proposal in a 90-minute program at the Rock Island Railroad Depot with numerous city, county, and state leaders on hand. A lot of Hitt's plans had already been made public including a distillery, a restaurant, and a coffee shop.  Yesterday's plans went another step further as Hitt encouraged the building of a new hotel near the Grady County Fairgrounds, a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks linking the fairgrounds to the downtown area, and the development of Phase Two of the downtown park. Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell was among those attending and said it's exciting to hear about the private investment Hitt is bringing to the city and that the state has a number of programs that can help.

Leaders from city and county governments, the chamber of commerce and economic development council, the Grady County Fairgrounds, USAO, and Canadian Valley Technology Center were on hand for the presentation as Hitt encouraged the cooperation of all of the groups to continue efforts to make Chickasha one of the state's top tourist destinations.

Anadarko Man Honored by Dep't of Rehab Services

An Anadarko man who serves as the tribal historian at the Kiowa Tribal Museum in Carnegie is the recipient of a state honor.  Dr. Phil Dupoint was named the client of the year for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services. Dupoint has dual amputations and applied for the agency's services in 2021. The agency helped provide modifications to Dupoint's home to give him better access to his work room, office, and living areas. He says one of his proudest moments was obtaining his driver's license. Kiowa Tribal Chairman Lawrence Spottedbird and Vice Chairman Jacob Tsotigh were among those attending the presentation held during the People with Disabilities Day at the state capital.

USAO 'Giving Day' Aims to Raise $150,000

USAO has an ambitious fund-raising goal to celebrate President John Feaver’s more than 40-year affiliation with the university. This Friday the university will host Giving Day - a one-day campaign to raise $150,000 to celebrate Feaver's work. Feaver will be retiring at the end of this calendar year. JP Audus is the university's vice president for advancement and also is director of the USAO Foundation. He said devoting one day to all of what Feaver has done for the university is far from adequate, considering the impact he has had on so many people. The event will feature donor challenges and matching gifts to maximize the value of each contribution. Donations may be given to student scholarships, academic departments, athletics, and other programs.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $72.81 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $78.12.

Natural gas is $2.09 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,971 and silver is $23.05.

Obituaries

Thomas Julian

A graveside service for Thomas Julian, 81, of Chickasha will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, March 31st at Fairlawn Cemetery. He set two state track records and was an all-state basketball player for St. Joseph’s Academy in Chickasha and was a U.S. Army veteran. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.

Sammie Joe Williams

A memorial service for Sammie Joe Williams, 84, of Alex will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 1st at the Alex High School gymnasium. He was a farmer and rancher and worked for the soil conservation service. Arrangements are with McRay Funeral Home.

Eldred Jones

A memorial luncheon for Eldred Jones, 82, of Rush Springs will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, April 1st at the Southern Baptist Church in Rush Springs. He was a truck driver and worked for a mobile home company. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.

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Monday, March 27th

Boyd, Anderson to Face Off in Chix City County Election

Chickasha residents will go to the polls next week to vote in just one race in this year's city council election. It’s in Ward 4 where current councilman Kelly Boyd will face Eric Anderson for a two-year term. Boyd has been on the council for two years. He discusses the council’s recent adoptions of some new regulations to give code enforcement more authority to make property owners clean up areas around town-

Anderson is retired from the U.S. Army who has seen the city grow over the years and would like to be involved-

The election is next Tuesday, April 4^th and all registered voters who live in the city limits can cast a ballot. In addition to the Chickasha City Council election there are other town council and some school board elections in the region. In-person, absentee voting will be available at county election boards this Friday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and regular precincts will be open Tuesday, April 4^th from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

OHP Continues Probe of Fatal Caddo County Crash

The highway patrol continues investigating a deadly traffic accident that happened in Caddo County over the weekend. 48-year old Avery Swarts of Elgin died when his pickup ran off the road, hit a fence and rolled several times. The accident happened just before 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon west of Eakly near the junction of State Highways 59 and 152.

Anadarko-area Crash Victim Air-Lifted to Hospital

In a separate accident in Caddo County a driver was air-lifted to an Oklahoma City hospital after his car crashed near Anadarko. 36-year old William Shepherd of Mt. View was last in fair condition after the accident near CR1370 and Turnpike Road southeast of Anadarko about 5:00 p.m. Sunday. The highway patrol reports that Shepherd lost control of his car while driving across a bridge. He ran off the road and overturned and was pinned inside the car for about 10 minutes. He was taken to the hospital with head, neck, and trunk injuries.

Hinton Coach Charged with Child Abuse Appears in Court

The high school wrestling coach at Hinton was briefly in police custody last week after a felony warrant was issued for his arrest. Jacob Peck was arrested last Friday. Authorities issued a warrant for Peck's arrest March 10th for child abuse. An affidavit filed by Hinton police alleged that at least two girls complained that Peck was overly physical with them, with one of them alleging Peck placed her in a choke hold. Peck is out of jail after posting a $5,000 bond. A preliminary hearing conference has been scheduled May 26th in Caddo County District Court.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $69.26 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $74.99.

Natural gas is $2.21 per million BTUs.

Gold is $1,973 and silver is $23.06.

Obituaries

Angeline ‘Angie’ Friskel

No funeral service is scheduled for ‘Angie’ Friskel, 75, of Chickasha. She was a scrub tech and owned an antique store. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.

Catherine Robinson

Funeral service for Catherine Robinson, 83, of Chickasha will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 1st at the Grady County Fairgrounds. She was a gospel singer and worked at Head Start. Arrangements are with Brown-Thomas Funeral Home.