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Posted September
2nd, 2010
The results
of last month's primary runoff in Nowata County will be decided
today. In the Democrat race for District 1 Commissioner, Kellis
Pierce and Curtis Barnes each had 178 votes. Because the ballots
for the November 2nds General Election have to be printed and mailed
to military and overseas voters by the 17th of this month there
is not enough time for a third election and officials will draw
the winner's name. Today's Election Board meeting is set to take
place at noon at the election board office in Nowata.
_________________________
The Bartlesville School Board continues to accept applications for
citizens who are interested in serving from the Office 7 seat. The
seat had been held by Barry W. Lowe since 2001. Lowe announced his
retirement from the board during a July 17th meeting. The retirement
became effective yesterday. You must live in District 7 in order
to serve on the board. If you are interested in filling the seat
for the remainder of the year, please send a letter of interest
and a resume to School Board President Marta Manning, 1100 South
Jennings, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and the zip code is 74003. The
deadline for receiving the letter of interest and resume is Thursday,
September 9th. The school board will then decide who to appoint
to fill the Office 7 seat for the remainder of the year. To see
where District 7 is located, go to www.bps-ok.org and click on the
board of education link.
__________________________
The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission has released their unemployment
numbers for July of 2010. According to the commission, McCurtain
County reported the highest unemployment rate at 11.2 percent while
Beaver County reported the lowest unemployment rate at 3.6 percent.
Locally, Nowata County is ranked 7th in the unemployment rate. The
commission reported that Nowata County has an unemployment rate
of 9.1 percent in July of 2010. The figure is down two-tenths from
June of this year which was 9.3 percent. Osage County reported their
unemployment rate at eight percent, which is down five-tenths from
8.5 percent from June. Meanwhile, Washington County's unemployment
rate for July was 5.7 percent. That figure was at 6.1 percent in
June of 2010.
__________________________
State Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage says he is delaying the
release of a special audit of Broken Arrow Public Schools. Burrage
had planned to publicly release the audit on Thursday, but said
Wednesday he has "serious concerns regarding the independence
of the special auditor assigned to the audit." Burrage says
he was particularly concerned that a draft version of the audit
was inappropriately released last week. He says he plans to assign
two different special auditors to conduct the audit, which will
include compliance with the state's competitive bidding act. Burrage
said last month the audit has been under way for three years and
its release has been delayed by lawsuits and other legal issues
involving the northeastern Oklahoma school system.
Posted September
1st, 2010
Crime Stoppers
of Bartlesville and Washington County needs your help to solve their
Crime of the Week - and identify two people wanted for robbery.
According to Crime Stoppers coordinator Eric Peterson at about 1:10
Monday morning two people robbed a convenience store in the 2500
block of SE Washington Blvd. No one was injured and the suspects
fled the scene on foot with an unknown amount of money. The pair
were both heavily clothed in an attempt to conceal their identity.
Preliminary descriptions indicate that both subjects are young adult
males, one of whom is thought to be a white male and one of which
is thought to be a black male. Crime doesn't pay, but Crime Stoppers
does. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1000 cash for information leading
to the arrest of the party or parties responsible for this crime.
If you have information about this robbery or any unsolved crime
in Bartlesville, Dewey, or Washington County, call Crime Stoppers
at 336-CLUE or 1-800-222-TIPS. You can also text Crime Stoppers
at 274637 and put tips620 in front of your message or submit a web
tip at www.bcrimestoppers.com anytime day or night. The phone numbers
have no caller-ID attached and your identity is not traceable via
text or web, so you can remain anonymous. Crime Stoppers doesn't
want your name, just your information.
_________________________
A Bartlesville cardiologist was recently approved to serve on the
Oklahoma State Medical Association’s Board of Trustees. Dr.
Stan DeFehr of BlueStem Cardiology was voted in as OSMA District
1 Alternate Trustee during the trustees’ meeting in Oklahoma
City last weekend. Dr. DeFehr has been a member of the Jane Phillips
Medical Center medical staff since September 1980. He is board certified
by the American Board of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease.
Dr. DeFehr has been a member of the Jane Phillips Medical Center
medical staff since September 1980. He is board certified by the
American Board of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease.
internship and fellowship. The OSMA board is comprised of 13 trustees
who represent different geographic districts. Likewise, there are
alternate trustees from those same 13 districts who participate
in the quarterly meetings and vote should the trustee from their
respective district be unable to attend. Dr. Lawrence Brotherton,
a general surgeon from Claremore, is the trustee from District 1,
which encompasses Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers
and Washington counties.
__________________________
Bartlesville City officials have announced that city services, including
the public library, will close at noon on Friday due to employee
furloughs and will be closed through Monday, which is Labor Day.
Police and Fire services are not included in the closing. All City
services will open on Tuesday, September 7th at their normal times.
Posted August 31st,
2010
U. S. Senator Tom
Coburn appeared before constituents yesterday afternoon in Pawhuska
as part of his series of town hall meetings across the state. Coburn’s
emphasis, rather than a report on what’s going on in Washington,
D. C., was hearing what’s on the minds of the voters. The
health care bill continued to be the top topic with concerned families,
military personnel, and even nearby hospitals possibly having to
drop services, programs, and operations. Coburn also addressed questions
regarding immigration, the economy, and the constitution. During
yesterday’s session, he pointed out the need for quality education,
asking the question why we give the Federal government 20 percent
of the states revenue while it mandates as much as 60 percent of
the curriculum.
_________________________
Three Heisman Trophy winners from the University of Oklahoma and
the state's first lady, Kim Henry, are leading an initiative to
promote cancer prevention, aimed at high school students. Henry
joined Steve Owens, Billy Sims and Jason White on Monday to announce
the program dubbed "Win-Win Week," which will run from
Sept. 13-17. Henry says the idea of the program is for high school
students to use their athletic events to draw attention to efforts
to prevent cancer. Schools participating in the program will be
encouraged to "pink out" every athletic event during the
week. Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association assistant
director Amy Cassell says that agency, which oversees prep athletics,
will award a state championship trophy to a school in each classification
that conducts the most effective prevention and fundraising program.
__________________________
The Oklahoma State Senate has appointed a third member of the Jane
Phillips Medical Center staff to the Community Hospitals Authority.
The senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee appointed Director of
Quality and Performance Diane Garrett to serve on the panel that
is charged with enhancing the care of medically indigent persons
and support the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic
Medicine and the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. Garrett
will serve a 3-year term. Garrett says she looks forward to helping
provide medical care for those in need. Garrett is responsible locally
for effectively managing the processes involved in preventing infection,
case management, risk management, utilization review, compliance,
and patient relations. Previous senate appointments include Vice-President
of JPMC Clinical Operations, Sam Guild and Diabetes Program Coordinator,
Shannon Bailey.
__________________________
In the regular meeting of the Washington County commissioners, the
commissioners decided to table a couple of items concerning selling
a couple of pieces of county owned property until more information
could be gathered. Those will now be included during a future meeting.
n other county business, commissioners heard a report and discussed
details concerning the county Inmate / Trustee work program. Purchase
orders were granted for supplies and equipment for the inmate work
program. The commissioners also approved an annual memorandum of
Agreement with Cherokee Nation and Washington County.
__________________________
No one from
the Osage County Health Department was present to update Commissioners
during Monday morning's County Commissioners meeting. Commissioners
awarded bids for an Oil Distribution Truck, with the winning bid
going to Boxer Construction Equipment for a 1998 Ford F-Series truck
with a 2,000-gallon tank for oil disbursement to be used on the
county's roads. The winning bid for the oil distribution truck was
for $38,900. Commissioners took the time to explain the latest wave
of County Bridge and Road Improvement Cash Funds over the last several
weeks. According to Chairman Scott Hilton, due to recent legislation
from the state, O-DOT in the past was responsible for holding all
road and bridge project money in a fund earmarked for each of the
state's 77 counties. Hilton said, that this was no longer the case
due to a change in the law that was recently passed by the State
Legislature, and that O-DOT was now returning the funded money back
to the rightful counties. Hilton went on to explain, that these
funds that were held by O-DOT now have to be accounted for based
on each of the project's. Hilton said, that none of the money came
from any of the county's resources, such as property taxes, but
instead that the monies came from the state through the sale of
special fuels, gasoline and a small percentage of tag sales. Commissioners
approved the funding of 8 separate county projects. Of the eight,
three of the projects were for bridges that totaled $15,349 with
the remaining five projects going toward roads in the amount of
$493,032. All combined, Osage County Commissioners approved the
transfer from O-DOT's coffers to Osage County in the total amount
of $508,426.70, some of the money, according to Hilton that's been
held by O-DOT since 1982.
Posted August 30th,
2010
A student
pilot walked away uninjured after he tried to abort a takeoff and
his plane ended up in a field. Bartlesville officials say the accident
happened around 2:20 Saturday afternoon at Bartlesville Municipal
Airport. Fire Department spokesman Bill Hollander says the pilot,
whose name wasn't released, was practicing a takeoff in a Cessna
172 and had applied the brakes when he realized he had omitted a
procedure. Hollander says when the left brake locked, the plane
veered into a path indicator box along the runway and the left landing
gear collapsed. The plane continued across the taxiway and through
a field, coming to rest against a chain-link fence. The Federal
Aviation Administration will decide whether an investigation is
warranted.
_________________________
If the bubbling water and sulfur smell weren't an indication, the
flame that erupted when a Nowata County man lit a match convinced
him that all was not right in his backyard. Bruce Jauhola discovered
that some type of abandoned well was just 100 feet from his house.
Jauhola expected it would take weeks or months to stop the leak,
but Corporation Commission oil and gas field inspector Billy Shufeldt
contacted him within hours. A crew came out about a week later,
on Wednesday, and plugged the well bore with cement. The commission
has plugged more than 1,600 wells since fiscal year 2006, and another
674 are on a to-do-list. Shufeldt estimated the Nowata County well
was drilled between the late 1950s to late 1960s.
Posted
August 29th, 2010
Saturday
morning women in Bartlesville celebrated the 90th anniversary of
the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The celebration began
with a rally held at the Bartlesville Community Center. Nearly
every seat was taken as a storyteller - with help provided by local
community members dressed in period clothing and portraying key
figures in the women's suffrage movement - recounted the events
that lead to the 1920 acceptance of women's suffrage as national
law. Following the rally was a parade to the Washington County
Courthouse where the 1873 trial of the United States vs. Susan
B. Anthony for the felony offense of voting without a lawful right
to vote was re-enacted. The event was hosted by the
Bartlesville Women's Network.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three environmental
groups say a coal ash disposal site in Oologah is contaminating
groundwater in the area. A report released Thursday by the Environmental
Integrity Project, Earthjustice and the Sierra Club say the water
has arsenic and heavy metals in it. The groundwater is under American
Electric Power-Public Service Co. of Oklahoma's Northeastern Station.
Coal ash is a byproduct of coal-fired power plants. It's been dumped
at the Oologah plant since 1978. AEP-PSO environmental affairs manager
Bud Ground says there is no indication of contamination to drinking
water in the area. He says the company is aware of the contamination
and that corrective measures should be in place by next summer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bartlesville's
Jane Phillips Medical Center is ranked in the top 100 hospitals
in the nation for patient safety. The second round of the yearly
Thomson Reuters Health System Benchmarks study Jane Philips is in
the top ten percent of small community hositals for adherence to
patient safety standards. Director of Medical Quality, and practicing
pediatrician, Dr. Paul McQuillen says the hospital staff is extremely
proud of the accomplishment. He says JPMC is committed to delivering
quality care, and patient safety is an integral part of the hospital's
focus. Over t he past ten years, Jane Phillips Medical Center has
developed a number of strategies to improve performance.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A group
of Oklahoma Muslims is asking sponsors of a proposed mosque near
ground zero in New York City to find another location. The proposed
site has drawn national attention and criticism. Members of the
American Muslim Association of Oklahoma bought an advertisement
in the Aug. 23 edition of The Oklahoman asking sponsors to be sensitive
to U.S. citizens. It asks that the mosque be moved "to a mutually
agreeable site." Spokesman Saleem Nizami of Edmond says he
believes most Muslims want a compromise and for the controversy
to end. But Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City spokesman Saad
Mohammad and Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations director Razi Hashmi disagree. Both say they support the
plans for the mosque.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted
August 28th, 2010
The
City of Bartlesville have openings for citizens who are willing
to serve on authorities, boards, commissions, and committees. There's
one opening on the Bartlesville Adult Center Trust Authority, two
openings on the Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority, an opening
on the City Board of Adjustment, and three openings on the Hazard
Mitigation Planning Committee in Ward 3 and 5 and at-large. Other
openings include an opening on the park board, one opening on the
Solid Waste Implementation Committee, and two openings on the Sanitary
Sewer Improvement Oversight Committee. If any Bartlesville resident
is interested in serving on one of these committees, you can stop
by City Hall and fill out an application or go on-line at cityofbartlesville.org.
------------------------------------------
Former
Bartlesville restaurant owner Robert Boyce appeared Friday in the
Pinellas County, Flordia Courthouse to face an extradition hearing.
According to the Pinellas County Courthouse website, the only action
that took place was that Boyce waived reading of the charges which
has effectively waived extradition to Washington County from Florida
to face arson and drug charges. Boyce was arrested on May 31st on
a $500,000 warrant in connection of last summer's fire that destroyed
the May Brothers building in downtown Bartlesville.
--------------------------------------------------
Bartlesville
got a peek into some of what will be going on next month when Hollywood
cameras come to town for a motion picture production company. Oklahoma
Film and Music Office representative Jill Simpson spoke to the Arvest
Friday Forum. While she was in town to talk about the film, there
was still a lot that Simpson wouldn't say. Auditions
will take place this weekend at Bartlesville High School. Hours
are 10 to 5 on Saturday and noon to 5 on Sunday. Simpson held to
her role representing the State of Oklahoma and was very clear she
didn't represent the film-makers themselves. Films are
big business even in this part of the country. Simpson says a production
company can make a significant contribution to the tax base of a
community while it is in town and possibly lead to some jobs. Shooting
is expected to start in September and continue into November. Simpson
says it takes a couple of years to plan a project of this magnitude.
While
she was tight-lipped about the who, what, and where of the film
-- even to the point of not confirming what many people would consider
common knowledge, Simpson says more information will be made public
soon. The project qualifies for incentive funding from the state.
Simpson says the dollars are important to an Oklahoma film industry.
Rumors
have circulated for weeks that a romantic comedy, starring Ben Affleck
and directed by Bartlesville native Terrence Malick will be filmed
in Bartlesville. Local officials have said they would not comment
on the issue.
--------------------------------------------------------
Charges
have been filed for 39-year-old Michael Curtis, Jr. for possession
of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. He also had a
$250,000 warrant for his arrest from a 2008 charge. According to
a court affidavit, Curtis walked away from a rehabilitation and
didn't report to jail as ordered. Washington County Sheriff's Deputies
were sent to the 700 block of East 8th Street to see Curtis. He
told the authorities he had used meth that day. Officers found in
Curtis possession a tobacco can with seven bags of meth and $408.00.
Court records indicate Curtis has a criminal history including drug
charges and possession of a firearm during a commission of a felony.
Curtis next appearance in Washington County District Court is September
1st. Bond for all cases were set at $350,000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted August 27th,
2010
A woman who plead
no contest to a negligent homicide by motor vehicle charge will
be spending the next year in jail. On Wednesday, Washington County
District Judge Curtis DeLapp accelerated Rebecca Roland's sentence
to one year in custody. Roland had received a five-year deferred
sentence and was ordered to pay restitution and perform 750 hours
of community service. A motion filed earlier this year noted that
Roland still owed almost $6,000 in fines and had 254 hours of community
service left. Records show Roland fell asleep July 7, 2003, while
driving a car and collided head-on with a vehicle driven by Harold
Eugene Hill, who died at Jane Phillips Medical Center. Roland's
attorney, Kristi Sanders, couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.
______________________
A Copan man has been sentenced to two years in prison for a lewd
act committed against a 14-year-old girl that occurred in 2009.
33-year-old Phillip Paul Morrison was sentenced to 10 years in prison
with two to serve. He was also fined $1,000, a $500 victim compensation
assessment, and will have to register as a sex offender. According
to a court affidavit, the victim told child welfare workers she
was waiting for someone outside her mother's house and that Morrison
pulled up and asked her if she wanted to go get something to eat.
They reportedly went to Sooner park with the food. The victim told
the authorities Morrison touched her inappropriately.
__________________________
Rogers County prosecutors have charged the police chief of Chelsea
with 12 felony drug counts. Jeremy Wayne Murrell faces a Sept. 1
arraignment on charges of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
The 34-year-old Murrell was arrested Aug. 13 on the complaints,
posted $12,000 bail and was released. Chelsea Town Coordinator Kenny
Weast says Murrell, who has been police chief for more than a year,
was placed on indefinite paid leave. Murrell is accused of obtaining
more than 3,000 pills from physicians and pharmacies between August
2009 and July. He allegedly didn't inform his doctors that he was
being prescribed medications by other physicians. Court records
indicated Murrell hadn't obtained an attorney. Attempts to reach
Murrell for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.
__________________________
A $25,000 bond has been set for a Bartlesville man who allegedly
hit his daughter and pushed his girlfriend. 36-year-old Davin Keith
Laws has been charged with domestic abuse. Bartlesville police were
called to investigate a possible domestic abuse in the 100 block
of Redwood. According to a court affidavit, Laws was being uncooperative
with officers during the investigation. He was placed in handcuffs
for his safety, his family's safety, and the officers safety. Laws
told the police his girlfriend was sick of him and didn't want to
live with him anymore. Both individuals got into an argument and
reportedly Laws and his girlfriend were drinking. Laws allegedly
cut the tires on his girlfriend's vehicle and while doing that he
cut himself with a knife. Laws' daughter told officers she tried
to break up the fight when Laws reportedly hit her right eye and
her wrist was injured. Laws told the police he didn't hit the victims,
but admitted that he pushed them. Laws' next court date is September
10th.
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