June 22
Dudley Announces Departure Like Lincoln Riley, I'm heading for the coast. Just the opposite one. In two weeks, I'll be starting a new job in Washington, D.C., at The Daily Caller News Foundation. I'm going to miss the low cost of living and wide-open spaces of western Oklahoma. But more than anything, I'll miss the people, most of whom have been unfailingly kind and supportive and helpful to me since I arrived last year.
Geary Man Dies in Accident GEARY – A young man from Geary died on Saturday after his vehicle collided with the back of a swather on US270 near Greenfield. Patrick Leflore Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene due to head trauma. He was 22.
Three Vie For Commission Seats Blaine County voters will be choosing two new county commissioners this year to replace
the retiring Mike Allen, in District 1, and Raymond Scheffler in District 3. Three Republicans are vying District 3 commissioner, an area that includes most of Watonga and central Blaine County, meaning the race will be decided in the primaries.
June 29
Ready for Some Fireworks?
The annual Independence Day celebration will be held July 4 in Watonga at Huff-Lorang Park. The fireworks display, food, and events will be sponsored by the Lions Club, City of Watonga, and the Watonga Public Works Authority. The fun will begin well before dusk, and everyone is welcome to come out for an evening of neighborhood celebrations.
The evening will feature free hotdogs and water to the public between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., cotton candy, and a coin dig.
Chamber Becomes Inacvite The Watonga Chamber of Commerce, a longstanding business networking and economic development organization, has approached the City of Watonga about assuming its responsibilities.
The Watonga City Council discussed the possibility during its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 21.
Chief Resigns – Search for Replacement Begins John Noriega, Watonga Chief of Police, has decided to leave his post. In a statement from Noriega, he wrote “I have reached a point in my life where I am going to retire from law enforcement and get ready for the next chapter. I appreciate the support the City of Watonga has shown me during my short tenure, and I wish each of you all the best.” July 6
Un-Bee-lievable We have beekeepers right here in Watonga. A few, actually. Micky and Carla Fisher have found a new hobby- and it looks promising.
Ferguson Market Gets Going The wait is over for the 2022 Ferguson Market. It kicks off this Saturday, July 9 in Watonga from 8:00 a.m. to Noon. Vendors will be offering fresh or canned vegetables, jams, jellies, and baked goods. It will also be a chance to declutter your homes by bringing surplus tools, lawn mowers or anything you might want to sell. To rent a booth space, bring $5 and your own tables and chairs.
Cash Named Agvocate for American Royal Dayson Cash has been selected as a 2022 American Royal Agvocate. The American Royal is a non-profit organization based in Kansas City that provides opportunities for youth and adults to compete in livestock shows, pro rodeo and horse shows.
Watonga Shows Well at K101 Classic Watonga had some amazing representation at this year’s K101 Classic Bowl.
Seven band members joined the honor band. While staying in the dorms at NWOSU in Alva, in two days, they put a tremendous amount of work in. They looked awesome and sounded amazing. Thank you to the Mr. Britt and the OU staff for putting on a great show!
July 13
Body Recovered at Canton Lake The body of a 28-year-old Watonga man was pulled from Canton Lake last Friday after he was found floating, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported. The man has been identified as Paul W. McLemore.
Solar Umbrella Placed at Library The Watonga Public Library has received an EnerFusion- Solar Umbrella which is installed on the East side of the library building near the front entrance. The unit sits on a picnic table and includes solar panels which will allow charging of phones and laptops.
Car Surfing Injures Two Two people were injured last week in an apparent carsurfing incident north of Canton. According to the report filed by the Highway Patrol, Devin Blood, 21, of Canton, and a 14-year-old whose name was not released, were on top of a 2015 Jeep Cherokee driven by Carado Bates, 21, of Canton. The Jeep made a sharp U-turn, according to the report, and the two people on top of it were thrown off.
July 20
Fire Scorches County A wildfire that started nearly a week ago near Hitchcock in Blaine County, has scorched thousands of acres but so far, no occupied homes have been burned, an official says. State Rep. Mike Dobrinksi, who said he lives east of Okeene in Blaine County, stated the fire originated Thursday afternoon, July 14, about 15 miles southwest of his home west of Hitchcock. He said he's been able to help secure state resources to battle the raging wildfire.
Sage-Steam Camp Graduates Locals Campers from 21 counties in Oklahoma recently graduated from the SAGE STEAM Camp held at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) in Weatherford. Among those attending were Abby Everly & Randi Upchego from Geary Public Schools along with Emma Meiseman from Okeene Public School.
July 27 Community Band Event Set Watonga's annual Community Band event is scheduled for Aug. 4, but rehearsals are scheduled Aug. 1 and 2 for those wanting to participate. Aaron Clewell, owner of Clewell's Family Hardware and Appliance, is helping coordinate this year's event.
Replacement Gazebo Installed at Ferguson Chapel Earlier this month the Ferguson Chapel board welcomed the installation of a new gazebo on the garden grounds of the chapel. The previous gazebo was lost in 2007 when hurricane Erin roared through.
Burn Ban Drags On Blaine County commissioners voted Monday to extend the countywide outdoor burn ban for at least another week, through the beginning of August. Officials are asking citizens to use caution as record high temperatures and lack of rain are creating the potential for increased wildfire danger across the state.
Monarch Butterflies Listed as Endangered The monarch butterfly fluttered a step closer to extinction
Thursday, as scientists put the iconic orange-and-black insect on the endangered list because of its fast dwindling numbers.
August 3
Schools Gear Up Watonga Public Schools are set for the first day of the new Rules Change at Roman Nose Pool Due to scheduling challenges and a shortage of lifeguards, on Monday, July 29, the Roman Nose Park swimming pool began operating under hotel rules, as required by the Oklahoma Department of Health. This means that the pool is no longer open to the public and is only available to park guests currently renting a campsite, cabin, or lodge room in the park. Since lifeguards are not onsite, swimming is at your own risk.
and center on the Eagle team, each committed to play basketball at Bacone College in Muskogee.
Put Down the Phones In a letter dated Aug. 2 and sent out to students and parents, they were advised that during class students may not use their phones, air pods, Bluetooth headphones, or smart watches. The new policy states that cell phones must be turned off and stored during the entirety of the day with the only exception to those specified times when students may use them.
August 17
Geary Bond Issue Goes to Voters Voters in the Geary School District will be deciding on a $30 million bond issue during next Tuesday's runoff election. Early voting begins Thursday and runs through Saturday. Voters must go to their respective precincts to vote on Tuesday.
School Lockdown Law enforcement authorities in Blaine County are searching for a suspect after he reportedly pointed a gun from a car in Geary earlier this week, forcing the schools to lock down as a precautionary measure.
Terryl Allen, Public Information Officer for the Geary Police Department, confirmed the identity of the suspect as Bradley Goodbear who is from the Geary and Watonga area.
Primary Runoff Next Week Of special interest to area voters in various precincts will be a Republican State Senate runoff, a race for County Commissioner District 3, a city of Watonga proposition and a Geary School District bond proposal. August 24 Massey Named Chief Watonga's recently named new police chief certainly is no stranger to law enforcement. Beth Massey was selected as the city's new police chief and she began her new duties on Aug. 12, she said.
Dunn Signs With SWCU Deondre Dunn signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Southwestern Christian University. Deondre is the son of Chris and Heather Ross, he is the grandson of Mike and Delana Canada, and Larry and Renee Ross. Deondre is the great grandson of Dale and Dolores Green.
Fair Time in Blaine County The 2022 Blaine County Fair opens Thursday afternoon, Aug. 25, at the county fairgrounds in Watonga. People may begin bringing their non-livestock entries between 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Huge Drug Bust A traffic stop made by a Blaine County deputy sheriff earlier this week reportedly led to a significant drug bust that resulted in the confiscation of marijuana and other drugs. In the early morning hours of Monday morning, Aug. 22, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a U-Haul box truck.
The deputy and K-9 Neo conducted a search of the vehicle and located marijuana in the cab. A further search of the rear of the box truck by several deputies located over 150 pounds of marijuana that was hidden in a couch, love seat and boxes. Deputies also located more than 12 pounds of psilocybin (mushrooms).
August 31
Tri County Fair The Geary Tri-County Fair will be open for crop entries beginning from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7 in the Community Building. Caitlin Garrett, Geary Chamber of Commerce treasurer, said all the activities except for the parade and children's races will be held at the fairg rounds/Community Building which are right next to each other.
Free Hunting Days Coming Up The first full weekend of September is traditionally Free Hunting Days in Oklahoma. On these two days, Oklahoma residents may participate in open hunting seasons without the requirement to have a state hunting license.
New Playground Equipment Watonga School Supt. Kyle Hilterbran said new elementary playground and equipment is part of an overall capital improvement program and partnering with Big Five which also partnered on the Early Childhood program. There is a new surface which is ideal, he said, for the safety of the kids playing on the new equipment and a new outdoor classroom. September 7
Patriots Day Marks 21 Years Nearly every person can remember what they were doing on that Tuesday 21 years ago. The nation’s perspective was changed forever. On that day, 19 militants associated with extremist al Qaeda hijacked four planes and used them in suicide attacks on the towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Kiss the Pig Fundraiser Watonga's two Love's Country stores are in competition with one another as they try to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network.
General Election on the Way The Oklahoma general election will be held on Nov. 8, just 62 days. Sample ballots for all Blaine County precincts are available at the county election board office in the basement of the courtroom.
Former Editor Returns Connie Burcham, former editor of the Watonga Republican, returned to her duties at the newspaper after an absence of about two years.
September 14 School Climate, Culture Changing The news from Watonga School Board was largely positive when it met in regular session Monday evening. Superintendent Kyle Hilterbran noted that there were a lot of good things going on and the positive vibes were in the climate of the schools.
Burn Ban Lifted The Blaine County Commission, meeting Monday in regular session, determined there had been enough moisture to rescind its countywide burn ban. “My thought is that if we keep it on, when the grass goes dormant, we are going to be in a real mess,” said Commissioner Mike Allen of Geary. “I know we need more rain, but there are a lot of people waiting on it (the burn ban being lifted).”
Many area landowners rely on burning to clear dead grass and duff from their fields. Controlled burns remove fuels that would otherwise be available for wildfires to consume and spread.
Geary Board to Purchase Teacherages Geary School Board met Sept. 6 in a rescheduled session to accommodate the Labor Day holiday. The board also granted Superintendent Sean Buchanan authority to purchase real estate in which to house teachers.
September 21
Kays Heads Back to Court Ex Watonga police chief Shawn Kays will have a preliminary hearing Friday in Blaine County on state charges of burglary and assault and battery.
City in Running for $1,000 Prize The City of Watonga has learned it is a finalist for a $1,000 prize from Keep City in Running for $1,000 Prize The City of Watonga has learned it is a finalist for a $1,000 prize from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful as a result of the April Great American Cleanup.
Friends of Ferguson Considers Dissolution Several contracts with the city are renewed on an annual basis, including the Friends of the Ferguson, which maintains the TB Ferguson Home and museum.
Louise Dunn was there to address the council and instead of asking the contract be renewed, said the organization was seeking to disband. Dunn cited the lack of active members, lack of funding support from the state and little or no physical labor available.
Watonga Lanes Changes to Synthetic The semi-truck backed into its space on Main Street Watonga with the customary beep, beep, beep. It was the sound of the end of an era.
That truck was loaded with synthetic materials to replace the golden wood that had been part of Watonga Lanes since, probably, day one.
Homecoming Week This week marks homecoming at Watonga schools. They will celebrate with various themed days, such as sweat day on Monday, Tuesday being Scrabble day, Adam Sandler day on Wednesday, and Thursday as 80s day. The festivities continue with the bonfire Thursday evening at 8 p.m. at the high school.
Bills, Barnes Retire The city is going to have some big shoes to fill come the end of the month. Two longtime employees, Verlen Bills and Sharon Barnes, are retiring.
Housing Issue Addressed by Council Everybody complains about the lack of housing in Watonga, but the city council, in conjunction with economic development agencies, is doing something about it. When the council met Sept. 20 in regular session, it accepted the donation of two partial lots at 319 N. Weigle from the Christian Church. The intention is for the city, working through its own economic development agency, WEDA, and assisted by the Northern Oklahoma Development Agency, or NODA, to build a home on the lot.
Republican Celebrates 130th Birthday As Watonga begins its 130th year, so does the Watonga Republican. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t the first newspaper, though. That was the Watonga Rustler, begun by Charles Burrell. The Republican was first printed Oct. 12, 1892. Because of leap years, the anniversary by editions is Oct. 3.
Roman Nose Homecoming Queen Coronation of the homecoming court Friday night in Watonga crowned Julien Roman Nose as homecoming queen and Kale Smith as homecoming king. The junior court members shown are Caidence Hartfield and Drayton Flynn.
Accidents Kill One, Injure Two An 11-year-old child died in an auto accident north of Southard Sept. 30. The driver, Jennifer Bailey of Wetumpka, was wearing her seatbelt but the child was not. Bailey was airlifted to Oklahoma City, while the passenger was pronounced at the scene. In another, unrelated accident, Nolan Rackley, 33, of Okeene, was injured Oct. 2 about four miles west of Okeene.
Knudsen Memorial Unveiled This year at the kickoff for the Watonga Cheese Festival a monument to John Knudsen will be unveiled.
Knudsen came to Watonga in 1941 from Bowie, Texas. He was probably born in Pennsylvania and came to town to run a newly constructed cheese plant.
Bids Accepted on Elementary Cafeteria At a special meeting of the Watonga School Board Sept. 29, the bids for a new elementary school cafeteria were reviewed and accepted. Builders and board members alike were a little nervous about the entire project, mostly because supply chains are still sketchy and product prices can be volatile.
October 12
Bridges Named to All District Aubrey Bridges was named to the Class 2A-3 All District softball team this week. Bridges made the squad as an outfielder for the second time.
Canton Couple Jailed on Child Abuse Charges A Blaine County couple is facing multiple felony charges of child abuse and neglect. Amanda Hicks and Justin Hicks, of Canton, were arrested on charges they willfully withheld food from their children and physically abused them.
Choate Resigns in Geary Jeff Choate, in his last appearance as public works director for the City of Geary, went over the reports for his departments before introducing the new emergency managers for the city.
Choate was hired by the city in 2013 as public works director, but since that time has taken on other titles, jobs and duties. He will soon be working as rural fire 9-1-1 coordinator for the Association of Central Oklahoma Goverments in Oklahoma City. He will still serve as fire chief for Geary.
Gross Production Dollars Over the Top At its regular meeting Monday, the Watonga School Board learned that for the fourth time in as many months, gross production taxes to the schools topped $400,000.
The fiscal year began in July and the GPT that month was $400,950, followed by August at $462,213 and September with a whopping $494,065. That monthly income is the highest on record for the school in gross production, a type of tax paid on the mining of natural resources in the county. The figure for October slipped slightly, down to $443,021, but still a far cry from the years when board members sweated out making payroll.
October 19
Geary Homecoming Seniors Jace Nelson and Mason Estep were crowned Homecoming King and Queen during the ceremony before the game with Ryan. The couple is pictured with flower girl Emery Coleman and crown bearer Tyler Davis. The Bison were victorious over the Ryan Cowboys, 38-28, in an exciting Homecoming game.
Car Strikes Tractor Killing One A Hydro woman was involved in a fatal crash in Washita County Tuesday. According to a report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Alexis Murray, 32, of Hydro, was westbound on Oklahoma 152 traveling at a high rate of speed. Her 2016 Lincoln struck the rear of a John Deere tractor also headed westbound on the highway. She was extricated by the Cordell Fire Department. She was transported to Cordell Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel.
Council Selects Local Co for Drug Testing In a regular meeting that could challenge the record for brevity, the Watonga City Council worked through a variety of topics. The city accepted the proposal from Clean Slate Solutions Drug and Alcohol Testing LLC to provide those testing services for employees. The locally owned company will test employees at random, as well as conduct pre-employment, post-accident and Department of Transportation testing.
October 26
Assessor Race Heats Up Donna Bell and Misty Kitson are candidates for the Blaine County Tax Assessor’s seat. Each was interviewed by the Watonga Republican and pointed out the services the office provides.
Those services include property mapping and map correction, mobile home transfers, deeds, homestead exemptions, veteran’s exemptions and agricultural permits. It measures buildings and estimates value of real property. It keeps updated records on improvements and mapped location and ownership of property. It also performs ag equipment assessments and can answer many questions property owners and taxpayers have about their assessments.
Student Injured in Gun Incident Chief of Police Beth Massey said there was a gun incident resulting in an injury Oct. 21 in Watonga. Very little information was available through official channels because of the age of the injured person and because the investigation continues into the matter.
However, according to social media posts by the family members, the injured student is Issac Sanders, a 15-year-old in the Watonga school system.
City Seeks Bids on Trash Service The city has had to make decision that it was perhaps hoping could wait till some point down the road, the decision on whether to continue to operate its own garbage collection service or hire a contractor. The city created specifications for a contract and sent those specs out to bid. Changing to a contractor has been discussed by the city over the years, but nothing came of the matter until now.
Trunk or Treat at Huff Lorang As usual, area churches and individuals will participate in a Halloween Trunk or Treat. What isn’t as usual is that the event will again be held at Huff-Lorang Park. The location was first used two years ago.
November 2
Brown, Lafferty Seek Judge’s Seat Jenna Brown is a candidate for associate district judge. She is a native Oklahoman and determined she wanted to become a lawyer while serving as a social worker. Allison Lafferty is a candidate for associate district judge. She earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from OU in 1987 and her law degree from the same institution in 1992.
Chapman, Hicks Ask for Votes Justin Chapman is a candidate for the Blaine County Commission seat #1. Darryl Hicks is a candidate for Blaine County Commission seat #1.
Prepare for End of Daylight Saving Time Daylight saving time. You either love it or hate it, with very little middle ground. However, Nov. 6, when the time changes, may be the sunset on that practice of going to saving time in the spring and going back to standard time in the fall.
Stitt Re-Elected In races of local interest, with a heavy turnout both early and on election day, the tax assessor’s race went to Republican Misty Kitson with 70.8% of the votes compared to 29.2% for Donna Bell. The sitting assessor chose not to run for reelection.
The runoff for county commissioner seat #1 went to Darryl Hicks, a Republican with 55.02% of the votes compared to 44.98% for Justin Chapman, a Democrat. Only voters in that district were eligible to vote.
In the race for associate district judge in Blaine County, sitting judge Allison Lafferty earned 58.16% of the vote compared to 41.84% for Jenna Brown. The judiciary is a non-partisan race, meaning the candidates do not have to disclose their party affiliations.
Fuller Center Outlines Housing Options Members of the community and the Watonga Foundation met late last month with representatives
from the Fuller Center for Housing of Fort Smith, an organization that was begun by Millard and Linda Fuller, the cofounders of Habitat for Humanity. The center leaders were in town to discuss how this town can move forward in providing housing for those who are in need of housing change. Those groups include the elderly, economically disadvantaged and renters.
Kays Found Guilty in Federal Court Former Watonga Police Chief Shawn Kays pleaded guilty on Nov. 1, to one count of illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment, according to U.S. Attorney Richard Troester. Receiving firearms or ammunition while under indictment is violation of federal law.
November 16
Ribbon Cutting at
Runway
After what has seemed like a very long wait, the runway at Watonga Regional Airport is fully operational and has been in the spotlight at its ribbon- cutting. The ribboncutting, held Tuesday, was celebrated by city officials, members of the public and various dignitaries from the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission and the Department of Transportation.
Couple Charged with Lewd Acts, Abuse Carl and Christie Brewer of Watonga are facing multiple counts of child abuse according to charges filed by the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office. The couple were arrested separately Oct. 24 in Watonga.
Carl Brewer, 57, has received six charges of lewd or indecent acts with a child under the age of 16 and two felony child abuse charges. Christie Brewer, 53, has been charged with six counts of child endangerment/ failure to protect.
Oler Guilty on All Counts Following a two-day trial, Christopher Oler was found guilty on all nine counts against him. Those counts were three charges of sexual abuse on a child less than 12 years old, one count of first-degree rape on a child under 14 and one of first-degree rape by force or fear. There were two further acts of lewd or indecent acts with a child less than 16, one of possession of child porn and one of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Academic Champions The Watonga cheerleaders were the state academic champions. This means that in 2A, this bunch of young ladies had the highest GPA in the state. The team placed 18 in the cheer competition but won it all in the grades division. They were recognized at the state competition Nov. 12 in Moore.
November 23
Elfira Returns to WCT She’s done it again! Elfira is back in action causing havoc at the North Pole. Come see the Watonga Community Theatre’s production of “Shenanigans at the North Pole: Elfira Rides Again” at 6:30 Saturday, Dec. 3, 2 p.m. Dec. 4 and 6:30 p.m. Dec 5.
Blaine County’s Unsolved Mysteries Ola Kirk, State Fair Murders, Roberta (Bobbie) Lynn Daniel, Leah Mahseet, Travis Murrow and Edward Foreman were all from, murdered or went missing from/in Blaine County.
City Tax Try Announced The City of Watonga will go to the voters in January to ask for a 1 % sales tax. The money would be earmarked for capital improvements, or to repay loans the city takes out to make capital improvements.
Staff to Receive Stipends With the schools on very solid financial footing, the Watonga district is adding some capabilities and improvements that were not possible previously. But the good times for the district don’t stop with equipment and technology. The board agreed in its regular meeting Nov. 14 to give a $1,000 stipend to all teachers and support staff. This is in addition to other stipends already issued or set to go out with November pay packets.
Holiday Bazaar The holiday gift giving season is in full swing and every merchant everywhere is after your dollars. But if you want to keep it local, the annual Holiday Bazaar and Santa’s Village is the place to go.
The event will be held from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Saturday in the Foley Building at the Blaine County Fairgrounds.
Many Council Members up for Re-election As if there wasn’t enough for the City of Watonga to concern itself with, four members of the council will be up for re-election early next year, should they choose to run. The seats up for election are in wards 2,3 and 4, as well as the at-large seat. Currently, Adam Tock is the council member for Ward 2, Allen Cowan fills Ward 3 and Bill Seitter is the council member for Ward 4. He also serves as the mayor, selected by the members of the council. The at-large member is Travis Bradt and he, too, is up for re-election in the new year.
City to Issue Longevity Stipends When the Watonga City Council met on Nov. 15, there were several matters of housekeeping that needed attention. Another annual question was the longevity stipend. Back in the day, this was known everywhere as a Christmas bonus, but the name has morphed into various incarnations in recent years. The money for the stipends is based on years of service, was included in this year’s budget and will be handed out to employees before the Christmas holiday.
December 7
Truck Driving Range Opens Early this year, Chisolm Trail Technology Center wanted to offer Class A CDL training in the district. The desire got one step closer to reality Monday when the official groundbreaking ceremony was held on the site north of town.
Geary Closes on Property On the agenda was a resolution dealing with purchasing and selling for the board, and who should have that authority. Essentially, the move was a requirement in the form of a resolution so that Superintendent Sean Buchanan can sign documents at property closings. That has become a necessary authorization since the school district has purchased one property for teacher housing and will close on a second one this week. That property will still need to be remodeled.
Citizens Rethink Main Street Organization Watonga was once part of the Oklahoma Main Street program, but like other organizations, it fell on hard times, membership dwindled and fundraising was always an issue. Beyond that, it was difficult to locate a volunteer director with a spare 20 hours a week to dedicate to the effort.
But interest has blossomed enough that Buffy Hughes, state Main Street Director, came to town recently to talk about the program and test the waters of reorganization. She spoke Wednesday to the noon Kiwanis Club.
December 14
Mercy Hospital to ask for Two Cent Renewal Two one percent taxes, used to support Mercy Hospital, are set to expire July 1. However, Mercy has announced it will ask for those two taxes to be renewed.
Mercy began operating the hospital in 2012 and since that time, according to its own numbers, the corporation has invested more than $4 million into the facility but has only recouped $1 million to the endeavor.
School Clears Audit Hurdle Members of the Watonga School Board heard the district’s 2022 audit report, which was not without its problems. Britton, Kuykendall and Miller’s Rick Miller was on the phone with the board, explaining the audit and its findings. The audit showed that the financial management of the district is solid, with a few errors. Because of the large amount of money distributed this year in response to COVID, other districts experienced the same issues, according to Miller.
County Sees Multiple Retirements Members of the community, employees of the courthouse and the county came together Monday afternoon to wish bon voyage to at least three retiring employees. Among them, they represented nearly 65 years of service. Barbara Underwood, 31 years, Louise Cooper, 21 years, and Jana Loewen, 11 years, were presented with certificates recognizing their accomplishments.
December 21
Board Reviews Construction
Plans
Hilterbran said planning for the new buildings being financed through a bond issue was moving ahead, even though the costs of the construction continue to change, and not in a good way.
“Inflation is real,” he told the board. “It has hit our bonds, but we are making good decisions to give the public what we promised them.” Hilterbran said the key was working through the projects slowly and carefully and the bond money is collecting interest while the planning is finished.
Work to Commence Soon on Sewer Site In a similar development, council was presented with a plan for an ongoing improvement to the existing sewage treatment plant. For many years, the sludge remaining after sewage treatment has been trucked to a property the city owns and spread on the land, which is used for cutting hay. However, the Department of Environmental Quality permit allowing the city to dispose of the sludge in this manner is about to expire and a different tack was required.
The solution is to run the sludge into semi-trailer sized drying boxes, where it is sprayed with a polymer substance. This, according to Cole Niblett from Garver Wastewater Team, allows the water to drain from the sludge and be treated again. The remaining sludge is then dry enough and clean enough that it can be trucked to a landfill for disposal.
Oler Hit with Five Life Sentences When Judge Paul Woodward made his announcement, Oler was to serve five back-to-back life terms, plus two 20-year terms, one 10-year term and one 3-year term. The crimes call for 85% of the sentences to be served before parole can be considered. His attorney indicated an appeal will be filed in the case.