January 4
When the Blaine County Commission held its first meeting of 2023, there were two new faces at the table. Tracy Matli and Darryl Hicks had just been sworn in as new commissioners, filling the seats of retiring commissioners Raymond Scheffler and Mike Allen, respectively.
There is no question the City of Watonga is in need of a wastewater treatment plant and a freshwater treatment facility. The only questions are how much the infrastructure will cost and how it will be paid for. For a long time, more than 20 years by some accounts, the waste water treatment plant has served the town as well as could be expected. But in more recent years, it has become quite a chore to keep it cobbled together.
In an eerily familiar scenario, a (former) Watonga police officer is himself in hot water with the law. According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Blaine County, Jason Lynn Porter was arrested Dec. 21 in relation to a May incident.
January 11
Very little information has been released about the second shooting in Watonga in recent months, each with a teenaged victim. The first shooting in Watonga took place in October. A 15-year-old juvenile, identified through social media as Isaac Sanders, was shot in the head, but survived and is expected to make a full recovery. Some sources indicate he was shot in the same home and the same room as the second victim.
Watonga City Council has walked back its policy on behind the meter power generation.
January 18
The Watonga School Board met Jan. 13 in special session to let bids on construction of new buildings financed by the recent bond issue.
Candidates who wish to file for city offices in Blaine County can complete their declarations of candidacy beginning Feb. 6 at the Blaine County Elections Board office. Filing will close at 5 p.m. Feb. 8. A candidate filing packet can also be downloaded from the state elections board website.
The annual Lions Club meal and cake auction is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Foley Building at the Blaine County Fairgrounds. In years past, brisket was always the featured menu item, but this year there is a change afoot.
Wheeler Chevrolet in Hinton recently presented five local fire departments with donations. The donations were part of a GM /Chevy team program.
January 24
STATE QUESTION 820 This measure creates a state law legalizing recreational use marijuana for persons 21 or older. Marijuana use and possession remain crimes under federal law.
Some residents have been wondering about the immediate steps they need to take to make a smooth transition from City of Watonga trash pickup to Veterans’ Waste Solution collections. Feb 8 Even though patrons of the Geary School District have made it clear they were unwilling to issue bonds to build a new K12 campus, there are going to be a lot of changes in the existing buildings.
The Blaine County tax assessor’s office is in the process of recoding and reassessing the marijuana grows, processors and vendors of medical pot in the county.
Feb. 15
Filing for municipal candidates in Blaine County ended Wednesday, Feb. 8. There are multiple unopposed seats, including Ward 2, City of Watonga, a two-year term which will be filled by Adam Tock; Ward 3, City of Watonga, a fouryear term, which will be filled by Ryan Bruner; Council member at large, which will be filled by Bill Seitter.
Watonga sophomore Dayson Cash had seen, heard and read about FFA and 4-H members reaching out to special education students and assisting them with learning to show livestock. He thought it would be a good program to bring to Watonga.
The Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act would fund a trial from the Texas Panhandle border to Canton Lake and from Canton Lake to Oklahoma City. The trial would seek to eliminate invasive woody species, specifically Eastern Red Cedar and Tamarisk trees in the watershed.
An accidental gun discharge at a local school has garnered regional attention. According to Blaine County Undersheriff Eric Dunnigan, the incident took place Feb. 2 at Geary Elementary School as school was dismissing for the day.
Feb. 22
Geary City Hall parking lot was the site Thursday of a reported assault on a city employee. A security camera video was forwarded to the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office sometime after the fact.
The Watonga city audit showed resources or assets of the city exceed its liabilities, coming in at $20 million, compared to last year’s $19 million. That figure includes fixed assets such as buildings and equipment, which make up $16 million.
When the Watonga School Board met Feb. 13, one of the topics on the agenda was the building principals. The district was lucky this year in that each of the three principals was choosing to remain on the job for 2023-24.
Blaine County Commissioners heard more Tuesday from the contractor and designer selected for the new jail project.
March 1
The April 4 ballot will be a busy one in Blaine County. Besides municipality races, it will ask residents of the City of Watonga whether they are willing to continue to support Mercy Hospital Watonga with two, onecent sales taxes. Those sales taxes were most recently extended in 2018. Since that time, the city has collected $4.665 million for the facility.
The Northern Oklahoma Development Authority, or NODA, has issued a plan for capital improvements in the city of Watonga. That plan designates the various projects as being mandatory, meaning the city’s hand is being forced by public health needs or state or federal requirements. The categories together represent a combined cost of $44.34 million.
March 8
Oklahomans turned out in low numbers – only 25.3 % of those eligible to vote did so -- to vote on State Question 820, legalizing recreational marijuana.
The Geary School Board had an optimistic report when it met in regular session March 3. The elementary school principal, Joy Osborne told the board members that at the beginning of the school year when students took a test to set baseline skills in reading, 64% of elementary students were reading below grade level.
The Northern Oklahoma Development Authority, or NODA, has issued a plan for capital improvements in the city of Watonga. The essential category has an all-in price tag of $27 million and at 61%, has the lion’s share of the projects. The improvement plan suggests the city pay for the improvements from the general fund, municipal loans or utilizing grants.
March 15
The Blaine County Commission again heard from representatives of Joe D. Hall, construction manager and Principle Design, designers and architects, concerning the proposed jail build.
This week we look at desirable projects, indicating they will be needed within the next few years to prevent systems from becoming obsolete and provide for future growth. The projects lumped together add up to $8.87 million in estimated costs and cover everything from sewage treatment to dump trucks.
The prom is set for April 29 for Geary High School. And other than who is going with whom, the big burning question of the day is will the students be allowed to drive private vehicles. That question was brought up at the March 3 regular school board meeting.
March 22
Zona Verde, Inc. announced today that Watonga, Oklahoma is the first location of their revolutionary, green and affordable homes. Zona Verde, Inc. is proud to partner with the city as its first location in the United States and Oklahoma to provide Zona Verde homes to the community.
City Council bailed off into the watery depths of infrastructure improvements and construction Monday night at its regular meeting.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a former Geary coach. According to a probable cause affidavit from Caddo County, Hinton High School coach Jacob Peck is suspected of child abuse.
March 29
In front of a packed house Friday night, Geary City Council met to discuss what it should do about its beleaguered chief of police. Cecil Harrall had been on a 30day suspension after a shocking video came to light purportedly showing his wife beating his alleged mistress. However, there were multiple other incidents recently that pushed council to the brink. One was a gunfire incident at the elementary school in which the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office stepped in after a non-investigation from Geary PD.
April 6
On the front lawn of the Blaine County Courthouse is a cluster of 45 wooden children. It might seem like a whimsical spring decoration, but the reality is much harsher. Each wooden figure represents an abused or neglected child in 2022.
Some residents of Blaine County woke up with a new title this morning, because Tuesday was election day. Statewide there were races for towns, school boards and some local questions. There were multiple races in the county.
April 12
According to a probable cause affidavit issued in late March, an Okeene man is under investigation in connection with injuries to his fourmonth- old child.
Geary School Board members were a busy bunch Monday when they met in regular session. Following opening ceremonies, the board swore in newly elected member Kendra Houston. Later in the meeting, David Lawson was appointed to fill the unexpired term in board seat five.
April 19
Following a little housekeeping Tuesday night, Watonga City Council got down to business. The housekeeping was the the swearing in of newly elected or re-elected council members. New on the council was Ryan Bruner, sort of. Bruner had been a council member several years ago and has returned to the seat. Travis Bradt was reelected to his seat and Bill Seitter is the at-large member, who ran unopposed.
U.S. Congressman Frank Lucas made a quick stop in Watonga Thursday afternoon. At a town hall with about 30 residents, Lucas talked about weather and politics and a little about the politics of weather.
The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office is working on a large sexual abuse case. As of Monday, Sheriff Travis Daugherty said there was a single victim, but the investigators anticipate up to 15 more complaints being filed. A probable cause affidavit was issued April 8 on Santiago Flores Ruiz, alleging lewd or indecent acts with a child less than 16 years old.
April 26
The new offices of the Watonga Police Department were opened to the public on Friday morning complete with coffee and, naturally, doughnuts.
In what has become a favored annual event, Watonga will be filled this weekend with motorcycles, or as those who love them say, bikes.
According to Oklahoma City news outlets, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections has announced it will lease and operate the Great Plains Correctional Facility at Hinton.
About 200 people filled the banquet rooms at Lucky Star Casino in Watonga Tuesday evening for the community dinner. The event was a fill in for the old Chamber of Commerce banquet.
May 3
School report cards are out. The scores from Watonga Elementary show 60% of the students are prepared to move to the next grade, while the state scored a 49%.
The Watonga Community Cat Foundation received a grant earlier this year from the Oklahoma Initiative Fund, which is a component fund of Communities Foundation of Oklahoma.
Watonga Public Schools announced Tuesday that Todd Overstreet, principal at Watonga High School, has been hired by the Newkirk school system in Kay County. It serves about 700 students.
May 10
In its last meeting of the school year, the Watonga School Board accepted resignations and approved new hires.
Geary School Board met May 8 in its wrap up for the school year but began by swearing in David Lawson as the board member for seat five. Lawson will complete the unexpired term of Cecil Harrall who resigned in March.
May 17 Early Monday morning
law enforcement staged a massive raid on the Cyco Flower marijuana grow at 500 E. Russworm Ave. That location is the former site of Hollytex Carpet Mills.
Prior to the Watonga City Council meeting Tuesday, the group presented its budget memo as required by Oklahoma Statute. That proposal is based on tax income to the city at 90 % of last year's collections. This is a not-uncommon municipal budgeting practice.
On May 11, the City of Geary held its first meeting with new council members Rita Allen and Sandra Cleveland and mayor Waylan Upchego.
May 24
There will be a fly-in breakfast Saturday from 8-10 a.m. at the Watonga Regional Airport.
Water isn’t the only thing flowing in Watonga. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board has approved a $14 million loan for improvement to the wastewater plant and to construct a drinking water treatment plant.
May 31
The Lookout Kitchen held its long awaited grand opening May 23. The work preparing for the event had been going on for quite some time, naturally, but there was a special sense of anticipation on this afternoon.
Lauren Coleman has been named by the Watonga School District as its high school principal. Coleman was previously the principal at Okeene Jr/Sr High School, also in Blaine County.
Memorial Day weekend was marred in Blaine County by a fatal auto crash and a second injury accident.
June 7
Close to 100 squirming, giggling children packed into the meeting room Monday at the Watonga Public Library.
The Geary School Board met Monday in regular session. All members were present save Jason Bernhardt.
The board heard there were 16 children enrolled at the Baby Bison Ranch, where Gretchen Melvin is the director and serves as master teacher. The facility is licensed for 20 children.
A 72-year-old Geary man died Wednesday after a single car roll-over accident east of town. According to a report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Murray Medicinebird was westbound on U.S. 270 when his 2017 Cadillac left the roadway.
June 14
Watonga City Council met in special session Tuesday evening. It was considered a special session because the date deviated from the annual calendar issued in December. The date change was so that the city budget could be approved and sent to the state auditor within time limits set by statute.
The Watonga School Board, meeting in regular session Monday, heard multiple updates about the school sites and projects as well as planning for the upcoming school year that begins Aug. 10.
The Watonga Republican staff spent Saturday at Shawnee, where they attended the Oklahoma Press Association convention.
June 28
Jon Beckloff has created something larger than himself, and it began when his stepbrother was injured in the line of duty. That support came to Watonga and Blaine County first responders Friday afternoon. Beckloff delivered enough bleeding prevention kits for the Watonga Police Department, the Blaine County Sheriff's Office, emergency medical responders and multiple fire departments.
The city coffers hold 260 days cash for the general fund and 274 days cash for light and water. This is how long the city could operate in the event of loss of income.
July 5 U.S. Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford was in Watonga Thursday, spending a few hours at Wheeler Bros.
In the weekly podcast from City Hall, Watonga City Manager Karrie Little explained why there are still limbs littering yards and alleys.
“The city has to be declared a disaster area for the city (to be reimbursed) to pick up limbs,” she said. “The crews clean the streets and fallen trees are moved onto the property (from which they fell).”
July 12
The SO also requested the purchase of seven car cameras and five additional body cameras for patrol deputies. This request is adding cameras and extending the contract, as well as improving the coverage area. “This is better coverage,” said Sheriff Travis Daugherty. “I don’t want our integrity questioned,” he said.
Prior to the regular meeting of the Watonga School Board, there was a bit of housekeeping to be done in the form of a special meeting. That gathering was to arrange the sale of the slightly more than $2 million in general obligation bonds the patrons allowed the district to issue.
Geary city council met in regular session Thursday. All members were present except Cory Hicks.
Much of the meeting was taken up by discussion of the city’s budget, both a review of the end of the fiscal year on June 30 and the beginning of the new fiscal year.
July 19
An Oklahoma Farm Bureau plan to develop agricultural businesses has announced its inaugural group of 12 startups for the accelerator program. Unsurprisingly, the Watonga member is Black Coyote Manufacturing, owned by Bill Seitter. He recognized a problem in his own cattle production program and when he went to purchase a piece of equipment to solve the problem, discovered there wasn’t anything available.
Construction on the 1933 Bridgeport Bridge may seem to be taking forever, but Rick Howland, District 4 assistant engineer for urban construction/ maintenance engineer, and Zackary Holt, on-site bridge project engineer for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, said good progress is being made.
When the Watonga City Council met in regular session Tuesday evening, it was faced with a spate of seemingly standard but ultimately important agenda items.
First off at Watonga City Council was the monthly financial report. Those numbers showed the city on a mostly positive trajectory, with the with the general fund ending with some $300,000 income over expenses. That income was $2.2 million, slightly over the anticipated income.
July 26
It was 1993. The Clintons would win the White House. Gas was about $1.10 a gallon and Terri Crawford was hired to become the director of the Watonga public library.
The Blaine County Commission heard a jail planning update Monday in regular session. The construction manager, Joe D. Hall and the design firm, Principle Design, each gave an update. The project is at or past the 50% planning stage.
According to Sheriff Travis Daugherty, a recent arrest led to multiple drug overdoses inside the Blaine County Jail. On or around July 21 Amacher was released into the general jail population and two other inmates overdosed on fentanyl that same day.
August 2
The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded more than $1.9 million to help fund capital projects at Mercy hospitals in three rural Oklahoma communities. The costsharing grants will provide supplemental funding for new technology that will directly impact patient care in Ada, Tishomingo and Watonga.
To say Chris Bordelon was an amazing teacher and band director would be a huge understatement, but it could be a good place to begin.
August 9
Dates and other particulars for the 46th annual Watonga Cheese Festival have been announced. The biggest change is that there will only be one day of the festival this year, Saturday, Oct. 14.
Public schools in Watonga begin the 2023-24 year Aug. 10. But this year there was no race to fill shopping carts with notebooks and lined paper.
Instead, the City of Watonga has partnered with several local businesses and many area residents who donated to the school supply drive to outfit the biggest needs of all 800 students at the Watonga Public Schools.
The Baby Bison report showed there were 16 children enrolled in July with an average attendance of 15 or 16. Gretchen Melvin will serve as the director of the Baby Bison Ranch, where she is a master teacher.
August 16
The suit was filed by Julia Cosby, who had previously filed a suit which was later vacated. This is a separate action.
According to its financial report, the City of Geary is moving in the right direction.
The Watonga School Board, meeting in regular session Tuesday evening, passed its $8.3 million budget for 202324.
That budget estimated the district’s revenue at $8.3 million, including some $2.9 million in expected gross production tax, well below the $4.5 million realized in 2022-23.
August 23
Cole Niblett, a project manager with Garver, an engineering, planning and environmental services firm, came to the August city council meeting to provide an update on the planned drinking water treatment plant as well as the sewer treatment plant.
Following a short trial, Seth Thomas was found guilty by a Blaine County jury which recommended 20 years in jail. Thomas, 45, of Fay, was charged in March 2022 with three counts of drug possession, all misdemeanors, and a single count of lewd acts or rape by instrumentation on a child under 16 years of age when the accused is more than three years older than the accuser.
According to Misty Kitson, Blaine County Tax Assessor, several companies protesting their tax bills are headed to tax court with the county. Those companies include DCP Midstream, Merit Equity Leasing, Black Mountain Sand, Great Salt Plains and several others, although four are confirmed. The contest is over 2022 assessments.
August 30
Two Watonga pharmacies – Swann Pharmacy and City Pharmacy – are changing ownership. Mark Kourt previously owned the two businesses, along with Thomas and Canton drug stores. He has agreed to sell the Watonga businesses to longtime employees Zac and Rexann Brack.
According to a report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, three Watonga residents were injured in a Major County accident Monday evening about 6. The report shows that Lewis Green, 89, was northbound in his Chevy Equinox on Oklahoma 51-A, about six miles south of Fairview, when he failed to negotiate a curve near the road’s intersection with Oklahoma 58.
September 6
By all accounts, the Geary School District is off to a very good start to the school year.
A derelict property at the corner of Wikoff and Tenth Avenue is becoming a thorn in the side of the Blaine County Commission.
While the Zona Verde build at the corner of Third Street and Weigle Ave. is still under construction, the date has been set for the ribbon cutting with the City of Watonga. That event will be held at 9 a.m. on September 15 at the home, 319 N. Weigle.
September 13
It is Homecoming Week in Watonga. The festivities will run all week long and include events at all schools.
September 13
In a regular meeting that resembled final Jeopardy! in its brevity, the Watonga School Board heard a mostly positive report on the state of the district finances. The board was also quick to approve $1,000 stipends for all support staff members in the district. These employees were not covered by the state-mandated pay raise given to educators this year.
September 20
The ribbon was cut and the doors opened at the Zona Verde home to the public Friday Sept. 15 at the spec home on Weigle Avenue. Multiple officials, dignitaries and citizens turned out for the event.
A report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol details a Saturday accident on Oklahoma Highway 3. A Ford Explorer driven by Carol Ridenhour, 82, of Greenfield was eastbound on the highway when it attempted to turn onto N 2950 Road. The SUV was struck by an oncoming Kenworth truck driven by Ritchie Tate, 69, of Thomas.
The shadow of Shawn Kays, disgraced former chief of police for Watonga, just keeps coming back to cast its ugly shade on the town. The newest incarnation is through a civil rights lawsuit filed in the Western District of Oklahoma. It names the city, Kays, his ex-wife Michelle Singh and police dispatcher/office manager Anitra Harper and was filed by Julia Barbara Cosby. In the suit, Cosby asks for $75,000 in damages.
September 27
According to a report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, two Weatherford women were killed Saturday in a multi-car pileup on I-40 just west of Geary in Canadian County.
According to Blaine County Sheriff Travis Daugherty, a dispensary in Watonga was broken into September 15. The business, What Dispensary, is in the building at 302 S. Noble Avenue.
An information technology error caused an abundance of confusion over recent charges against a local coach.
October 4
The 46th Annual Cheese Festival is just around the corner and promises to be a vibrant event. For the first time, festival t-shirts are available for purchase before the big day. They are $20 and may be purchased at Watonga City Hall.
Alicia Ford is a familiar face around Blaine County. She started in law enforcement back in 2008 when she became a dispatcher for the sheriff’s office. Now, she has been named Geary police chief.
The school year is in full swing, as reported to the Geary School Board Monday in regular session.
According to Tasha Jefferson, the elementary school principal, that facility is hosting 35 students at a mini-cheer camp and there are about 45 in the after-school program.
October 11
When Geary City Council met Thursday in regular session, it was at an irregular time, 3 p.m. That change was to accommodate the homecoming bonfire that evening, as several council members had children involved in homecoming. The Watonga School Board heard the first set of student data Monday at the regular meeting. While that data showed growth in most areas, there are still some areas of concern, such as third grade math proficiency, which was at 26%, well below the state average of 32%. Those classes are receiving intervention and one on one instruction so that the concepts are conquered.
October 18
At its regular monthly meeting, Watonga City Council determined that the city would and should pick up so-called green debris from its residents. The pickup will be on an every-other-month schedule beginning in November.
The Watonga Community Theatre is buzzing with rehearsals yet again. On Sunday, October 22 for two shows, and Monday, October 23 the WCT will be performing its annual high school show.
October 25
When Watonga City Council last met Oct. 17, it agreed to accept the donation of 22 lots in the Sweet Addition to the city. The property was formerly owned by Opportunities Development Corporation.
A single car accident Saturday claimed the life of an Okeene woman. A passenger, Carla Schultz, 63, of Okeene, was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries sustained in the accident.
According to a press release from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, the Okeene Historic Preservation Group is one of the top three contenders for the Paint Oklahoma Beautiful award.
November 1
Landowners in the Canadian River watershed have been issued a license to kill. Eastern red cedar, that is.
About 50 residents, state and local officials met October 25 at the Overlook Café at Canton Lake to kick off the study to determine the impact the invasive species has on waterflow into the lake and from there to the water supply in Oklahoma City.
Lew Aytes, a sculptor and artist from California, met Friday in Watonga with the closest living descendants of Chief Henry Roman Nose. Aytes had come to gain the blessing of the Roman Nose men – Larry, Quinton and Melvin – for a proposed sculptured bust of their famous ancestor.
Members of the city government, Mercy Hospital employees and executives and other residents came together Thursday to observe the ceremonial blessing and ribbon-cutting on the new CT scanner at Watonga.
November 8
In response to citizen demand, the city has walked back its hard line on brush and limb pickup. This week city owned trash trucks began the heavy lifting on townwide cleanup of storm debris and accumulated brush.
Whether you can’t wait or want to hide in a closet until January, the holiday season is upon us. That means it’s time for the annual holiday events in Watonga.
The 15th annual AARP Oklahoma Native American Elder Honors event honored 47 Native American elders from 23 Oklahoma tribal nations, including Watonga’s own Larry Roman Nose, for their achievements, community service and impact.
November 15
Watonga will soon sport a new look on its highway frontage as Bank7 builds a state-ofthe- art facility to replace the building on Prouty and A Street.
The City of Geary budget seems to be on a more even keel than in years previous. At least the council is better able to determine where the town is as far as resources are concerned. This year that equates to the council being able to announce year end longevity bonuses for employees. Back in the day, they were called Christmas bonuses, but in today’s lawsuit happy environment, the term bonus has been eliminated so that employees do not feel they are guaranteed the payment.
November 22
On Monday, a Federal Grand Jury handed down an indictment for Zheng Fu Zheng, also known as Zhe Zheng, who was charged as part of the May bust at the marijuana grow operation, Cyco Flower, located inside the former Hollytex Carpet factory.
The Blaine County Association of Oklahoma Home & Community Education will be holding its annual holiday bazaar and Santa’s Village from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 2 at the Blaine County Fairgrounds in Watonga. The school report cards for Oklahoma have been released, and overall, the results were underwhelming. Reading proficiency showed a decline overall, from 27.2% to 26.3% - a net decrease of 0.9% from 2022. Eighth grade reading scores showed only 19.3% were proficient in 2023, a 5.7% decrease. No other grade had more than a 0.4% decrease in reading.
November 29
The city of Watonga came away big winners Nov. 17 at the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful awards ceremony. The event was held at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics made a significant drug arrest in Watonga last week.
Watonga’s own playwright, Amy Adams, has done it yet again by completing the trilogy of Shenanigans at the North Pole. However, this year Elfira isn’t at the North Pole, she’s visiting VEGAS, Baby! Under the direction of Patt Ward Curtin, Watonga Community Theatre will debut Elfira Goes to Vegas Dec. 10 for two performances at 2:30 and 7 p.m. and again Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
December 6
Filing began Monday for school board seats in Oklahoma. Locally, Aaron Clewell has filed to retain his seat on the Watonga School Board, as has Jason Bernhardt in Geary. Johnny Stotts has filed for seat 4 in Hydro Eakly. Ted Nitzel and Kaslin Baros each filed for seat 4 in the Calumet school district.
In Watonga, the FFA officer team is hosting a community wide food drive to fill the Blaine County food pantry shelves. And if you are in Calumet, the student council at the school there is also holding a canned food drive. Items collected there remain in the community.
Watonga City Council met Nov. 27 in special session. The regular meeting scheduled for Nov. 21 was canceled because of lack of a quorum, or enough council member to do business.
December 13
Multiple Blaine County youths were winners in the recent Oklahoma Junior Wheat show and received some $16,000 in prizes. On the FFA side, Destry Swaim of Okeene FFA was both the first place and grand champion winner with Doublestop CL Plus variety. He is the son of Brandon and Robin Swain.
The infamous ‘Y’ intersection some 9 miles north of Watonga was the scene Wednesday of an injury accident.
According to a report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Toni Nethercutt, 60, of Alva, was headed north on OK Highway 58 when she failed to yield at the stop sign at the intersection of that roadway and OK 270.
When it met in regular session Monday, the Watonga School Board agreed to hire a new head football coach, Matt Walter.
Embattled coach Clint Benway has not resigned his position at the school district, although that was all the superintendent could say on Benway’s situation per personnel privacy statutes.
December 20
The City of Watonga, meeting in a special session Thursday, agreed to redistricting the wards inside the city limits. A special session was required so that the ordinance could meet publication deadlines in time for inclusion on the election calendar, saving the city from the cost of a special election.
For the 32nd time, cars will begin lining up at the Blaine County Fairgrounds on Christmas Day around noon. They will be there for the traditional holiday meal, presented by a bevy of volunteers who coordinate each December to provide the feast free of charge.