2020: Year in Review

Compiled from Hinton Record files

COVID-19 news dominated the year, from altering how schools operate to canceling graduation to struggling businesses. The pandemic became an unwanted part of our lives.

However, the virus was just part of the news this year. The following are top news stories in Blaine County for the first part of the year, January through June. Next week, we’ll highlight the second half of the year.

- January -

Time to Start Planning Ahead for the Next Cheese Festival

Just a few years ago, the Watonga Cheese Festival was cut-and-dried, kind of a hohum event that some thought should just be put to bed. That all changed in the past year or so when the chamber of commerce made a concentrated effort to kick things up.

The first year with Teresa France at the helm was good; the second was bigger, different, better attended. It may be hard to believe, but it is already time to start laying the groundwork for the October event. In order to do that, the chamber has issued a call for volunteers who want to be involved in the planning and execution of the 2020 cheese festival.

Small Quakes Shake Region

There have been three earthquakes in Blaine County and the surrounding region in the past seven days, according to the United States Geological Survey.

That federal entity lists the quakes as a 2.9 tremor 13 miles north-northeast of Okeene at 7:33 a.m. on Christmas Day, followed shortly thereafter by a 3.4 shake 7.5 miles west-northwest of Watonga. That quake was felt by many residents who took to social media to report it.

There was also a 2.5 quake 6.8 miles northwest of town on Dec. 27. Two quakes shook Medford, in Grant County, one at 2.6 on Dec. 24A and a 3.7 tremblor on Dec. 30.

Three Eagles’ Varsity Wrestlers Place First at Bethel Tourney Over Weekend

The Watonga High School varsity wrestling team had a great outing on Saturday, Jan. 4 to kick off the new year when three Eagles’ wrestlers placed first in their respective weight classes at the 2020 Battle at Bethel Acres wrestling tournament held at Bethel High School.

As a team, the Eagles placed third out of 18 schools with 185.5 points behind the firstplace host Bethel’s 208.0 and second-place Yukon High School’s 205.5 points. Eagles’ sophomore Shawn Johnson won the female 118-pound bracket, senior Dalton Laird won the male 182-pound bracket and senior Tavarous Farrow placed first in the male 285-pound heavyweight bracket.

Watonga’s Graduation Date Moved

The school year got shorter Jan. 13 for the Class of 2020. That happened when the Watonga School Board meeting in regular session, decided to change the date of graduation, moving it up a week. The ceremony was originally set for May 23 but now instead will be held on May 16 at the high school gym.

The decision was made for several reasons, including avoiding graduation on Memorial Day weekend and having seniors in school when they had finished testing. Superintendent Mark Batt said in his experience, having high spirited seniors in the building while other classes were testing could lead to mischief.

Watonga Boys’ Varsity Hoops Places Third at Coyle Invitational Tournament

The Watonga High School boys’ varsity basketball team happily poses together for a photo on Saturday, Jan. 25 following a dominant 89-49 victory over Oilton High School in the third-place game of the 2020 Coyle Invitational High School Basketball Tournament. Watonga also had a 55-50 win over Crescent High School in the first round.

- February -

Schenk Named Citizen of the Year It was like a who’s who of Watonga and Northwestern Oklahoma filling the commons area Feb. 3 at Watonga High School. The event was the annual Watonga Chamber of Commerce awards banquet. The theme for the evening was Roaring 20s and many tables carried out the theme, even with some attendees wearing flapper costumes.

The evening culminated in presentation of citizen of the year to Dr. Curtis Schenk. Schenk was raised on a farm near Hitchcock and intended to become a farmer, but instead was sent to college by his parents. He became a pharmacist and then earned his MD at University of Oklahoma.

He returned to Watonga to practice in 1972 Schenk was given a standing ovation by the audience, many of whom he had delivered as babies or treated as patients, or in many cases, both. Stephen Rother, owner of Watonga NAPA, presented the award, quipping that both he and Schenk had the good sense to remain lifelong residents of the town, with only brief time outs, after which they came home as quickly as they could. The awards are determined by votes cast by members of the Watonga Chamber of Commerce and residents who fill out a questionnaire in the weeks before the banquet each year.

City Council Hires Interim Manager

Watonga City Council faced an agenda heavy in personnel issues when it met Feb. 4 in regular session. Although the council also had on its plate whether to seek bids for paving a driveway at the Armory heavy enough to accommodate the fire engines’ coming and going out the new doors on the south side of the structure, most of the rest of the agenda was hiring suggestions.

Perhaps the most momentous decision, although it was at the end of the agenda, was whether to hire Larry Mitchell as interim city manager. Mitchell appeared before council in an executive session in January, spending nearly two hours with them.

He served as city manager at Lawton for 10 years and for several more as city manager at Guymon. He currently lives in Surrey Hills. It is unclear if he will relocate to Watonga.

Former CTTC Instructor Charged

A former instructor at Chisholm Trail Technology Center is facing felony embezzlement charges. According to a probable cause affidavit, Weston Carroll Chambers, a welding instructor at CTTC is charged with taking money and equipment worth $26,079 over the course of a year or more.

He was terminated from the school in mid-October.

New Travel Stop to Open Feb. 13

The new Love’s Travel Stop in Watonga will open Feb. 13, ready for business. A ribbon cutting and grand opening will be held at a later date. The location will have 50 truck and 58 car parking spaces, four diesel bays, showers and laundry facilities, a Subway and a Chester’s Chicken restaurant.

Blaine Co. Joins 2A Sanctuary Movement

More and more counties in Oklahoma – including Blaine County – have declared themselves as Second Amendment sanctuaries. The declaration is usually made by the lead law enforcement official in the county such as the sheriff.

The county – or in some other instances, entire states or cities – adopt resolutions or proclamations that prohibit enforcement of gun control measures that seem to violate the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

The sheriff posted the statement Feb. 21 on social media. Blaine County Sheriff Tony Almaguer stated via proclamation that he opposes any and all infringements on rights and liberties of lawabiding citizens, will use no public funds to curtail Second Amendment rights and declared the county as a Second Amendment sanctuary

Ṫhe resolution was approved Feb. 24 at the meeting of the board of county commissioners.

Eagles’ HS Wrestling Has Two Advance to 3A State Championship Tournament

The Watonga High School varsity wrestling team had two Eagles’ wrestlers qualify for the upcoming OSSA Wrestling State Tournament over the past weekend. On Feb. 21-22, the StegallLong Fieldhouse at Geary High School was the site of the 2020 Class 3A West Regional Wrestling Tournament and the Eagles had a handful of wrestlers take part. However, the duo of 220-pound senior Ethan Henderson and 182- pound sophomore Joe Jackson will have the honor of representing Watonga this weekend at the Class 3A state tournament in Oklahoma City. Jackson placed fifth in the 182-pound bracket and Henderson placed third in the 220-pound bracket, which qualified them both for state.

Landon Holt of Geary Becomes Blaine County’s Newest State Title Winner

Geary High School varsity wrestling senior standout Landon Holt is declared victorious on Friday, Feb. 21 after defeating Ronald Shango of Millwood High School. Holt won the Class 3A 182-pound wrestling title over the weekend when he defeated Mikey Riley of Blackwell High School, making him Geary’s second individual state champ in three years.

- March -

Third Time’s Charm: School to Build New Concession Stand

When the Watonga School Board met in regular session March 9, the agenda held several items that were far from regular. Twice before the district had gone to bid for a rebuild on its concession stand, currently a modest white block building on the west side of the football field. In both those instances, the bids came back at more than the board felt it could spend.

This attempt, with the bids opened Feb. 19, posted similar numbers. “This is pretty much what the project costs,” said Tom Barczak of BWA architects. “We had 63 bids in 14

“We had 63 bids in 14 packages.” Those bids included numbers from Steven’s Carpets in Watonga as well as from businesses in Fairview, Woodward and Alva. The costs for the concession stand came in at $454,137, including a 10 % contingency in case there are unforeseen expenses such as water line location services or undersized water service

Mitchell Brings Experience to Office of Watonga City Manager

Larry Mitchell has been on the job since March 9 as interim city manager for Watonga. A native of Maine – he calls himself a ‘Maineiac’ – Mitchell went to college at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan.

He was interested in baseball and perhaps becoming a pilot for the Air Force, but his vision kept him out of the cockpit. He went to work for the City of Stillwater and there he met and married his wife, who has two degrees from Oklahoma State University.

He later completed a masters at OU. Before coming to Watonga, Mitchell worked for the city of Guymon, in the Oklahoma panhandle, for about three years. He was an economic development director for Yukon for three years prior to going to Guymon and he worked as city manager at Lawton for 10 years.

All Eagles’ Athletics Canceled Until at Least April 6 Amid COVID-19 Situation

On Monday afternoon, the unfortunate announcement was made by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister that all Oklahoma schools will be closed and activities suspended until April 6 as the Oklahoma State Department of Education closely monitors the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation to prevent spreading.

“Nothing is more important than the safety and wellbeing of Oklahomans,” Hofmeister said on March 16 at an emergency meeting of the State Board of Education. “It is critical that we do everything in our power to protect the health of our kids, their families, educators, and all vulnerable populations. That need outweighs everything else. The OSDE has been working around the clock, and will continue to do so, to ease the burden of schools during this challenging time.”

- April -

State of Emergency Declared in Watonga, Geary

After much consideration, the City of Watonga declared a state of emergency at noon March 31. Under that declaration, the city may suspend utility disconnects – which it has done - restrict access to municipal facilities including the library and acquire personal protective equipment for first responders. They may also conduct outbreak response activities as warranted under a unified command.

“We can issue a declaration to accelerate the purchase of personal protective equipment,” said City Manager Larry Mitchell.

He pointed out that did not mean there was imminent danger in town. The declaration also urges residents to use social distancing, appropriate hygiene, selfisolation as needed, and general social responsibility.

Mitchell emphasized residents can pay their utility bills by mail, online or by using the dropbox outside the light and water department. Businesses are encouraged to use innovative techniques to deliver goods and services to the community while limiting exposure to the Covid-19 virus and investigate assistance programs available to them.

Curfew Set in Place

Although the Blaine County Commission had to limit the attendance April 6 at its regular meeting, it still dealt with a substantial agenda.

In response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the county enacted a curfew, limiting those on the streets to essential personnel between the hours of 10 p.m.-6 a.m. Anyone found in violation of the curfew can be fined $500. Sheriff Tony Almaguer said he was hopeful the curfew would help limit the spread of the Coronavirus as well as decrease the nighttime criminal activity around the county. Anyone who notices a suspicious vehicle abroad during curfew hours is encouraged to report it to dispatch.

The department has added additional deputies either temporary or part time and the department has gone to 12- hour shifts for the duration of the pandemic.

County Clerk: ‘We Were Not Hacked’

Blaine County Clerk Jennifer Haigler on April 27 made clear the county database has not been hacked. The rumor came to be, she said, when a county received notice an employee had been approved for unemployment benefits. It is standard procedure to contact the employer before releasing benefits. However, Haigler knew this employee was still on the job and had not filed a claim, although the same employee may have had a worker’s compensation claim in the past.

The entire claim was a falsehood. That lead to the rumor, which Haigler quashed.

The information used to file the paperwork could have been taken from discarded mail or from a mailbox or taken online in some other way. But the county’s internet technology providers searched the system and verified its firewalls had not been breached or hacked in any way.

“There has been no hacking at the county,” Haigler said. “We’re unsure how the information was obtained, but our IT people have done a thorough check.”

City Hall, Library to Reopen May 4

With the easing of restrictions on group gatherings on the horizon, Watonga is ready to begin allowing access to its buildings as well. According to City Manager Larry Mitchell, the city will unlock doors at City Hall and the Watonga City Library on Monday, May 4.

“That’s based on current guidance from the governor’s office,” he said. That guidance and response to it is contingent on the state not seeing a leap in the number of new cases of Covid-19 being reported. Blaine County is one of a very few counties in the state to remain free of confirmed cases of the virus.

As to the rest of the city facilities, Mitchell said, “It’s wait and see. Sports and recreation may be able to open facilities on May 14, according to the governor’s plan.”

- May -

Students Honored in All State Awards

The annual Academic Awards banquet had been set for May 16 but was canceled because of restrictions on group meetings forced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is partnering with OETA Public Television to broadcast a 30-minute tribute to award winning-students and educator.

The program, featuring videos submitted by the 2020 Academic All-Staters, including Jared Cox of Canton High School and Noah Hightower of Watonga High School, and other special guests, will be hosted by longtime Tulsa television anchor Scott Thompson, a trustee of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Geary’s Class of 2020 Graduates

When life – and the Covid-19 pandemic – gave the Geary High School Class of 2020 lemons, they made lemonade and some new traditions as well.

The school district knew in mid-March that spring break would be extended. Then came the news that schools would not resume in-person classes and gatherings were cancelled.

The students were able to spread out in the gym the day before graduation to watch the traditional senior slide show, which features photos of the students as babies or toddlers, during their academic and sports careers and as seniors about to graduate.

Canton Shooting Claims One Life

The Blaine County Sheriff’s office continues to investigate a shooting in Canton that left a 42-year-old man dead. According to Undersheriff David Robertson, the dead man is Casey Bierig, believed to have been living in Canton.

Robertson said the fatality was the result of an ongoing domestic issue that ended May 18 in the shooting.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the case and confirmed the case remains open.

City Victim of Embezzlement

A discussion during a Watonga City Council meeting revealed some city funds had gone missing from the light and water department. The discussion was part of an audit report from FSW&B CPA for the fiscal year 2018-19

Ȧccording to Watonga Police Chief Shawn Kays, officer Brian Johnson took the report in November 2019 that $9,447.23 had gone missing between March and June. The method by which the money disappeared was the end-of-day tally of the cash drawers was deposited into the bank.

However, the deposit slip and the amount of money in the deposit did not match. This occurred five times to total the $9,447.

The situation was discovered, the auditor said, by internal controls and that allowed the firm to give the city a clean finding on its audit. The auditor claimed the misappropriation was not caught immediately because of changes in personnel at the office, but it was an exception rather than being widespread throughout the organization.

- June -

Watonga Celebrates 2020 Graduates with Unconventional Weekend Fun

When the Class of 2020 talks about their graduation, it won’t be like any other in Watonga High School’s history. The graduates were treated to a townwide party, complete with a cruise around town, just like back in the day.

They were fed for free by Hideaway barbecue and given snow cones courtesy of Travis Daugherty. Saturday dawned bright, clear and hot. Students arrived and gathered under the shade provided by the new home stands where they combed their hair, adjusted their cap or gowns, straightened the shawls that proclaimed they were valedictorian or salutatorian or the cords from various honor organizations. They wore high heels and running shoes, sandals and wingtips.

One by one they entered the stands to “Pomp and Circumstance” and when seated heard recorded addresses from the valedictorians. Every speech mentioned that their experience was not as anticipated, but none was angry or bitter. The graduates left the seats as their names and those of their parents were read aloud.

They paused briefly to pick up their diplomas off a table and exited to the congratulations of the school board members and superintendent.

Blaine County DHS Office to Close Its Doors by June 19

According to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, employee productivity went up as they worked from home, inducing the department to close about half of its locations, including the Watonga office.The move will save $6 million statewide. Justin Brown, the director of the department, said the state will partner with other community organizations to offer continuity of service delivery. “It could be tribal partners.

Closures will take place in the next six months. The Watonga office is expected to close by June 19.