Local News
Winter Storm 2010
As of 4 p.m. most of Chickasha has been without electrical service. PSO officials say crews are being brought in from other states to help re-establish power to customers in this area.
Click here for PSO's list of communities with outages.
Click here to report a PSO service area outage.
Wednesday's 65-degree temperatures were just a tease, because as predicted for days, a mix of wintry precipitation coupled with freezing or below temperatures moved into the state early Thursday morning.
And, conditions deteriotated in a hurry across Oklahoma.
A thin glaze of ice was beginning to collect on roadways mid-morning in central and western parts of the state, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The mess began early.
State Troopers responded to the first ice-related wreck on I-40 near Elk City about 7:30 a.m. At about 8:10 a.m., another ice-related accident closed I-40 at US 81 in El Reno.
Eastbound I-40 west of Weatherford was also closed about 9:20 a.m. because of an overturned tractor-trailer rig, the patrol reported.
Many schools district announced closings Wednesday, in anticipation of the winter storm that is expected to bring up to an inch of ice in some areas, topped with two to seven inches of snow. Some had already decided to close Friday as well and other said they would make decisions later Thursday.
Chickasha Public Schools were closed Thursday and Superintendent Jim Glaze said Thursday morning the district would be closed Friday.l.
"It's starting to stick out there," Glaze said at about 10:30 a.m. "It's going to get bad. We are going to shut down Friday as well."
Glaze also said Chickasha's wrestling homecoming dual has been postponed and the Chickasha Wrestling Tournament that was scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled. Also, the Chicks and Lady Chicks won't be traveling to Midwest City tonight to play a Suburban Conference basketball game against Carl Albert.
Check chickashanews.com for the latest developments on road conditions and additional closings.
Oklahoma was under a winter storm warning Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday.
A winter storm warning means significat amounts of snow and sleet are anticipated, making travel very hazardous or impossible in some areas.
The ice accumulation on power lines, coupled with wind gusts of up to 30 miles an hour, is a recipe for widespread power outages.
There were already outages reported in the state before noon Thursday. Ice accumulations snapped electrical lines in southwestern Oklahoma, knocking out power to 100 electrical customers in Kiowa County near Hobart, said Andrea Chancellor, spokeswoman for Public Service Company of Oklahoma.
Emergency managers in the region said they expected more power outages as the storm intensified.
"With the amount of ice we're getting on the lines, probably this afternoon parts of town will be in the dark," said Hobart Police Chief Rex Brown.
Matt Lehenbauer, emergency manager in Woodward County in northwestern Oklahoma, said forecasters were predicting 14 to 16 inches of snow in the area.
"It looks like we're going to get more snow than ice," Lehenbauer said. "Our biggest concern is the loss of power."
Gov. Brad Henry declared a statewide emergency on Wednesday for all 77 counties to help transportation crews and emergency responders prepare for it.
Terri Angier of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation said the agency discouraged travel in the region.
"We are asking people to please stay home today," Angier said. She said the storm appeared as intense as a Christmas Eve blizzard that dumped up to 14 inches of snow on parts of the state, stranding scores of motorists on snow-choked roads.
Airlines canceled more than 50 flights at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City over concerns about icing on aircraft, said Karen Carney, public information and marketing manager.
Local residents flocked to grocery stores and hardware stories Wednesday to stock up on food, water, batteries and other essentials to ride out the storm.
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Transformations
What comes to mind when you think of the word, “Transformation”?Do you have fantastic thoughts of people or things changing into something amazing for example, Clark Kent turning into Superman or Bruce Banner becoming the Incredible Hulk or possibly something a little more down to earth like a caterpillar miraculously changing into the beautiful butterfly?
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GRADY COUNTY FAIR RESULTS
Plants
Potted Plants
(Several varieties combined)
First: (Adult) Ann O'Bar
Second: (Adult) Joyce Riker
Third: (Adult) Jallane Link -
AROUND THE AREA
SEPTEMBER 2
Poetry Reading
• When: Sept. 2, 7 p.m.
• Where: Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant, Private Room, 3127 S. 4th St., Chickasha
• Details: Featured Poet is Carol Hamilton, writer, storyteller and Poet Laureate of Oklahoma 1995-97Hamilton’s website is www.carolhamilton.org. There is no admission fee to attend the Poetry Reading, and refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, contact Rockford Johnson, 224-0160 or 317-7506. -
Duncan nips Chicks for straight-game win
Duncan got their eighth match win of the season Tuesday, beating Nancy Waters’ Lady Chicks in straight games at the Activity Center.
The Chicks looked like they had a little hangover from Monday night’s tough road loss at Tecumseh, coming out flat again and dropping their first two games by identical 25-17 scores.
They came out firing on all eight cylinders for game three, running out to a 15-9 lead on the strength of a 7-0 run with Shelby Crosley serving, but the Demons battled back to tie it late and the Chicks let it slip away, 25-21. -
STATE SPORTS BRIEFS
NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has named walk-on Patrick O'Hara as the starting place-kicker for the seventh-ranked Sooners.
Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday night that O'Hara won the competition with Jimmy Stevens, freshman Michael Hunnicutt and redshirt freshman Bryce Easley. -
OSU's Gundy still learning on job
STILLWATER (AP) — Mike Gundy hasn't lost his love for dialing up the right play to keep Oklahoma State's offense purring along.
That passion, which he has called the most enjoyable part of his job as head coach, was bred into him as an offensive coordinator. And he is a former starting quarterback for the Cowboys. -
Whimsical metal work, jewelry part of big art show at USAO
A showing of whimsical metal work and jewelry is scheduled to be on display at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma during Helen’s Show Sept. 10-Oct 1.
The show will feature the work of USAO graduate Helen Shafer. The exhibition will be open daily during normal business hours in the Davis Hall Third Floor Art Gallery on the USAO campus. The show is free and open to the public. An opening reception is scheduled Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the gallery. -
High-speed chase lands 1 in jail
A high-speed motorcycle chase down Highway 81 last Wednesday landed a Ninnekah man in jail and a felony charge of eluding a police officer.
Court records show that James William Hutchins, 21, blew by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Parrish at U.S. Highway 81 and County Road 1460 and was clocked going 144 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone.
Parrish reported that he was sitting stationary at that location at about 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 25 when he observed a red motorcycle traveling southbound. He engaged his emergency lights and siren and pulled onto the roadway behind the Triumph motorcycle. -
5 inmates denied parole
Parole was recently denied for five Grady County inmates serving sentences with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
The following individuals were denied at the August Pardon and Parole Board meeting:
• Jeremiah Daniel Cline, who is serving a five-year sentence for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, began his sentence in August 2008.
• Warren P. Diego, who is serving a 15-year sentence (10 years PTS) for lewd molestation, began his sentence in February 2009. -
Judge recuses herself from pharmacy case
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state district judge has stepped aside from the first-degree murder trial of a pharmacist accused in the fatal shooting of an unconscious would-be robber.
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Transformations
