Local News
City ordinance limits on potentially vicious animals
CHICKASHA — When it came to dealing with vicious animals, Chickasha officers were on a short leash.
A modification to the city's animal ordinance passed by the Council Monday evening, however, is supposed to give officers the latitude they need to protect residents from dangerous animals.
Police Chief Lynn Williams said the provisions came as a result of a series of municipal court hearings in which residents had almost been bitten by an animal.
Under the original ordinance, an animal had to physically bite a person before it could be declared dangerous.
Williams said the ordinance gave the city no power to fight animals who had attacked people but had been unable to bite them. The chief said the final straw came when a local church worker was chased to his pickup by a pit-type dog.
The new provisions provide for a definition of a "potentially dangerous" and "potentially vicious" animal.
Williams said the provisions give animal control officers and police officers the ability to declare an animal potentially vicious if it displays aggressive behavior.
The declaration can be appealed to municipal court, where a judge will make the final determination on whether the animal is potentially vicious.
If marked as potentially vicious, the provisions include a new set of guidelines the pet owners must follow.
Within 30 days of being declared potentially vicious or dangerous, the owner must provide a kennel for the animal with 150 square feet of space for each animal within the pen. The kennel must be located within a yard confined by a sight-proof fence, measuring at least six foot high.
Any time the animal is removed from the confines, it must be on a leash and muzzled.
Animal control must be provided with two color photos of the animal and the animal will be required to have an electronic identification tag.
Williams said owners have to register the animal with the city on an annual basis, at a cost of $100 per year. The owners will also have to provide the city notification if the animal dies or is moved out of city limits.
As breeding of potentially dangerous animals is against city ordinance, the animal will have to be sterilized once it has been deemed potentially vicious. If the animal is already pregnant, the offspring must be removed from city limits once they are of weaning age.
Owners will also be required to have insurance on their animal. The ordinance requires a minimum of $100,000 for bodily injury or death.
Williams said the provisions have been modeled after the requirements enacted in Edmond within the last year, and he believes they will help keep the residents of Chickasha safe from animal attacks.
The city council agreed and passed the modification unanimously.
The chief said the city has seen a recent decline in animal bites. He attributed the decrease to the persistence of the animal control officers
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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
