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Fred Fitch, right, and son Michael stand beside a poster with drawings of the Leah M. Fitch Cancer Center now under construction on the grounds of Comanche County Memorial Hospital. The decision to name the center was announced Friday at a luncheon for the Spirit of Survival race weekend, a fundraiser for the Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma.
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GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Cancer Center named for the wife of Chickasha supply business owner
By STEPHEN ROBERTSON
Lawton Constitution
Leah M. Fitch lost a seven-year struggle with breast cancer in 2006, but she won’t be forgotten by her family and her many friends — or by the hundreds of patients each year who will be visiting Lawton’s new cancer center named in her honor.
At a Friday luncheon kicking off Spirit of Survival weekend — a fundraiser for the Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma — Comanche County Memorial Hospital President Randy Segler announced that the new cancer center under construction on the hospital grounds will bear Fitch’s name, thanks to a gift from her husband Fred and sons Michael and Alex.
“Leah would want to be a leader in this Southwest Oklahoma Cancer Centers’ building,” said Fred Fitch, owner of Fitch Industrial and Welding Supply in Chickasha.
His family learned firsthand the difficulties that cancer patients and their loved ones endure during treatment, he said, and it wanted to help others in similar situations by providing cancer treatment close to home for those who couldn’t travel because of distance and cost.
“This community’s been good to us,” he said. “We’ve been very blessed in the fact that we’re able to do it.”
He said his wife had made many, many good friends — “Leah could walk into any room and just brighten it up,” he said — and loved Lawton.
“Leah was a wonderful person, and Leah loved life,” he said. “She loved people. She loved this community.”
Fitch said it was remarkable that the three hospitals involved in the Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma “with separate egos, vying for the same patient load, sat down and said, ‘What is the best for these communities?’”
Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma already has locations at Duncan Regional Hospital and Jackson County Memorial Hospital, and the one in Lawton is set to open in December.
The 24,000-square-foot Leah M. Fitch Cancer Center will feature a state-ofthe-art radiation oncology linear accelerator, 16 chemotherapy patient treatment rooms and medical oncology services.
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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
