Local News
Judge denies inmate’s testimony in sentencing
Eight more witnesses took the stand Monday in day four of the Ronson Bush murder trial.
Bush pleaded guilty last week to the murder of his friend William “Billy” Harrington.
However, prosecuting attorney Bret Burn’s ace-in-the-hole witness, Grady County Jail inmate Jackie Nash, was not permitted to testify after defense attorneys Vicki Floyd and Mary Bruehl raised objections, saying Nash was not endorsed as a witness prior to the beginning of the trial.
“This should not be allowed,” said Bruehl.
District Judge Richard Van Dyck sustained the defense’s objection and did not allow Nash to testify.
Burns said Nash was going to testify that Bush laughed about killing Harrington and bragged about his plot to escape duing the course of the trial.
OSBI Agent Elizabeth Green did testify, over more objections from the defense who dismissed Green’s credentials as “hearsay” and also objected to crime scene photos taken by Green as “prejudicial.”
Van Dyck overruled the objections and allowed grisly photos of Harrington’s body at the crime scene. Green gave exact descriptions of every photograph.
Louis Garrison of the district attorney’s office also took the stand to testify about how, on the night of Harrington’s murder, Bush took Harrington’s truck to an Anadarko convenience store and purchased beer with Harrington’s credit card.
Garrison obtained a video from the store showing Bush arriving, purchasing beer and then leaving the premises. The defense objected to the video, saying it was “irrelevant,” to which Burns replied vehemently “Every piece of evidence we present is relevant.”
Next, several jail employees, including Kent Baldwin, IT manager and maintenance for the Grady County Jail and Shane Wyatt, jail administrator, testified about a damaged window screen in Bush’s jail cell with pry marks on it, indicating inmates had been attempting to remove the screen from the window.
Baldwin said the metal around the screen was too strong to remove without tools and that he later discovered a metal rod taken from a floor grate. The rod was hidden inside the grate and was sharpened on one end.
Baldwin said he believed the rod was possibly used to try to remove the screens.
Jail videos of the cell in question show Bush and other inmates “always at that window, always working on that,” Baldwin said.
Bush’s ex-girlfriend Stephenie Morgan took the stand a second time, telling the court about how Bush had stolen her credit card, running up a bill of more than $2,500 on liquor, pornography and other items. She also testified that Bush told her he killed Harrington for his love for her.
“He said he did it in my honor,” Morgan said.
Day five of the trial will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
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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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Sooners' announcer to retire
NORMAN (AP) — Bob Barry Sr. announced Tuesday that he plans to retire as the radio play-by-play voice of Oklahoma football and men's basketball after the upcoming season.
Barry has been the radio voice of the Sooners for the last 20 years and he also had a 12-year stint in the job at the beginning of his career. In between, he handled the play-by-play for Tulsa basketball games and then for Oklahoma State football and basketball. -
NEWS BRIEFS
City offices close Monday
The City of Chickasha's offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 6 in observance of Labor Day. Regular city services will resume on Tuesday.
Waste Connections announced that they will be "business-as-usual" on Labor Day. Customers will receive sanitation services on the regular Monday route. -
GRADY COUNTY FAIR RESULTS
HCE Home
Management
Cross stitch or
Embroidery item
Meridian Happy Home - Mabel Pharis
Lucile-Blue Bonnet - Myrtle Elston
Rural Neighbors - Nona Sherer
Friend - Faith Andrus
Misc. needlework
Spring Creek - Deone Moskayitch
Meridian Happy Home - Mary Spurlin -
around the Areas
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.. -
NHS principal appreciates effort of law enforcement
To the Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank District Attorney Bret Burns and Chickasha Police Chief Lynn Williams for going above and beyond their job descriptions to help me with a situation that recently occurred at Ninnekah High School.
Chickasha Police Chief Lynn Williams helped in a matter that occurred in the Chickasha city limits, but affected Ninnekah School. I appreciate his assistance. The Chickasha School District is extremely lucky to have a police chief who will go the extra mile to support education and student safety. -
Lawmaker examines state questions
There are going to be 11 state questions on your ballot when you go to the voting booth this November. Last week I covered the first state question that was put on the ballot through the initiative petition process by the teachers’ labor union, therefore bypassing the state legislature, State Question 744.
All of the remaining 10 state questions were put on after being passed by the legislature, so that the people would have a voice in deciding these important issues. - More Local News Headlines
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