May 24, 2016

By Paragon News Intern Jami Butcher  –

State and local law enforcement agencies across the nation have stepped up enforcement to crack down on motorists who aren’t wearing their seat belts.

The national “Click It or Ticket” campaign kicked off last week and continues through Sunday, June 5.

The national seat belt use rate stands at 87 percent, but Sayre Police Chief Ronnie Harrold believes Americans can do better. Harrold believes the other 13 percent, an estimated 27.5 million people, still need to be reminded.

His department chooses to participate in the national “crack down” effort because the department knows how important it is to wear a seatbelt.

Law enforcement agencies that choose to participate in the campaign write tickets day and night to violators of the seat belt law. In Sayre, Harrold says the maximum amount of a ticket is $20.

Each year, the Sayre police department is a strong supporter of Click It or Ticket. Harrold believes in the campaign because seatbelts make a difference.

The campaign takes place each year around Memorial Day Weekend, which is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

Harrold says if these seat belt enforcement crackdowns get people’s attention and gets them to buckle up, then his department has done its job.

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May 24, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

A previously convicted Elk City felon has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

20-year-old Cody Wayne Thomason pleaded guilty to a number of crimes recently and was sentenced by District Judge Doug Haught to a total of 15 years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections with all but 10 years suspended.

In 2014, Thomason pled no contest to felony charges of possession of methamphetamine, shooting with intent to kill and using a vehicle in the discharging of a weapon and was given a suspended sentence, but new felony charges in both 2015 and 2016 forced a revocation of that suspended sentence.

In 2015, Thomason was charged with obstruction of a police officer and in January of this year, he found himself facing more possession charges and another obstruction charge.

Thomason was also wanted for questioning in a January shooting incident at the Queen City Mobile Home Park in Elk City.

On Monday, January 18, Elk City police executed a search warrant on a mobile home following a 7 am shooting that sent a woman to the local hospital with what was initially thought to be non-life threatening injuries. At that time, police were looking for a man who fled from the scene that had worn a face mask, broke into the mobile home through the front door and fired a shotgun blast inside the residence striking the woman, possibly in the face.  It’s unknown what Thomason’s involvement was in the incident.

About a week later, police caught up with Thomason in an alley behind a convenience store at the southeast corner of Colorado and Country Club Road in Elk City, but fled from officers when he saw them.

After a brief chase, he was apprehended in the backyard of a nearby residence and taken to jail. After a search of his personal possessions from the time of his arrest, Thomason was found to have marijuana and four syringes containing the presence of meth.

Two days later, Beckham County Jail Deputies in Sayre found Thomason with two, clear plastic bags that he’d had in his mouth and was forced to spit them out onto the floor. The crystal substance inside them tested positive for meth.

May 24, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

An Oklahoma City man is in the Beckham County Detention Center on a $20-thousand dollar bond on a drug possession charge.

56-year-old Michael Shawn Blevins was arrested by Elk City police recently when they were sent to the Wal-Mart parking lot regarding a suspicious person report.

According to a police report, just minutes after midnight, a man was seen shining a flash light around the parked cars. When police arrived, they spotted a blue Honda backed into a parking space with only one subject inside.  Blevins was found in the back seat shining a light.  He was allegedly seen with a syringe in his hand, attempting to stick himself, using the flashlight to see.

When he saw police, he allegedly tried to conceal the syringe in his right hand, the report says. He then tried to palm the syringe in a cheetah print bag on the seat beside him, but as he was moving the bag, officers say the handle of a M&P shield handgun in the bag.

Michael told police that he was diabetic and was giving himself a shot of insulin. When asked if he was type 1 or a type 2 diabetic, he stated type 1.

The officer then stated that only type 2 diabetics need insulin at which point Blevins hung his head and allegedly stated, “you know what it is.”

Inside the bag, police allegedly found 6 baggies containing various quantities of a white crystal like substance that they believed to be methamphetamine.

He was arrested and has been charged with possession of a controlled, dangerous substance and possession of a firearm after former felony conviction.

His preliminary hearing is set in district court for June 21.

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May 25, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

A 17-year-old Elk City youth has died after an ATV accident in Custer County.

Kenny Chervenka was pronounced dead at the scene from head and neck injuries after the accident happened sometime after noon near Foss Lake State Park.

According to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report, the boy was heading east through a field and attempted to go down an embankment. He was ejected from the Polaris Sportsman 700 ATV and rolled down the hill.  The report says the ATV came to rest on the driver and pinned him for an unknown amount of time.

According to a report, Chervenka was checking fences on property where he worked after a bull had been found missing earlier.

Martin-Dugger Funeral Home in Elk City is handling the funeral arrangements.

The accident happened sometime between 12:20 and 1 pm Tuesday afternoon on private property about a mile south of State Highway 73 at County Road 2100.

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May 25, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

An area electric cooperative is exploring geothermal energy options for its members, an idea that may save a lot of money.

As a member-owned cooperative, Northfork Electric Cooperative is always looking for ways to help members. In doing so, the coop has signed a new contract with Geo-Energy Services to provide third-party expertise to the coop’s existing geothermal heat pump program.

According to Tyson Taussig, Northfork Electric Coop’s Utility Program Manager, GES will be implementing a plan to help members install geothermal heat pumps in their homes.

Taussig says Geo-Energy Services isn’t selling geothermal heat pumps and remain unbiased towards any brand or particular company, but will provide independent expertise on the technology for coop members.

Taussig says he’s found Western Oklahoman’s have been receptive to the new energy option.

A geothermal heat pump is a lot like the heat pumps in many houses now, but these new ones are ground source instead of air source. Taussig says ground source, geothermal heat pumps are just a better way to heat and cool a home.  He says they work like other heating and cooling systems with thermostats and fans, but they don’t need natural gas or propane, they’re quiet and extremely reliable, plus they save a great deal of money by using much less electricity during peak times.

Taussig and his associates are actively spreading the word that geothermal is the way to go in the future.

Taussig says the new ground source systems work by pairing the heating and cooling system with a series of ground loops that extend down into the ground. That’s where the earth has a nice stable temperature and it provides a way to keep the home comfortable throughout the year.

His primary concern, obviously, is for Northfork members but says, the new technology is a great option for any energy partners and should be available no matter where one gets their power.

Taussig says there’s a number of high quality, geothermal installers from which to choose in Western Oklahoma.

Because of the future savings potential for their members, Northfork Electric Cooperative is assisting with a large portion of the upfront cost to install the system by paying a direct rebate to their members of $1-thousand-50-dollars per ton installed. Along with the 30 percent federal tax credit, Taussig says a new geothermal heat pump is very affordable.

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May 25, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

Wheeler County Sheriff J. Wesley Crites was reelected Tuesday in a special run-off election.

Crites, originally from Pampa, will be serving his second term as sheriff beginning in January of 2017.

Crites opponent was Jimmy W. Adams who received 453 votes to Crites 656 votes. Crites won with almost 60 % of the votes cast.

Crites has served as a professional police officer for over 34 years, according to his campaign material and retired as Commander of Texas DPS Narcotics Division and is currently commissioned as Special Texas Ranger for the department.

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April 6, 2016

By Paul Joseph, Paragon Communications News Director –

A Clinton man who shot himself by accident has been arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at others.

According to a story in the Clinton Daily News, 27-year-old Mikel Alex Salinas shot himself in the wrist recently, but was later arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at his three of his neighbors.

When officers went to handcuff him last Saturday, Salinas still had the bandages on from the self-shooting.

Detective Captain Mike Murley of the Clinton Police Department says police were called about 12:15 Saturday morning to an alley in the 500 block of South 11^th Street.  When officers arrived, they met with neighbors who pointed to a nearby yard and said two men there had a gun.  The men had an argument with the neighbors.  One went to his residence and then returned to the alley with what was described as a black handgun and allegedly pointed the gun at all three neighbors.  That man has been identified as Salinas.

When one of the neighbors told Salinas they were going to call the police, Salinas allegedly went back to the yard he had come from and hid the gun.

The other man with Salinas was reported to be his Salinas’ brother and the two had been working on a pickup when the verbal altercation started.

Murley says no shots were ever fired and no one was injured.

Salinas is due in court on May 13 on the charge of feloniously pointing a firearm for a preliminary hearing conference.

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May 26, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

The Water-Zoo Indoor Water Park officially opens its newest attraction this weekend in Clinton.

The 28-thousand square foot indoor water park has redesigned one of its four story high slides into a fast, challenging video game/ride called, “Slideboarding.”

Water-Zoo Marketing Director Debbie Linderer says the ride is interactive and guests will be competing against themselves as well as other guests with results being posted on a video board at the park and also on a website.

She says water park officials are expecting a big crowd on Saturday, opening day.

The newest attraction will use a special type of flotation board that has controls that interact with targets inside the tube with different levels to conquer.

Linderer says after months and months of preparation and construction, everyone at the park is excited about the grand opening of the interactive gaming experience inside the water slide.

The new attraction will be included in the price of admission.

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May 26, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

SWOSU has tapped a new Dean of Pharmacy.

Dr. David A. Ralph, who has been serving as interim Dean since January 1, has recently been named to permanently head of the College of Pharmacy at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford.

Ralph earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from SWOSU and began his employment with the university as an instructor in pharmacy administration and director of continuing education in 1975.  He was promoted to Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs in 1985, achieved associate professor in 1995 and was named Associate Dean for the College of Pharmacy in 2000.

In addition, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree from SWOSU in 1979 and his doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 1984.

Ralph is an active member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Oklahoma Pharmaceutical Association, and Southwestern Pharmacy Alumni Association.  He served on the board of Pharmat, Inc. for 34 years, a company that produced continuing education materials for pharmacists.

Since 1978, he has been the financial administrator for the Southwestern Pharmacy Alumni Foundation, Inc., responsible for investments and financial information for the non-profit corporation that supports the educational endeavors of the SWOSU College of Pharmacy.

New SWOSU College of Pharmacy initiatives that he is currently active with are the rural health programs and the Panama medical mission trips.

He and his wife, Vicki, have three children and all three are SWOSU graduates.

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May 26, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

Elk City’s Pioneer Center has been renamed in honor of a Tony award winning, Broadway star.

In a special meeting on Tuesday, the Elk City School Board officially changed the name of the 964 seat auditorium to honor Elk City native Kelli O’Hara.

School Board President Brandon Storm says only part of the building was renamed.

O’Hara has appeared on Broadway and Off-Broadway in many musicals since making her Broadway debut as a replacement in Jekyll & Hyde in 2000. A six-time Tony Award nominee, her one Tony award was received for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for the 2015 revival of The King and I.

Also renamed at the special meeting was the high school’s ag building in honor of Larry Long, an ag teacher for 49 years, 41 in Elk City. The building is named the Larry Long Agricultural Educational Building.

As for the renaming of the performing arts center building, Storm thinks he knows where the idea came from.

Elk City claims O’Hara, but according to the internet, she graduated from Deer Creek High School and attended Oklahoma City University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Music in vocal performance/opera, studying with Florence Birdwell who also taught Kristin Chenowith, another famous actress and singer from Oklahoma, Broken Arrow, to be exact.

Storm says the idea to rename the center for O’Hara was an easy sell.

Soon after she heard she was being honored with the naming of the performing arts center, O’Hara went to Facebook, where she posted that when she was 5, her parents took her to see actress and singer and former Miss America Susan Powell – also from Elk City – at the Susan Powell auditorium in Elk City.

O’Hara says she had, apparently, fallen asleep and Powell stopped and kissed her as she walked up the aisle. O’Hara says soon after she made a decision to be a singer like Susan.

O’Hara ended the post with this comment: “I am and will always be monumentally honored and grateful to have my name on your art center in the town of my childhood dreams. A little girl’s dream came true today.  Mine.”

O’Hara is married to Greg Naughton, son of actor James Naughton. They have two children.

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May 27, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

A Sayre man has been reappointed to another three-year term on a state commission.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has reappointed Gene Moses to the Merit Protection Commission where he’s served 15 years, the past 6 years as chairman.

Moses says the Merit Protection Commission is a nine-person judiciary body made up of various citizens appointed from around the state who – once appointed – become classified as appeals judges.

The body hears grievances or disciplinary action complaints from state employees or employees of state agencies that have previously received judgements from lower courts and but yet wish to appeal the decision.

Moses recently completed his fifth term on the commission and says it gives him a good feeling when the commission hears a case and ‘properly’ overrules a previous decision rectifying the verdict. He receives some satisfaction for having done the right thing.

Oklahoma has 34-thousand employees and 120 state agencies and his commission is charged with investigating alleged violations of the Oklahoma Personnel Act and assists agencies in complying with the act.

Moses is thankful to the governor for his continued appointments. He’s served on the commission for a total of four governors, including Fallin beginning with Governor David Walters.

He says the Merit Protection Commission hears anywhere from one to five cases each time they meet and a back ground in law is unnecessary, just a lot of common sense and the desire to do the right thing that helps people.

Moses also serves on the Sayre City Council and is currently serving as vice-mayor.

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May 27, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

Texas Department of Safety Troopers have seized almost 25 pounds of Methamphetamine and almost 10-pounds of cocaine on the interstate.

Wednesday, a trooper stopped a vehicle heading east on Interstate 40 in Carson County, near Conway, Texas for a traffic violation. During the stop about 2:30 in the afternoon, the trooper allegedly discovered several plastic-wrapped packages full of drugs inside the spare tire and underneath the dashboard of the Ford F-350 pickup.

44-year-old Martin Mendoza of Dulzura, California was arrested and charged with felony possession of a controlled, dangerous substance. He was transported and booked into the Carson County Jail.

The confiscated meth and cocaine are valued at approximately $2.7 million dollars and were allegedly being transported from Mexico to Wichita, Kansas.

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May 27, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

A Cheyenne woman is in jail after allegedly stealing a truck with a hay bed.

36-year-old Stephanie Deanne Shepard is in the Beckham County Detention Center today on a 10-thousand dollar bond awaiting an August court date.

According to an Elk City Police report, police dispatch advised officers that a stolen vehicle out of Sayre was being followed by the reporting party.

The officer followed the white, Dodge truck and attempted to stop it. The vehicle continued west on Country Club Road before coming to stop near Falcon Road.

The officer wrote in the report that he exited his patrol car and drew his duty weapon giving verbal commands to the driver, Shepard to turn off the vehicle and get out and to walk backward toward the sound of the officer’s voice, however, the report says, she turned around and began to question why she was being stopped. She wouldn’t comply and was forcibly arrested.

Once Shepard was secured, the vehicle was cleared to insure there were no other occupants. Once the officer opened the back passenger door, he observed a rifle lying in the back seat.

Later, Sayre Assistant Police Chief Mondo Villegas confirmed to Elk City Police that the suspect in the theft of the vehicle was Shepard.

The truck was returned to its owner.

Shepard made her initial appearance in court in front of Associate District Judge Michelle Roper yesterday and her preliminary hearing is set for August 9 in Beckham Count District Court.

Besides being charged with stolen property, Shepard has allegedly been charged with possession of a firearm after former felony conviction.

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June 1, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

Saying it’s “time to roll up our sleeves and do the job ourselves,” local farmer and rancher Wayne Walters has announced his candidacy for Oklahoma’s State House of Representatives, District 55.

Walters filed for the house seat during the candidate filing period in April and was unopposed in the Democratic Primary. He will face incumbent Todd Russ in the fall campaign.

Walters says his roots are planted in Western Oklahoma and that faith, common sense, and hard work are his core values.

In a prepared statement sent to the media, Walters said in it that our state politicians are failing us and he would work for a better way.

Walters sold his insurance agency in Elk City in 2012, but continues to buy and sell oil properties in addition to his farming and ranching responsibilities and says he’s retained his real estate license.

He believes that the local economy, public education and rural health care are three of the most important issues facing Oklahomans and is quoted in his campaign announcement statement that “our so-called leaders tell us one thing and then do another.” Walters said they gave away our money durin ghte good times and left us broke in the bad times,” slashing public education because they want to force consolidation.

Walters also said, “I know I’m going to be attacked and called names by my opponent, but I believe we deserve better.”

Wayne and his wife of 34 years, Shawn, still operate the family farm, have three children, and one grandchild.  His political website, waltersworks.us says they are active members of Elk City United Methodist Church and have decades of public service in each of their backgrounds.

Walters also said in his statement that he’ll work for Western Oklahomans and not for capitol lobbyists as he brings jobs back to the area while supporting teachers and families.

District 55 is comprised of all of Washita and Roger Mills County, all of Beckham County except for the northeast part of Elk City, the Hobart and Lone Wolf areas of Kiowa County and Willow and just outside of Mangum in Greer County.

The fall election is November 1.

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June 1, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

An Elk City man is in jail after being arrested for possession of Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Elk City police were called Tuesday morning about 11 to an area of 2^nd and Boone in reference to an unknown disturbance.  While the officer was enroute, dispatch informed the patrolman that the male subject had tried to slice the tires on a black suburban.  Dispatch added that the male – described as a white male, wearing a gray shirt – had begun chasing the suburban with a knife.

Upon arrival, police observed a man matching the description, 38-year-old Ralyn Edward Walker throw something at the vehicle.

According to the police report, during Walker’s pat-down by the officer for weapons, he found an object inside Walker’s right, front pocket. When asked, Walker allegedly told the officer it was his pipe and that a baggie was inside the pipe.

The pipe was allegedly found in a sunglasses sleeve and when removed, the pipe was found to have a white residue inside both the bulb and the stem of the pipe.

Later, the residue inside the pipe and the white, crystal substance found inside the baggie tested positive for methamphetamine, the police report says.

Anticipated charges are expected to be possession of a CDS within 1-thousand feet of a school and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Online court records show that Walker pled guilty to three counts of possession of a CDS in April of 2006 and received 5 years in the Department of Corrections with all but 23 days suspended.

A court date hasn’t been listed.

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June 1, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

A pickup collision with a deer on a state highway sent a Hydro woman to an Oklahoma City hospital last night.

79-year-old Peggy Pence arrived in stable condition in OU Medical Center with internal injuries after first being taken to Quartz Mountain Medical Center in Mangum and later taken to Jackson County Memorial Hospital in Altus before finally being air transported to OU.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol report, Pence was a passenger in a 2012 Ford F350 pickup driven by 58-year-old Lyndon Pence, also of Hydro. Lyndon was taken to Quartz Mountain where he was treated for his injuries and released.

The report says the pickup was eastbound on State Highway 9 about three-miles west of Mangum in Greer County when it struck the deer in the roadway causing the pickup to depart the roadway for about 450 feet and finally impacting a rock.

The report says the driver was not wearing a seatbelt while the passenger was.

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June 2, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

Elk City travelers will be facing congested traffic for the next 45-60 days when traveling on South Main Street over Interstate 40 as ODOT construction crews do some maintenance work.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s Assistant Division Engineer for District 5 Taylor Henderson says his department has two projects slated for the area. One is a complete demolition of the Main Street bridge over the interstate (also called Highway 6) which is slated for 2018 and the current project that began Wednesday.

Henderson says his maintenance crews are, basically, rehabbing the roadway.

According to the latest traffic count, approximately 75-hundred vehicles travel that section of Main Street every day and the construction impacts a number of drivers as the divided road is diverted into one-lane traffic, each way.

Henderson says the roadway will remain open, but not so in 2018 when the bridge will be totally reconstructed, a project of about $6-million dollars.

Interstate 40 travelers just a couple miles west of the Highway 6 bridge are also familiar with the current construction of what’s called the Merritt Road bridge. Henderson says the Merritt Road bridge is being rehabilitated which shouldn’t take too long.

As for the work that began Wednesday, the rehabilitation should get rid of the bumps that travelers experience both north and south of the Highway 6 bridge over the Interstate.

The rehabilitation is slated to be finished the middle to latter part of July.

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June 2, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

Tuesday, we reported a story about an 11-year-old Burns Flat boy that died last Friday night in Weatherford as a result of being struck by a vehicle. Hayden Scott Helton’s funeral has been set for Friday at 10 am, however, due to the rain that’s fallen over the last 24-hours, his services have been moved from the 5-plex baseball field in Elk City to the Elk City Pioneer Center.

Police are still declining the release of information regarding the accident that took the life of the child about 7:30 pm at the intersection of North Sixth Street and West Huber Avenue.   The incident is still under investigation.

According to a release from the police department, all parties involved with the accident are cooperating with law enforcement and information is expected to be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office when the investigation is complete.

Again, Helton’s funeral services have been moved to the Elk City Pioneer Center and held at 10 am on Friday.

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June 2, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

A car accident that claimed the life of a Roger Mills County woman is under investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

72-year-old Dianna M. Conway died at the scene of the accident on State Highway 33 about 5 miles west of Hammon.

According to the report, Conway was east bound on the highway in a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu when – for an unknown reason – the vehicle departed the roadway to the right and traveled off the highway for approximately 276 feet where it then collided with a tree.

The cause of the collision and the condition of the driver at the time of the accident are both under investigation by the OHP.

The accident happened about 7:33 Wednesday night.

Conway was not wearing a seatbelt.

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June 3, 2016

By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph  –

Southwestern Oklahoma State University summer semester classes in Weatherford and Sayre begin on Monday.

Registrar Shamus Moore on the Weatherford campus said late enrollment for eight-week classes continues through Tuesday, June 7.

He says four-week classes are also offered in June and July and the deadline to enroll for June courses is June 6 and July 5 for courses that begin in July. Shorter seminar courses are also offered.

Moore said students can enroll at the Registrar’s Office on either the Weatherford or Sayre campuses and that online enrollment is also available through the SWOSU website for students that have completed at least 60 hours and the prior semester at SWOSU.

He adds, however, that students must already be fully admitted to the University and have no holds on their account.

Students can also enroll now for the 2016 fall semester that starts August 22.

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