Local/Area News
Thursday it was announced Oklahoma had gone from 49th in 2004 to 9th in the nation.
Thompson said the low ranking was the result of years of underfunding, but that course was reversed with legislative action 2005.
“It’s taken Oklahoma 15 years, but we’ve gone from being in the bottom ten to now being a Top Ten state for the condition of our bridges. It was a combined effort of Legislative measures supported by governors, the hard work of the Department of Transportation and with the help of our congressional delegation,” said Thompson, R-Okemah.
“I think this is proof that if we work together to find new approaches to old challenges, we can accomplish anything on behalf of our state and its citizens.”
Thompson said in 2004, nearly 1,200 of Oklahoma’s 6,800 highway bridges were considered structurally deficient—there are now just 86 bridges awaiting repair or replacement.
“With a value of $60 billion, our highway system is Oklahoma’s number one physical asset. Protecting and investing in that asset will support economic growth and job creation and ensure safer roads and bridges for all,” Thompson said.
The Oklahoma Tax Commission returned $264,737 to the town this month, a sizable gain over the 2019 return of $238,653.
That made the third consecutive month of gains this year and second largest single month increase. The largest single month came in July when the city received $275,214, an increase of $45,023 from the previous year.
The city of Okmulgee fared just as well, receiving $574,539, a $64,919 bump from a year ago.
Around the area, Dewar had an increase with $13,177 this year compared to $10,046 a year ago; Dustin picked up a check for $11,058 compared to $7,420; Morris received $24,846, up from $22,090; Okemah’s check was $124,706, a $21,000 gain from a year ago; Weleetka received $20,495 compared to $15,159 last year.
Okmulgee County’s share of sales tax revenue this month amounted to $416,090, up from $376,178 last year.
Statewide the August disbursement of $168,124,169 in sales tax collections returned to the cities and towns reflected an increase of $9,172,781 from the $158,951,388 distributed to the cities and towns in August last year.
Henryetta school board members hired Dawn DeBock as the new third grade teacher.
She was accepted at the August board meeting Monday night following a short executive session.
The board accepted Domonique Treagesser’s resignation from her middle school science position. She said she would be moving back to Broken Arrow to take a job there.
Board members will be meeting Friday morning to hire her replacement.
Monday was the first day for Henryetta teachers to report to their classrooms. Elementary principal Jayme Matlock told board members there were 65 teachers reporting and spending the day going through meetings through Google Meet. “We are learning more since we have stepped out of our comfort zone.”
Athletic director Justin Been discussed the guidelines coaches are using as football and softball sports get moving along. “The kids are putting in a lot of hard work. They are hungry to compete,” he said. “We are sanitizing and cleaning and have sanitizer at the dugouts.”
Coaches are taking the temperatures of the athletes and going over the COVID symptoms with a checklist. “For two months we have been blessed that we have not seen any positive cases but that can change.”
Been went on to say that he is talking to coaches throughout the district and all are following the same guidelines.
This season will see the school recommending social distance guidelines at the game. The concession stands will only sell prepackaged foods and he is encouraging spectators to wear masks and bring their lawn chairs to minimize the closeness in the bleachers.
Superintendent Dwayne Noble told the board all lighting fixtures throughout the entire district have been changed with the new LED lights. “The crews came in and knocked it out in two weeks.””
He went on to say work has started installing air conditioning in the gymnasium. That project is expected to take a month.
Board member Brandi Brown said there has been some concern over athletics during the COVID pandemic and appreciated hearing the efforts being made to keep the students save. “This going to be a good test of our system. Some of these plans we might be able to use in traditional classroom teaching.”
Pam Bealko commended everyone for their hard work “during these uncharted waters. It takes a lot of brainstorming and we all have the goal of keeping our children safe.”
The rodeo, set Sept. 5 and 6, will feature John Harrison as the clown act and Jessica Blair Fowlkes giving spectators a treat with stunts and liberty horse acts.Harrison has been selected five times to perform at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada and was awarded the “Coors Man in the Can” three times.
Fowlkes, a resident of Crofton, Kentucky, has performed for major events across the United States.
For the second year, the Henryetta event has been sanctioned by the PRCA that brings some of the top rodeo talent to town from all across the nation.
The rodeo is held at the Jim Shoulders Living Legends Rodeo Arena at Henryetta’s Historic Nichols Park starting at 8 each evening.
Again, there will be no presale tickets available. At the gate, tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for youngsters from six to 12 years of age. Anyone five and under gets in free and most of them have activities each night to feel like they are a part of the rodeo.
The names of Bruce Jones and Andy Bealko will be going to the Henryetta city council to be part of the Henryetta Economic Development Authority (HEDA).
Jones was approved by HEDA members to stay on the authority from now through July 1, 2025. He was filling an unexpired term that expired last month.
Bealko will be serving out the remaining term of the late Ron McAfee. That term will expire July 1, 2023.
Both have to be approved by the city council at the next meeting.
In other HEDA business Monday morning, approval was given for a $5,261.84 reimbursement to the city for 2.5 percent of the quarterly sales taxes at Shoney’s Restaurant from April 2020 through June 30, 2020. The reimbursement was originally set to cover a five-year term from when Shoney’s opened.
HEDA secretary Roy Madden noted the amount was considerably less due to the impact of COVID-19 that has affected many food establishments here and across the state.
Mayor Jennifer Munholland said Quiktrip would be up and running in 18 months but COVID has held them up from any start.
She said work west of town is waiting for developers to choose a location in order to get aaa address.
“They said they wanted basically the north part when they talked to us,” HEDA chair Keith Estes said.
The city was told a Valero station would be going in first.
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