Local/Area News
The signs are going up and workers are putting the finishing touches around the QuikTrip store on US 75. The store is scheduled to officially open April 28 at 6 a.m. According to company officials. The opening will end a four-year effort to bring the Tulsa-based corporation to Henryetta and will be providing motorists with another business to stop and buy from.
Jeffcoat will be serving as the city representative on the six-member board.
During the morning session, board members approved the final reimbursement to the city for water main replacement along us 75 and Trudgeon. That final payment amounted to $335,802.50.
“We are using the line now and seeing a savings on water usage,” said Public Works director Ron Casey.
HEDA’s share of the funds for the project come from a portion of the sales tax revenue received each month.
Casey told board members work at Nichols Park is underway in preparation for the Highway to Henryetta Festival in June.
He said a couple of storage buildings behind the caretaker’s house had been torn down and asphalt chips are being spread out to create a parking lot to the east side of the baseball fields.
The park is going to be the location for the Henryetta VFW Loyalty Days Family Freedom Festival April 30.
“There’s going to be games and activities for the kids as well as a fishing tournament, music and other events,” he said.
Casey said there are plans for repair the bath house next to the lake. He said talks with the metal workers union have included the city paying for materials and union members doing the labor.
HEDA members approved changing the billboard phone number on the west side of town that advertises the 35 acres available for development.
Currently the phone number is for city hall but will be changed to 918-652-3331 in order for callers to reach the Chamber of Commerce office.
Board Member Andy Bealko asked Casey if there are plans to sell unused city-owned property with the funds to be used to tear down derelict house around town.
“The city has land and all over town that could be sold to a developer,” he said. “The city can declare that surplus and take bids for the property. “We have 30 homes that need to be torn down.”
Some of that property is located next to Jim Hall Lake as well as the former elementary school sites.
“That would put the property back on the tax rolls,” said board chair Keith Estes.
Henryetta received the largest sales tax check to date this month.
The April distribution of sales tax collections by the state amounted to $296,467, a $70,626 increase from a year ago. Since June, 2021 the town has received four checks of at least $290,000, all of which were record setters in themselves.
Those high returns included:
June 2021: $298,358
October 2021: $291,097
January 2022: $296,467
April 2022 $296,467.
The increase was alongside of the higher use tax return of $43,373. It was $18,5335 above last April and was the third highest this year. The highest was $55,902 in January followed by $45,913 in February.
Most of the communities around the area reported sales tax gains.
The largest went to Okemah, up $23,689 from a year ago. The smallest was Morris with a $2,927 increase from last year.
Okmulgee took a big hit, dropping $134,268 in sales tax receipts. This April the town received $649,411 compared to $783,649 last year.
Statewide, a total of $179,075,848 in sales tax collections returned to the cities and towns reflected an increase of $34,720,041 from the $144,355,807 distributed to the cities and towns in April last year.
The April 2022 distribution of sales tax collections by the Oklahoma Tax Commission primarily represents local tax receipts from February business. Companies that remit more than $2,500 monthly in sales tax receipts are required to file and pay electronically. The monies they reported this period represent sales from February 16th to 28th and estimated sales from March 1st to the 15th.
| Town | 2022 | 2021 | Gain/Loss |
| Henryetta | $296,467.93 | $225,641.48 | $70,626.45 |
| Dewar | $17,195.44 | $12,664.58 | $4,530.86 |
| Beggs | $43,618.31 | $39,284.13 | $4,334.18 |
| Checotah | $381,448.95 | $374,034.68 | $7,414.27 |
| Eufaula | $193,699.98 | $188,758.24 | $4,941.74 |
| Morris | $27,158.73 | $24,231.65 | $2,927.08 |
| Okmulgee | $649,411.16 | $783,649.44 | -$134,268.28 |
| Okemah | $123,970.97 | $100,281.39 | $23,689.58 |
| Weleetka | $16,826.35 | $18,741.16 | -$1,914.81 |
The string of wins came to an end Thursday when the Lady Knights went to Checotah. Even though Henryetta won the first two games with a 14-1 game against Roland and 5-0 shutout against Checotah, the tide turned. Pocola came away with a 5-2 victory then Oktaha was the winner by a narrow 6-5 margin.
“It was a rough day in the wind but we knew that would make it difficult offensively for all teams,” said HHS coach Ryan Swallow.
“Unfortunately we were on the bad end of two games. We needed to drop one and get it out of the way.”
With the state playoffs looming he was optimistic about the remaining part of the season. “I’m proud of the way the team has been playing. We are going to play hard the rest of the season and get ready for districts.”
Henryetta will be the host site for the district matchup against Meeker in a best of three contest. The winner of that series will go to regionals then look toward the state tournament in May.
At Checotah, Henryetta started off with 14 runs in the first inning against Roland that would close out the game in only three innings. The Lady Knights tallied 11 hits in that game.
Playing Checotah in the second game of the day, HHS senior Katelyn Dwiggins threw six hits and only allowed three walks with no runs.
Henryetta had runs in the first and fourth innings then piled on three more in the sixth for the win.
A Henryetta home run in the first inning by Avery Miller was the highlight of the third game against Pocola. That would be the only time the Lady Knights would cross home plate until the seventh when Kinley Miller scored off a Shannon Corkerin single.
Pocola scored two runs in the first then one each in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Henryetta was able to get six hits during the game. From the circle, Dwiggins allowed the five runs on 12 hits.
Wrapping up the day was the most exciting game as Henryetta came back from a five-run deficit to tie up the contest only to lose in the sixth 6-5 with Oktaha.
The Lady Tigers scored one in the first inning then two runs in the second and two more in the third.
Henryetta put three runs on the board in the third inning when Kasedi Gobin and Shelby Kilhoffer drove in scores.
The game was tied up in the fifth as Kinley Miller hit a sacrifice fly brought Kilhoffer home.
Oktaha would come back with two outs in the sixth with the final run.
GAME VIDEOS FROM CHECOTAH:
The Okmulgee County Republicans are hosting him at the American Legion 730 W 6th St. in Okmulgee.
Mullin will take questions about his candidacy for Inhofe's seat as well as talk about what is going on in Congress. For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..