Local/Area News

Henryetta city council members took the first step toward naming a new city manager Tuesday evening.
At a special meeting at city hall, council members spent an hour in executive session going over applicants for the post that was vacated last month.
During the closed-door meeting, the council visited with Henryetta fire chief David Bullard but no other individuals were called in to the meeting.
Each councilor had an envelope filled with papers but no names were released.
The meeting ended with no announcements.

 

 

For the fourth time since January and the second consecutive month in the current fiscal year, Henryetta’s sales tax check was less than last year.
The September distribution of sales tax money amounted to $291,596.08 this year, a drop of $8,577 from last year. June’s check from the state was the only one in the current fiscal year that was above the previous year and only by $4,050. The city operates on a July 1 to June 30 fiscal year basis.
A bright note did accompany the state report with Henryetta’s use tax check this month for $36,255, an increase of $6,978 from a year ago.
Sales tax revenue is based on July business.
The drop in sales tax revenue was not restricted to just Henryetta.
Similar declines were felt by Beggs, down $6,535, Checotah, down $4,133, Morris, down $6,029, Okmulgee, down $11,288 and Weleetka, down $827.
Okmulgee County’s sales tax collections continued to show an increase. This month the county received $496,557.02. That was a $6,106 gain from last year and the eighth consecutive month with increases from $2022.
Statewide, $200,587,224 in sales tax collections went back to cities and towns reflecting an increase of $1,205,740 from the $199,381,484 distributed to them in September last year.

 Town  2023  2022  Gain/Loss
Henryetta $291,596.08 $300,173.72 -$8,577.64
Dewar $14,015.37 $13,109.25 $906.12
Beggs $41,454.10 $47,989.65 -$6,535.55
Checotah $447,656.99 $451,790.34 -$4,133.35
Eufaula $293,246.73 $241,426.53 $51,820.20
Morris $20,687.39 $26,716.59 -$6,029.20
Okmulgee $666,462.33 $677,750.71 -$11,288.38
Okemah $143,233.88 $129,559.88 $13,674.00
Weleetka $19,123.89 $19,951.62 -$827.73

Henryetta school superintendent Dwayne Noble will be retiring at the end of the current school year.
Noble announced his plans through a retirement letter to the school board Monday night. He has been in Henryetta since 2014.
Other personnel action taken by the board at the September meeting included a retirement letter from Glenda Ashley and resignation of Christy Johnson.
At the end of a nearly 45-minute long executive session, the board hired Kevin Hargis as lay football coach.
Noble presented board members with a proposal to convert the school buses to natural gas. He said a number of schools are either already converted or I planning it make the change. More information will be presented on the plans in coming meetings.
The board adopted the estimate of needs for the school district. Noble said accountants say the school will be spending $10,838,500, a decline of about $1 million from last year. “This is an estimate, he said. It could be more or could be less.”
Also dealing with funding, Noble said the ESSR funds form the federal government is gone now. “We received the money three years ago and have used it over the three years for repairs, internet, and other things” He went on to point out that some schools went through the money that first year.
Board members adopted the formal guidelines for spectators at sporting events.
Noble said the policy is “not outrageous. The main thing is going in and out from sports venues.”
Part of the problem is enforcing the policy and discussion included having tables set up to funnel crowds to a single file line and having security personnel present. He said there have been issues with people taking tickets and being ignored or receiving verbal abuse.

That complete policy can be read HERE.

Voters in Morris will be electing a new mayor in November.
The post became open earlier this summer when Jeremy Avery resigned. That means candidates will be submitting their names starting at 8 a.m. Oct. 2 through 5 pm.m Oct. 4.
Anyone seeking the post must be a resident and registered voter of Morris for at least six months.
Ashley Carnes, Secretary of the Okmulgee County Election Board, said Declaration of Candidacy forms must be completed and submitted to the County Election Board office no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 4, when the filing period ends. Carnes reminds candidates and voters that a Contests of Candidacy must be filed no later than 5 p.m. Friday, October 6, and may only be filed by another candidate for that office unless a candidate is unopposed.
Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted for Mayor, a three-year unexpired term. The Mayor is nominated at large and is elected at large.
Declaration of Candidacy forms can be downloaded from the State Election Board website at oklahoma.gov/elections or by contacting the County Election Board office at 918-756-2365 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Okmulgee County Election Board is located at 314 W. 7th Street, Room 102 in Okmulgee, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

 Anyone who attended the recent 7 Hills Music Festival watched Henryettan Lance Gouge give a great performance.
The Henryetta native is in the initial stages of his musical career and has chalked up some public performances already. He will be releasing a music video soon that was shot in Henryetta at the school, around town and football field.
Gouge spent a few minutes visiting with the Chamber of Commerce about his future plans and how he got into the music field.