Local/Area News
Slick roads and streets made driving around Henryetta and the rest of the area nearly impossible.
Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning icy rain and sleet fell covering everything with a cold, slick glaze.
The westbound lane of Interstate 40 east of town was closed early Wednesday morning due to an accident involving five semis along with an SUV. Only minor injuries were reported in that accident.
City crews were busy spreading salt and sand but the continual falling ice kept those efforts from doing much good. Only Ninth Street hill was kept open for traffic.
The slick roads and streets resulted in a number of businesses closing.
The Okmulgee County court house was closed Wednesday and no word was given if it would reopen the rest of the week.
Henryetta school board members are hoping the next school year will be back to business as usual.
With that thought in mind, the board adopted the new school calendar for 2021-22. It calls for students to report to class August 12, 2021 and end their studies May 19, 2022.
“We are being optimizing this will be a normal year,” superintendent Dwayne Noble told the board. “If COVID is still going on, we can change it as needed.” Graduation is set for May 13.
In preparation for the coming year, board members rehired Jayme Matlock, elementary principal; Roger Williams, assistant elementary principal; Brad Wion, middle school principal and Kelly Furer, high school principal.
The board accepted the resignation of elementary para Katie Simons.
The board also extended the contract for the superintendent through June 30, 2024.
For the past year, students have been riding in new buses and the board elected to declare the old vehicles surplus and sell them. “Some will start, some can’t but we are not going to put money in them,” Noble said. We will sell them as is. No date was set for the sale.
Benchmark testing has just finished for Henryetta elementary students. Matlock said the pandemic has affected the children and teachers and staff are working to help those students who need it. “It’s been quite a roller coaster ride,” she said.
Furer said the school will be hosting a blood drive next week in the auditorium. “This is a need and the kids have been asking us to do this.”
She praised the high school law team who earned the right to compete in the semi-finals. “This is the second year to compete and they have been doing it virtually. This is fabulous for a new team.”
State Senator Roger Thompson and Stat Repsentative Scott Fetgatter just finished the first full week of the new legislature. They were on hand Friday to speak with constituents about some of the upcoming bills and hear concerns over everything from COVID to schools and even marijuana.
UPDATE: A protest has been filed in one of the Henryetta city council races. Janna Duggan is claiming her At Large council seat opponent Steve Sanford does not live within the Henryetta city limits.
That protest calls for a hearing Feb. 11 at the election board office if Sanford wants to dispute it.
Okmulgee County election board secretary said under state law her office provides the candidate packets but it is up to each candidate to make sure they are eligible to run. Sanford listed his address as 9274 West Main Street.
The city code dealing with quaifications to serve on the council reads: SECTION 2-204. Qualifications of Council Members.Council members shall be residents and registered voters of the City. Council members from wards shall be actual residents of their respective wards at the time of their candidacy and election, but removal of a Council member from one ward to another within the City after his election, or a change in ward boundaries, shall not disqualify him from completing the term for which he was elected.
The filing deadline has passed and several city council seats around the county will be coming up for election while others will see candidates seated without opposition.
In Henryetta, Two races are going to be up for grabs. The Ward 4 seat currently held by Jennifer Munholland is being challenged by Buck Sheward. Munholland was first elected to that post in 2013 and reelected in 2017. Both times Sheward ran against her and was defeated.
The council member at large spot has Janna Duggan and Steven Sanford as candidates. Duggan has been serving as the Ward 3 council member.
Michael Dickey, who was appointed to the at large seat last year, was the lone candidate filing for the Ward 3 spot. Since he received no opponent, he will automatically fill that spot.
Dewar has three people running for the Board of Trustees Office 2 position. They include Barbara Lou Shatswell, Landon Eugene Jefferson, jr., and Anthony D. Polk.
The Trustee Office 5 spot has Darlene Rene Pierce Sandefur and Dana L. Wells as candidates.
Gary McGowin was the lone candidate filing for the Trustee Office 4 seat. With no opponent, he will automatically be elected.
Morris has two people filing for the Ward 1 council position. They are Jerome Warren Dugas, jr., and Jess Wayne Payne.
Receiving no opposition were Sonny Lee Lamb for Ward 2; Gregory Seamons, Ward 3 and Jennifer Simons, Ward 4.
The office of Mayor for Beggs has four candidates seeking election. They include William Buchanan Smith II, Jacob Kiley Branson, Trevor Dillon Meyer and Larissa Jack Melton.
Two candidates will be on the ballot for the Beggs Ward 3 council seat. They are Jimmy Glen Beard and Richard Lee Roberts.
Running without opposition for the Ward 1 post is Christopher Michael gore.
Filing ended 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Municipal elections will be held April 6. Voters have until March 12 to register and may request absentee ballots until 5 p.m. March 30.
In Okmulgee, voters will be choosing between Marcus Jeffrey and Javier Ramirez for the ward 4 city council seat.
Weleetka voters will be casting ballots for a $250,000 bond issue to buy three new vehicles.
According to Ashley Caries, Okmulgee County election board secretary, early voting for both elections will be held this Thursday and Friday at the Okmulgee County court house from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On Feb. 9, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.