Cherokee Election Forum to Feature Tribal Candidates

Candidates for tribal positions in the upcoming Cherokee Nation election will be able to share their positions on issues of importance to the nation during the upcoming Cherokee Election Forum.

Slated from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 20, the Cherokee Election Forum will be held at the Indian Capital Technology Center’s conference center on the Sallisaw campus, 401 E. Houser.

Presented by KXMX The Mix and the Sequoyah County Times, the forum will be an opportunity for Sequoyah County tribal citizens to get to know the tribal candidates, not only for the Principal Chief and Deputy Principal Chief positions, but also for District 6 Tribal Councilor of the Cherokee Nation, according to Darren Girdner, KXMX owner.

“The Cherokee Nation is extremely important to our area here in eastern Oklahoma,” Girdner said. “It offers a lot of benefits and opportunities, and we feel it is important to let our listeners, viewers and readers know more about the tribal candidates so that they can make informed decisions when voting at their respective polling locations on election day.”

Invitations for the Cherokee Election Forum were extended to candidates for the Principal Chief seat – Chuck Hoskin Jr., Dick Lay and David Walkingstick; for the Deputy Principal Chief position – Bryan Warner and Meredith Frailey; and for the District 6 Tribal Councilor seat – Ron Goff, Gary Trad Lattimore and Daryl Legg.

At this time, only Hoskin Jr., Warner, Legg, Lattimore and Goff have confirmed their attendance.

Marley Abell will moderate the forum. The Cherokee Nation general election is June 1.

Mix TV Channel 19 will broadcast the Cherokee Election Forum live at 6 p.m. May 20 on DiamondNet Channel 19; a link will be posted on the Mix 105.1 KXMX Facebook page also.

Pam Cloud, Managing News Director

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Commissioner's Declare May Drug Court Month

The month of May was declared Drug Court Month at Monday's 

Sequoyah County Commissioner's meeting.

During Monday’s regular weekly meeting, Sequoyah County commissioners approved the purchase of a 2019 Dodge Durango for the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s office. They also approved to open and award a bid for a tanker truck for the Central Fire Department. 

In continuing to look at bids and contracts within Sequoyah County, commissioners approved a Cooperative Agreement with United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service wildlife services to allow Dean Miller to trap beavers to mitigate damages within the area. According to District 2 Commissioner Steve Carter, “beavers have created about $11,000 in damages to the area.”

During a citizen’s presentation at the commissioner’s meeting, the month of May was declared Drug Court Month to honor all the amazing work the Sequoyah County Drug Court has accomplished. Carter said they are the most successful drug court and the least expensive strategy to decreasing crime within the area. The drug court received two awards in April at the state convention for Outstanding Employment Participant, and for Family Unification, reuniting parents who have graduated from drug court with their children. According to Sequoyah County Drug Court Coordinator Tina Edwards, there is a 70 percent unemployment rate when clients enter the program and after graduation, the rate increases to 100 percent. 

Moving to new business, commissioners approved the transfer of funds from the Commissioner’s Personal Services account to County General Insurance Account in the amount of $75,000. 

Pam Cloud, Managing News Director

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Deadline to Request Absentee Ballots Nears

Less than a week remains for registered voters in Sequoyah County to apply for absentee ballots to be mailed to them for the May 14th OG&E Franchise for Gore Municipal, County Election Board Secretary Cindy Osborn said today.

Applications for absentee ballots must be received by the County Election Board no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 8th, to be processed in time for the election.

Absentee voters may apply in person at the County Election Board office or may send their applications by mail, fax, or e-mail. An online version of the form may be filled out and submitted electronically at www.elections.ok.gov. Any registered voter eligible to vote in the election may vote by absentee ballot without stating a reason, Osborn said, however absentee voters can activate certain special conditions in the following circumstances:

Registered voters who are physically incapacitated and voters who care for physically incapacitated persons who cannot be left unattended may apply for absentee ballots only by mail, fax, e-mail, online or via an agent who is at least 16 years of age and who is not employed by or related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to any person whose name appears on the ballot.

Registered voters who are confined to nursing homes in the county may apply by mail, by fax, by e-mail, online or via an agent who is at least 16 years of age and who is not employed by or related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to any person whose name appears on the ballot.

Military personnel, residents of Sequoyah County living overseas, and the spouses and dependents of each group may apply only by mail, by fax, or by e-mail. For more information and instructions, military and overseas voters may visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program website: www.fvap.gov/oklahoma. 

For more information on absentee voting, contact the County Election Board at 110 E Creek St Sallisaw Ok 74955. The telephone number is 918-775-2614. The County Election Board’s fax number is 918-775-1205.

For additional election-related information, visit: www.elections.ok.gov.

KXMX News Staff 

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Police Still Searching for Jail Escapee

 

Sallisaw police continue to search for a city jail inmate who escaped from a work detail last week.

Mark Wilson, 25, of Muldrow, was working as a trustee with an inmate work detail last Friday when he walked away into a wooded area at the Sallisaw Landfill, according to Sallisaw Chief of Police Terry Franklin. 

“We’re still looking for him,” Franklin said of the continued search. “If anybody sees him, give us a call.”

Wilson is not considered dangerous, according to Franklin. He only had one or two days left of the time he was serving in the Sallisaw City Jail for a traffic violation – driving under suspension.

Franklin said there was a hold with the Sequoyah County jail on warrants for failure to comply with lawful order and CDS, or control of a dangerous substance.

Anyone with information regarding Wilson's whereabouts is asked to contact the Sallisaw Police Dept. at 918-774-4141 or contact your local police or sheriff's department.

Pam Cloud, Managing News Director

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Remember Safety During Flash Flood Watch

Emergency management officials want to remind area residents of safety precautions while the area is under a threat of flash flooding.

Sequoyah County Emergency Management has advised that Sequoyah County is under a Flash Flood Watch until 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Emergency Management Director Steve Rutherford said meteorologists are reporting Sequoyah County could receive between 2 to 4 inches of rain over the next day, with the possibility of that number rising to 6 inches in some areas.

“It’s too early to tell for sure, but they expect some pretty good rain to fall in our area,” Rutherford said.

These rainfall amounts could lead to flash flooding, especially near low-lying areas and smaller creeks and streams. In addition, a few main stem rivers could also rise to minor or moderate flood levels, depending on which areas receive the heaviest rainfall, according to information from the National Weather Service.

A flash flood watch means rapidly rising water or flooding is possible within the watch area.

Rutherford said the best way to stay safe during flash flooding is to stay alert and avoid driving through flooded roads.

“Don’t drive through standing water,” Rutherford cautions. “If there’s water there, go around it. So many people think they can make it through.”

By driving through an unknown level of standing water and getting stranded, Rutherford reminds residents that a water rescue unnecessarily takes emergency personnel away from other more urgent calls.

“Rain will fall; if it falls as much as they think it will, we’ll have some high water,” Rutherford added. “Just be aware of it and don’t drive through it.”

Pam Cloud, Managing News Director

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Sallisaw Police Seeking Escapee

Mark Wilson

Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating an escapee from the Sallisaw City Jail.

Mark Wilson, pictured above, was working as a trustee with an inmate work detail on Friday when he walked away into a wooded area at the Sallisaw Landfill. 

Wilson is not considered dangerous, according to Sallisaw Chief of Police Terry Franklin.

Anyone with information regarding Wilson's whereabouts is asked to contact the Sallisaw Police Dept. at 918-774-4141 or contact your local Police or Sheriff's Dept.

KXMX News Staff

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Sallisaw Man Arrested in Hotel Drug Bust

Jerry Frye

Drugs and paraphernalia found in Frye's hotel room.

A Sallisaw man was arrested Friday afternoon after drugs were found in his hotel room.

Jerry Frye, 35. was arrested when Sequoyah County Sheriff's Deputies and investigators teamed up with officers and detectives from the Sallisaw Police Dept. to execute a narcotics search warrant at a local hotel.

Officers found numerous bags of methamphetamines and marijuana inside the room, along with other items commonly used in the use of methamphetamines and marijuana, according to Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane.

"The Sheriff's Office has been working with the Sallisaw Police Dept. in an ongoing investigation into the distribution of illegal narcotics in our county and in the City of Sallisaw. It's common for drug dealers to rent hotel rooms to deal their drugs from and this attracts unsavory types of people to our hotels. We commonly have thefts from vehicles at hotels and tenants sometimes find used syringes and paraphernalia laying around the parking lots," stated Lane.

Frye was charged with possession of CDS (meth) with intent to distribute, possession of CDS (marijuana) with intent to distribute, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is currently being held in the Sequoyah County Jail on $18,000 bond.

KXMX News Staff

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Sallisaw Man Dies in Single-vehicle Accident

A Sallisaw man was killed in a single-vehicle accident that occurred early Friday morning in Adair County.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) report, the accident occurred at approximately 1:02 a.m. on Star Killer\940 road two miles west of SH59 approximately 11.5 miles south of Stilwell, Oklahoma in Adair County.     

Zachary Adair, 39, was driving a 1995 GMC 1500 westbound on 940 Road when he departed the roadway to the right striking a tree and overturning a quarter of a time coming to a rest on the driver side. Adair was pinned for approximately 43 minutes, according to the accident report. He was
pronounced deceased at the scene by Pafford EMS.

The report states that the cause of the collision is under investigation.

Seatbelts were not in use at the time of the accident.

KXMX News Staff

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Three Vehicle Accident Leaves One Dead

One person was killed in a three vehicle crash Wednesday morning in Cherokee County.

The accident occurred on SH100, 9.4 miles south of Tahlequah at approximately 9:30 a.m.

Officers report Chase Oneal, 20, of Stilwell was driving a 2010 Nissan Versa westbound on SH100 when he attempted to pass a 2006 Dodge Charger driven by Joyce Hawk, 54, also of Stilwell. 

According to the accident report, Oneal attempted to pass Hawk on a curve, on a marked no passing zone and was struck by a 2015 Peterbuilt driven by Danniel Thayer, 44, of Porter. 

Jimmy Oneal, 62, of Evansville, Ark., a passenger in Chase Oneal's vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene by Cherokee Nation EMS. Chase Oneal was transported by Cherokee Nation EMS to Northeastern Health Systems and then transported by Life Flight to Saint Francis Hospital. He was admitted in critical condition with head and trunk internal injuries.

Thayer and Hawk were reportedly uninjured. A female passenger in Hawk's vehicle was also uninjured.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Cherokee County Sheriff's Dept., Cherokee Nation Marshall Service, Cookson Fire Dept. and Keys Fire Dept. assisted at the scene.

KXMX News Staff

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Kindness Krew Hosting BBQ Lunch Fundraiser for Hospital

The Kindness Krew is really all about supporting employees of the local hospital. And the organization’s first fundraiser is coming up soon.

A barbecue lunch fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, at the Sallisaw Civic Center, 111 N. Elm St.

For a donation of $10 per person at the door, guests will have their choice of pork or bologna sandwich, beans, chips, homemade dessert – prepared by hospital employees -- and water, with the barbecue meat furnished by Big Ernie’s Black Diamond BBQ.

Judy Martens, president of the Kindness Krew, said the group will make barbecue lunch deliveries on May 3 within the city limits, provided customers call ahead by 11 a.m. that Friday; for orders or information, call 918-605-4351 or 918-208-4108.

Martens said all proceeds benefit NHS-Sequoyah, allowing the Kindness Krew to extend support to the local hospital.

“We’ve done different things to help at the hospital,” explained Martens, adding that the Kindness Krew has redecorated the mammography room there, making it more comfortable for patients. They have also hosted employee appreciation events.

Hospital Administrator Stephanie Six said before the Kindness Krew started assisting last year, many employees did not visit the cafeteria.

“The first thing the Kindness Krew did was a breakfast for everyone,” Six said, adding that coming together for that breakfast was the beginning of employees starting to gather in the cafeteria again. “The group is coming back together --- coming together as a team.”

As a retired registered nurse, Kindness Krew member Abbie Bailey said it’s important to keep the morale among hospital employees high.

“I know the importance they play in providing … moral support,” Bailey said of the Kindness Krew. “I wanted to be a part of that. Anything I can do to support my profession.”

Currently, the Kindness Krew is small but mighty. There may be only five members right now, but they are making a difference at the hospital and with its employees, according to Six.

“We are going to start an Employee of the Month,” she said, adding that the hospital has 175 employees and growing. “The Kindness Krew will furnish gifts for the Employee of the Month … to increase morale.”

Martens said she hopes the barbecue fundraiser is successful so that the Kindness Krew can continue to assist the local hospital and to help show that the community is thankful that the hospital is here to serve area residents.

“People can come out and support our fundraiser May 3 so we can prepare to do whatever Stephanie sees as a need to help with,” explained Martens. “We want to be ready to help the hospital with whatever they need.”

Pam Cloud, Managing News Director

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Crowe Named Sallisaw Chamber Member for April

Chamber President Marley Abell (left) presents a plaque to the April 

Chamber Member of the Month, Larry Crow.

The Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce named both its April Member of the Month and the entertainment headliner for Sallisaw’s Diamond Daze festival at its regular membership meeting on Wednesday.

Christian contemporary band Tenth Avenue North will perform Saturday, June 15 as part of Diamond Daze, according to Chamber President Marley Abell. Laird "Larry" Crowe, local real estate developer and owner of the newly opened The Rink, skating rink was named the Chamber Member of the Month for April.

A 1958 graduate of Classen High School in Oklahoma City, Crowe started his business career at a neighborhood dry cleaners before getting into real estate, where for the past 60 years, he has worked with mostly distressed properties.

“I’ve really enjoyed working in Sallisaw,” Crowe said after receiving the award from Chamber President Marley Abell. “It’s been a new life. It’s been work with excitement all over again. I can almost compare it to the way the pilgrims must have felt stepping off the Mayflower onto American soil.

“There’s work still to do; I’m just as excited about it as I was three or four years ago. It’s just wonderful. Thank you all.”

As the chamber membership dined on a Mexican meal of fajitas and all the fixings catered by Maria’s restaurant, guest speaker Dr. William J. Pettit, dean of the OSU College Of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, explained the need for rural health physicians and how the new osteopathic college at Tahlequah, in partnership with the Cherokee Nation, will help rural healthcare.

One of the biggest challenges, according to Pettit, is the lack of primary care healthcare providers.

“We have 127.5 physicians per 100,000 population compared to the national average of nearly 150 physicians per 100,000 population,” Pettit explained. “In our state, every county but one is considered a health profession shortage area, implying there is not enough healthcare providers for that region.”

An aging workforce also contributes to the physician shortage, according to Pettit.

To help remedy those shortages, Pettit said recruitment is key in the rural areas of Oklahoma for keeping physicians in those outlying areas.

He is excited about the partnership between OSU COM and the Cherokee Nation in creating the nation’s first tribally-affiliated medical school.

“It’s a gorgeous facility,” Pettit said, sharing a rendering of the 85,000 square foot facility. “It will end up being a great addition to the W.W. Hastings medical campus.”

Construction is scheduled to begin next month, with the first classes to begin in the fall of 2020.

Pam Cloud, Managing News Director

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Rollover Accident in Sallisaw Sends Three to Hospital

A rollover accident in Sallisaw Monday evening sent three to the hospital, according to Sallisaw police.

Brooke Jordan, 25, of Muldrow, was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Aveo eastbound on U.S. 64/Cherokee Avenue at approximately 10:21 p.m. Monday, when she failed to negotiate a curve, according to Capt. Jeff Murray of the Sallisaw Police Department. Jordan’s vehicle then departed the roadway on the north side of U.S.64/Cherokee Avenue, causing the vehicle to roll approximately four times.

The driver and a passenger, 1-year-old River Young, also of Muldrow, were extricated from the vehicle by officers before the vehicle became fully engulfed in fire, Murray said.

Another passenger, Cameron Young, 21, of Muldrow, was able to exit the vehicle before it caught fire, but was transported by personal vehicle to NHS-Sequoyah emergency room with arm injuries.

Jordan and the child were both transported by Pafford EMS to NHS-Sequoyah. Jordan received head and trunk internal injuries. The child was in a car seat; injuries are unknown, according to Murray.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol assisted with the scene.

Pam Cloud, Managing News Director

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