Filing Starts Monday for Gore Fire Board

The Gore Special fire district board member filing period begins at 8 a.m. July 10, said Cindy Osborn, Secretary of the Sequoyah County Election Board.

Filing will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the county election board office located at 110 E Creek Ave. in Sallisaw, 74955. The deadline for filing as a candidate is 5 p.m., July 11, no exceptions.

Board member filing will be held for Seat Position 5 for a 5 year term. The election will be held Nov. 6.

For more election-related information, call the county election board at (918) 775-2614, or visit www.elections.ok.gov.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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Two Servings of ‘American Pie’ at Cherokee Casinos

Don McLean has been delighting music fans across the world with his lyrics for more than four decades. This month, the singer-songwriter is set to play Cherokee Casino and Hotel on July 13 and Cherokee Casino and Hotel West Siloam Springs on July 14. 

Both shows are free to the public. Lee Creek Tavern is standing room only.

The show at Cherokee Casino and Hotel Roland on July 13 begins at 8 p.m. in Lee Creek Tavern. The performance at Cherokee Casino and Hotel West Siloam Springs on July 14 begins at 9 p.m. in SEVEN Bar.

The musician will forever be associated with his classic hit “American Pie,” which charted to No. 1 on the US Billboard Top 100 Chart and stayed there for four weeks. It also topped the charts in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The single propelled the album of the same name to No. 1 on the US and Canadian Billboard 200 and reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom. The single is listed as No. 5 on RIAA Songs of the Century.

Other fan favorites by the artist include “Vincent,” “Crying,” “Since I Don’t Have You” and “Castles in the Air.” McLean also wrote “And I Love You So,” which was sung by Elvis Presley and Glen Campbell.

McLean has recorded 21 studio albums, four live albums, nine compilations and 16 singles and has amassed more than 40 gold and platinum records worldwide. In 2004, he was inducted in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

For more information on McLean, visit www.don-mclean.com.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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Firstar Bank Is Member of the Month

Firstar Bank was named the Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month at the chamber’s monthly meeting. Accepting the award, in front, is Eric Karr, left, community bank president. Presenting the award, on the right, is Jeff Mayo, chamber president. Also at the presentation are, from the left in back, Craig Benson, mortgage lender; Russell Story, loan officer; Marley Abell, vice president of investment services; Samantha Deen, mortgage underwriter; and Erika Martens, vice president of mortgages. Chamber members held the luncheon at the Indian Capital Technology Center and Sequoyah County Commissioners were the guest speakers.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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Woman’s Murder Preliminary Is Aug. 14

Elizabeth Nicole Stewart

A 26-year-old Gore women will have a preliminary hearing on a murder charge at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 14 in Sequoyah County District Court in Sallisaw.

Elizabeth Nicole Stewart was charged with first degree murder-deliberate intent, on May 22, in regard to the shooting death of her boyfriend, Joshua Tucker.

Stewart entered a not guilty plea to the charge on May 24 and was released from jail on a $100,000 bond on May 29, according to court records.

On Oct. 26, at a residence north of Gore, Joshua Tucker was found lying in a neighbor’s driveway with a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was transported to a Tulsa hospital where he later died from the gunshot wound.

The arrest warrant states that witnesses reported Stewart had a history of being aggressive and abusive toward Tucker. 

On the evening of Oct. 25, according to the arrest affidavit, Stewart and Tucker had a physical altercation over Tucker spending their last money for drugs, leaving no money for Stewart to buy gas to go to work. Stewart admitted she initiated this physical altercation. She stated she became aggressive and slapped and hit Tucker a couple of times. 

Tucker was shot at point blank distance, according to the medical examiner.

Stewart told investigators that she had not handled or shot a gun for about two days prior to the incident. Gun shot residue (GSR) samples came back as positive indication for GSR on Stewart’s person.

A search of the outside and inside area around the couple’s trailer did not produce any hand guns on the property. On Dec. 3, 2017, Stewart notified authorities that she and her father found a semi-automatic pistol in a tote box under the trailer. Investigators located the gun, and tests determined the spent round was confirmed to be shot from the semi-automatic gun that Stewart alerted authorities about.

Investigators also discovered, according to the arrest affidavit, that Stewart could not be accounted for at her workplace at Cherokee Casino Sallisaw for a 52-minute span of time that directly correlated to the time of death, as determined by the medical examiner.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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Aviagen Plans Expansion in Sallisaw

Aviagen in Sallisaw is planning an expansion in the Sallisaw industrial park which will include 45 new jobs.

Buddy Spencer, chairman of the Sallisaw Improvement Corporation (SIC), announced the expansion this week.

Spencer said the agreement with Aviagen includes nine acres facing George Glenn Boulevard in the southwest corner of the park, and a 10,000-square-foot building which will be a sort of health and wellness facility for the Aviagen baby chickens. Spencer said the hatchery is currently hatching about 250,000 chicks a day. The chicks are the parent stock of the chicken food products sold in stores.

Spencer said it is his understanding that the Aviagen chicks have become so popular that Aviagen is sold out over a year in advance. He said the new facility and new jobs will focus on the health of the chicks, and that will lead to the construction of about 50 new chicken houses in the area, at a cost of about $450,000 per house.

“I understand 30 new houses are already under construction,” Spencer said.

Spencer said the City of Sallisaw, the Cherokee Nation and Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce assisted with the negotiations for the new facility. He said the city has already issued a building permit for the 10,000-square-foot building, and will be installing the utilities to the new building. The Cherokee Nation contributed to the cost of the land, estimated at $120,000.

According to the agreement, Spencer said, if the building is not constructed, the SIC keeps ownership.

Bill Buckner is the contractor for the building, and estimates construction will take about nine months, weather permitting. Aviagen plans to be in operation in the building by Dec. 31, 2019, Spencer said.

“There is still a lot of ground work to do,” Spencer said.

He explained work on the agreement began about 15 months ago, with Jason Mack, Aviagen vice president of operations. 

Sallisaw won the contract with Aviagen over another competing city – Muskogee – Spencer said.

Spencer said the ones to thank for the new jobs in Sallisaw are the late Roy Frye Jr. who helped organize the industrial park, and former mayor George Glenn.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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One Dead After Head-On Collision

A two-vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon, on Highway 64 left a Vian woman dead.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers working the accident said 22-year-old Deana Everett of Vian was pronounced dead at the scene from trunk, leg and arm injuries.

Investigators said Everett was a passenger in a 2007 Chevrolet Impala driven by Richard Burleson, 22, also of Vian. Nina Cate, 19, of Sallisaw, was driving a 2011 Chevy Impala westbound on Highway 64, and went left of center to pass another vehicle just before 1 p.m. July 3 about two miles east of Vian. Burleson was eastbound, and Cate’s vehicle struck Burleson’s head-on, with Cate’s vehicle leaving the left side of the roadway coming to rest in a creek. The Burleson vehicle rotated one-half time and came to rest in the roadway.

Burleson was transported to a Fort Smith hospital with internal trunk injuries in stable condition. Three additional juvenile passengers in Burleson’s vehicle, ages 4, 1-and-a-half, and 2 months were all treated and released from a Fort Smith hospital. Cate and a 1-year-old juvenile passenger in her vehicle were both airlifted to a Tulsa hospital and were admitted with arm and leg injuries, respectively, in stable condition.

Troopers said seat belts were in use in the Cate vehicle, and all three juvenile passengers in the Burleson vehicle were secured in car seats. Everett was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.

Pam Cloud, Managing News Director

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Games, Music, Hot Dogs Added to City’s 4th

Immanuel Baptist Church in Sallisaw is expanding the city’s celebration on July 4 at the Sallisaw High School complex.

From 8 to 9 p.m. on July 4 the church members will be conducting games for children, playing music and providing a limited amount of hot dogs, water and popsicles to those attending.

As usual, the Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce Fireworks Show will begin at dusk. The chamber invites the public to “come out and enjoy the show!”

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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