4
Bring in this ad and save 10%. PROMi’12 9 E. Main • Ardmore • (580) 220-8837 Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Featuring JOVANI prom dresses now available at Hydraulics S a m p l e y Jacks/Cylinders Springer, OK (580) 653-2561 Trans-Siberian Orchestra Sat, March 24 · 8 PM $36 Res Gen $46 Prem $51 VIP New Edition Fri, March 30 · 9 PM $40 Res Gen $65 Prem $90 VIP John Kay and Steppenwolf & Eric Burdon and The Animals Sat, April 28 · 8 PM $35 Res Gen $45 Prem $70 VIP Al Green Fri, May 4 · 9 PM $40 Res Gen $65 Prem $90 VIP Sugarland Thurs, April 19 & Fri, April 20 · 9 PM $75 Res Gen $95 Prem $125 VIP Jill Scott Fri, April 27 · 9 PM $45 Res Gen $60 Prem $75 VIP Larry the Cable Guy Sat, March 31 · 8 PM $45 Res Gen $65 Prem $85 VIP King of the Cage Sat, April 14 · 8 PM $35 Res Gen $55 Prem $100 VIP Experience Hendrix Fri, March 23 · 8 PM $50 Res Gen $70 VIP Tickets available at the Global Event Center Box Office or online at Ticketmaster.com Hotel Reservations 866.WIN.RSVP (866.946.7787) www.winstarworldcasino.com Exit 1 • I-35 at the Red River Thackerville, OK Coming Soon Zac Brown Band 5/6 Chickenfoot 5/25 Rodney Carrington 5/26 & 5/27 Sting 6/2 & 6/3 VOTE YES... Plainview residents will be vot- ing on several projects for Plainview School on April 3rd. This issue is projected to not increase our property taxes as these bonds will be phased in. The projects will allow us to replace heating and air con- ditioning equipment that is at the end of its lifecycle, as well as older roofs on some of our build- ings. We will be able to add addi- tional classrooms and restrooms at the middle school. Part of the district wide technology will include wireless access in all buildings, as well as additional classroom technology. Included is the replacement of five buses that have reached twelve years in age. Please join my family and me by voting YES on these initiatives to continue the great progress our school and campus has expe- rienced. It takes 60% to pass a school bond, so all Plainview support- ers need to vote on April 3rd. The Wakefield Family Paid for by Facility Review Committee – Jason Casey, Treasurer, 2215 Hickory Drive, Ardmore, OK 73401 TUESDAY, APRIL 3 RD 2410 N. Commerce Ardmore (580) 226-0812 413 N. Monte Vista Ada (580) 436-2156 698 Westside Dr., Ste. 104 Durant (580) 931-9977 mccauleyskinclinic.com • 1-800-288-5266 Many years of sun exposure increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Caught early, it’s curable. Changes in your skin texture, moles or emerging lumps should be checked immediately! Call today for an appointment! -REAL- prescribed by a doctor HCG topical hormone & new weight loss pill discovered effective in Israel. D r . B a k e r F o r e D r . B a k e r F o r e Dr. Baker Fore 1001 Fifteenth Ave. NW • 223-drdr (3737) • Ardmore Lose the Weight... Gain Your Life Back! “Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels!” NEWS SUNDAY, March 11, 2012 n The Ardmoreite n www.ardmoreite.com 9A HEALDTON Continued from page 1A Complicating matters even more is the $95,000 yearly payment owed on the note that financed the system —the city’s water and sewer system was used as collateral on the note. Should the council decide to discontinue the cable system, note payments will continue. On the up- side of the note equation, the financial losses of the cable system would not continue to hamper the situation. In the past seven years, the cable system has lost $1 million with the latest annual losses in the range of $186,000. During the most recent council meeting, Adkins said he would show the council the system could be profitable and prom- ised to call the members of the council the next day. Nearly a week later, some members of the council are still waiting to hear from Adkins. Councilman D.J. Brown said he has never received a phone call and that Councilwoman Renee Miller hadn’t either. “He (Adkins) just didn’t have all the facts on the costs of the cable,” said Councilman Rick Pender. “In figuring out how the cable was going to make a profit, they were not ac- counting for the loan. He wasn’t given all the infor- mation.” Through his initial re- search, Adkins was under the impression the system would only need to add 82 customers to sustain itself. In reality, the addi- tion would have to be far greater. “It (customer base) would need two to three times as much (customer base) as it has now,” said Brown. “I don’t see how that can happen. Every- body in town knows we, the city, has a cable system and it hasn’t grown yet. At this point, I don’t know how we can keep it.” One of the issues lies in competition. In cities like Ardmore and Lone Grove, Cable One is the sole cable provider, but in Healdton, the city competes with Suddenlink for customers. Suddenlink was available to cable customers prior to the city’s cable venture. “I hate to say it, but it was a very poor business decision,” Pender said. “They put something in they really hadn’t re- searched. I will say this, Ken Adkins was hired to do a job and he did that job. But he was not actu- ally providing the infor- mation to the public say- ing the cable was making money because he wasn’t aware of the indebtedness it was in. I don’t hold him responsible. The problems have gradually gotten worse. It’s not manage- ment’s fault 100 percent. It was just never going to be profitable when they put it in. “ Despite the uphill bat- tle, City Manager Louis Smitherman is convinced the system can be self sus- taining and is preparing for a last ditch effort, even with the setback of Ad- kins’ figures. “What we are trying to do is get some numbers, but there are some moving goalposts when we look at every avenue and look at programming,” Smither- man said. “When Ken was talking to the council and said he could make the system profitable, his un- derstanding was it was the HMA the debt was with. He didn’t understand it was the cable. We are still looking to see what we can cut and legally cut.” Smitherman said the city could start shaving costs on line items to conserve money for the cable. The problem is the city is also saving money for match- ing funds on a Community Block Development Grant in the neighborhood of $300,000. Smitherman also said the city will re- ceive an insurance pay- ment for storm damage which can improve the system. “In my opinion, the debt is what it is and the opera- tion is what it is,” Smither- man said. “We are making roughly $100,000 a month in income which places us roughly $24,000 above the debt. That is how we are looking at it. When they asked me to balance the budget, it called for $288,000 (spending in excess of budget) and we balanced it. I took it from the water and the sewer but when it was all said and done, it was under the HMA, not the Healdton Cable Authority. They can vote it up or down and I am going to present some- thing we feel the council can accept or reject it.” Brown indicated that, as it stands, the system is not sustainable and it is time to shut it down to spare the city further expense. Pender is also ready to pull the plug, saying he could not justify asking more customers to com- mit to the system. “I just think on Monday (next meeting) it is over,” he said. “I hate to say don’t do it, but I don’t want to give somebody false hope. I am tasked with oversee- ing money and we want to get the finances back un- der control and not have to use our sales tax.” TAXES Continued from page 1A has nothing to do with taxes. The first difference is Texas has better availability and access to technology and innovation. The second is access to capital. Compa- nies move to states where they know they can access loans and other financial op- portunities to help their company grow. “Here we have two areas that affect business, that have nothing to do with income tax,” Simpson said, “and every- thing to do with access to capital and technology.” Less than half of Rep. Ownbey’s con- stituents surveyed support the elimina- tion of the state income tax. “I think it’s very responsible,” he said. “I have yet to have a constituent come up to me and say, ‘I’m sure glad you’re getting rid of that income tax.” Rep. Hardin said that he’s getting calls from his constituents telling him, “It (tax cuts) sounds good, but don’t hurt us. What happens if we have another downturn? Where do we make up for those things?” Public safety was another topic of dis- cussion at the luncheon. “We have roughly 750 highway patrol- men on the highway right now,” Rep. Hardin said. “Of those, 239 are eligible to retire and we’ve got a 30-man acad- emy this year. These are things that are important to us right now. Why cut the income tax right now?” A $5 million supplemental appropria- tion to Department of Public Safety to pay a trooper academy has been ap- proved by the senate. “I believe public safety is an area that we’re really going to be focused on,” Ownbey said. Legislative Luncheon Schedule March 23 April 6 April 20 May 4

March Tearsheets

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Your March 2012 tearsheets.

Citation preview

Page 1: March Tearsheets

9A

Bring in this ad and save 10%.

PROMi’12

9 E. Main • Ardmore • (580) 220-8837 Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Featuring JOVANI

prom dresses now available

at

HydraulicsSampley

Jacks/CylindersSpringer, OK

(580) 653-2561

Trans-Siberian OrchestraSat, March 24 · 8 PM

$36 Res Gen $46 Prem $51 VIP

New EditionFri, March 30 · 9 PM

$40 Res Gen $65 Prem $90 VIP

John Kay and Steppenwolf &Eric Burdon and The Animals

Sat, April 28 · 8 PM$35 Res Gen $45 Prem $70 VIP

Al GreenFri, May 4 · 9 PM

$40 Res Gen $65 Prem $90 VIP

SugarlandThurs, April 19 & Fri, April 20 · 9 PM

$75 Res Gen $95 Prem $125 VIP

Jill ScottFri, April 27 · 9 PM

$45 Res Gen $60 Prem $75 VIP

Larry the Cable GuySat, March 31 · 8 PM

$45 Res Gen $65 Prem $85 VIP

King of the CageSat, April 14 · 8 PM

$35 Res Gen $55 Prem $100 VIP

Experience HendrixFri, March 23 · 8 PM$50 Res Gen $70 VIP

Tickets available at the Global Event Center Box Office or online at Ticketmaster.com

Hotel Reservations 866.WIN.RSVP (866.946.7787)

www.winstarworldcasino.comExit 1 • I-35 at the Red River

Thackerville, OK

Coming SoonZac Brown Band 5/6

Chickenfoot 5/25Rodney Carrington 5/26 & 5/27

Sting 6/2 & 6/3

VOTE YES... Plainview residents will be vot - ing on several projects for Plainview School on April 3rd. This issue is projected to not increase our property taxes as these bonds will be phased in. The projects will allow us to replace heating and air con - ditioning equipment that is at the end of its lifecycle, as well as older roofs on some of our build - ings. We will be able to add addi - tional classrooms and restrooms at the middle school. Part of the district wide technology will include wireless access in all

buildings, as well as additional classroom technology. Included is the replacement of five buses that have reached twelve years in age. Please join my family and me by voting YES on these initiatives to continue the great progress our school and campus has expe - rienced. It takes 60% to pass a school bond, so all Plainview support - ers need to vote on April 3rd.

The Wakefield Family

Paid for by Facility Review Committee – Jason Casey, Treasurer, 2215 Hickory Drive, Ardmore, OK 7340 1

TUESDAY, APRIL 3RD

2410 N. Commerce Ardmore

(580) 226-0812

413 N. Monte Vista Ada

(580) 436-2156

698 Westside Dr., Ste. 104 Durant

(580) 931-9977

mccauleyskinclinic.com • 1-800-288-5266

Many years of sun exposure increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Caught early, it’s curable. Changes in your skin texture, moles or emerging lumps should be checked immediately!

Call today for an appointment!

-REAL-prescribed by a doctor

HCGtopical hormone &

new weight loss pill discovered effective in Israel.

Dr. Baker ForeDr. Baker ForeDr. Baker Fore 1001 Fifteenth Ave. NW • 223-drdr (3737) • Ardmore

Lose the Weight...Gain Your Life Back!

“Nothing tastesas good ashealthy feels!”

NEWSsunday, March 11, 2012 n The ardmoreite n www.ardmoreite.com 9A

healdtonContinued from page 1A

Complicating matters even more is the $95,000 yearly payment owed on the note that financed the system —the city’s water and sewer system was used as collateral on the note. Should the council decide to discontinue the cable system, note payments will continue. On the up-side of the note equation, the financial losses of the cable system would not continue to hamper the situation.

In the past seven years, the cable system has lost $1 million with the latest annual losses in the range of $186,000.

During the most recent council meeting, Adkins said he would show the council the system could be profitable and prom-ised to call the members of the council the next day. Nearly a week later, some members of the council are still waiting to hear from Adkins. Councilman D.J. Brown said he has never received a phone call and that Councilwoman Renee Miller hadn’t either.

“He (Adkins) just didn’t have all the facts on the costs of the cable,” said Councilman Rick Pender. “In figuring out how the cable was going to make a profit, they were not ac-counting for the loan. He wasn’t given all the infor-mation.”

Through his initial re-search, Adkins was under the impression the system would only need to add 82 customers to sustain itself. In reality, the addi-tion would have to be far greater.

“It (customer base) would need two to three times as much (customer base) as it has now,” said Brown. “I don’t see how that can happen. Every-body in town knows we, the city, has a cable system and it hasn’t grown yet. At this point, I don’t know how we can keep it.”

One of the issues lies in competition. In cities like Ardmore and Lone Grove, Cable One is the sole cable provider, but in Healdton, the city competes with Suddenlink for customers. Suddenlink was available to cable customers prior to the city’s cable venture.

“I hate to say it, but it was a very poor business decision,” Pender said. “They put something in they really hadn’t re-searched. I will say this, Ken Adkins was hired to do a job and he did that job. But he was not actu-ally providing the infor-mation to the public say-ing the cable was making money because he wasn’t aware of the indebtedness it was in. I don’t hold him responsible. The problems have gradually gotten worse. It’s not manage-ment’s fault 100 percent. It was just never going to be profitable when they put it in. “

Despite the uphill bat-tle, City Manager Louis Smitherman is convinced the system can be self sus-taining and is preparing for a last ditch effort, even with the setback of Ad-kins’ figures.

“What we are trying to do is get some numbers, but there are some moving goalposts when we look at every avenue and look at programming,” Smither-man said. “When Ken was talking to the council and said he could make the system profitable, his un-derstanding was it was the HMA the debt was with. He didn’t understand it was the cable. We are still looking to see what we can cut and legally cut.”

Smitherman said the city could start shaving costs

on line items to conserve money for the cable. The problem is the city is also saving money for match-ing funds on a Community Block Development Grant in the neighborhood of $300,000. Smitherman also said the city will re-ceive an insurance pay-ment for storm damage which can improve the system.

“In my opinion, the debt is what it is and the opera-tion is what it is,” Smither-man said. “We are making roughly $100,000 a month in income which places us roughly $24,000 above the debt. That is how we are looking at it. When they asked me to balance the budget, it called for $288,000 (spending in excess of budget) and we balanced it. I took it from the water and the sewer but when it was all said and done, it was under the HMA, not the Healdton Cable Authority. They can vote it up or down and I am going to present some-thing we feel the council can accept or reject it.”

Brown indicated that, as it stands, the system is not sustainable and it is time to shut it down to spare the city further expense. Pender is also ready to pull the plug, saying he could not justify asking more customers to com-mit to the system.

“I just think on Monday (next meeting) it is over,” he said. “I hate to say don’t do it, but I don’t want to give somebody false hope. I am tasked with oversee-ing money and we want to get the finances back un-der control and not have to use our sales tax.”

taxesContinued from page 1A

has nothing to do with taxes. The first difference is Texas has better availability and access to technology and innovation. The second is access to capital. Compa-nies move to states where they know they can access loans and other financial op-portunities to help their company grow.

“Here we have two areas that affect business, that have nothing to do with income tax,” Simpson said, “and every-thing to do with access to capital and technology.”

Less than half of Rep. Ownbey’s con-stituents surveyed support the elimina-tion of the state income tax.

“I think it’s very responsible,” he said. “I have yet to have a constituent come up to me and say, ‘I’m sure glad you’re getting rid of that income tax.”

Rep. Hardin said that he’s getting calls from his constituents telling him, “It (tax cuts) sounds good, but don’t hurt us. What happens if we have another

downturn? Where do we make up for those things?”

Public safety was another topic of dis-cussion at the luncheon.

“We have roughly 750 highway patrol-men on the highway right now,” Rep. Hardin said. “Of those, 239 are eligible to retire and we’ve got a 30-man acad-emy this year. These are things that are important to us right now. Why cut the income tax right now?”

A $5 million supplemental appropria-tion to Department of Public Safety to pay a trooper academy has been ap-proved by the senate.

“I believe public safety is an area that we’re really going to be focused on,” Ownbey said.

Legislative Luncheon Schedule

March 23 April 6

April 20 May 4

Page 2: March Tearsheets

7A

Trans-Siberian OrchestraSat, March 24 · 8 PM

$36 Res Gen $46 Prem $51 VIP

New EditionFri, March 30 · 9 PM

$40 Res Gen $65 Prem $90 VIP

John Kay and Steppenwolf &Eric Burdon and The Animals

Sat, April 28 · 8 PM$35 Res Gen $45 Prem $70 VIP

Al GreenFri, May 4 · 9 PM

$40 Res Gen $65 Prem $90 VIP

SugarlandThurs, April 19 & Fri, April 20 · 9 PM

$75 Res Gen $95 Prem $125 VIP

Jill ScottFri, April 27 · 9 PM

$45 Res Gen $60 Prem $75 VIP

Larry the Cable GuySat, March 31 · 8 PM

$45 Res Gen $65 Prem $85 VIP

King of the CageSat, April 14 · 8 PM

$35 Res Gen $55 Prem $100 VIP

Experience HendrixFri, March 23 · 8 PM$50 Res Gen $70 VIP

Tickets available at the Global Event Center Box Office or online at Ticketmaster.com

Hotel Reservations 866.WIN.RSVP (866.946.7787)

www.winstarworldcasino.comExit 1 • I-35 at the Red River

Thackerville, OK

Coming SoonZac Brown Band 5/6

Chickenfoot 5/25Rodney Carrington 5/26 & 5/27

Sting 6/2 & 6/3

SHRED DAYat

Friday, March 23rd

10:00 am - 2:00 pmBring your personal documents

and have them shredded

FREE OF CHARGE(5 boxes per family)

1226 W. Broadway Branch

FIRST NATIONAL BANKAND TRUST COMPANY OF ARDMORE

Start Protecting your Identity Today!Member FDIC

Enjoy...FREE Hot Dogsand Refreshments!

-PLUS-

newsSunday, March 18, 2012 n The ardmoreite n www.ardmoreite.com 7A

a2aContinued from page 1A

But a bell is just a bell without the proper presentation. Enter David Logan and Dillon Payne. Logan and his father are both cancer survivors and Dillon’s mother battled cancer for a number of years. The race has personal implications for both, and when they realized they could help, they jumped in.

“David can do a lot of things the rest of

us can’t,” Payne said. “He’s got the time to take the trips and work on the materials we need for something like this.”

Logan is constructing a stand for the bell to be placed at the finish line, while Payne works on Mercy and A2A metal logos to be attached to the mount.

“It’s going to be something special,” Logan said. “It’ll be big and colorful and will let you know it’s for Mercy, it’s for this race.”

The duo have worked closely with A2A since the initial race three years ago and say it’s something they feel very

proud of.“It’s grown exponentially each year

and we’ve had a great turn out since year one,” Payne said. “It’s unique that all of the money, with the exception of oper-ating costs, goes directly to the Cancer Center. You drive by it every day and you can see what you’re donating to.”

Logan said even the race has a unique appeal to it.

“It’s a point A to point B race, we bus the runners out there, and you get to run through the country,” he said. “There’s a portion of it through a horse ranch

and runners have said, given the right circumstances, the horses will run right with you.”

But this year’s added element of the final bell is something both agree is above and beyond what either could have imagined.

“It’s a great idea, and even if you’re just running the race as a personal goal, ringing that bell for finishing the race is symbolic in the same way as ringing it if you’re finishing your cancer treat-ment,” Logan said, “a positive end to a long struggle.”

wilsonContinued from page 1A

Problems the audi-tor found within the city include a city code book which was scattered around the office, in pieces, with some pages missing, use of plain, unnumbered re-ceipt books, and instances where receipts were miss-ing or had been manipu-lated. Other receipts were unavailable because they had been deleted from the computer files.

All these problems hin-dered the auditor’s ability to accurately and completely determine the amount of potential misappropria-tion. What is certain in the report is $35,200 in mis-appropriations. In written statements provided to the auditor, Morris indicated she had embezzled $7,500 as well.

Regarding the city’s cul-pability, the reports say, “The city had repeatedly failed to comply with state law concerning finance and purchasing.” That is a viola-tion of the law according to state code. Title 11 O.S. § 17-215(D), a section of the municipal budget act states, “No encumbrance or expenditure may be autho-rized or made by any officer or employee which exceeds the available appropriation for each department within

a fund.”The report said in the

fiscal years ending in 2007 through 2010, the city ex-ceeded appropriations within the general fund. The scope of these allega-tions not only affect billing clerk Morris but also former clerk Elaine Blackburn and Melissa Williams.

“If I am reading this cor-rectly, I think the money was there when they made the budget and when they overspent they did not make a budget amend-ment,” Schaaf said.

Schaaf said Blackburn had told him that she ap-proached former Mayor Bud Young about the prob-lem and he never took any action on it.

It was also on Young’s watch that bill paying be-gan to be a problem.

“We had a 6-foot long ta-ble, 30-inches wide mount-ed with papers,” Schaaf said. “The record keeping was, at best, atrocious. All of that has been squared away and the only thing we really need to do is get our ordinances codified and up to date.

“We had vendors that were actually shutting the city off because of non-payment and that was a top priority, to get them squared away.”

Another problem the city had to deal with following the April 2011 election was payment of employee retire-

ment benefits. The city was in danger of a lien being placed on it before making a $66,875 payment in Au-gust. Morris was the clerk in charge of mailing the payments out and it slipped through the cracks.

The report also found the city broke the law in that it did not make daily deposits because of financial misap-propriations.

In its conclusion, the re-port found the “city’s poor records and poor record-keeping and a general lack of effective Board oversight in prior fiscal years con-tributed to a poor internal control environment that allowed a significant mis-appropriation of city funds to occur without being de-tected in a timely manner.”

The auditor found al-though the city responded by agreeing with annual audit findings, they had ig-nored them and continued to do business as usual in violation of state statutes, developing an environment susceptible to financial mis-appropriations.

Also troubling for the city was its use of Oklahoma Department of Corrections inmates, who were given access to city computers. City employees and Rheba Henderson, the city audi-tor at the time, reported the violation to the auditor, which led to elimination of the practice.

The report notes the in-

mate that was given access to the computer was sen-tenced for various crimes related to fraud and em-bezzlement. The inmate has since been moved to another facility and com-missary records indicated no deposits, cash or oth-erwise, were made to his account.

During an interview in March, Morris said the in-mate had assisted her in setting up her computer. The report said that many of the questionable record manipulations occurred several months after the inmate was seen using the city’s computer.

Schaaf said when all was said and done; the fi-nancial damage to the city was in exact. In addition to the $32,200 in misap-propriated funds and al-leged $7,500 in embezzled funds, the city paid the state auditor $15,000 for the in-vestigation and $30,000 to Henderson as a consul-tant to help recreate the records so an audit could be performed. Even with the $80,000 accounted for, the audit report indicates there is no way of knowing how much money was truly misappropriated.

The auditor’s report is available in its entirety online at http://www.sai.ok.gov/Search%20Reports/database/CityofWilson-11FINAL.pdf.

drugsContinued from page 1A

Information on the four others involved has been turned over to the Office of Juvenile Affairs.

Howe said prescription drugs is a growing problem with youth. Anti-drug efforts at the school include Red Ribbon Week and speakers from the Victims’ Impact Panel.

“We don’t tolerate drugs if we find them. We call the authorities, and they come out and help us,” Howe said.

brief

occupy wall street celebrates 6 months since start

NEW YORK (AP) — Chanting and cheer-ing down Wall Street on Saturday to mark six months since the birth of the Occupy move-ment, some protesters applauded the Goldman Sachs employee who days ago gave the firm a public drubbing, echoing the movement’s in-dictment of a financial system demonstrators say is fueled by reckless greed.

“I kind of like to think that the Occupy move-ment helped him to say, ‘Yeah, I really can’t do this anymore,’” retired librarian Connie Bartusis said of the op-ed piece by Goldman Sachs manager Greg Smith, who claimed the company regularly foisted failing products on clients as it sought to make more money.

Carrying a sign with the words “Regulate Regulate Regulate,” Bartusis said the loss of governmental checks on the financial system helped create the climate of unfettered self-in-terest described by Smith in his piece, although Goldman’s leadership suggested he had not portrayed the bank’s culture accurately.

Page 3: March Tearsheets

7A

HydraulicsSampley

Jacks/CylindersSpringer, OK

(580) 653-2561

BANKRUPTCY Chapter 7

OTEY LAW OFFICES, PLLC

22 D Street SW Ardmore

580.226.8011 [email protected]

-REAL-prescribed by a doctor

HCGtopical hormone &

new weight loss pill discovered effective in Israel.

Dr. Baker ForeDr. Baker ForeDr. Baker Fore 1001 Fifteenth Ave. NW • 223-drdr (3737) • Ardmore

Lose the Weight...Gain Your Life Back!

“Nothing tastesas good ashealthy feels!”

Wednesday,March 28, 201210 a.m.-3 p.m.

ReedFamily

Pharmacy

814 W. Broadway

Ardmore

1-866-855-9170CALL TODAY!

We Service & Repair all makes & models

WINSTAR WORLD CASINO EXPRESS

777 CASINO AVE, THACKERVILLE, OK 73459

1-800-622-6317WINSTARWORLDCASINO.COMManagement reserves all rights. Certain restrictions apply.

For Only $10 You Receive: Round-trip motorcoach transportation & $15 inPassport Rewards!

YOU PAY(ONLY):

$10YOU RECEIVE:

$15REWARDS PLAY

or visit: winstarworldcasinoexpress.com

For Information and Reservations Call:

1-800-254-3423

NEW MOTORCOACH SERVICE FROM

YOUR AREA

ANNOUNCING:

DAILY & EVENING DEPARTURES

Select Routes Receive $20 in Rewards Play

localsunday, March 25, 2012 n The ardmoreite n www.ardmoreite.com 7A

WASHINGTON — Don Barnett Ratliff was born on Sept. 5, 1933, on a farm west of Washington, Okla., to James Loyd Ratliff and Anna Mae Maddon Ratliff. He left this life on March 14, 2012.

Don was raised in Wash-ington, Okla., graduating high school there in 1951. He married Norma Stan-ford in 1953. They were blessed with two children, Larry and Ladonna. Don worked as a traveling salesman for many years and was always interested in flying since a young man. During World War II the Air Force base prac-ticed their maneuvers over the farm. Don would look up at those planes while

leaning on his hoe and dream of someday flying. He learned to fly in 1962, recently celebrating 50 years of flight.

He flew for pleasure for 15 years before going into commercial flight. He ran a commuter airline (Jer-Don Air) out of Ardmore to Dallas in 1980 after earning his Airline Trans-port Pilot license and also a flight instructor’s license. After JerDon Air, Don got the opportunity to free-lance ferrying planes to England and from that ex-perience decided to start his own business. Eagle Aero International was founded in 1988, having evolved into his current business, American King

Air Services, Inc., that of-fers long distance ferry services.

Very few pilots are qualified to fly across the ocean but Don has done so countless times, from London to Istanbul, Rome, Paris, Germany, Africa, Australia, Hawaii... you name it, he’s probably been there. He is highly regarded by pilots around the world.

Don tried to attend the yearly family reunions to stay in touch. He loved his children and grandchil-dren very much and often stopped by to visit on his trips cross country. Don never lost that farm boy love of the outdoors and always had a garden no

matter where he lived. He enjoyed cooking, western movies and OU sports.

Don met the love of his life, Sally Little, in 2006 and moved to Mt. Pleas-ant, S.C., to start a new chapter in his life. Don felt that he had fulfilled all of his career dreams and had nothing else to prove. He was content with his life and so very happy.

The family would like to thank all those individu-als involved in the search and rescue mission in San Benito County, California. You are our heros.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, Loyd and Anna Mae Ratliff; and his older brother, James.

Don is survived by his

special love, Sally Little of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; his son, Larry Ratliff and wife, Betsy and grandson, Walter of Moriarty, N.M.; daughter, Ladonna

Aycox and her husband, Everett of Ardmore, Okla.; Don’s grandson, Matthew Aycox and wife, Katrina; and his great-grandsons Ethan and Braiden of Ar-dmore, Okla.

A Memorial service will be at The First Baptist Church in Washington, Okla., on March 31 at 2 p.m.

A memorial celebration will also be at his home in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., in the near future.

Don Barnett Ratliff

Don Barnett Ratliff

apdContinued from page 1A

“The course is designed to give students the knowl-edge and tools necessary to investigate shooting incidents and reconstruct the incident based on in-formation and evidence provided at the crime scene,” Hamblin said.

The APD was aided in offering the advanced training by the Carter County Sheriff ’s Depart-ment who provided ac-commodations at the Har-vey Burkhart Firearms Training Center.

The Shooting Incident Reconstruction course is the seventh “higher lev-el” training the APD has sponsored in the past 15 months.

“This is another exam-ple of bringing instructors from outside the area to

provide advanced training to our officers and offi-cers from the region,” said APD Chief Keith Mann. “We remain committed to continuing to provide ad-vanced law enforcement training to our officers and others from outside our agency wishing to take advantage of this type of training. We feel this re-inforces our mission to provide the best possible law enforcement to our citizens.”

Mann has focused on making the APD a “train-ing hub” which attracts law enforcement partici-pation from across Okla-homa, as well as other states. While the chief said the aim of the project is to offer training that enhanc-es law enforcement skill, it also benefits the commu-nity in another way.

“It allows us to be a partner in the growth of our community. Courses

like this one brings people to our city — they stay at local motels, eat at local restaurants and partici-pate in local events while they attend classes. It helps grow the economy,” he said.

In January the APD of-fered a Crisis Intervention seminar in partnership with Mental Health Ser-vices of Southern Okla-homa. Other upcoming courses include advanced homicide and advanced SWAT.

Page 4: March Tearsheets

9A

H&E ROOFING INC.Roland, Wade and Keith Freeman • 580-504-0377

Just a few satisfied customers!

Is Your Home Prepared For Spring Rains?

The time has changed once again and it has been an absolutely beautiful March so far. With quality rain fall, above average temperatures, Ardmore residents have left the confines of their living rooms and headed for walks in the neighborhood. Some of you may have noticed that your neighbors have done home improvements over the late fall and winter. As you walk around your own home you may notice roof granules on your driveway, sidewalks and patios. This is the most important part of your roof lying on the ground. The granules protect the shingle mat from ultraviolet light (UV). UV light breaks down the mat of the shingle ultimately causing water to enter your home. This is most likely an effect of the hail storms from last April and May. In the last few weeks we have had severe winds blowing shingles off roofs throughout Ardmore. This is most likely an effect of the shingles being damaged from last April and May hail storms. As you walk around

your home, here are some “tell tell” signs that you have sustained hail damage from last year’s storms. Roof granules on your driveway, your sidewalks and in your gutters. Take a look at your home and do your window screens have small holes or

gouges in them? Can you see dents in your gutters and roof vents? Your home is the single largest investment you will ever make in your life! Protect your

investment. If you are not completely sure of what to look for, call a professional contractor with hundreds of references. We maintain a level of quality workmanship second to none, a clean work area and have pride in our work. We understand the insurance process and can help you file your claim, meet with your adjuster and see that you get a fair settlement from your insurance company. We are the only company in Ardmore that has a certified roofing inspector and licensed insurance adjuster to help you through the process.

“This is the most important part of your roof lying on

the ground.”

9ASUNday, April 1, 2012 n The ardmoreite n www.ardmoreite.com

LocaL

Time to Check In

A2A participants register at the Ardmore Convention Center Saturday for the event which takes place today. dON aLQUIST/THE aRdMOREITE

A2Acrime

Wilson man faces first- degree rape chargeBy Marsha [email protected]

An 18-year-old Wilson man is facing a first-de-gree rape charge involv-ing a female victim un-der the age of 14.

Kenny Lee “Kagan” Howard was arrested by Carter County Sheriff ’s Department deputies Wednesday following an investigation into the al-legations.

CCSD reports indicate deputies began

an inquiry after the victim’s parents reported an incident which allegedly oc-curred March 23 at the victim’s home.

Following his arrest, Howard was booked into the Carter County Deten-tion Center. The formal charge was filed by the district attorney’s office Thursday. Howard made an initial appearance in district court before Special District Judge Thomas Baldwin. Bond was set at $5,000. Baldwin also ordered Howard to have no contact with the victim.

A spokesperson for the detention center confirmed Howard was released after posting bond. A preliminary con-ference has been set for 9 a.m. April 24.

Kenny HowArd

Ardmore

One step closer to Lake Murray State Park lodge

Legislation approved by the House Appropriations and Budget Committee would authorize $15 million for the construction of a new lodge in Lake Murray State Park.

Senate Bill 1913, by state Sen. Frank Simpson and state Rep. Pat Ownbey, would allow the Department of Tourism to draw on the State Park Fund, which in turn receives money from mineral lease payments, royalties and other payments associated with oil and gas in state parks.

Ownbey said the new lodge will be a boost to Ard-more.

“Governor Fallin has said Lake Murray is Oklahoma’s Yellowstone,” said Ownbey, R-Ardmore. “There is an average of 13,000 vacationers who visit each year, con-tributing more than $1 million to our local economy. Unfortunately, the lodge has deteriorated and we need a new one to continue to draw tourists in. I’m thrilled to be a part of this great project that will be of great benefit locally and to the state, but will not cost a single taxpayer dollar.”

Oklahoma operates 41 state park properties, but only owns 14 of the parks. Lake Murray State Park, with 12,496 acres, is bigger than all the other state-owned parks combined. A total of $16.6 million in the State Park Fund came from royalty payments at Lake Mur-ray.