April 23, 2019 Issue, Page 1 of 10

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it ee, — See Easter page 2 | 4 See Big Elk sports page 10 News MID-WEEK Serving Western Oklahoma Since 1901 EDITION Tuesday, April 23, 2019 Homicides in Elk City and Sayre By Don Munsch Editor Beckham County Sheriff's Office officials said authori- ties have a person ofinterest in custody Monday for what they are say are two homicides that occurred Sunday, with one occurring in Elk City and the other in Sayre. ‘The man was taken into custody in Tulsa. The names of the two victims have not been released. Elk City and Sayre police departments and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are the lead agencies in the Ackley Park tennis investigation, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. Sheriff Derek Manning said in the post that the two deaths are thought to be related. Elk City Police Department responded around 4:15 am. courts get resurfaced Sunday to an apartment complex in the 400 block of North State Street and found a middle-aged woman dead in the parking lot. She had a gunshot wound to the head, said Chief Eddie Holland. Her body was sento Oklahoma City By Don Munsch Large cracks have devel- by that point. An anticipated rest, $75,350. for an autopsy. Police were called to the scene after getting Editor oped on the courts, which completion date has not been “We're going to do it one acall of a gunshot. can be a safety hazard. City set yet. way or the other, but this Anyone with information on the Elk City case may con- Anybody up foragameof — Manager Lee Litterell said Also from Wednesday, grant would help pay for it,” tact the Elk City Police Department at 580-225-1212. tennis? the courts are being resur- commissioners approved a Litterell said. Sayre Police Department referred calls to OSBI. The Elk At Ackley Park, tennis faced for aesthetic purposes resolution to provide funds Replacement measures courts will be redone soon and to provide for more toward and for the comple- have started. City News left a message with OSBI. to allow players to enjoy efficient play. He said he is tion of the Water SMART “We've started replacing smoother surfaces. not sure how the cracks oc- Grants application for the water meters with new radio Atlast Wednesday’s meet- curred. purchase of electronic water read meters, which will more ing, the Elk City City Com- Ithas been three or four meters. The money would accurately measure the wa- mission approved a $29,920 bid from Merritt Tennis & _years since the courts were resurfaced, Litterell said. go toward 970 water meters ter flow,” Litterell said. being installed throughout On the replacement, the Beckham County Track Systems of Oklahoma The process to resur- the city. The cost is $150,350, city will do half of Elk City City for the resurfacing and repair of four tennis courts _face will start after May 1, _Litterell said. High School and the grant would pay for this year and the other half nearly half - $75,000 - and cuts budget located in Ackley Park. tennis season will be finished the city would pay for the See Tennis courts page 2. By Don Munsch Editor Beckham County officials plan to make some cuts in of- Popovich fice budgets in order to make up for money lost because of the oil and gas downturn. In anews release, county officials said changes will af- fect both budgets and spending practices, and in inter- Pet Theater views with The Elk City News, officials said staffing cuts may happen. The eight county elected officers have held several meetings discussing the upcoming budget for the 2019- Animals performing on stage will endeavor to delight at- 2020 fiscal year, which begins July 1. tendees of the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, to be presented All eight elected county officers agreed to take pay cuts at7 p.m. Friday at the Pioneer Center, 1221 N. Pioneer Road, to help from their end: 4 percent, or $2,200 annually. The Elk City. officers also want each individual county office tomake The show offers entertainment for the whole family and cuts by reducing each annual budget by 20 percent. features the “unique blend of comedy and juggling skills of The elected officers are the three county commissioners, former Moscow Circus veteran Gregory Popovich and the county clerk, court clerk, treasurer, assessor and sheriff. All elected officials draw the same salary, based on statute, extraordinary talents of his performing pets,” according to said Jonathan Beck, county assessor. After July 1, that sal- the Pioneer Center website. ary will be $53,064. Popovich’s entourage consists of world-class jugglers, County Commissioner Chairman Johnny Davis said in Diamond the Shetland Pony and more than 30 performing the release that Beckham County is by no means going pets including house cats and dogs - all rescued from animal bankrupt, but changes needed to be made to account shelters - geese, white doves and parrots, the website stated. for the loss of revenue from the drop in the oil and gas Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at the box office industry in 2014. Other revenue has been lost to businesses inside at the Elk City Board of Education building, 300 N. closing and foreclosures, said Jennifer Drury, Beckham Boone Ave., or the Pioneer Center website at https://www. County treasurer, in an interview. elkcityschools.com/pioneercenter?fbclid=IwAR1kOIvSMr- “We're just like everybody else - it just hit us a year or mMpY83SaVZpSxtZmafrhTqYv1KSyV3T AbhejzLg3EISz0- two later,” she said, referring to the county having to cope Zo4. Photo:BSOINC. with lost revenues, as other counties have had the same issues. In an interview, Davis said he expects staffersto be cut, with Beck adding that those cuts will happen in some of the departments. Postal Service food drive “With mine, we had one retire before Itook office, and then one made a move to a different county, and so I’m just not rehiring,” Beck said. “It’s not going to be a mass layoff by no means,” Davis By Don Munsch will be looking to take some- _raised just over 11.3 million _ Western Plains Youth Elk interjected. etapa a Editor thing with them, butit won't pounds of food, just here City and DHS Beckham 'We didn’t want to first look at employees,” said Leasa be letters in the mailbox. locally in Oklahoma,” said County in collaboration _ Hartman, Beckham County clerk, in a separate inter- Letter carriers seethetrue Onthatday, letter carriers Austin Prickett, market- with the Regional Food VIEW 7 3 face ofhunger every day in _will participate in the annual _ ing manager of Regional Bank of Oklahoma, accord- Beckre niga ihe ‘courity's operating’ Lie the America when they dotheir Stamp Out Hunger campaign Food Bank of Oklahomain _ing to anews release from ee ad cores froin at hiwaicebert Bec te routes, retired letter carrier __by collecting canned food Oklahoma City. “Nationwide, the Regional Food Bank of era oes heparan aie rages ag 00)dbesiesoy a Note Steve Riggs said. . donations from households i upto abillion. Soit’s really © Oklahoma. ei-immed People, as much as plea Bre Strimmed 8 die Needto where ang We ve When people think of those ontheirroute. Thism effort is‘ pina big. 4 It’s one of our biggest ify a Riggs, — who lives in Okla- we've possibly wee ari operating Waps@eat wont nave be on opti suffering from hunger,some part ofthe Regional Food __not the biggest food drive we _ homa City, emphasized the one 5 might think of the person Bank of Oklahoma’s Letter have all year.” food given here locally will _ i, “ standing on the corner hold- Carriers’ Food Drive, which ‘Riggs, Oklahoma state stay local, “It’s neighbors Pitney eae tara eatin ren re‘ee ing a sign, but Riggs said isa one-day food drive held _ coordinator for the Stamp helping neighbors,” he said. nek: ection availble dute would beNeveribar it’s more common to find in 137 cities in central and Out Hunger food drive, said During the week of May 6, Office budgets will be due to the treasurer by April 29 working families hurting and _ western Oklahoma. a trial food drive with postal residents will receive adona- | _ after they are seen by the officers and commissioners dealing with hunger, adding Letter carriers in Beck- carriers washeld in Phoenix tionbag, and they are asked | ‘and after the review” the budgets go before they goto the that when onesees ahungry ham County will participate in 1993 and then because of _tofill it with canned food and | eckham County Excise Board, allof which hasto be done child, “you don't want tosee _inthisevent, which isthe _its success, the idea went leave it by their mailbox on well advance ofthe fiscal year. another.” 27th annual National As- national. Now, 10,000 cities. May 11. The food will then be eck stated in the release that if each county office Postal workers are ready _sociation of Letter Carriers’ _ participate inthe campaign. _collected by a letter carrier. “pitches in and works to limit their spending, it will cer- todo their part to fight food Stamp Out Hunger Food Donations collected in “The Letter Carriers’ Food | tainly benefit the taxpayers and let them know we are all insecurity. On May 11, postal Drive. Beckham County will benefit Drive is very integral to carriers will drop off mailto _—“In that time [since 1993], Red Rock West Elk City, St. See Beckham County page 2. people on their routes and _the letter carriers have ‘Matthew Catholic Church, See Food drive page2. il Ill | {| UI Weather 146 Vol. 117, No. 33 Home delivery View online « sore las 4 34 » tomorrow 75 cents, 10 pgs. 580.225.3000 ecdailynewsonline.com