November 14, 2026 Issue, Page 2 of 13

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NEWS 2• SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2026 The Elk City News PUBLIC RECORD BULLETIN November 9, 2026 While precaution is observed, no responsibility is assumed for errors or omissions. The original public records are open to inspection and should be consulted before taking any action based on the information herein. There will not be any changes or exceptions to the publication of these records. MISDEMEANORS State of Okla vs Leonard B Jones DUS. TOC. Property damage. Possession of cocaine & paraphernalia State of Okla vs Jamie A Highwalker Domestic assault & battery State of Okla vs Felicia Wooldridge Domestic assault & battery State of Okla vs David O Bales Domestic assault & battery State of Okla vs Trinity P Dunlap Domestic assault & battery FELONIES State of Okla vs John A Smith DUI State of Okla vs Terrill J Morning DUS. Endangering others by eluding State of Okla vs Douglas E Marshall DUI. Obstructing an officer MARRIAGES Gary Smith, Woodward – Amanda McGowan, Woodward Stockton Smith, Cheyenne – Madison Lax, Wtfd Austin Carbaugh, Elk City – Mia Sanchez, Hollis DIVORCES Robert Green Jr vs Melissa Green Skylar Teague vs Kailee Teague Gabriella Gifford vs Sirandon Gifford David Gieswein vs Summer Gieswein STITT Continued from page 1 track there, and we had about 15 tracks that we chose in northeast Oklahoma, eight in northwest Oklahoma, 17 in southeast Oklahoma, 11 in southwest Oklahoma. We spread them all across the state, and I am excited about the potential there for private investment to go to Elk City.” The benefits include tax deferrals and reduction and increased investments. Beginning Jan. 1st, 2027, through 2036, the OZ program will be administered by the US Dept. of Treasury. It was updat- (USPS # 173-020) 580-225-3000 Is published once weekly by Beckham County Media, LLC 109 W. Broadway, Elk City, OK 73644-4736 Periodicals Postage Paid at Elk City, OK 73644 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PO BOX 964, Elk City, OK 73648 Sheryl Ponce, Staff Writer SUBSCRIPTIONS Deliverd by mail: $50/yearly print only $60/yearly print & online $40/online only No refunds on subscriptions. [email protected] [email protected] Neva Pyatt, Advertising Director Ashley Moore, Advertising Director Nancy Karnowski, CSR [email protected] ARCHER Continued from page 1 daughter of Pete and Susie Thurmond, and daughter-in-law to Terry and Anita Archer. Nick and Katie are members of the First United Methodist Church of Elk City, and they have taken over the operations of her family cattle ranch in Roger Mills County. Additionally, Nick is serving in the State House of Representatives representing District 55 and has since 2022. Archer is also devoted to giving back to her community and has participated in Class II of Leadership in Elk City; was a founding board member and mentor with Elk Up; and served as treasurer of the Elk City Education Foundation. She is also a board member of the Elk City School Board, as well as the Elk City Carnegie Library Board. “Never trust an architect that tells you he or she works alone. What we do has so many moving pieces and relies on so many highly specialized professionals to be successful. The best parts of REES are the culture and the people,” Archer concluded. NUCLEAR Continued from page 1 nomic impact of that on the host state or state is again a very big economic potential. When you think about job creations, their own numbers say it’s 20 to 25,000 jobs over the next 10 to 20 years. That is massive for a state like Oklahoma.” Archer noted that when fuel comes out of the rector, it still retains approximately 90 to 95 percent of its potential energy. He compared it to a cell phone, which is quickly able to recharge the nuclear material the same way. It is a process to reclaim, to refuel it, and to re-enrich it. “The United States proved that technology at the Idaho National Lab in the late ‘60s. They ran a small modular reactor there for almost three decades, only on refuel, and so this is not new technology. These are not new ideas. It is really the novelty on the scale, and to really try to move us away from all the reliance on foreign countries. The gross supply chain related to nuclear material all happens outside of the United States. Logistically, there’s only a very small piece of the enrichment process which Providing comfort and support for End of Life choices Hospice care provides medical services, emotional support, and spiritual resources for people who are in the last stages of a serious illness, such as cancer or heart failure. Hospice care also helps family members manage the practical details and emotional challenges of caring for a dying loved one. For questions regarding hospice service or eligibilty, contact: Carrie Perry, RN - Administrator Brianna Barker, RN - MANAGER OF PATIENT CARE SERVICES SOME OF THE MOST COMMON CONDITIONS ARE: • Cancer • Failure to Thrive • End Stage Cardiac Disease (CHF) • End Stage Cerebrovascular Disease (CVA) • End Stage Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) • End Stage Pulmonary Disease (COPD) • End Stage Liver Disease • End Stage Renal Disease • AIDS/HIV • End Stage Neurological Disease such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s Professional, Passionate Advance, Attentive ... Our Difference is Our Care Have you ever considered becoming a hospice volunteer? A fulfulling experience in the spirit of giving and receiving. ed and made permanent through US House Resolution 1 – the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed by Congress in 2025. “Opportunity Zone 2.0 continues the program’s mission of encouraging long-term private investment in low-income communities by offering federal tax incentives to investors, while strengthening accountability and refining eligibility criteria. The updated framework emphasizes support for rural communities, tightens the income threshold for eligible tracts and removes the contiguous tract allowance,” the announcement said. Stitt said that these designated zones serve as a “tax play” for investors. The primary goal is to encourage long-term private capital through federal tax incentives such as 1031 exchanges or rolling funds into these projects. There are significant tax advantages for those who hold investments for five to ten years. The zones are suitable for manufacturing, housing, or general real estate development, and the strategy aims to generate sales tax revenue and utilize existing infrastructure like industrial parts and rail lines. The Department of Commerce has already communicated with municipalities and held a press conference that involved developers. Investors work through tax accountants to identify these op- portunities, and local cities are encouraged to stay informed to help businesses look to expand. With that feedback in mind, the OZ designations focused on census tracts meeting five categories: industrial parks and industrial opportunities; community desire for housing; shovel-ready sites and investment opportunities; potential partnerships with other governmental entities; and sales tax revenue generation. For more information concerning this Oklahoma opportunity, contact information at the Department of Commerce: by phone, 572-235-4804 or at, chase.horn@ okcommerce.gov. happens domestically, and so we are reliant on other countries for that,” Archer added. There are things that a nuclear lifecycle innovation campus can remedy. Archer said, “We can now be 100 percent reliant on our own supply. When you think about all that, there’s about 220 million pounds of spent fuel today in the United States, according to the Department of Energy. When you think about that fuel, the Department of Energy says one pound has an economic potential of about two to $300,000, and if you do that math, you’re talking about a potential GDP greater than Saudi Arabia that we have just sitting around today.” It is a three-noted proposal. The first is being generational, so any state that wins have a requirement from the Dept. of Energy to create one gigawatt of power into the grid based off nuclear energy. Oklahoma does not have existing nuclear power, which would mean that the facilities would have to be established. “Our proposal as a state is to locate that with our military bases. We have five large military institutions across the state. When you think about base closures and things of that nature, realignments occur every so often in the federal government. We think about Enid or Altus potentially being closed. Any time you have nuclear generation on one of those sites, you grossly insulate it from future closures. Not only do we now have the opportunity potentially to add very firm, very stable power into our grid, but we also insulate our military installations and help keep them from possible closures in the future,” Archer said. The middle piece is in reclaiming or the refuel side of it. The spent material will be reprocessed and through that the fission process, elements are created. When large reclamation occurs, the facility could potentially become one of the world’s largest critical mineral mines without mining anything. “It’s estimated that each pound has about $6,000 worth of critical minerals in the spent fuel that exists today, and so it’s a great opportunity,” Archer said. “The last node is a final disposition, and if you’ve seen it on social media, there are a lot of claims that Oklahoma is trying to become the nuclear wasteland of the nation. That is just factually inaccurate. When you think about all of the potential that exists in that material today, the vast majority, will be reprocessed and repurposed and sent back out across the United States. That is not to say that there is no waste which remains, and so that the final small amount of waste does have to be dismissed. Our plan as a state is underground storage and geological storage. As an oil and gas state, we know how to drill well. We know how formations work. We know all of those things, and the technology now exists to canister that material, to be able to put it down a hole, to leave it a mile or two down, but then also potentially retrieve it at some future date if needed.” Oklahoma is a frontrunner of the process, and Archer met with the Department of Energy as the chairman of the House Energy Committee. There is a lot of federal money required, and Archer is concerned about the program coming to fruition due to the change in political parties in Congress. He also noted that Elk City is among the eight to ten locations on the shortlist of finalists for the initiative. He emphasized the importance of passing state legislation to create an advanced nuclear office and a dedicated revolving fund to manage federal dollars responsibly. Archer also addressed concerns regarding nuclear waste and clarifying that it cannot be disposed of in abandoned oil or gas wells due to bore size and geological requirements. After taking questions, Archer concluded discussing the change in political climates. The House is down to 75 Republican members compared to a supermajority at 81 members. “There is one important number: any fiscal measures. When you’re talking about revenue, they require three quarters to vote. Three quarters of voting is 76, and so now we’re really in a position where you have to work together. You can no longer say that one party can unilaterally do anything, and oftentimes you don’t always get all of your members voting the same way. It’s nice to have that security blanket, if you will, that is now gone,’ Archer concluded. The representative’s update was informative and gave the Rotarians an idea of what the nuclear proposal would mean to Elk City and to the State of Oklahoma. The Rotary Club meets every Thursday, in the Meals in Wheel’s dining room, at noon. Make plans with a member to attend the next meeting. BOARD ending Oct. 31st, and new encumbrances and change orders as submitted. In the Superintendent’s report, Sparks cautioned the board about the new governor’s intention of cutting the budget by $1.8 billion. Along with the cost of diesel fuel, Sparks said that the district is in good shape, but the fuel expenditure could cause a hardship for the district. The board voted to go into executive session at 6:21 p.m., to discuss employment, resignation, termination, or appointment of all persons listed on the agenda and/ or discuss the Oklahoma Teacher Empowerment Program in coordination with Opportunity Culture to discuss funding sources for OTEP and Opportunity Culture. They returned to open session at 7:16 p.m., without action taken. The next item on the agenda was the approval of the 2027 Board Meeting Schedule. The board then approved the Revision of policy FFG – Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Or Neglect; DABB – Records Investigation, FE – Student Transfer; and Adopt policy DABB – Affidavit of Good Standing. In explaining these policies, Sparks said that the revision of reporting suspected child abuse clarifies the potential discrepancies with the new law concerning SRO’s and law enforcement. The board then voted on employing Tammy Slife as an elementary paraprofessional, who has been working as a substitute. In the superintendent’s report, Sparks said that the new track is underway. He also said that the district enrollment has dropped, as it has all over Western Oklahoma schools. The district numbers are 1998, which are the lowest numbers since Sparks has been superintendent. The meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m., and the next meeting will be Dec. 7th, at 6 p.m., in the boardroom. of an outback-themed barbeque inspired dinner that comes with lots of laughs and unexpected plot twists. The ticket prices are $150 for a single; $275 per couple; and $700 for a table of six. There are no spare parts; every character has secrets and questions to answer. Let the chaos begin by making reservations at www.rcct. org, remember seating is limited, so do not be left out at this mystery dinner party. What a fun way to spend an evening with friends, suspects, and good food. Continued from page 1 showing growth in their classroom will get into more classrooms. This could include pulling kids for small groups or anything that directly involves kids and getting those teachers in front of kids. This puts high-quality teachers seeing more students, as well as having at least one other adult that they are coaching. Watkins suggested vertical alignment, by subject or by grade. This also includes mentoring teachers or coaching them. The bonus part of the program is that college tuition is paid, and coaches are compensated for their time. After Watkins’ presentation, the board approved the consent agenda that included the Oct. 12th minutes, the Superintendent’s financial report, the treasurer’s report ending Oct 31st, the Activity Fund report RCCT Continued from page 1 Carrie Perry, RN Locally owned & operated. Proudly serving central western Oklahoma since 2011. help Inspector McBruce with the drama and antics at every table. The menu for the dinner consists