The Waurika Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual banquet on Saturday, February 24th at the Waurika High School Cafeteria beginning at 6:30 pm.
Tickets are on sale now for only $15.00 each and can be purchased at First Farmers Bank in Waurika.
Catering the food this year will be the Duncan Regional Hospital.
Bill Robertson and his band Southern Rain will be the featured guest providing entertainment for the evening. Joining them will be Missy Fry.
ENID, OK – Lt. Col. Deirdre Gurry this week completed her personal mission to fly into all 108 public-use airports within the Oklahoma Airport System (OAS). Gurry is a military and general aviation pilot and hangars her plane at Enid Woodring Regional Airport (KWDG).
In pursuit of general aviation, Gurry purchased an RV6 aircraft a little more than a year ago. Itching for an aviation adventure, it was mid-winter when she began looking for a goal to keep her busy. She said the idea came to her when she received the 2018 Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC) official aeronautical chart during the Oklahoma Women in Aviation & Aerospace Day event held in Tulsa.
Gurry’s journey launched this past December and was fulfilled April 24th at Duncan’s Halliburton Field (KDUC). Over a four month period, she took nine day-trips with the Oklahoma Panhandle being her longest.
“I enjoyed finding buildings with paintings on the roofs. It’s fun to think about the people who leave the art just for us pilots to find! I’ve seen an eight-ball, a smiley face, and even a rooster!” said Gurry. “One thing that was a small, but fun, challenge was transiting between the airports that were very close. I would only do one “touch and go” or “low approach” to wet grass fields, and then move on to the next. With some airports very close, switching frequencies, finding the airport, and scanning for traffic kept me on my toes.”
Oklahoma has 4 commercial airports and 104 public general aviation airports and Gurry landed at every one of them. The OAC is a non-appropriated agency funded directly by users of the state airport system through aircraft excise and fuel taxes, and aircraft registration fees. These taxes and fees generate $5 million on average annually funding the OAS.
“Lt. Col. Gurry probably has some great insight as to how the Aeronautics Commission is doing in our mission to maintain and improve the state’s airports,” said Grayson Ardies, deputy director of the Commission.
“Pilots using the state’s runways can tell you that our pavement has dramatically improved over the past two decades, and we are proud of our 108 airports. A commitment by state, local, and federal officials has resulted in what is now a well-maintained comprehensive airport system,” Ardies continued. “OAC’s recently proposed Airport Construction Program (ACP) which invests $130M of federal/state/local funding in 66 projects will go a long way in helping ensure the state’s runways, taxiways, and other infrastructure items are the best they can be for the users of the system.”
Nearly twenty years ago, federal funding for Oklahoma general aviation airports was significantly lower. The Legislature providing dedicated funding sources enabled agency staff to develop an ACP proving to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) that the state was serious about improving their air transportation system, and now, the FAA uses Oklahoma as a model when talking to other states.
“My home airport is Woodring Regional in Enid. The runway is in great condition and very long. And the shorter runway is great for those strong-crosswind days.” said Gurry.
The 2,000 foot extension to the runway at Enid Woodring Regional Airport completed a few years ago would not have been possible without the largest State/OAC airport grant ever of $2.5 million. The extension was done so that T-38 trainer jets from nearby Vance Air Force Base could land and takeoff from the Enid regional airport rather than having to go to Wichita or Tulsa to train when the main runway at Vance is closed for maintenance. The record investment from OAC was necessary because the FAA could not invest what it usually would because the extension was driven mostly by military rather than civil aviation demand. This is just one example of several critical state investments in airports that the OAC has been able to do.
The core responsibility of OAC has been to ensure that the needs of communities and commerce across the state are met by a system of public airports, the Oklahoma Airport System (OAS). Since 2001, OAC has received $82 million from aviation-generated revenues and invested $68 million in airport infrastructure across the State—83% of the revenue that OAC received has been invested in airport infrastructure. That is a rate of return the users of the OAS, who pay the aircraft taxes and fees, can be very proud.
Twenty-five members of Waurika FCCLA traveled to Oklahoma City on September 28 to volunteer at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. The group was assigned to pack food items for the Back for Kids program. While there, they packaged over 600 bags, or over 2,000 pounds of food. Waurika Public Schools benefits from the Back Pack for Kids program. The students said they enjoyed volunteering and knowing that their efforts will benefit Waurika school children.
FIRST GRADE- AIDEN ALSUP
SECOND GRADE- GUNN GUNTER
THIRD GRADE – CLIFFORD SELF
FOURTH GRADE – ANNABELLE NWESIGYE & CAMERON MCCAULEY
FIFTH GRADE – AVA ALSUP
SIXTH GRADE – DESTINY MARTINEZ & BRADEN BERGERON
SEVENTH GRADE – LIBBY CARTER (NOT PICTURED)
EIGHTH GRADE – ADAN LOPEZ & ALICEN WILLIAMS
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Photo by Sheree Hanson
He started on the oval dirt track circuit in 1971. Now he is in the racing hall of fame.
Harold Winton’s life has been influenced by cars.
In a pair of photo albums you can trace his racing history. These two albums are overflowing with pictures, racing stats and news clippings.
Thumbing through the first pages of one of the albums a picture of a young Harold Winton can be found.
In the photo he is in front of a car in mid-reconstruction. The car could metaphorically be seen as his inspiration for the passions of his life—racing and cars.
He has placed in the top ten at every track he has raced on. That includes Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
The first time he was ever on a race track he crashed, flipping end over end. That, he says, is his most memorable race. 
His first car was blue with the number four painted on the side. After Harold was born he changed his number to 71 because Lisa was seven and Harold was almost one.
In the early days he took his family – wife Beverly, daughter Lisa, and son Harold Jr. The family grew up watching dad race. 
As busy as he was racing, he never missed any of their ball games or activities. These days his son Harold races with him. They build their own bodies on their modified race cars. There were many Monday’s they didn’t make it home from the races until about 6 am in the morning. Harold Jr. was only two weeks old when he attended his first race. Together they have set records, one of them was when they tied. It was the first time in the history of dirt track racing a father/son team tied.
That will probably not be the last record they will set.
TISHOMINGO, Okla. – During his annual state of the Nation address Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said that successful business diversification has led to significant advances in health care, housing, education and other services.
Gov. Anoatubby delivered the address Saturday, Oct. 6 to a crowd which filled Fletcher auditorium as well as an adjacent overflow tent on the Murray State College campus.
“Our business ventures grow each year, and through these economic development efforts we are able to generate the revenue needed to develop, expand and enhance programs and services,” said Gov. Anoatubby.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the 1983 Chickasaw Nation Constitution.
“We have experienced remarkable growth under that Constitution,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “In the years following ratification, we turned our focus to economic development and business diversification, while maintaining education, health care, housing and other services as priorities.
“Today, the state of the Chickasaw Nation is strong. Through hard work and commitment to the Chickasaw people, we have more opportunities than ever before.”
Business diversification
Tribal businesses have experienced record revenue and net profits this year.
“We have worked hard over the years to diversify our businesses to fund programs and services.”
“We have successful businesses in many different areas — gaming, hospitality, chocolate, tourism, banking, manufacturing and other industries.”
A number of key partnerships through Global Gaming, Bedré Fine Chocolate, Chickasaw Nation Industries and other diverse businesses have helped enhance growth and increase brand recognition.
Bedré Fine Chocolate developed licensing partnerships with the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. Plans are also underway to make Bedré the official chocolate bar of the Dallas Cowboys.
Aligning the Bedré brand with such high-profile partners is one key to continued growth. As part of a similar strategy, the tribe recently developed a partnership which makes WinStar World Casino the official casino of the Dallas Cowboys.
Chickasaw Nation Industries, a federally chartered corporation established in 1996, continues to experience significant growth. Wholly owned by the Chickasaw Nation, CNI serves as a holding company with more than a dozen subsidiaries. Several CNI subsidiaries are leaders in their respective industries.
One CNI subsidiary, Filtra-Systems has developed a mobile filtration system designed for use in fracking operations. This mobile recycling system is capable of filtering up to 10,000 barrels of produced water per day, saving energy companies time and money, while also preserving water resources.
Corvid technologies, CNI’s engineering subsidiary, is working on a number of projects with large defense contractors. Corvid is currently expanding its headquarters and expects to add more than 350 new jobs in the coming years.
Education
Growth in business revenues benefits education services in several areas, including increases in the amount of scholarships and text book grants.
“It is essential to offer the financial support that is often needed to earn a college degree or other types of higher education,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “This past year we provided close to $20 million in scholarships, grants and other forms of financial support to more than 5,200 students.”
The tribe increased the amount of scholarships for tuition, the number of credit hours funded per semester and the amount of the text book grant.
“Early education is also vital to the success of children,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “We recently opened a new Head Start Center in Sulphur further investing in development opportunities for our youngest students. We expanded the number of classrooms and staff to serve more children in the area.”
Health Care
Health care has long been a high priority for the Chickasaw Nation, which operates a hospital, four clinics, eight pharmacies, a diabetes care center, emergency medical services, four nutrition centers, eight WIC offices and five wellness centers.
This year alone, the tribe served more than 930,000 patient encounters, delivered more than 1,200 babies, filled more than 1.8 million prescriptions, served more than 60,000 meals to children and saw more than 177,000 visits to its wellness centers.
In February of this year, the Chickasaw Nation broke ground on a 32,000-square-foot pharmacy in Ada, which will enable the tribe to expand pharmacy services to include hypertension, asthma and immunization clinics.
Construction also began in February on a new 25,000-square-foot wellness center in Ada, which will be almost twice the size of the current facility.
Virtual Visit is a new initiative designed to allow patients to “visit” a doctor without leaving home.
“For certain illnesses and injuries, patients can see a doctor, receive a diagnosis and even medication using a smart device,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “Our goal is to ensure that all Chickasaws have access to quality health care.”
Housing
Housing was one of the earliest services, beginning with the first Chickasaw Housing project in Fillmore, Oklahoma, 50 years ago. Since that time, the Chickasaw Nation has developed a wide range of housing programs.
Passage of the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act in 1996 led to major improvements in housing programs.
“We immediately went to work conducting needs-assessment meetings to determine what building programs and services would most benefit Chickasaw families,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “From these meetings, among other things, we discovered that nearly 60 percent of the home loan applications being submitted by Chickasaws were being turned down by lenders.”
That led to development of the Chuka Chukmasi Home Loan Program. In the 20 years since the program was established, it has facilitated nearly $155 million in home loans to more than 1,400 families.
A variety of other services are also available.
“We have developed programs that assist with everything from home improvements, to down payment cost, and from counseling services, to installing storm shelters,” said Gov. Anoatubby.
Culture
Revitalizing Chickasaw culture and language is also a high priority. Therefore, the Chickasaw Nation takes a comprehensive approach, which includes the Chickasaw Press, fitness applications, online language lessons, stomp dance and traditional games.
Dozens of young Chickasaws are learning stomp dances through the Chickasaw Young Dancers program. This year, for the first time, the Chickasaw Nation sent its own team to the World Series of Stickball in Mississippi.
Aya, a walking and fitness app that integrates Chickasaw history, language and culture, was recently made available. An application featuring the songs found in the traditional Choctaw Hymnal was also released this year.
Level two of Rosetta Stone Chickasaw was released this year, bringing the total number of language lessons to 80. Forty more lessons are scheduled to be released this spring.
“Investing in our culture is a very high priority,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “The young dancers program, youth and adult stickball teams, language lessons, making traditional bows, flutes, beaded collars or corn husk dolls are important to who we are.
“We work to ensure that generations from now, Chickasaws will know who they are…that we are unconquered and unconquerable.”
Noting that the strength of the Chickasaw Nation is the result of a solid foundation and long-term strategic planning, Gov. Anoatubby said that the future is filled with the promise of even greater progress.
“Be certain, the Chickasaw Nation today is strong and getting stronger,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “With continued planning and a commitment to the Chickasaw people, we will prosper far into the future.”
Ryan students recently held their annual Beta Club banquet.
During the ceremony new members were inducted, and others, including seniors were recognized.
This year’s Oklahoma State Beta Convention Winners are as follows:
Tawny Vanover – Runner-up American History
Daneil Alsup – Winner Math
Laken DeBoard – Runner Up Agriculture.
Cara Williams, Randi Linton, Mckenzie Lewis, Michael Gore, Dawson Tomberlin,
and Tate Kimbro
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Samantha Good, Ebony Marquez, Daniel Alsup, Emerald Chazaretta, Emilee Lowry, Tawny Vanover, Brooklyn Charmasson, Lily York, Madison Rhoades, Kodi Duke, Grayson Tomberlin, Juliet Spangler
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Caitlyn Ramsey (left) was named the 2018 National Miniature Hereford Breeders
Association princess. Caitlyn Ramsey’s parents are Casey and Ruslyn Ramsey.
Caitlyn Ramsey, a 5th grader from Waurika was named the 2018 National Miniature Hereford Breeders Association princess. To compete, Caitlyn had to submit an application along with her resume, answer an essay question and send a head and shoulder picture of herself. She, along with 6 other girls were then judged on their submissions by 2 non Mini Hereford breeders and 1 Mini Hereford breeder. To be a princess you must be between the ages of 10 and 14 and have Miniature Hereford cattle in your name as well as attend/show at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO. and Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals which will be held this year in Kearney, NE. The Miniature Hereford Breeders Association has always had a queen, but this year the queen coordinator added the princess title. “There are many young kids showing this breed and it’s time they were represented along with the older kids. By having a princess, it shows the younger girls that they too are leaders and someone to look up too.” Caitlyn along with queen Sarah Potter of Silverton, OR were crowned Jan. 20th in Denver at the annual MHBA banquet. Congratulations Caitlyn!
Photo by Mike Floyd
Photo by Mike Floyd
Photo by Mike Floyd
Fire is right around the bend in the road, north of Cimmeron (back road).
Photo by Mike Floyd
Photo by Mike Floyd
Last Wednesday, November 14th Waurika High School hosted the tryouts for SCOBDA Honor Band for schools Class B through 3A. In Honor Band, students audition using a specific piece of music, and the top students are selected to make up a band. This band, made up of students from all over south-central Oklahoma, then meets for a 2-day music clinic with a guest director, and perform a concert at the end of the clinic.
This is the third year for WHS to host the SCOBDA Honor Band auditions. When speaking with Band Director Everett Hodges, he stated he thought this year went great. “We had 9 students qualify, 4 of which in High School, 3 junior high qualifiers, and 2 seventh grade band members. There were roughly 500 kids in attendance during the auditions, from about 20 different schools,” Hodges mentioned. He also noted how appreciative he was to WHS and its faculty for making the auditions run smoothly each year.
Students qualifying from Waurika were: 7th graders Alexia Henry (flute) and Trish Julian (trumpet), 8th grader Hannah Lamons (trumpet); freshmen Kaytlyn Williams (flute) and Mallory Adkins (flute); sophomores Hope Cummings, Regena Bradley, Brooklyn Barnes (all clarinet), and senior Emily Waid (baritone).
The SCOBDA, or South-Central Oklahoma Band Director’s Association, Honor Band clinic will take place January 11-12 in Marietta, with both jr high and high school concerts taking place on Saturday the 12th.
