All Chickasaw citizens who are seniors in high school are eligible to apply for honor cords to display while graduating.
Braided in yellow, purple and blue rope, the honor cords feature a medallion displaying the Great Seal of the Chickasaw Nation. The application deadline for these honor cords is March 30.
Chickasaw seniors may also apply for a one-time reimbursement of graduation expenses.
Approved high school senior expenses include graduation announcements, caps and gowns, class rings, letterman jackets, and senior pictures. Up to $150 will be reimbursed for costs associated with these purchases. For more information, contact Chickasaw Nation Youth Services Division by phone at (580) 310-6620, email at YouthSupportReimbursement@Chickasaw.net or visit
Health care professionals from throughout the state attended the Oklahoma Hospital Association’s (OHA’s) 103rd annual convention, Connect 22, Nov. 9-11, at the Oklahoma City Convention Center in Oklahoma City. In addition to the educational sessions and an exhibit hall, other convention highlights included the presentation of several awards to Oklahoma’s outstanding health care leaders.
During the convention, Jay R. Johnson, FACHE, president and chief executive officer, DRH Health, Duncan, received the association’s highest award, the W. Cleveland Rodgers Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of his outstanding service to the health care industry.
Johnson received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1990 from Cameron University in Lawton and his Master of Health Administration degree in 1994 from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. He began his career at Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas followed by nine years at Stillwater Medical Center and five years at Mercy Hospital Ardmore.
In August 2010, Jay began serving as president and CEO of Duncan Regional Hospital (DRH). Under his leadership, DRH Health has grown from $96 million in net revenue in 2010 to $169 million in 2021 while also maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction. The organization has expanded by adding Jefferson County Hospital along with clinics in 10 communities in southwest Oklahoma. New services include full-time programs in cardiology, behavioral health, and pulmonology/critical care.
Johnson currently serves as the past board chair of the Oklahoma Hospital Association. He served as board chair mid-2019 through 2021. He has been a member of the board since 2013 and he has served on the OHA Council on Policy and Legislation. Johnson received the OHA Advocacy in Action award in 2013 and 2017.
Johnson currently serves as board chair for the Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma. He is the past chair for Vizient’s Arkansas/Oklahoma region and a past delegate of Region Seven for the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board. In 2019, he was named the Duncan Man of the Year by the Duncan Chamber of Commerce, and in 2015 he was named Outstanding Alumni for Cameron University. He is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma class 29, Leadership Duncan class 16, and Leadership Stillwater class 11. He is the past chair of the Duncan Public Schools Foundation and the past chair of the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Hope you had a great “4th of July” holiday and had a chance to celebrate the founding of our great nation! In doing so I also hope you had a chance to get on the water and enjoy a little fishing.
While out casting on your favorite body of water catching bass, crappie, catfish or whatever your quarry is, hopefully you didn’t encounter any snakeheads! What is a snakehead you ask? Well, I’m going to tell you more than you probably wanted to know about them.
Snakeheads (Family Channidae) are native to Africa and southern Asia. About 28 species have been identified. Equipped with a lung-like organ, these fish can gulp air and survive in waters with low dissolved oxygen levels. They can also live out of water for several days if they are kept moist. All snakeheads are aggressive predators and may eliminate other fish in waters they invade. They have even been known to bite humans who got too close to a guarded nest. The northern snakehead (Channa argus) is fairly cold tolerant, and could probably survive winters in many parts of the United States. This species also has the ability to cross land by wriggling or “walking” on its pectoral fins. Snakeheads have been imported to North America for the aquarium trade, and at one time were sold live in Asian-style fish markets. It’s thought that in some instances some of these live fish were released in waterways to reproduce as they are a sought after food source in Asia.
Native Bowfin
That was prior to the Snakehead being added to the list of injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act in October 2002, which banned import and interstate transport without a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Snakeheads were sold in pet stores and in live food fish markets and some restaurants in several major U.S. cities, including Boston, New York, and St. Louis. Live specimens have been confiscated by authorities in Alabama, California, Florida, Texas, Virginia, and Washington where possession of live snakeheads is illegal. Some snakeheads living in natural waters of the U.S. may have been released by aquarium hobbyists or those hoping to establish a local food resource. Also, some cultures practice “prayer animal release”, a faith-based activity in which individuals purchase, then release, an animal (fish, amphibian, reptile, or bird) to earn merits with a deity.
You Don’t Want To Lip A Snakehead!
Snakeheads are a freshwater fish with little, if any, tolerance for saltwater. Within their native and introduced ranges, they live in small and large streams, canals, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, and lakes. Many species can tolerate a wide range of pH, and one species living in Malaysia and parts of Indonesia prefers highly acid waters (pH 2.8-3.8). The northern snakehead and several other species prefer to live in somewhat dense aquatic vegetation where they feed and reproduce. Northern snakehead may tolerate a wide range of water temperatures and environmental conditions which contributes to their success as an invasive species.
During all stages of their life, snakeheads compete with native species for food and habitat. A major concern is that snakeheads may out-compete and eventually displace important native or other established predatory fish that share the same habitat.As adults, snakeheads can be voracious predators. Should snakeheads become established in North American ecosystems, their predatory behavior could also drastically disrupt food chain and ecological conditions, thus forever changing native aquatic systems by modifying the array of native species. This could be disastrous!
Northern Snakehead!
In the summer of 2002 and again in late spring 2004, Channa argus, the northern snakehead, generated national media attention when anglers caught these fish in a pond in Maryland and, more recently, in the Potomac River in Maryland and Virginia. Fisheries scientists consider snakeheads to be invasive species because they have the potential to threaten native fish, the recreational fishing industry, and aquatic ecosystems.
A mature northern snakehead female can carry as many as 50,000 eggs, although some will not develop and others will be eaten by insects and small fish following fertilization. Depending on water temperature, eggs can hatch in about 24-48 hours. The fish also can spawn several times a year.
Snakeheads are easy to identify with their large mouth-full of sharp teeth, a mottled appearance much like a snake and a dorsal fin that runs back to their tail. They have a slight resemblance to the native bowfin common in our southern states but they are not related.
Hopefully you never run into these creatures but you can search YouTube and pull up videos of people fishing for snakehead fish in the northeast.
But for now you don’t have to worry about swimming in Lake Waurika. Get out and enjoy our Oklahoma.
The Senate has completed filing bills for the Second Session of the 56th Legislature. A total of 706 Senate bills were filed along with 23 Senate Joint Resolutions. In 2016, a total of 831 Senate bills and 46 Senate Joint Resolutions were filed.
The deadline does not apply to appropriations bills which can be filed throughout the session. In addition, substantive bills can be introduced during the session after the filing deadline. In order for this to occur, the Majority Floor Leader must assign it to a committee and the entire committee becomes the published author of the bill. Such bills must still be heard on the floor by March 22, the deadline for floor votes on legislation originating in the Senate. Measures not heard within that time frame will be considered dead and cannot be reconsidered.
The process of authoring bills by committee was first adopted by the Senate in 2015 to do away with shell bills, which were bills with no language used as vehicles for measures later in the session. The change was aimed at increasing transparency in the legislative process.
Legislation can be read and downloaded through the official State Senate website at www.oksenate.gov by following the link for Legislation at the top of the homepage. The Senate website also includes daily agendas, meeting notices, calendars, and other helpful information.
You can also follow the Oklahoma State Senate on Twitter at OKSENATEINFO.
The Senate offers streaming audio and video from the Senate Chamber, as well as from all committee rooms. Wireless Internet access is available to all Capitol visitors throughout the Senate gallery, rotunda, committee rooms, offices and press rooms.
The 2018 legislative session will reconvene on Monday, February 5.
I’m sure everyone in Jefferson County got plenty of rain this weekend, unfortunately it certainly dampened the Snake Hunt! What a difference a day makes, as I write this today, it’s 80 degrees and sunny outside, wow!
This time of the year is magical in many ways. Turkey season is in full swing, the white bass are running up the rivers and creeks and if you are lucky, you are finding a few morel mushrooms.
Whether you are planning a week long trip into the woods or waterways-camping, hunting, fishing, hiking or just getting out to enjoy nature for a few hours, take some time to plan.
Anytime you are out in the wild there is the possibility that something unplanned can extend your stay or endanger your safety. The Boy Scouts always advised to be prepared and they were spot on. Nobody wants to lug around a 100 pound pack with everything you might ever need but it’s a good idea to try to plan ahead for things you might need.
Stuart Ranch Outfitters Scored 100% Openning Weekend!
Most of these items are referred to as survival gear and that is exactly what they are, especially if you find yourself in an unwanted situation. Anytime you venture out a small backpack or sling bag packed with water, a couple of snacks, a quality knife, fire-starter kit and of course your phone, along with a portable charger is not a bad idea! If you are going alone make sure to leave specific information about your intended location and the planned time of your return.
To help you plan your next adventure I thought I might include some tips from “Field And Stream”on items you may not have thought of!
Our Oklahoma!
Carry fire accelerants in your pack in case you need to start a fire in wet conditions. Products like Solkoa’s FastFire will burn when they’re wet and in the wind, and they require very little heat to get going. Lightweight, inexpensive and easy to use, these little cubes are lifesavers should you need to make a fire to avoid hypothermia, create a signal, or simply make a restorative cup of coffee. Several come in a pack so stack a few in your hunting pack, fishing bag, the glove box of your vehicle, and anywhere else you can think of—because you never know when the need for heat may arise.
A 42 or 55 gallon contractor-grade garbage bag is an indispensable, yet often overlooked, piece of survival gear. Bags are very inexpensive, weigh almost nothing, and take up very little space in a pack. In a survival situation, you can fill it with dry leaves to form bedding or a ground cushion, lay it down on the ground as a seat to keep your pants dry, or make a moisture barrier for your bedding. Cut a hole in the bottom of it and place it over your head and you have an makeshift rain jacket. You can bring more than one and also use it to collect water as a transpiration bag, or a simple pack cover to keep your gear dry.
Hypothermia, the loss of body heat faster than your body can produce it, is one of the top five leading causes of death in the backcountry and accounts for nine percent of all deaths on federal and state property. In fact, accidents, illnesses, and hypothermia are the three top causes of death, but also the easiest to prevent from happening. Always carry a minimum of two ways to make a fire. One of those should always be a disposable lighter. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and lightweight. That is a nice combination for anything that could save your life on a cold, unexpected overnight stay in the woods. A secondary choice is a backup lighter in another location and a ferro rod.
Every time you go outside, your most important source of heat is your own body. If you utilize your body heat smartly, you’ll avoid predicaments like hypothermia. That’s why keeping a small, packable, reflective blanket in your supplies is a great idea. Wrap it around your body so when heat naturally radiates off, it is temporarily captured and reflected back toward you. You can also use it for extra warmth on top of your sleeping bag. Just don’t place it directly on the ground and lay upon it. By doing so, you’ll conduct your body heat directly into the earth through the blanket. Lastly, an emergency blanket is bright and shiny and makes a great signaling device.
Brushing your teeth each day, especially on long hunting or backpacking trips, is not only healthy, it tells your mind and body it’s starting a new day. But did you know toothpaste also has survival uses other than giving you a clean mouth? Peppermint is a natural coolant, and it helps relieve itching on bug bites. It also has cleansing properties and can be used as a hand cleaner and sanitizer. If you find yourself out for a few days longer than you expected, make a spreadable paste with some water and use it to wash off with.
Hopefully, this will give you some ideas you may not have thought about and make your next trip in our great Oklahoma outdoors even more enjoyable!
Once upon a time, a powerful ruler publicly humiliated a simple woman. He invited her as a guest of honor to an annual celebration, but instead of honoring her, the ruler heaped ire and abuse upon her, attacking her character, honor, and integrity. She helplessly endured it in silence while her friends and colleagues silently watched. No one spoke up or even stood beside her. Her seat of honor at a celebration was instead a seat of scorn.
Those same friends and colleagues privately came to her afterwards and affirmed their love and support for her. The ruler also visited the woman and apologized very sincerely for his hurtful and unfair behavior and invited her to another celebration. She was not attacked this time, but the previous injustice was ignored, and she left more wounded than ever, because private praise rarely heals public wounds, and neither do secret apologies. Such a broken heart simply festers.
I share this little parable because I am often asked how people can affirm support for their local educators, and I believe it is how we choose to respond when someone sits defenseless in the seat of scorn. Like the simple woman in our parable, local educators often sit alone and humiliated in the public eye, but this is not just happening to school staff. Police officers and healthcare workers have been targeted mercilessly, and likewise, volunteer elected officials like school board members and city council members. Still yet, the seat of scorn is not limited to these leaders or professions.
Ask the men and women at the drive-thru windows and convenience store counters how often they are cussed or insulted lately. Ask your bus drivers, your cooks, your custodians, or your school secretaries how people often treat them. Ask the tellers at the bank, your servers, your pastors. Ask your friends and family, and ask the person in the mirror, for you probably have felt it, too. Yes, local educators currently feel isolated and humiliated at the seat of scorn, but they are not alone in regard to feeling so alone.
Such treatment is often face-to-face, but nowadays, anyone can be abused publicly by petty tyrants on social media. Simple folks retreat to social media for a celebration with friends and family, but they quickly find themselves sitting ducks in the virtual seat of scorn. Despite dozens and dozens of “friends” looking on, people rarely stand beside them publicly. An avalanche of support may pour in privately, but private praise and secret apologies never heal public wounds; they just make it worse.
I am often asked what our local educators need, and it is the same thing everyone else needs right now: someone . . . anyone . . . brave enough to stand beside them at the seat of scorn. Whether online in social media or in line at the store, people should not suffer alone when someone browbeats them for the higher cost of a fountain drink or for simply being a healthcare provider, police officer, or educator. We should never return bad behavior with worse behavior, but we can always walk across the room and stand beside them, so they know they are not alone. I wonder how many times I have personally been guilty of being a bystander.
When schoolkids receive anti-bully training, they learn that being a bystander simply fuels the bad behavior. As a result, children learn to be upstanders. Simply standing up with the person often neutralizes the bully, and the person is no longer alone. Instead of silently watching when someone is humiliated in the seat of scorn, we should be like our children. We should stand beside them, whether online or in person, because private praise and secret apologies afterwards never help. We all know the hot seat of scorn, so let’s be upstanders rather than bystanders when it happens in our communities. Please pray for restored civility in our communities, the courage to stand with each other, and above all, the safety of our schools this Second Sunday of the Month.
Wow, what a difference eight weeks make! I hardly remember how to open up “Word” on my iPad.
We are into dove season now and from the reports I’ve gotten the birds are definitely here, I have not been out but have heard of many limits being taken in the first two weeks.
Waurika’s football teams are on a roll with both high school and junior high being undefeated at this point. The Lady Eagles softball team has certainly been busy these last few weeks.
With Waurika playing in Carnegie last weekend, my wife Jana and I ventured to Ringling last Friday night to watch the Blue Devils play, under new head coach Phillip Koons. Jana had worked with his wife Shelly years ago and while they had a chance to catch up, I was able to watch my old rival “Blue Devils” take on Marietta high school.
Years ago the Waurika and Ringling game probably meant more to me than most! Having grown up in Claypool and attending school there till the 7th grade , it was the dividing line when Claypool lost their school in 1957. My good friends the Howards and everyone east went to Ringling and the Dickeys, Smiths and Gaines and the rest went to Waurika.
The line was drawn! I lost my first girlfriend and half my school buddies to the Blue Devils!
The Eagles and Blue Devils always had a great rivalry, but times change, with Waurika’s decline in enrollment over the years and dropping into 8 man they are now worlds apart!
Ringling’s success over the last couple of decades is well documented and if Friday’s game is any indication it will not be slowing down anytime soon!
Summer is almost over.
New head coach Phillip Koons has his team playing at a very high level and I don’t see them slowing down anytime soon.
The great play of the Blue Devils was highlighted by quarterback- Vanbuskirk #9, runningback-Lyle #23 and the defense was anchored by the hard hitting of linebacker-Johnson #32 along with a host of other talented players! I expect them to make a deep run into the playoffs.
Get out and support our local football teams! Enough of my ramblings, fall deer season is quickly approaching and now is the time to be preparing for the upcoming season.
Spend a few days going through all your gear, including clothing, boots, jackets and everything. Replace laces if needed, patch holes and rips in clothing, get everything ready no, don’t wait till the morning of opening day! Same thing with your favorite deer rifle or bow, clean and check them out thoroughly to avoid problems later, that could cause you to miss that buck of a lifetime.
Trail cameras are a great advantage and allow you to see what’s happening when you’re not around. But don’t rely completely on them alone. Spend some time with your boots on the ground. Spend time with a quality pair of binoculars, set up some distance from your hunting area and observe deer movement and their direction of travel. You will learn much more doing that, than just viewing trail camera pictures!
Plan for success, decide what you will do the deer you harvest, whether you plan on having it processed or doing it yourself, get your game plan down so that it all goes smoothly!
You can bet Jaxton Simmons will be ready!
Next week we’ll look at the upcoming fall hunting opportunities coming up and in meantime get out and enjoy your Oklahoma, whether it’s high school football, hunting or fishing or the new disc golf course, there’s a lot going on in Jefferson County!
D-K Metal is a family business. It’s been family owned and operated since day one. The name itself stands for Don, Dora Donnie and Keith (Lisa wasn’t born yet). Thus the D-K Metal Form Company was born. It all began in 1972 at the same location on which it stands today. Before that the building had been a mechanic shop and a car dealership.
The building was built by Mr. Simmons (Bill and June Simmons). Later Hubert Welch bought it and turned it into a mechanic shop. One of the mechanics who worked there was Don Watkins.
Don and Donnie Watkins cut a sheet of metal on a machine inside D-K Metal. At this time, they employed 14 workers. (News-Democrat photo)
Don Watkins and his business partner, owner of Wichita Metal Products of Wichita Falls, had the original idea for the business. Don had been a salesman for a steel supplier known as AMSCO. One of his customer’s was Wichita Metal Products. The owner needed a better supplier. Together they came up the idea of starting their own metal shop. Fifty years later they are still supplying Wichita Metal Products with supplies.
Originally, the Watkins family had to lease the property in order to begin. When they first took over the property they spent a month remodeling the facility in order to convert it for the purpose it fulfills today. Larger doors had to be installed, new wiring had to be run and the huge brake presses and sheers had to be put in place. Once the building was ready, it took about a week for the first load of steel to arrive.
Donnie Watkins remembers being 13 years old when the remodeling process began. At the age of 14 he would ride his motorcycle to work.
Keith Watkins began working in the family business when he was 12, sweeping the floors. Later he was promoted to stacking (and sweeping the floors).
Donnie and Keith have been partners since their father, Don, passed away in 1990 (Their mother Dora passed in 2021). At that time, Keith dropped out of college and came back to help operate the family business. Some have commented, “I don’t see how brothers can work together.” What they don’t realize is that not only are they brothers, they are also best friends.
Donnie is married to the County Assessor, Sandra (daughter of Fred and Betty Richardson former co-owners of Gerken-Richardson Auto in Waurika. Gary and Becky Gerken were the other owners. Becky is Sandra’s sister). Keith is married to Patricia (Martin), she and her father were the previous owners of the bent can store that was located in downtown Waurika.
The Watkins are descendants of Merle and Jewel Watkins and Lester and Thelma Neal. Merle worked for the WPA, was a farmer and worked for the state. The Neals moved here from Sulphur. Lester had worked for a ranch there that moved their operations here and settled near Claypool.
Over the years they have built parts for new military bases and new towns in Saudi Arabia. They built parts used in facilities constructed for the Summer Olympics of 1996 held in Atlanta Georgia. At one time they even built front bumpers for pickup trucks. They also supplied parts for up to 17 manufactured home companies.
They also supplied specialty parts for the Denver Airport. This was a huge job that literally took a toll on Donnie’s health. He has now been retired for four years. However, he still comes by the shop everyday at noon. If he didn’t he says he would go crazy.
Over the years they have been loyal to their customers and their customers have been loyal to them.
At the height of their productivity, D-K would run two shifts per day. Donnie remembers those days because when he would arrive at work he would have to stack the scrap metal left over from the night crew before tackling his duties for the day crew. During that time they employed around 17 people at one time. One of those working at that time was Terry Pilgreen.
Terry Pilgreen, an employee of D-K Metal for nine years. He started working for the business in 1972 when it first opened (Waurika News-Democrat photo)
D-K Metal is a parts builder says Keith. He and Donnie said they take flat metal and shape it and mold it into whatever the customer needs.
Their days are long hot and exhausting. It can also be tedious. Some days a worker will stand in the same position for several hours in repetitive motion contraction the same part over and over again.
It takes a steady hand and complete concentration, especially when you are constructing 10,000 identical pieces.
Things have certainly changed over the years. Donnie says he can remember when metal was only 13 cents per pound. It’s over $1 per pound now. They’ve experienced lean times and prosperous times. Things got really tough after 2008. There were times when they only fired up the machines two times per month. Things were tough during the COVID crises as well.
The Watkins brothers are proud to say their employees have always been like a family. Many of their employees stayed with them over 20 years. Some worked for the Watkins more than 30 years. Donnie says he misses those employees who were his lifelong friends. “If you work with someone for 30 years, 8 and 9 hours per day, you are going to know everything about their kids and things going on in their life. You spend more time with them than you do with your own family,” they said. Just to mention a few, the Gozales brothers, Joe Fannon and Robert Gutierrez, Sr.
picture of D-K Metal employees found in the 1976 Waurika HS yearbook.
Along with employees and former employees, the Watkins have developed close ties with the community. Johnson, Auto and Tractor Supply along with Darrell and Carolyn Beaver and Beaver Lumber Company. Gratefulness is the word that best describes their feelings. The feelings the Watkins feel for their fellow business owners and the feelings the fellow business owners have for them. Johnson Auto extends their congratulations for 50 years of business and have expressed that appreciation with an Ad in this week’s paper. Darrell and Carolyn Beaver as well as their ex employees of Beaver Lumber Company wishes to express their congratulations as well. Darrell said there were times when they would exchange fork lifts or help each other in various ways.
l-r) Keith and Donnie Watkins, owners of D-K Metal Form Co. They have been a part of the family business since 1972. The business was started by their father Don that year. Keith and Donnie are not just brothers, they are best friends! (Photo by Curtis L. Plant)
“All in all it’s been good,” the Watkins say. The business has been their life. However, they wouldn’t trade their lives and experiences for the world. “Maybe for a little extra money,” they joke. But not for the world.
Jefferson County residents will go to the polls on Tuesday, August 23 for a special run-off election that includes voting on maintaining a one cent sales tax that was originally earmarked for the Jefferson County Hospital. The Jefferson County Hospital Authority no longer needs those funds, but our county officials want to put those dollars to work for some much needed projects.
“Keeping the one cent sales tax active will allow us to keep our county government local,” stated Bryce Bohot, Jefferson County Commissioner for District One. “It’s essentially the same idea as keeping our hospital local and keeping those important services available here, we need to ensure that we keep our county services here, too.”
“It’s important to note that voting yes on the sales tax, does not increase your property taxes. It only impacts sales tax and it is not an increase from what you are currently paying,” Bohot continued.
In order to keep services local, the one cent sales tax would be used for many improvements, including, but not limited to the following areas:
• To ensure that necessary repairs can be made to our County Courthouse and Jefferson County Fairgrounds buildings.
• To comply with Oklahoma state statutes on paying all elected officials & first deputies out of the county general fund.
• Bring our County Jail up to state mandated codes.
• Increasing the dollars available for improving our county roads.
• Operating at a level where there is matching funding available for grants to support future projects without additional indebtedness.
County officials have scheduled a series of Town Meetings for area residents to get their questions answered about the importance of keeping the one cent tax for Jefferson County. The meeting days and times are: Addington, Monday, August 8, 6 p.m., Addington Community Center; Hastings, Monday, August 8, 7:30 p.m. Hastings Senior Citizens Center; Terral/Grady, Tuesday, August 9, 6 p.m., Terral Community Center; Ryan/Sugden, Friday, August 12, 6 p.m. Ryan Senior Citizens Center; Ringling, Monday, August 15, 6 p.m. Ringling Community Center; Claypool, Monday, August 15, 7:30 p.m. Claypool Community Center; and Waurika/Sugden, Tuesday, August 16, 6 p.m. Waurika Presbyterian Church, 124 W. Broadway, Waurika.
