A final look back at 2009

By Tom Fink, Joy Hampton, Krystal J. Carman and Rebecca Hattaway

December 31, 2009 — To paraphrase Charles Dickens, 2009 was both the best of times and the worst of times for residents of Claremore and Rogers County.

As the final hours of 2009 tick away and many await to ring in 2010, the Claremore Daily Progress pauses one last time to reflect on some of the people and events that shaped 2009 into a year most memorable.



Weather, weather, everywhere:

• This year’s weather has brought snow at the beginning and end of the year, and flooding in the middle of the year. In January, snow fell all over Rogers County and then again in December — the last week of the year. The latter snow produced eight to 10 inches across the county on Christmas Eve. In May, flood waters drowned most of Highway 66 and the county courthouse. Some drivers who braved the flood waters found themselves in need of rescue.



February:

• The Claremore High School wrestling team won the Class 5A dual wrestling state championship at Western Heights High School in Oklahoma City. They defeated the 2008 champions Catoosa.

• Foyil Schools has been hit with a brothel of bomb threats in 2009, three of those occurring this school year. In light of the seven bomb threats this year that has led to campus evacuations and emergency personnel searching each building thoroughly, the school board approved the installation of security cameras to try and curb the threats, which have all come from inside the school’s buildings. Those cameras were to be installed over the Christmas break.



March:

• Rogers State University kicked off its centennial year with a 100th birthday celebration in March, featuring the formal dedication and naming of the new Student Center, a parade down the main street of Claremore and a free public presentation by CBS correspondent Jeff Greenfield.

• RSU Hillcats traveled to Kansas City as the No. 1-seeded team in the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament only to be knocked out in first round action. The Hillcats had already won the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season championship and the post-season tournament.



April:

• Claremore taxpayers gathered along the sidewalks of the Rogers County Courthouse in April as part of a nationwide Taxpayer TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party protesting the spending policies of the President and Congress in Washington, D.C.



May:

• Dave Story, retired publisher of the Claremore Daily Progress and member of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, died on May 20, 2009 at his Claremore home following a short illness.

In a career that spanned more than a half-century, Story worked as a reporter, editor, publisher, columnist and writer of peppery, and some times cantankerous editorials. His career spanned 58 years, 45 in Oklahoma, 42 as publisher.

Story was married to and survived by wife, Claudia Ann Thomas. Also surviving were his daughter, Tamra Beth Story Lankford, her husband Chris, and their daughter, Abigail, who live in Springfield, Mo.; and two sons, Jamie and Rhead; and sister, Pauline (Polly) Gillock of Hernando, Miss.



June:

• Former Oologah American Legion baseball coach William Todd Bingham committed suicide the day he was to appear in federal court in Connecticut for sentencing on charges of money laundering and wire fraud. He had pleaded guilty to the charges in July 2008 as part of a plea agreement. Bingham reportedly frauded several investors by claiming to purchase vehicles for resale to rental car companies for 10 years. He was accused of taking $7 million dollars from 42 investors.



July:

• Population at Rogers County Jail this summer hovered at 200 or above, causing problems for the sheriff’s office. Seventy four inmates’ cases had been continued leaving them in jail for more than 100 days. Trying to alleviate the overcrowding, Sheriff Scott Walton and Rogers County district judges worked on the release of several inmates in lieu of their upcoming hearings. With the population over 200 inmates, the jail would only accept arrestees if their charges were felony charges.



August:

• A series of town hall meetings were held around the state to address health care reform. In Pryor, Congressman Dan Boren listened to the public as they voiced their concerns with the proposed government health care plan and answered questions.



• 16-year-old Chaz Brewer did what technology, training and motorized equipment had failed to do. He found a missing toddler that was the subject of a 9-hour search by numerous agencies at Lake Oologah.

The Oologah High student and his father Chub had heard the early morning reports of a missing 2-year-old from Oologah Lake’s Hawthorn Bluff camp site. A camping trip turned into a nightmare early Monday morning when Kari Thomas went missing from the family’s campsite.

Multiple agencies were drawn into the search but netted few results. As attention focused on the lake and water front, hope of finding the girl alive was beginning to fade.

The Brewers, two local cowboys wearing light colored straw hats, unofficially joined the search, covering ground on the opposite side of SH 88 from searchers. Chaz found Kari unharmed if a bit dehydrated, sitting naked in high grasses.

Who would think a child that young could wander off so far, even crossing a highway?

In Rogers County, it seemed only fitting that the cowboy in the white hat turn out to be the hero.



Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

• The Hard Rock signs went up in June at the Cherokee Resort and Casino located in Catoosa, Rogers County and marketed worldwide as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

The newly expanded hotel and casino still contains tributes to Native American culture, but a uniquely Oklahoma twist on rock n’ roll decor also went into place.

The Cherokee Nation retained full ownership and management of all facilities.

Toby Keith attended the official opening in August. He gifted the Cherokee Nation with a guitar and other memorabilia. His restaurant, I Love This Bar and Grill is located inside the newly expanded complex.

Bands such as the alternative group the Presidents of the United States of America performed free concerts at Friction, a casino complex’s nightclub.

Most recently, KISS visited the casino, signing two guitars which are now on display along with other memorabilia.



September:

• A much-anticipated construction project began in Claremore, with the announcement by ODOT that the Lynn Riggs (Highway 66) pavement rehabilitation project will begin two years ahead of schedule.

The much-needed rehabilitation project consisted of milling the asphalt, repairing the deteriorated areas, asphalt overlaying and cleaning out the drainage. The construction area was on Lynn Riggs from just north of Country Club Rd. to just north of Will Rogers Blvd. APAC Construction, the contractor on the project, closed down one lane each direction at a time and the project was completed ahead of the scheduled 180-day timeframe.



October:

• A Mayes County jury ruled against the Rogers County Commission and awarded $12.5 million to Material Service Corporation, a mining company. According to reports, the commission blocked its attempt to do business in Rogers County. That verdict is being appealed by the commission.



• State Rep. Tad Jones (R-Claremore) continued in office following the 2008 election. Jan. 2009 marks the beginning of his last term as a state legislator as he will term-limit out. When the legislative session opens, Jones is named Majority Floor leader, making him one of the most powerful men in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. As the Majority Floor Leader, Jones coordinated all legislation on the floor of the House.

Early controversy over changes in the House Rules is deemed an over-reaction by Jones.

“Our new rules strengthen the committee process,” said Jones. “There have always been bills that don’t get heard. But there’s definitely recourse.”

“The Rules are what they are. The majority, whether it’s Republican or Democrat, are going to have rules that suit their purposes,” said Rep. Ben Sherrer (D-Chouteau).

Joel Kintsel, Chief Clerk and Parliamentarian is a non-partisan officer of the House.

“There weren’t any major changes in the rules this session from my perspective,” said Kintsel.

Technology brought more transparency to state government.

“The actions of the Oklahoma Legislature are now more open to the public than any time in our state's history,” said Jones. “When I was first elected 10 years ago it was very difficult to find legislation and how your legislator voted on issues... This year we added recorded committee votes to our process. With the new technology, votes on the final passage of bills are recorded and almost immediately placed on the Internet.”

These recordings are put on the Internet as part of a movement for more transparency in government. Anyone with a computer can see which committee has a bill, where a bill is on the agenda, what amendments were filed and how members voted by going to www.okhouse.gov.

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