Friday, May 17th

Consumer Spending Up in Chix; Down in Grady County

Consumer spending for the region is showing some mixed results. For the City of Chickasha, estimated consumer spending from mid-March to mid-April was just under $33 million. That's up about 14 percent from the previous 30-day period - and up about 3 percent from the same time a year ago. The City of Chickasha collected more than $1.4 million in sales tax revenues from those purchases of taxable goods and services. The city also received $155,000 in use tax revenue which comes from on-line purchases - a total which was off slightly from the previous month.

Grady County

For all of Grady County, consumer spending for the mid-March to mid-April time frame was about $75.8 million. That number was down about 18 percent from the previous 30-day period and off about 5.8 percent compared to the same time last year. The county received $568,000 in sales tax revenue from those purchases. The county received another $117,000 in use tax revenue from on-line purchases.

Eluding Driver has Child in Back Seat of Vehicle

A driver leads Caddo County deputies on a high-speed pursuit with the driver having an unsecured child in the back seat. Deputies were called out to investigate a report of a driver running motorists off the road earlier this week. KSWO-TV reports that deputies tracked down the vehicle and the driver refused to stop. Even after the motorist hit some stop sticks he sped on and even managed to drive around a barricade before he finally pulled over. A three-year old child in the back seat was not in a car seat. Arrested was 57-year old Edward Jay Redden of Cyril. After being formally charged with eluding and driving under the influence of drugs he was released from jail on a $5,000 bond. If convicted he faces up to 10 years behind bars and a $10,000 fine.

Youth Rodeo-ers in Chix for State Finals

More than 125 young rodeo competitors from Oklahoma and neighboring states are in Chickasha this weekend for the Oklahoma Junior High School Rodeo Association state finals. They are at the Grady County Fairgrounds competing in more than a dozen events including bull riding, bareback and saddle bronc riding, barrel racing and goat-tying. They're also competing for a boys and girls all-around title where the points they earn from scores and times from multiple events are combined to see who are the top overall cowboys and cowgirls. Today is round two of competition with a grand entry parade at 1:00 p.m. with rodeo action starting at 2:00 p.m. A final performance will be at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow and the awards presentations will be Sunday.

Blanchard May Daze Begins

It's a big weekend in Blanchard with the annual May Daze event. There are more than 100 vendors downtown including food trucks and live music and there are town-wide garage sales. May Daze runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and tomorrow.

DAV Chapter to Treat Veterans for Armed Forces Day 

Tomorrow is Armed Forces Day which wraps up a week-long commemoration of Military Appreciation Days. The first Armed Forces Day in 1950 was set aside for the military to show state-of-the-art equipment to Americans and to honor and acknowledge Americans in the armed forces. To show appreciation to Grady County and area servicemen and women, Grady County DAV Chapter 17 will hold a cake-and-ice cream event tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DAV headquarters in Chickasha at 6th and Chickasha Avenue. Families of veterans are also welcome.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $79.23 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $82.75.

Natural gas is $2.50 per million BTUs.

Gold is $2,386 and silver is $29.93.

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Thursday, May 16th

Joint Funeral Scheduled for Chickasha Family

The three members of the Mayhugh family who died after a tragic shooting at their home will have a joint funeral service. James Mayhugh, his wife Patty, and their daughter Shayla will all be laid to rest next Monday.  The man accused of their deaths, Jacob Mayhugh, was arrested Tuesday in Oklahoma City. He's facing three charges of first degree murder and the district attorney has filed a motion that bond be denied for Jacob when he is arraigned on the charges.

James Mayhugh

James was 55-years old. He first sold cars and then spent more than 20 years doing body work with R and M Body Shop. He loved his 55 Chevys.

Patty Mayhugh

Patty Mayhugh was just a few weeks shy of her 55th birthday. The couple had dated since high school and were going to celebrate their 36th anniversary in July. She worked at Pet Milk but was mostly known for being a cashier at Dunn's, Spencer’s, and Williams’ Grocery stores in downtown Chickasha. She loved going to garage sales.

Shayla Mayhugh

Shayla was 28 years old. She earned a bachelor's degree at USAO and worked for the Grady County Jail for a year. Her obituary said she should have been a detective. She enjoyed going on ride-alongs with law enforcement, and she attended the Citizens Police Academy put on by the Chickasha Police Department. She recently joined her dad at R and M Body Shop where she was a painter. The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 20th at Bible Baptist Church and all will be laid to rest at Fairlawn Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.

Grady County Special Olympians Take Part in State Games;

Coach Collects 'Coach of the Year' Honor

A group of Grady County athletes are in Stillwater taking part in the summer games of the Oklahoma Special Olympics. About 20 individuals named The Cats with the Athletes of Grady County are among the more than 4,000 athletes taking part. Special Olympians from Grady County have been participating in the state games for more than 25 years. Marlayna is one of the athletes-

The coach of the team is Lisa Sykes who is a special education teacher with Tuttle Public Schools. Assistant coaches are Joe Taylor, Chuck Phillips, and Jacob White. The team was to meet with Stewart and Beth Ann Meyer who completed their five-day, 125-mile walk from Chickasha to Stillwater yesterday in time for the opening ceremonies. By the way, Coach Sykes was named the Coach of the Year for the state games. She was one of 10 coaches nominated.

Chix Schools to Offer Summer Meals

Today is the final day of classes for students in Chickasha Public Schools. Officials have announced that there will be a free summer breakfast and lunch program at three of the schools. The program will run June 3rd through July 25^th at Bill Wallace, the middle school, and the high school. All will have grab-and-go breakfasts from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and will serve lunch although meals do not have to be eaten on site. The meals will be available Monday through Thursday of each week with the exception of June 17th and July 4^th which are holidays. The meals are for all youth 1 through 18 years old.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $78.63 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $82.38.

Natural gas is $2.42 per million BTUs.

Gold is $2,389 and silver is $29.79.

Obituary

Brandon Forshee

Funeral service for Brandon Forshee, 44, of Chickasha will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, May 17th at Laverty Baptist Church. He worked in factories, restaurants, and in customer service. Arrangements are with Sevier Funeral Home.

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Wednesday, May 15th

Triple Murder Suspect Arrested

Jacob Mayhugh, the man first described as a person-of-interest in connection with a triple homicide in Chickasha last weekend, has been arrested. Investigators officially named Mayhugh a suspect yesterday, after a warrant was issued for Mayhugh's arrest on Monday.  A probable cause affidavit indicates that Mayhugh killed his parents and sister - James Mayhugh, Patty Mayhugh, and Shayla Mayhugh. Their bodies were found at their Chickasha home on Saturday. The SUV that Mayhugh was believed to be driving was found in downtown Oklahoma City. Reports say Mayhugh's driver's license, cash, a cell phone, and two AR-15 magazines (with white writing on them) were in the vehicle. A similar magazine was found at the crime scene. Investigators said Mayhugh was arrested in Oklahoma City but did not say where. The affidavit indicates an AR-15 rifle, a 9MM handgun, and numerous shell casings were found at the Mayhugh home and the serial number on the rifle was traced to Jacob who had just purchased the weapon about three weeks ago.

Burglary Suspect In Custody After Pursuit

A suspect accused of breaking into a Chickasha home then leading police on a pursuit in a stolen vehicle has been charged with multiple felonies. 43-year old Mark Allen Haile, Jr. is charged with burglary and joy-riding in connection with an incident that took place April 27th. Haile was booked into the Grady County Jail this past weekend. His bond was set at $100,000 as prosecutors want to revoke his probation after he pleaded guilty to charges of grand larceny, vehicle theft, and unauthorized use of a vehicle after arrests in October of 2022.

New Tourism Director in Place for Chickasha

Chickasha has a new tourism director. Matthew Stockman, who previously served as the vice president of experience and events at Tulsa's regional tourism group was named to the post. While in Tulsa, the Dibble native spearheaded the establishment of Tulsa's stand-alone visitor center. In his tourism role, he'll collaborate with the Chamber of Commerce to orchestrate and promote events throughout the year including the Oklahoma Food Truck championship this fall. In addition to his work in tourism Stockman will serve as the director of the Festival of Light which will be in its 32nd year this fall. The festival will have some new additions for the upcoming season which will be announced at a later date. Stockman takes over the post previously held by Logan Lassley who left to become the director of United Way of Duncan and Stephens County.

Clean-up Chickasha Days Begin

Chickasha residents and businesses are encouraged to take part in the annual Clean Up Chickasha campaign - a four-day event that begins today. Roll-off dumpsters will be located at the city's public works headquarters to accept trash and large items. There is a separate site at the location for brush and limbs. Items that won't be accepted include tires, batteries, motor oil, paint, pesticides, Freon, and hazardous materials. Patrons will need to show a current utility bill from the city, or individuals can go to city hall to get a document that shows proof of residency. Public Works is located at 502 N. Genevieve Street which is north of the city’s animal shelter. Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $78.02 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $83.36.

Natural gas is $2.34 per million BTUs.

Gold is $2,375 and silver is $29.11.

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Tuesday, May 14th

Convicted Rapist Accused of Another Sex Crime

A Chickasha man is in jail and charged with sexual battery after an alleged encounter with a teenager. 52-year old Michael James Gorski, who was convicted of rape out of Maryland back in 1996, and also convicted of felony robbery out of Virginia in 1995, was arrested by police last week after the girl's father called authorities saying the girl was assaulted. A probable cause affidavit indicates the teen was at a friend's apartment when she asked Gorski to buy her some alcohol. It states the two were on the way to the store when Gorski drove to a secluded area where the assault is said to have occurred. After taking the report, officers went to Gorski's home and took him into custody. Prosecutors have charged Gorski with a felony for sexual battery and a misdemeanor for providing alcohol to a person under 21. He remains in jail on a $150,000 bond. 

Caddo County Sheriff Wants OSBI to Investigate Jail Escape

Caddo County Sheriff Spencer Davis has called for an investigation into last week's escape of three inmates from the Caddo County Jail. On the sheriff's office Facebook page, Davis says he wants the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to find out everything that took place that night. Officials have determined that the escapees were able to pull a sink out of a wall and enter an area where plumbers work. From there, they were able to find a door and walk out. After escaping, they removed their jail clothing. It's not known how they got to Oklahoma City where they were found in a cemetery early Saturday morning. The district attorney has filed escape charges against all three men identified as Davantae Winters, Michael Brown, and Hector Hernandez.

Suspect Arrested for Cemetery Vandalism

A Grady County man who had just been released from jail is now in trouble for allegedly desecrating a gravesite at a cemetery. 62-year old Keith Monroe Jones of Pocasset was arrested last week after Grady County sheriff's deputies and Chickasha police officers were called to Fairlawn Cemetery. Court documents indicate that a gravesite had been disturbed with some bricks and flowers removed, and a stone placard pushed down in the mud. Jones told officers he was visiting his late-wife's grave and admitted that he was using items from her gravesite to outline his plot next to hers. Jones was incoherent while being questioned by police and when asked if he had been taking narcotics he said ‘I plead the 5th'. Monroe, who had just been released from jail after being arrested on public intoxication complaints, is now also charged with misdemeanors of injury to a cemetery or tomb, public intoxication and outraging public decency. He remains in jail on a $10,000 bond.

Machete-Wielding Man In Custody

A man threatening people with a machete and who barricaded himself inside an Anadarko home is taken into custody without incident. Anadarko police were called to the home early Monday morning and they called in the Caddo County Sheriff's Office Special Response Team. A post on the Anadarko Police Department's Facebook page says after trying to negotiate with the man they were able to take him into custody by using ‘less than lethal devices’ but did not elaborate. Authorities arrested Brandon Koassechony on an assault complaint.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $79.12 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $83.36.

Natural gas is $2.38 per million BTUs.

Gold is $2,352 and silvre is $28.67.

Obituary

James Clayton, Jr.

A private memorial service for 72-year old James Clayton, Jr. of Chickasha will be held by the family. He worked in construction and played and recorded music. Arrangements are with Ferguson Funeral Home.

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Monday, May 13th

Triple Murder Probe Continues; Person-of-Interest Sought

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the deaths of three people at a Chickasha home over the weekend. The bodies of three adults were found in the area of 6th and Washington Avenue about 11:30 Saturday morning. The identities of two women and a man found shot to death still have not been released. Chickasha police have called in the Oklahoma State Bureau of investigation to assist. The OSBI says a person-of-interest is being sought and identified him as 22-year old Jacob Mayhugh. Photos of him are posted on the Grady County Sheriff's Office and OSBI Facebook pages and have been broadcast on Oklahoma City TV stations. He could be driving a tan or light brown 2000 model GMC Yukon with Oklahoma tag number FIG-110. He was last seen in the area of 4th and Almar Drive about 4:30 last Friday afternoon. Anyone with information can reach out to Chickasha police by calling 405-222-6050 or the OSBI at 800-522-8017 or e-mail information to the OSBI at tips.osbi.ok.gov

Escaped Caddo County Jail Inmates Back in Custody

Also over the weekend, three inmates who broke out of the Caddo County jail in Anadarko were captured. Davantae Winters, Hector Hernandez, and Michael Brown escaped sometime late Thursday night or early Friday morning. Reports indicate they were found in an Oklahoma City Cemetery early Saturday morning. All three men have lengthy records with Winters most recently arrested for murder. Hernandez was serving time for aggravated trafficking and Brown for aggravated assault. Authorities were to look at the jail's security video to determine how they escaped.

Open Forum Set For Discussion on Homelessness

An open forum featuring a discussion on homelessness will offer an opportunity for the public to get information about what homelessness is - and isn't. The Chickasha Community Alliance will hold a panel discussion on the topic. The Alliance includes the Salvation Army, Life Skills Institute, and the Resurrection House. Zach Bowles with the Resurrection House says there is a stigma about the homeless and that alliance members want to help them get out of their situations.

Bowles says many have simply fallen on hard times.  The forum which will also include Chickasha Police Chief G.G. Music be held on Thursday, June 6th at 6:00 p.m. at the Chickasha Community Theater. The event is free and open to the public. The panel will field questions from the public but the questions must be submitted in advance. There are flyers being distributed that have a QR code on them for users to fill out a form to turn them in.

Road Work to Slow Highway 81 Traffic South of Rush Springs

Road work will impact traffic on U.S. Highway 81 south of Rush Springs this week. Starting this morning, the state department of transportation says northbound and southbound traffic will be intermittently narrowed to one lane from State Highway 7 south to the Grady-Stephens county line. That work will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day through Friday. Officials say motorists should expect delays and urge them to use caution while driving through that area.

Energy and Metals

Crude oil on the NYMEX is $78.26 per barrel.

London-based Brent crude is $82.79.

Natural gas is $2.25 per million BTUs.

Gold is $2,345 and silver is $28.37.

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