By Carolyn Cole
Published on January 17, 2007

Twenty local middle school students are sending small tastes of home and encouragement to American soldiers fighting in Iraq.

From socks and toothbrushes to poems, comics and Bible verses, Mustang North teacher Teri Hood’s enrichment class is sending their soldier pen pals gifts to try and cheer them on, as they face waves of unknown dangers and homesickness.

Area soldier Kyle Jackson wrote his new friends back that their support has helped.

By Traci Chapman
Published on January 17, 2007

City Council members renewed City Manager David Cockrell’s contract Tuesday, giving him a one-time 5-percent bonus.

The one-time bonus will amount to $4,900. Ward 6 Councilman Len Scott said Cockrell’s contributions to the city are “immeasurable.”

“He has really helped move the city forward,” he said. “He truly is an intregal part of our success.”

Cockrell became city manager in 2001. Prior to taking the post, he was Mustang police chief.

In other business:

By Carolyn Cole
Published on January 17, 2007

Mustang School Board approved over $5 million in contracts to start construction of a health and wellness facility and 10 classrooms at Mustang Centennial Elementary.

Gail Armstrong Construction was chosen to build the 46,000-square-foot multi-purpose health and wellness facility on the Mustang High School campus, just east of the gymnasium.

By Traci Chapman
Published on January 17, 2007

Weeks remain before voters will decide the fate of a $2.9 million baseball complex plan, but pitches on both sides of the issue are already being thrown.

Ward 1 City Councilman Jay Adams is leading a campaign aimed at informing all residents about the needs at the city’s baseball fields. Adams said a previous bond issue for a $4.2 million facility failed in December 2006 because voters were not given enough information to understand how important the project is to the community.

By Traci Chapman
Published on January 17, 2007

A survey meant to help determine the fate of fireworks in Mustang has drawn an “unbelievable” response, leaving city officials trying to determine the will of residents.

In October, city officials sent out an estimated 6,300 surveys aimed at gauging whether residents wanted tighter restriction on the use of fireworks. The city received more than 2,100 surveys back.