By Traci Chapman
Published on May 29, 2008

Canadian County officials are “regrouping” after a proposed $24.8 million proposal to fund a new jail with a sales tax increase was rejected by voters.

“We’re back to square one,” District 1 Commissioner Phil Carson said. “We wanted to get it to a vote of the people — that was our job — and now we’ll have to figure out where to go from here.”

Gregory Paul Freeman
Funeral services for Gregory Paul Freeman, 23, were held Sunday in the Chapel of The Good Shepherd at McNeil’s Mustang Funeral Service.

Gregory died May 22 at his home in Newcastle. He was born May 7, 1985, in Denver, Colo. He grew up in Oklahoma City and had lived in Newcastle since 2006. He was employed at Mainus Granite Co. and was a member of the Church of Christ.

He is survived by his parents, Don and Dorcas Freeman, and a sister, Rebekah Freeman, all of Tonganoxie, Kan.; and his grandmother, Maxine Freeman of Linwood, Kan.

By Carolyn Cole
Published on May 29, 2008

Being normal teenagers is a dream for three Mustang sisters who face balloon-like blisters and wounds from the slightest scrape of their fragile skin.

Danielle, Casey and Elizabeth Seldomridge inherited dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a disease in which fibrils connecting skin layers aren’t strong enough or are too few in number.

By Traci Chapman
Published on May 29, 2008

Eleven candidates who have announced their intention to run in county races “sat on the hot seat” Tuesday in a Republican Party forum held at Mustang Town Center.

The candidates, who included five contenders for the District 2 County Commissioner seat and two each vying for the offices of sheriff, county clerk and court clerk, appeared in front of a crowd of about 130 voters and supporters. Each was posed three questions selected by party members, Pete Katzdorn, GOP county chairman, said.

By Traci Chapman
Published on May 29, 2008

Officials have their “feet to the fire,” after state inspectors found health and safety violations May 7 at the Canadian County jail that could potentially cost county taxpayers thousands of dollars.

“Unfortunately, I knew this was coming — I said all along that if the new jail was rejected, the jail inspectors would bring on the heat — and here it is,” Sheriff Lewis Hawkins said Tuesday.

By Carolyn Cole
Published on May 24, 2008

Mustang-area farmer Ray Bornemann is waiting for his green wheat stalks to turn golden with careful optimism as prices soared above $7 per bushel this week.

“Really there haven’t been a lot of problems with it, and I think a majority of the crop is looking pretty good,” he said.

By Traci Chapman
Published on May 24, 2008

A push to bring new jobs to Canadian County through a countywide partnership is ramping up, and backers contend a focused effort could deliver “big payoffs” for area communities.

By Traci Chapman
Published on May 22, 2008

For a fifth-straight year, Canadian County Commissioners last week inked a deal with Visual Lease Services aimed at boosting property tax revenues — a deal area officials say has exceeded “all expectations.”

Jimmy Dix
Graveside services for Jimmy J. Dix, 70, were held Saturday at Red Hill Cemetery southwest of Mustang, under direction of McNeil’s Mustang Funeral Service.

Mr. Dix died May 14 at an Oklahoma City hospital. He was born Dec. 22, 1937, in Pittsburg and grew up in Pittsburg and Clinton. He was a 1956 graduate of Clinton High School and served six years in the Army National Guard. He moved to Oklahoma City in 1961. He was an insurance agent and had worked since 1972 for B.L. Bishop and Associates.

By Traci Chapman
Published on May 22, 2008

Commissioner Don Young asked Teresa Ramsey to resign Friday, after learning she intended to enter the District 2 County Commissioner race.

Ramsey announced her candidacy last week. She said she has been a Canadian County employee for 22 years and has worked for nine commissioners. The conversation with Young Friday “blew me away,” she said.