Also in January, Listena Prickett was named the 2008 Altus Schools Teacher of the Year by Altus Schools. She has been teaching for 20 years, the past eight at Altus Junior High.
At the first Altus City Council meeting in 2008, City Water Maintenance employee Steve Perry was honored as the City Employee of the Year for 2007, the second time during his 25 year career.
The last day of the month saw Altus' first snow. Snow fell across much of Oklahoma with some portions receiving more than 4 inches of snow. The Altus area was expecting 1-2 inches of snow, but soon after the white stuff began falling around 9 a.m., the sun came out and melted most signs away.
In February, a big stink with the Salvation Army Thrift Store erupted when store workers accused the head man of ordering newly donated items to be taken to the dump, and fire hazard concerns at the store caused store to shut down for a period of time. The store has since reopened.
More than 750,000 Oklahoma Democrats and Republicans turned out for the state’s presidential primary election, obliterating a record set in 1992. About 40 percent of Oklahoma’s 1.8 million voters went to the polls in the state’s 77 counties on Tuesday, easily eclipsing the 1992 record of 28 percent. The heavy vote came despite thunderstorms, cold temperatures and rain and wind that dominated the state’s weather. Locally, Hillary Clinton carried the Democratic votes in Jackson County, and John McCain carried the Republican votes. Rosalyn Hall won the Altus School Board election.
Ashley Hyde was crowned Miss Altus 2008 at the Delta Eta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi’s annual scholarship pageant in February. Ashley won several other prizes including the Interview Award, Physical Fitness Award and the Finalist Talent Award. As Miss Altus, Ashley also won a $1,600 college scholarship, a $1,000 wardrobe allowance, many gift certificates and other cash awards. Scholarships, gifts and prizes totaled over $32,000 for finalists and non-finalists .
On Feb. 23 A fire broke out in the ceiling above the vent in the kitchen at Western Sizzlin about 30 minutes before the restaurant was set to open for the day. According to restaurant owner Forrest Ray, employees who were in the kitchen getting food ready for the lunch crowd when they noticed smoke coming from the vent. Altus firefighters, as well as firemen from several area communities, responded to the blaze, but within a matter of minutes, the entire restaurant was engulfed. The restaurant has since been rebuilt and is open for business.
In March it was announced that the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base would be playing a key role in operating, training, and maintaining the KC-45A. "I welcome the announcement of the KC-45A contract award by the U.S. Air Force today, beginning the long-awaited process of replacing the KC-135 tanker," said U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe.
An embarrassing event for Altus police made the news in March when an Altus police officer was
said to have been shot in the eye and injured with an “Air Soft” pellet by a Drug Task Force officer will they were “horseplaying.” The officer involved was back to work the next week.
The presence of Golden Algae. at the Altus City Reservoir saw many fish washing up on shore dead in March, but the Fish and Wildlife Department chemically treated the reservoir and quickly gained control of the algae. Althoug the algae kills fish, it is not a threat to people, but authorities still discouraged people from eating the fish.
Quartz Mountain Aerospace accomplished one of its many goals in March by receiving the Standard Air-Worthiness (AW) Ticket that was issued by the FAA for the 1st Production Airplane. The term ‘Air-Worthiness,’ simply means that the FAA has reviewed all the necessary paperwork, checked all systems and procedures, and determined that the aircraft is now conformed and that all standards have been met. With the AW Ticket, Quartz Mountain Aerospace is now authorized to deliver this aircraft to a paying customer. Even so, in August QMA asked the City of Altus for a 90-day loan of one million dollars to make payroll and other expenses, of which City Council members in a special called meeting voted 5-3 to loan them $200,000. Since that time QMA has laid off employees due to lack of funds, and has been the subject of many accusations from employees about failure to pay insurance premiums and other expenses.
Air Force Senior Airman Brendan Brustad, stationed at Altus Air Force Base, made state news in April by running 168 miles in conjunction with the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon to honor the 168 lives lost in the Murrah Federal Building bombing on April 19, 1995. He started his super marathon from Altus Air Force Base and worked his way to the Oklahoma City National Memorial for a total of 168 miles for 168 lives.
The big building boom in Altus was noted in April with new housing and other aspects of the town and area reflecting on the growth and progress over the past year. "Economy drives everything," said Altus Chamber of Commerce president Holley Urbanski, when asked about Altus' recent building boom. "It actually all goes back to when we were waiting on the BRAC announcement," she said. BRAC stands for “Base Realignment and Closure.” When Altus Air Force Base was in possible danger of closings during the last BRAC round, everything kind of got put on hold. "There were a lot of plans for building in Altus, but about three years before the announcement was made everything started slowing down - and the year before, nothing at all was going on," she said. As a matter of fact, Urbanski said that right before the BRAC announcement, there were 12 different projects just waiting to begin after the BRAC announcement was made. As can be seen from one end of Altus to the other, there is now a lot building and business activity going on. Even the Altus Chamber themselves moving to their new location at 301 W. Commerce. The new Chamber office also is home to the Altus Community Foundation and the Quartz Mountain Music Festival directors offices. Some of the other business and building projects that have been completed around town since the BRAC announcement include Applebees, Hampton Inn, Microtel, Estes Dental, Braums, Rexco Pharmacy, Taco Mayo, Grandy's, Starbucks, Walgreens, a medical complex at Park Avenue and Broadway, Putnam Toyota, RSC, Livingston Machinery, Jackson County Memorial's new Cancer Center, Tamarack Church of Christ, the Holiday Inn Express, Quizno's, and a multi-purpose office building on Tamarack. Businesses currently under construction, but not yet complete, include the expansion of Altus Motorsports on Broadway, an expansion at Western Oklahoma State College. There is also a 60-acre tract for both housing development and commercial use north of Altus across from the Heritage Park Theatres. This will include the Heritage Road Church, a strip mall of businesses and housing developments. With the combination of the Willinghams 77 acres, Jim Albert's Madison Trail Apartments and Quail Addition and the Kerr Addition, Altus will soon see 400 new housing lots.
May kicked off with lots of local activities including a Cinco de Mayo festival, the Altus Air Show, and the Rock-N-Rumble Cruise and Car Show.
A body was found burned in a ditch early in May by a farmer 1 1/2 miles south of Highway 62 on County Road 203. The man was later identified as Johnny Ray Lee Jr., 60, of Altus. The vehicle was found later in a field about three miles southwest of where Lee’s body was discovered. The case is still under investigation. If you have any information about the crime, you can call the OSBI Hotline at 1-800-522-8017, or the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at 482-0408.
For the first time ever, the Western Oklahoma State College Pioneers went to the NJCAA World Series. It was a short stay for the Western Oklahoma State College Pioneers at the NJCAA DII World Series.The Monroe Community College Tribunes eliminated the Pioneers on the second day of the tournament 11-2.
Altus Air Force Base and Balfour Beatty Communities unveiled the first of 158 brand new homes developed by Balfour Beatty Communities in May to provide Air Force families with all the comfort and amenities of upscale civilian living. Senior officials of the Department of the Air Force and Balfour Beatty Communities (formerly GMH Military Housing) commemorate the first new homes and a completely new approach to housing Air Force service members and their families at Altus AFB. Existing homes were demolished to make way for 158 brand new 3 and 4 bedroom single family and Townhouse homes for enlisted airmen as well as Senior NCO and officers. The plan for family housing revitalization at Altus Air Force Base began in February 2007. In the first 4 years of the plan 315 existing homes will be demolished, 158 new homes will be constructed, 385 existing homes will be renovated, a community center will be built, and playgrounds/tot lots will be installed.
A prison fight at the Granite Reformatory broke out in May leaving two inmates dead and 12 others injured Monday. According to reports the incident only involved inmates assaulting each other, therefore the situation was not classified as a riot. The battle between blacks and American Indians was said to have sparked by one inmate spitting on another.
The big news for June 2008 was a storm that ripped through Altus and parts of the surrounding area leaving millions of dollars in damages. The June 5 storm storm left the entire city of Altus without power for days, some residents were left without power for over a week. After a hot day of strong winds, a powerful storm hit Altus about 8 p.m. on June 5. Although a tornado was never officially reported, many reports from individual citizens say they saw a tornado pass over southeast Altus where train cars were turned over and many businesses were all but destroyed. Another tornado sighting was reported near Blair. The south side of Altus was heaviest hit by the storm. Winds clocked at 90 mph were reported to have damaged buildings, some to the point of destruction, on East Broadway. There were at least 179 homes damaged in the storm. Cost of this disaster surpassed $20 million, of which at least $11.5 comes from the City of Altus. Emergency Management Director Loyd Colston took a lot of heat from residents for not sounding the tornado sirens, but Colston said it was a ‘downburst,’ or poweful downdraft sometimes associated with thunderstorms, and not a tornado. “In retrospect, I would have sounded the sirens, but we didn’t know at the time that the storm was going to build over Altus and then collapse,” Colston said. When another storm moved through the area on May 16, the sirens did sound when a storm spotter reported a funnel cloud near Martha. The storm was moving to the south toward Altus, but all the city saw was a brief time of heavy rain and high winds. No major damage was reported in Altus from the storm. A funnel cloud was also spotted near Elmer, and a lot of wind damage was reported there.
A 20-year-old single mother and two of her three children died in an Olustee house fire in June. The fire was said to have started from an electrical problem in a faulty air conditioner. The victims apparently died from smoke inhalation.
A strong storm moved through Altus around 2 a.m. June 19 carrying some heavy rain and lots of lightning. Lightning from the storm was said to have sparked this fire at the First Christian Church on North Hudson at 3:34 a.m. The church was completely engulfed in flames. The church lot has since been cleared and the church is meeting in the old DHS building across from Gems Etc.. The church plans to rebuild, but probably in a new location that will better accommodate them.
The month ended with another altercation at the Granite Reformatory. Four inmates were stabbed and taken to local hospitals for treatment, and nine others were treated at the faciity for various injuries. The fight started during a fire drill. The fight may have been in retaliation to the May 19 prison fight that left two inmates dead and 12 others injured.
An Altus woman won a multi-state Powerball prize of $85 million, but the prize winner never revealed herself to the media.
In July, Gerald Sherill won the County Assessor's race for a two year unexpired term. Sherrill received 746 votes, or 56.34 percent, to Larry Bassel’s 578, or 43.66 percent of the votes. Sherrill carried 14 of the 18 precincts as well as the absentee votes. Bassel carried his home precinct at Duke, Pct. 17, with 46 to 27. Sherrill has been serving as County Assessor by appointment following the retirement of J.C. Brooks last year. Greer County voters elected Devin Huckaby Sheriff, and Russ Tate won in Kiowa County, and Tipton voters decided to increase city sales tax.
The month ended with the loss of local sports legend Earlene "Beans" Risinger. She passed away Tuesday, July, 29, at the age of 81. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) offered her a contract to play in the 1947 season for the Rockford Peaches in Rockford, Ill. However, she got as far as Chicago when fear and homesickness overcame her, and she returned to Oklahoma. One year later, the AAGPBL recruited her again for the 1948 season, and this time Beans reported to her new club in Springfield, Ill. She spent one year with the Springfield Sallies. She later went to Grand Rapids, Mich., home of the Grand Rapids Chicks, where she played from 1949 to 1954. She helped her team take the 1953 League Championship. The trophy is on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Beans was a consultant on the movie “A League of Their Own,” based on the AAGPBL.
In August the City of Altus held a Town Hall Meeting at the Altus City Auditorium inviting all citizens of Altus to attend to hear firsthand about the Make Altus Progressive (MAPS) projects and funding plans. The measure passed in an Aug. 26 election raising city sales tax from the current 8-cent tax to 8.75-cents on the dollar. Altusans passed the issue by more than 3 to 1 with a total of 1,766 for the tax and 574 against. MAPS funding will provide a remodeled and upgraded Altus High School to include additional classrooms. MAPS Funding will provide for significant job creation and economic development. A proposed project is for infrastructure improvements on the east side of Altus Air Force Base. This along with the joint use of the runway at the base will provide new job opportunities in aviation related businesses. MAPS funding will provide a new city complex which will include a new police department and consolidate city departments to provide better services to the citizens of Altus. Renovation and constriction of fire facilities will also be included. MAPS funding will provide a modern Altus Senior Center.
Altus firefighters’ “Team Dr Pepper” played host in August to the Dr Pepper Regional Championships of the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge in conjunction with the Wayest Safety Inc. Oklahoma State Championships; the competitions are known as the “toughest two minutes in sports.” Firefighters from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi and Boston traveled to Altus to vie for a slot in the national and world competitions.
A celebration was held in September at the new Salvation Army headquarters at 1100 North Park Lane. The events started with a parade from the Altus City Park and ended with a dedication service at the headquarters. A fellowship and refreshments followed. Altus Mayor T.L. Gramling was on hand, as well as Salvation Army representatives from their division headquarters. Capt. Ron Mott said that he and the Salvation Army are very appreciative of the community support that made the acquisition and move possible from the longtime West Broadway location to the new location. Mott said that they plan to start up their soup kitchen again in January.
Also in September, Jackson County Memorial Hospital, Board of Trustees in their regular monthly meeting approved the sale of six lots located east of the cancer center to the JCMH Health Care Corporation for the acquired cost of $425,000. The HCC is currently in the process of building a new medical office building in this location.
October saw a dramatic fall in gasoline prices. Pump prices across Oklahoma plummeted an average of 64 cents per gallon in a less than three weeks. After consumers were paying close to $4 a gallon, the average price of a gallon of gas in Oklahoma fell to $2.30. It has dropped almost another dollar since that time.
Karissa N. McClain was crowned Homecoming Queen and Chauncey Ruble was named Homecoming King during the half time ceremonies in November, Charles Ortega won the State Representative race in November, Christi Hair won the Jackson County Clerk position, but the biggest election news was that Barack Obama was voted the nation's first black president. There were 2,875 presidential straight party Republican votes and 1,386 straight Democratic votes castfrom Jackson County's voters, and although Barack Obama was elected president, local voters showed their support for John McCain with 6,716 votes to Barack Obama’s 2,263. In state offices, straight party Republican votes totaled 2,752 to Democratic 1,473.
Lauren Lunday was crowned the 2009 Miss Oklahoma USA. Lunday was crowned Miss Altus in 2007.
Ronald James Ladd, 46, of Altus, was sentenced in November to serve 41 months in federal prison for defrauding four banks in western Oklahoma by using a fake church "bond." Judge Russell sentenced Ladd to serve 41 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $4,078,770 in restitution to the victim banks.
Hobart woman Barbara Lester won the top Candy Cane Cash prize of $10,400 in the Main Street Altus promotion in December.
According to friends and family 8-month-old Madison Mitchell's new liver is functioning as it should after her surgery in St. Louis. A benefit dinner and auction for Madison was also held for her at the Jackson County Expo Center.
The nation's economy was, and continued to be, a main topic in the headlines in December. Locally, the poor state of the economy was said to have played a part in a rash of burglaries, including one home invasion.
Citizens of the Eldorado School District went to the polls in December to decide whether or not to annex the district with Olustee. Eldorado has been battling declining population and school enrollment for years hoping to keep the school open. A total of 91 votes were cast for the proposition, and 164 votes were cast against it.
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