Property damage notice by June 10th

Logan County Residents who suffered property damage due to the storms on May 24, 2011 have until Friday, June 10, 2011 to contact the Logan County Assessor’s office to have your property values adjusted for the current tax year.

Residents may contact the County Assessor’s office at 405-282-3509 or visit the office at 312 E. Harrison, Guthrie. Office hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

New firework ordinance comes into effect

Story submitted by Kim Querry on KFOR.com on Tuesday, May 31st.

Residents in Guthrie who are gearing up for the Fourth of July will now need to review a new policy by the city council.

City staff have prepared an amendment to city code for consideration at the June 7, 2011 council meeting.

The amendment would allow the sale of fireworks within the city limits and allow the use of fireworks with a permit.

A permit would only be given to a person who:

• Is over the age of 18
• Agrees to clean up any firework related debris
• Agrees to be present during the discharge of fireworks

Fireworks would only be allowed on a non-combustible surface and at least 25 feet away from any permanent structure. Fireworks also cannot be discharged on a public street or property without city approval.

The city would also designate specific hours on July 3, July 4, July 5 and December 31 for fireworks to be discharged.

If weather conditions pose a fire hazard, the permits can also become null and void.

The council is set to consider the proposal later next week.

Governor asks White House for disaster relief

 

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin asked the White House, on Sunday, to approve a major disaster declaration for seven counties, including Logan County, impacted by last weeks tornadoes.

The other six counties include Caddo, Canadian, Delaware, Grady, Kingfisher, and McClain counties. Although there were no deaths in the Guthrie area, the storms claimed the lives of 10 in the tornado outbreak.

If granted, Oklahomans who suffered uninsured storm-related damage in the seven counties would be eligible for assistance for housing repairs or temporary housing, U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest loans for individuals and businesses to repair or replace damaged property, disaster unemployment assistance, and grants for serious needs and necessary disaster expenses not met by other programs.

Earlier this week, Fallin issued a state of an emergency for 68 of the 77 Oklahoma counties that still remains in effect.

The Oklahoman contributed to this story.

Guthrie volunteer’s are still needed

 

The Guthrie Christian Church, located at 1802 W Logan, is providing food and water for those living on the west side of the city that were affected by Tuesday’s twister.

President of the Chamber of Commerce, Mary Coffin, said Professional Recyclers has donated an enormous amount of clothing (for all ages) that will help those affected. Clothes can be picked up today thru Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the church.

The church will continue to serve lunch from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. In addition, groceries are available as well, including baby formula and diapers.

Coffin said there has been plenty of donations and they are needed of volunteer’s to help hand out the clothing. Coffin said volunteer’s are also needed with trucks and trailers to help with the debris, that have been moved to the street curbs, and taken to the city dump. Contact Guthrie Christian Church at (405) 282-5433 for more.

Guthrie CEO Returns Home

After serving Logan Medical Center in Guthrie for the past five years, CEO Dennis Hunger, is returning to his hometown of Washington, Iowa, where he grew up on the family farm.

Hunger resigns his post after five years with LMC.

“It is a difficult decision to make. My wife and I have four children under the age of six and I have two grandmothers in Iowa both in their 90s. It’s time to return home,” Hunger said in a release by the hospital. “Actually, it couldn’t be better timing for Logan Medical Center because we are now well positioned with Mercy for the future of healthcare in Logan County.”

In early May, after a long and thorough selection process, Mercy was chosen as the leading candidate to assume ownership of the hospital. Together, Logan Medical Center and Mercy are currently in a process of due diligence.

Beginning August 1, 2011, Hunger will take the CEO helm at Washington County Hospital and Clinics – a 25-bed critical access hospital and 43-bed nursing home – in Washington, Iowa.

“We have a large, extended family back in Iowa,” said Hunger. “While we will miss our Guthrie community, it will be a great homecoming for my family in Iowa.”

Tornado takes home, looters take the rest

Story submitted by Kim Querry on KFOR.com on Friday, May 27th.

During tragic times, we always see the good in Oklahomans. Sadly, there are a few who take advantage of bad situations. A Guthrie woman says for her, life went from bad to worse.

First, a tornado stole her home and nearly everything inside.

What Mother Nature left behind, she says, looters took.

“My back was to the wall and I just felt all this debris flying behind me and it ripped the blanket I had around me, ripped it off,” Heather Woody said.

The Guthrie woman says when she emerged from the small cabinet that kept her safe during the storm, the home around her was gone.

“It’s still shocking. It’s hitting me like a ton of bricks as the days go by.”

Just as shocking, Woody says looters have victimized her a second time.

“I had a Eureka bottle, $100 worth of change in there. They physically moved a wall to get. They stole my microwave, a bug light from outside.”

Woody says looters have added insult to injury.

“Just uneasy. Just knowing that a stranger is coming through and thinks they have a right to what used to be a home and steal stuff,” Woody said.

The Logan County Sheriff’s Department says it has beefed up security in the area.

All days off have been cancelled.

Deputies are patrolling the area around the clock.

Iowa State offers Oklahoma lineman

 

Article by Bill Seals of the CycloneReport.com.

It appears the only thing keeping more schools away from an Oklahoma high school offensive lineman is the broken foot that ended the rising senior’s 2010 season. But the setback hasn’t deterred Iowa State, which verbally offered a scholarship two weeks ago.

The Cyclones remain sold on Guthrie’s Blake Belcher and saw enough of the 6-foot-6, 275-pound offensive tackle on tape to offer. I-State is Belcher’s fifth offer and fourth from a BCS-level program.

“As of now I have offers from Iowa State, Arizona, Stanford, Oregon State and Tulsa,” said Belcher. “Iowa State is my most recent offer, and just a few days before that I got offered by Stanford.

“I may pick up a few more at spring ball, because everyone wants to see how my foot’s healed up. I broke the fifth metatarsal in my foot the ninth week of the season, but everything has healed up fine and I’m back to 100 percent.”

It’s easy to believe Belcher will start collecting offers in bunches. He runs a sub-4.8 40 time and projects at a number of positions along the offensive line.

“A couple schools have told me I’d be a tackle if I went there,” Belcher said. “OU asked my coach the other day if I could play center. A couple schools are even looking at me as a tight end. I could be anywhere on the line. It’s really up in the air on where I will end up.”

He previously earned an invitation to the National Underclassman Top Prospect Camp, which hosts the top 10 players for each position nationally. He was also scheduled to attend a Nike Elite Camp, but instead competed in the state track meet.

“I’m really athletic for my position,” Belcher said. “I run a sub-4.8 in the 40-yard dash. My goal for a play is to never give up on it and keep driving your man until the whistle blows. A lot of times I make the calls from the center position all the way up to the tight end on my side, so I have pretty good awareness.”

The Cyclones’ offer came by way of a phone conversation between Belcher and ISU assistant coach Luke Wells. In addition to offering a scholarship, Wells tried to sell Belcher on a summer visit to Ames.

“I’ve been chatting with Coach Wells and they wanted film and I sent them my highlight film,” Belcher said. “Just a couple weeks ago, he told me to give him a call. I called him and he offered me right there on the spot.

“I’d like to get a trip up there sometime to see how the campus is. I haven’t scheduled anything yet, but would like to fit one in. They’re up and coming and beat Texas. I realize Texas had a down year last year, but they’re still a prestigious program with 5-star players. Iowa State is really moving up in the NCAA right now.”

At this point, Belcher claims no favorites and is not in the process of naming any.

“Everyone’s real even,” he said. “I’m just sitting back and letting everything come to me. I’m analyzing each school one by one. I don’t have a top-five or top-10 yet. I’m not making any decisions right now.”

Brothers suits up for All-City basketball game

 

Kentrell Brothers suited up in a basketball uniform for the final time for a regulation game when he helped his West squad to a 110-91 win in the Big All-City game Friday evening at Del City High School.

Kentrell Brothers scored 3 points in the West win. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman

The West trailed 20-18 after the first quarter, but then out scored the East 70-36 in the second and third quarters.

Brothers, a football commit for Missouri, was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Suburban Conference for the second straight year and was named to the first team all conference team.

Brothers led the BlueJay squad in scoring in both his junior and senior years with 14 points and was a key component in the Jays winning back-to-back state championships in 2008 and 2009.

Brothers will play in the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association All Star team. The three largest classes (6A, 5A, and 4A) will split into teams and compete on June 11th at Oklahoma Baptist University. Brothers is likely to miss the game when he reports to Missouri.

Copyright 2011 Guthrie Sports Page. Some rights reserved.

Early indications show Guthrie experienced an EF-4

 

According to the preliminary reports by the National Weather Service, the tornado that came ripping through the western and northern sides of Guthrie has been rated at least an EF-4.

The weather service continues to analyze the survey results and said the EF-4 could be moved to the highest rating of an EF-5 pending further investigations.

The Guthrie tornado started in Hinton and traveled 75 miles. Binger, El Reno, Piedmont, and Guthrie. The twister began eight miles west-north-west of Binger at 3:30 and concluded four miles north-east of Guthrie at 5:35.

This specific storm claimed the lives of seven. It is undetermined at this time of the exact wind speed and damage width.

The EF scale, which became operational on February 1, 2007,  is used to assign a tornado a ‘rating’ based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. An EF-4 rating has winds at 166 miles per hour to 200 mph. The scale still is a set of wind estimates (not measurements) based on damage.

Storm Debris Disposal Information

 

The City of Guthrie has set up two locations for Guthrie citizens to dispose of storm debris at no cost. Trees, limbs, and branches need to be taken to the Guthrie Convenience center located at 1506 Academy Road. The Convenience Center is open from 9-4 this weekend for citizens to drop off this type of debris.

Storm trash and debris other than trees, branches, and limbs needs to be taken to the City’s temporary storm debris disposal site located in the parking lot of the soccer fields at 300 Academy Road. This location will be open to all residents who have been affected by the storm.

Citizens need to know that this temporary location is for storm debris only, and that abuse and illegal dumping may threaten the ability to keep it open and benefit those families and individuals.