The Board of Osage County Commissioners will meet for a regularly scheduled meeting at the courthouse in Pawhuska this coming Monday.
The commissioners will consider signing a resolution to surplus the property in Fairfax where the Bighill Furniture Store once stood. This is a building that got demolished by a tornado in October of 2018 and there has been much discussion on what should be done with this property.
At the meeting, a member of Miller EMS will be on hand to give his monthly report on how things are going with the company.
Branden Handke will also be at the meeting to let the commissioners know how things are going at the Oklahoma State University Extension Office as well.
The meeting begins at 10 o’ clock in the morning for those interested in attending.  

The Director for Osage County E-911, Kay Kelley says the county is due for an upgrade in its 911 system in the near future. This upgrade is something the Board of Osage County Commissioners will have the option of approving at next Monday's meeting. Kelley says the initial setup will come this summer, but it could take several months for things to get up and running.


Upgrades are currently being installed in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow areas.

A Skiatook man who has been missing since last fall has been found safe. Michael Newman is well and getting the help he needs, this according to a Skiatook Police Department Facebook Post.
The Police Department got involved in the case last November when the family filed a missing persons report. 

The Pawhuska Huskies sit at 11-2 on the season and are ranked No. 19 in the Class 2A basketball poll. The Huskies had an entire week to get ready for Tuesday night's game at Woodland. They only allowed 16 first half points, but coach Jake Christenson said his team let off the gas pedal in the second half making the game much closer than it needed to be. 


It is a quick turnaround for Pawhuska, as the Huskies will take part in the Tonkawa tournament starting on Thursday with a game against Fairview. 


This tournament is taking place on the campus of Northern Oklahoma College.

Former Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate and zookeeper Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage has been sentenced to 22 years in a federal prison for two counts of attempted murder-for-hire.


In April, jurors found Maldonado-Passage guilty of trying to arrange the killing of Carole Baskin, who criticized his treatment of animals. Baskin wasn't harmed. Maldonado-Passage was also found guilty on 19 counts of wildlife charges, including being in violation of the Endangered Species Act. ​

District Two Commissioner for Osage County, Kevin Pasley, is unhappy with the lack of respect utility companies are showing when installing pipes and cables across his district. Pasley wants to know what, if anything, can be done to make these companies notify his district when they begin digging in his district.


District Attorney Mike Fisher explained that there is a permit process that these companies must follow. Fisher told the Board it might be best to let the companies know what would happen if they don't follow the process legally.


The board decided to begin drafting that letter.

Executive Director for Osage County Tourism, Kelly Bland, spoke at Tuesday morning's Board of Osage County Commissioners meeting and talked about the positive growth she saw across the county in 2019.


Bland also just got back from a networking conference in Nebraska. She met with delegates from 17 states who run tour buses all throughout the United States. She believes this second trip will attract even more people to Pawhuska.


Bland was also asking for upwards of $8,000 to revise the Osage County map and print 40,000 copies as well.


The commissioners also approved $3,000 to be used for advertising the Barnsdall Bigheart Days in May. 

The Board of Osage county commissioners met for a regularly scheduled meeting at the courthouse in Pawhuska Tuesday morning and discussed a wide array of items
Several weeks ago, district two commissioner Kevin Pasley brought it to the board’s attention that he believed utility companies in his district were committing permit violations. Because of that, Pasley wanted to see what he could do to stop that from happening.
At this week’s meeting, Pasley claimed utility companies such as OG&E were not giving proper notice on when they would begin working in Pasley’s district. As a result, Pasley says his roads are becoming deteriorated. The commissioners decided to send a letter to all utility companies working in Osage county letting them know what could happen if they don’t follow proper guidelines. The main thing this entails is fines for the company.
There was also proposed discussion on building a new courthouse in downtown Pawhuska and possibly adding a courthouse annex in Skiatook. Pasley said the people of district two don’t enjoy making the long trip to Pawhuska. Similar measures have been put to a vote in the past, but have previously failed. If the commissioners were to move forward with this, a vote would likely come in June.
Executive Director for Osage county tourism, Kelly Bland, gave a report on how successful the events of 2019 went. She also reported that lodging tax for this fiscal year is up $5,000 from what it was during the last fiscal year. The commissioners approved $3,000 to be used for advertising the Barnsdall Bigheart Days in May.
Kay Kelley, the Director of Osage County E-911 said the 911 system would be due for an upgrade this summer.
The next regularly scheduled Board of Osage County Commissioner meeting will be next Monday at 10 o’ clock in the morning.

The second annual Pawhuska Block Party and Chili Cook-off is quickly approaching, as it is set to take place on Saturday, Feb. 8thfrom 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Osage County Fairgrounds. Cheryl Potts with the Pawhuska Merchants Association explains what the kids will be able to enjoy.


Prizes will be raffled off throughout the day. There will also be a chili cook-off with prizes and bragging rights on the line as well.


Potts says the purpose of the event is to raise money for local school teachers.


If you are interested in participating in the event or making a donation, stop by the Osage Laundry in downtown Pawhuska.