​The Osage Board of County Commissioners will meet Monday morning at the courthouse in Pawhuska to talk about a number of things.
 
Hominy City Manager Jimmy D. Ratliff will be at the meeting looking for funding assistance from the county for phone system upgrades in the city of Hominy. This would allow calls made to non-emergency dispatch numbers to be forwarded to 911.
 
Christy McNeil of the Housing Authority will give an update on the vacancy rate for the past fiscal year. The Commissioners will also consider re-appointing Sheila Tolson to a two-year term as the commissioner for the housing authority and consider re-appointing Alan Brown to a 1-year term.
 
The meeting begins at 10 o’ clock in the morning for those interested in attending. 

Dewey's own Tanner Braden recently competed at the year-end RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Florida and walked awaya big winner.


There are 13 circuits across the United States. Braden had to win his area circuit just to compete at the finals in Kissimmee. While this was a Circuit Final, Braden's says his season is just beginning.


Braden will take about a month off before getting back at it in May. 
​

The Bartlesville School Board held a meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss the possible bond coming up later this year.
Superintendent Chuck McCauley led the discussion and told everybody in attendance the bond is expected to cost around $15 million. McCauley said of that $15 million, he expects 25 percent of the money to go toward technology upgrades, 22 percent to maintenance work and 16 percent to facility upgrades. McCauley also wants people to know that residents will not see their property taxes go up if the bond passes.
McCauley hopes part of the bond will include a new press box for the football field, as research shows Bartlesville has the most outdated press box in Class 6A. Because of its age, the band is unable to hold contests on the field.  
McCauley hopes to present the final plan to the board during May’s school board meeting and hold a vote the second Tuesday of August. It takes 60 percent majority to pass a bond issue.
The next meeting to learn more about the bond will take place April 24. You can also  go to bpspresents.org to learn more.
​

Jeremy Bush has been arrested and charged with allegedly manufacturing child pornography, possession of child pornography, possessing a peeping Tom or clandestine electronic device, possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana.


On March 24, the victim found a hidden AOBO spy camera in her bedroom, which was placed in an eyeglass case and put on her computer desk directly in front of her bed. The victim stated that the camera was placed in an area where the field of view would capture her naked.


Upon discovering the camera, the victim took the camera to her mother and step-father, Jeremy Bush, also the defendant in this case. A police report was then filed with the Bartlesville Police Department.


Upon searching Bush's cell phone, officers found approximately 24 pictures of the victim's room. The angle and view of the photos were consistent with the ones from the spy camera. Officers then searched Bush's vehicle and found several baggies of a green, leafy substance, identified as marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. Also found in the vehicle was several USB external storage devices and Micro SD Cards.


Where Bush works, officers found two USB external storage devices, another spy camera and several small baggies that are commonly used for the packaging of narcotics. One baggie had approximately one gram of a crystal white substance, which was identified as methamphetamine.


Officers have conducted a forensic download on approximately half of the digital media recovered in the investigation. Officers have found more than 126,000 pornographic images and approximately 674 pornographic videos. The videos have a time stamp indicating that the videos go as far back as August of 2016.


Bush's bond was set at $150,000 on the condition that he has no contact with the victim.He is due back in court at 9 a.m. on April 12. 

Bartlesville Fire Chief John Banks was at Monday’s City Planning Commission meeting to talk about how his department has been doing.
One thing Banks spoke about was the importance of having safe access when traveling down a dead end road.
Banks added that it is difficult for his crews entering gated communities, but technology has helped with that greatly.
The Bartlesville Fire Department is one of the top ranked fire departments in the state of Oklahoma.

There are a lot of street projects going on in the city of Bartlesville and Director of Engineering Micah Siemers was at the Bartlesville Radio Studios on Monday to give an update on how some of those projects were coming along. He first addressed the ongoing construction along Price Road.


A project along Johnstone Ave. had been shutdown, but crews have began working on that once again.


Siemers says he expects this project to take between three and four weeks to complete. Siemers adds that work started Monday on a project near Oak Park.


Siemers expects the Mountain Rd. project to be complete within the next couple weeks. The City will also be constructing a new memorial between the police station and fire station honoring law enforcement officers and fire fighters who have given their lives in the line of duty. That is expected to be completed by May 15.

Registered voters in Osage County have until Wednesday to request an absentee ballot if they wish to mail it in.
Osage County Election Board Secretary Kelly Choteau says if absentee voters missed Wednesday’s deadline, they aren’t out of luck, however. Voters may vote at the Osage County Election Board Office in Pawhuska on Thursday and Friday from 8 in the morning until 6 in the evening. An absentee voting board will be on hand to assist voters.
Choteau adds in-person absentee voters can fill out an application form when they get to the (Osage County Election) Office. Also, voters aren’t required to give any reason for voting absentee. The Osage County Election Board Office is located at 603 Kihekah Ave. in Pawhuska. 
​

The Osage Board of County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse in Pawhuska and put together an application for a community development block grant concerning water and sewer projects. The application is due by May 1 and the commissioners may ask for as much as $450,000 in assistance.


Barbara Albritton with the Indian Nations Council of Governments gave the presentation stating the need for funding with Oklahoma Rural Water District No. 21 near Shidler.


The Commissioners submitted the same application last year, but it didn't get any funding assistance.


Defense Attorney Mike Fisher asked the County Commissioners for permission to use the courthouse lawn on April 1 at 4 in the afternoon for a special reason.


The County Commissioners were more than willing to approve that agenda item.


Denise Ward, the Executive Director for the Roy Clark Memorial Championship Rodeo in April and the Roy Clark Memorial Run for Special Needs in October, was on hand hoping to get rental fees waived at the Clarence Brantley Indoor Arena. The Commissioners waived those rental fees for Ward and the American Therapeutic Riding Association's events.


Fairgrounds Director Pee-Wee Easley will be attending an auction later this week and could be purchasing a number of items, including two sets of portable stairs, two sets of portable bleachers and eight picnic tables. This purchase will not exceed $3,160.


The County Commissioners also approved the nutrition program's application for the Older Americans Grant for the fiscal year of 2019-2020. This is the second year of that grant and the program is budgeted to serve a minimum of 675 adults.


The next regular scheduled County Commissioners meeting is scheduled for next Monday at 10 in the morning at the courthouse in Pawhuska.

At around 7:15 Monday morning, Pawhuska Public Schools learned that a high school student had made a verbal threat to possibly harm fellow students at the school.


Superintendent David Cash says the parent called proper authorities and that is when the school found out what had happened.


Cash went on to say that at no time were any students in danger and said safety is the district's top priority.


The school appreciates the swift response of the Pawhuska Police Department. 
​

Piper Pryor and Andrew Williams, two students at Pawhuska High School who participate in speech class, went to a regional speech and debate competition last week and finished fourth. Therefore, they are the first alternate to make it to the state tournament if a school decides not to go. Coach Charles Jeffery says this is very impressive for two students who are so young.


Jeffery says if Pryor and Williams are fortunate enough to go to state, the competition will get even tougher. Therefore, Jeffery says he will continue to coach them up the best he can.


The state tournament will be held during the first weekend of April.
​