March 3, 2021 Issue, Page 1 of 10

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tee ee Wednesday, March 3. 3, 2021> tuNew Serving Western Oklahoma Elk City native trains top athletes as fitness instructor with me to college and came in handy with my major in business administration and minor in exercise science.” Beinga linebacker on the football team did open Callins to new adventures he had yet to experience. “We mostly played regionally, but I hadn't just been a lot of places. It was neat getting to visit all these towns in Oklahoma and the bordering states. I had been to Texhoma with the Fel- Jowship of Christian Athletes while I was in high school, but that was about the only place [had been. We regularly played in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas and Kansas. And I made some great friends along the way. My best friend was a middle linebacker for the team. His name is Keith Edwards and he played at Lawton-Ike. He ended up being the best man in my wedding,” 180physique And that wedding would be to his wife and business partner, Uma. ‘The pair met when Callins was visiting his cousin's church By Shonda Little and he says he instantly knew he wanted to learn more about the pretty young lady with a gorgeous smile. When James Callins graduated from Elk City High School in “[had been wanting to fellowship with other young adults. [had 2001, his coaches already knew the stand-out athlete took his a home church, but there weren't a lot of people my age in there. health and wellness seriously. He had tasted athletic success early Iwas in the Sunday School class when she came in late and every- in his football career as a sophomore when the Elk City Elks won one was just like, ‘Oh, that’s Uma.’ That was in April of 2009. I was. their first and only state championship in 1998. His journey supposed to have a simple scope that next week, but they found eventually lead him to a football scholarship and the hard work had torn cartilage so I needed up living back at home with my par- Frank and Dalona Hufford. and dedication continues to inspire him and his wife Uma in their ents while I recovered. I thought it was going to be a really long, business, 180Physique. boring time, but I got to spend that time getting to know her. It Meet the City: “Being an only child, I learned early what it was like to be self- was definitely something that God was paying attention to, She dependent,” Callins explained. “I learned early that, to achieve seemed strong-willed and intelligent. The more I learned about something, you had to work through it. My parents, James and her, the more I wanted to get to know her. When I was finally able Bobbi Callins, instilled that in me from a young age.” to take her out, we went on a date three nights in a row which is After graduating high school, he was offered a scholarship to something that I had never done before. I mean, I hada girlfriend two competing Division II colleges. before that, but I had never met a girl that I was just dying to see ‘The Elk City News is featuringa different city employee to introduce “I decided to go with East Central in Ada,” he recounted. “I could night after night. I knew that she was the kind of young woman citizens and visitors to the people and departments that make the City have also gone to Langston, but at that time, their program had that I needed to get to my next stage of manhood. By that August, of Elk City work some issues, They have worked through them now, but at the time ‘we were engaged. I didn’t need very much time at all to know this ‘Ada was the right fit for me. I had never spent any time in south- is who I wanted to be my life partner,” Callins remembered. By Shonda Little ern Oklahoma and it was different. You can tell Ada is an older By this time, Callins had already begun his career at Tinker Air town than you feel Elk City is.” Force Base in logistics securing proper supplies for their United By all measures, Elk City’s street department employee Frank Although the internet had existed for several years when Callins States Air Force. Hufford should have lived his whole life as a Kansas City boy. was in junior high, his parents’ strong value for understanding “The most surprising thing from this job has been learning just ‘After all, he got his early start in life growing up on a family farm technology made him one of the only kids in class who had the how much we spend on defense. I have been able to learn more outside the thriving metropolitan for over 2 million people. internet at home. That early access continued to benefit him in about how the bureaucracy of our government functions,” he “L got the big city life because we weren't far from town,” Huf- college and his future careers. added. ford recounted. “But I was raised on a farm not far from town “Mom kept us on top of the tech,” Callins laughed. “We had While Callins was enthralled with his day job, fitness still and that was where I got a lot of experience with heavy equip- ment at a young age. Dad would just throw me up ona tractor. internet at the house way back in like 1995 or ‘96. So I took that See Callins page 2. We worked corn, milo, wheat and alfalfa hay. Dad ran cattle and we had pigs and chickens.” Donation Baby Heart Hufford had no idea that his life path would bring him to west- ern Oklahoma. He just knew that wherever his wife Dalonna ‘was, he was going to be right beside her. Asa multi-generational Shower near farmer, the Oklahoma lifestyle was second nature. “Her family had moved to Kansas City and we met there, We got married in 1989, Well, Elk City was home for her parents and Heart to Heart Pregnancy Clinic will be holding a Donation Baby they decided that they wanted to come home, this being their Shower on March 7. home. In 1994, Dalonna was clear that she was following her Drop off donations can be brought to Trinity Fellowship 18953 parents back home. We had two little kids then and I just knew HWY 66 in Sayre from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m or at the Heart To Heart that they were my home — not Kansas City or Elk City. I could Pregnancy Clinic, located at 500 South Lusk in Elk City from 2 p.m. ‘be home wherever they were, so we came down,” he explained. until 4 p.m. ‘Much as Hufford was eager for family life in Elk City, it was not without adjustments. ‘There has also been a registry set up on Amazon- Heart To Heart “It was quite a big change,” he remembered. “I was used to Pregnancy Clinic’s Baby Registry. rich, black soil and I get down here and it is red dirt and a few Needed items are: Diapers sizes newborn to 5, baby wipes, baby trees. [had been raised on mountains and lakes and there wasn’t PREGNANCY toiletries, baby towels and washcloths, booties and hats, etc. much of that, either. But I found my way and this quickly be- CLINIC Anything you can donate will be greatly appreciated. came my second home.” When they arrived, Hufford said that he came without a job, but quickly found work. Accident call leads to drug charge and DUI, OHP says “The oilfield was starting to boom then, so I went to work in the oilfield,” he said. “ButI was the kind of dad who wanted to be Street and Pioneer in Elk City. him up and respond,” the troop- ing,” the trooper added. there for my kids’ ballgames and to tuck them in at night. I was When the trooper arrived on er wrote. SFST is an abbreviation for gone so much in the oilfield. I was willing to make that trade-off the scene, he noticed a white Once Rico was awake, the Standardized Field Sobriety for something that would let me be at home at night.” Ford F-150 bearing an Oklaho- trooper opined that he was “ex- Test. Hufford first went to work for Beckham County. tremely lethargic in his move- ‘ma tag sitting on the south side ‘The trooper stated that Rico “Then while I was working there full-time, I took part-time of the roadway with front-end ments and responses.” started the test before being work with the City of Elk City on the weekends helping with the damage. The trooper made con- ‘The trooper then asked Rico told to do so, placed his foot dirt work and laying pipe while they were building the new high tact with an Elk City Police De- to have a seat in the trooper’s down numerous times and was school and the Pioneer Center. It’s hard to believe that has been partment officer who was also car. unable to count past ten, and twenty years ago now. I eventually went to work full-time with on scene. “While walking to my patrol also lost his balance. the city in 2005,” he said. The ECPD officer said the car, Ricowas unsteady on his feet On the second test, Rico alleg- When he came on full-time with the city, he spent approxi- driver was asleep in the passen- and even walked into my patrol edly missed his heel to toe sev- mately two to three years with the street department. ger seat of the officer's patrol car before getting in the passen- eral times, took too many steps, “T then went to run a front-end loader at the City rock yard. Guillermo Rico car. ger seat. Once in the patrol car, and stopped offline. Later I went back to the street department where I became the ‘The trooper walked up to the Rico’s story of what happened At approximately 12:20 am, superintendent,” he recalled. ECPD unit and said the driv- in the accident did not make the trooper placed Rico under While Elk City had become his second home, Hufford missed By Shonda Little er's name, Guillermo Rico. The sense and he was having trouble arrest for operating a vehicle his siblings and extended family in Missouri. trooper reported that he said it concentrating. I asked Rick if he while under the influence. “When we started having kids, we had made a promise that loudly, but got no response. was on any medication or illegal Rico was read the state’s im- ‘we would keep them in the same school system from start to On February 19 at approxi- “I could hear him snoring, so drugs and he stated no. After plied consent test request and finish. We wanted them to go through kindergarten through mately 11:20 pm, an Oklahoma I knew he wasn’t dead. I then getting the basic info for the col- refused the blood test at 12:36 the 12th grade in the same school. They started in Elk City and Highway Patrol trooper was no- kept saying his name and ended lision, I then asked Rico to step am. that’s where we wanted them to finish. But then about 2012, tified of an accident near 20th UP having to shake him to wake _ out of the vehicle for SFST test- See Rico page 2. page 2. See Hufford Weather Vol. 119, No. 18 Mail delivery View online «IL ON tomorrow 64 / 45 75 cents, 10 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com