August 4, 2021 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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Serving Western Oklahoma ay, August 4, 2021 WeekdayEdition Elk City retailer to carry HARBOR Beckham County native FREIGHT son’s skincare line Qua fools at Ridiculously Low Prices Harbor Freight Tools to open new store August 14 leland fants For Immediate Release—Harbor Freight Tools, America’s go- to store for quality tools at the lowest prices, will officially open its new store in Elk City on Saturday, August 14 at 8 am. ‘The Elk City store, located at 2003 South Main Street, is the 26th Harbor Freight Tools store in Oklahoma. The new store brings approximately 25-30 new jobs to the community. The store will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weer Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sun- Left, Brady Butcher still aims to carry Carrol’s Shoe Corner’s iconic shoe brands, he is also excited to add new inves- day. Store photos and logo available upon request. tory to his store. Middle, The Luxe Face Oil is among the Leland Francis products that Butcher will be selling. The “We're ready to serve and deliver value to customers in Elk Luxe Face Oil was Pena’s original skincare product, which has been so successful that it has been featured by Gwynth City and all of Beckham County,” said Quentin Horton, store Paltrow. Right, Dillon Pena. Courtesy photos. manager. “At Harbor Freight, we recognize that now, more than ever, our customers depend on us for the tools they need to get the job done at an affordable price. We are the By Shonda Little “We all like to look good, and we all like to feel good,” Butcher place for quality tools at the lowest prices for mechanics, said. “I'm a firm believer that getting back to nature is key in contractors, homeowners and hobbyists—any tool user who Brady Butcher returned to Elk City nearly two decades ago to that.” cares about value.” rejoin his family’s long-running business, Carrol’s Shoe Corner. However, Butcher is working on adding more than Leland Fran- ‘The store will stock a full selection of tools and equipment in Since then, he has striven to balance maintaining the integral cis for his fall and winter lineup. categories including automotive, air and power tools, stor- brands for which the iconic store is known while also bringing “We love our Lucky men’s stuff. We have cardigans that fit well age, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding sup- new things that have previously been unavailable to western and stuff that you normally had to go out of town to get. Those plies, shop equipment, hand tools and much more. Averag- Oklahoma. old work jackets from Pennington's are hitting in that extra way. ing 15,000-square-feet, the stores are much easier to shop “We are fortunate to have the best customers, and so many have They aren't only fashionable, but they are functional. It is like than the huge home centers. been repeat customers for years and years,” Butcher explained. killing two birds with one stone. We have Saxx’s menswear. You Harbor Freight recognizes that its people are key to its suc- “We know that, for many of them, they have the brands and ser- know of Lululemon. We all do, but I can understand men not cess and is committed to being the best place to work in vice that they have come to count on. We want to keep that going, wanting to wear that. This is an answer to that. Men have liked any industry. In 2021, Forbes Magazine recognized Harbor but then we also have enough room and exciting ideas that we are the underwear and swimsuits, so that cool kind of athletic wear Freight as the country’s number one employer for Veterans continuing to add to that. We believe that we can offer everything will be available for the fall,” Butcher said. across all industries, one of the top employers in terms of that any big city has right here at home.” Overall, Butcher is proud of where he is seeing downtown Elk diversity and one of the top20 large employers in all of retail. ‘As Butcher flipped through the most recent edition of GoWest City going. Diversityjobs.com has also recognized the company as a top magazine, the feature upon Dillon Pefia’s luxury skincare jumped “It’s changing, but in a good way,” he said. “Don’t you think so? employer for its commitment to diversity and indusion. out at him. ‘Asa safety protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic, all Con- See Expanding page 2. Pefia, who grew up in Elk City and Canute, left western Oklahoma See Opening page 2. to pursue his dream job as a makeup artist in the fashion indus- Elk City woman faces drug felony after try. After serving as a top artist for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, even dazzling viewers of the Today Show and QVC as Brown’s personal artist, Pefia decided to break out on his own as an independent artist. His resume of celebrity clients is hard-hitting, including big names like Beyoncé and Joe Jonas. His work has been fea~ tured in top fashion magazines and on photo shoots for brands officer allegedly witnesses a drug deal Alleged “customer” also jailed such as Gucci. Over the course of a decade, Pefia noticed that the professional models continuously wanted to look at the actual ingredients in the products that he was putting on their faces. Since look- possession of a controlled sub- the driver of the white car to of her vehicle, which the officer ing their best was an essential career move, Pefia understood that stance and possession of drug be a younger female still sit- claimed carried a “strong odor quality materials were crucial in his line of work. paraphernalia. ting in the driver's seat. The of burnt marijuana.” Through years of saving extra money and working meticulously At approximately 12:35 am. encounter of Thomas leaning Due to that and the officer's with scientists and dermatologists, Leland Francis was born. on July 24, an Elk City Police inside the car of such a younger belief that he had witnessed When Butcher realized all of this, he knew he wanted Leland Department officer was patrol- female is not consistent with a hand-to-hand drug transac- Francis for his store. ling through Hutch’s South’s my observations of the normal tion, the officer requested a “T love that it is also supporting a business and a dream of one of parking lot located on the 2000 public during my patrol opera- second officer to doa pat-down our local guys out there making it work. I got excited when I read block of South Main Street in tions.” search of Thomas. the article and then did even more research online. The reviews Elk City. While speaking with DeWilde, ‘The officer added that he be- are great. And, the one thing that I know about our customers is the officer observed the second During this time, the officer lieved that he had just ob- they want good quality stuff” Butcher said. reportedly observed a white served a hand-to-hand drug officer place Thomas in hand- ‘The name of Peiia’s skincare line derives from the middle names four-door sedan with Okla- transaction. cuffs, which lead the reporting of his grandfathers, who spent their lives toiling in the fields of homa tags parked in a marked Additional police units were officer to believe that evidence western Oklahoma to grow fresh food. of the alleged drug transaction parking spot on the east side of then requested. “| didn’t know that the food I was being raised on was organic be- Vanessa DeWilde had been discovered. cause that wasn’t a trendy word then,” Pefia laughed. “I just knew the store. As the officer approached the ‘The officer then had DeWilde Standing in the driver's side car, he inquired as to what that the best food was simple. It didn’t have all these additives, By Shonda Little door of the vehicle and lean- ‘Thomas was doing. place her purse on the hood of and that is what makes all our bodies feel the best. I had the same the patrol vehicle. idea for skincare. So many of our grandmothers had the right idea A 28-year-old Elk City woman ing into the car, the officer ob- ‘The officer then asked the driv- During the search, the officer — the things that they were putting on their faces came from the is being held in the Beckham served a man who he knew to er, identified as Vanessa Ann allegedly discovered a set of earth. That was my goal for Leland Francis,” Petia said. County Detention Center for be George Thomas, the prob- DeWilde, if she knew Thomas. black digital scales, which also ‘The Leland Francis skincare line offers luxe face oil, cleaners and charges of distribution of a able cause affidavit indicates. The officer stated that the contained suspected metham- body serums. For the home, Peiia also carries candles that are in- controlled substance, a felony, “I have had multiple law en- woman was at first hesitant phetamine residue. spired by his great-grandmother's garden. and possession of drug para- forcement encounters with before saying she was trying The second officer allegedly “I like that Dillon is proud to come from western Oklahoma and phernalia, a misdemeanor. ‘Thomas, and each time I have to get in touch with his daugh- discovered a syringe and small that his products are inspired by it,” Butcher gushed. Also jailed in the incident was a came in contact with him, he ters. ziplock-style baggie containing Leland Francis has caught the eye of celebrities, including Gwyn- 59-year-old Elk City man who has been involved in criminal ‘There was a passenger in the suspected methamphetamine eth Paltrow’s lifestyle website, GOOP. is being held in the Beckham activity, namely being in pos- car, identified as 33-year-old under Thomas's person. Butcher believes his customers have refined taste to match any County Detention Center on session of methamphetamine,” Robin Harkness. See Felony page 2. celebrities. two misdemeanor charges of the officer wrote. “I observed DeWilde was asked to step out «OLA IN Weather tomorrow & 91/68 Vol. 119, No. 62 75 cents, 8 pgs. Mail delivery 580.225.3000 View online elkcityoknews.com