February 7, 2026 Issue, Page 1 of 13

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Weekend Edition SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2026 Ivester In Talks with Restaurant for Downtown Building By Sheryl Ponce The Elk City Commission met Monday evening for their regular bi-monthly meeting at 7 p.m., in City Hall. Mayor Micah Kilhoffer opened the meeting with the invocation followed by Jeff Waters leading the flag salute. Rocky Andresen was not present for the meeting. The first item on the agenda was the approval of a bid received for new truck scales for the Elk City Rock Yard from Red Dirt 580 Enterprises in the amount of $86,170. These scales will be replacing ones that are 25 years old. The next iem was the approval of Task Order 01 – Relocate AVGas Tank and construct new Jet-A Tank at Elk City Regional Business Airport (ELK) with Lochner and City of Elk City for a contract amount of $170,600. This is the next project at the airport in which the city will upfront the amount and have the design completed. Then they will apply for a grant in early 2027 and be reimbursed for it. The commissioners approved Pay App #3 for Heartland Utility Services for the FY 2025 Water Main Replacement – DWSRF No P40-2000501-03 project in the amount of $249,983, which is a budgeted item. This project is replacing 14,000 feet of water main. It is the biggest water main replacement program. The commissioners also approved Mayor Kilhoffer’s reappointment of Joni McConnell to the Elk City Library Board for the term of Feb. 2026 to 2029. The agenda then went on to address dilapidated buildings that had been tabled from previous meetings. The first structure located at 1118 W. 9th was tabled from Sept. 2nd and Jan. 5th. It was since sold, and the new owner was See IVESTER page 2 ECHS Musical Opens Soon By Sheryl Ponce Corbin Dyson presented Sadiaa Jones with Leadership Award Brandon Culver presented Dr. Dan Storm with Leadership Award Three Inducted into Elk City Chamber’s Leadership Hall of Fame By Sheryl Ponce The Elk City Chamber of Commerce and the Elk City community honored Sadiaa Jones, Roger Shockey, and Dan Storm, DDS., Friday, Jan. 30th, with a reception and presentation at the Pioneer Center. The reception was held in the hospitality room from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the presentation was held between the Elkette and Elks basketball game. Family, friends, and community leaders gathered to celebrate these three as they stepped into the Hall of Fame along with about 30 other local dignitaries. Jones is an Elk City High School 1995 graduate. She was a key player in the 1995 3A State Championship girls’ basketball team. This was the first year that ECHS played a five-on-five game when they defeated Bristow in a 54-29 game played at the State Fair Arena in front of 7000 fans. Jones was also a member of the 1995 track team that also won the state title in the 100-meter hurdles. She still holds the ECHS track record for that event. She received the honor of being named to All-State for both events. In 2025, Jones was hired as the new Oklahoma City University Athletic Director. She had been Executive Athletic Director for Dallas College since 2021. Prior to that position, Jones was the Athletic Director for Seminole State College and Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Student Services at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. She also served as an assistant women’s basketball coach at California State University Fresno for six years. Jones earned a Master’s degree in education administration and Bachelor of Science degree in Health and See HOF page 2 Elk City High School musical, “The Addams Family Musical, School Edition,” will open Friday, Feb. 13th, at 7 p.m., and run through Saturday. The Sunday matinee on Feb. 15th will be at 3 p.m. The show is based on the book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. The characters were created by Charles Addams. Tickets may be purchased at https:// www.onthestage.tickets/.../68d1b74f3c71a77f9500aea6 The show will take place at the Kelli O’Hara Performing Arts, Pioneer Center, located 1221 N. Pioneer Center Rd. The cast includes Morticia Addams played by Sereen Green, Gomez Addams played by Abner Reyes, Wednesday Addams played by Valentina Fierro, Pugsley Addams played by Addyson Dungan, Grandmama played by Brianna Decker, Uncle Fester played by Holly Aguilar Carrillo, Lurch played by Sylas Williams, Lucas Beineke played by Alberto Montes, Alice Bieneke played by Andee Galloway, and Mal Bieneke played by Camren Olaveson. The ancestors include Ivan Aguilar-Garcia, Valery Barrientez, Charlee Batchelor, Jace Brooks, Makenzie Brooks, Erika Burch, Ryker Coslow, Norma Cupp, Lillian Ferrell, Paulo Fierro, Samuel Flores, Arianna Fong, Gianna Gerhold, Addison Jones, Jonathan Kimball, Kira Lewis, Brianna Muniz, Christina Muniz, Kayle Muiz, Tepy Soksophal, Katie Spitz, Evelyn Talamantes, Jairo Vasquez, Peyton Webb, and Hensley Woods. The time is now to get a ticket to see these great performers. Order tickets online soon to support the production. Richard Moran presented Roger Shockey with Leadership Award Rotary Hear Ukrainian Plight By Sheryl Ponce The Elk City Rotary Club welcomed Brandon Barton, Veritas Agency, from Weatherford to their regular weekly meeting in the Elk City Golf and Country Club at noon on Thursday. President Rob Stephens opened the meeting and invited Rotarian Sandy Werner to introduce her guest speakers, Barton, as well as a Southwestern Oklahoma State University Ukrainian student. The young Ukranian began,“When I stepped on the land that none of my family ever stepped onto when I was just 17 years old, it was kind of scary. But I was lost in Texas because of the weather, there was a tornado or something going on. My flight was delayed for 24 hours, and the first man that came up to me was from Oklahoma.” She continued to talk about how Oklahomans have been kind to her, and she was thankful to be here. She also spoke to the Rotarians about the situations in Ukraine, which included the bombing of a civilian train by the Russians. “Russia is not our brother, and that’s the point that I want you to know. I don’t want you to see people dying. I don’t want you to go through that hell that we are going through right now. Russia bombs every possible power plant that we have in Ukraine. So right now we’re going through blackouts. Blackouts mean that we have no light, no electricity, no gas, no nothing. And right now, Ukraine is minus 20 degrees Celsius,” she said. Russia is killing the Ukrainians. She was nine years old when the war started or had the revolution. The government was and still is corrupt. The men serve the country. She had never been to a prom, except when she was in kindergarten. Once she was finished, the guest speaker came to the podium, Barton. He told the Rotarians that he grew up when Reagan was in office. Bar- Weather tomorrow WOHS Board Learns of Opera House Proposal to Become Storage ton said that he was in the military, a former counterintelligence special agent. He was in the first special forces group. “Every once in a while, it allowed me to have the skill sets that I needed to go to Ukraine, or to at least feel like I was doing something to help people. I got tired of sitting on my hands,” Barton said. He went on to describe the history of the region, as well as the situations that the Ukrainian people were in when he left. Barton went to deliver medical supplies and made sure each one knew how to use it. “We are a volunteer medical unit. They’re not part of the Ukrainian military. These are civilians that volunteer. They’re kind of a paramilitary group, and they go to the front lines. They receive no government funding or anything. They do it through volunteers and donations,” Barton said. He was part of the group deliver- By Sheryl Ponce The Western Oklahoma Historical Society Board of Directors met for their monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 2nd, due to the winter storm during their regular scheduled meeting. President Linda Long called the meeting to order, and June Lovelace gave the invocation. The minutes were approved as corrected, along with the treasurer’s report. Long then turned to the Committee Reports beginning with the Farm and Ranch. There was nothing to report from that committee, nor was there anything to report from the Blacksmith Shop. Cindy Wood gave the membership report. She told the board that the letters for membership would be sent out soon. There See ROTARY page 9 cutline xyxy yx y xy x yxy y xy x 74 / 45 99/70 Vol. Vol. 117,122, No.No. 54 6 75 cents 75 cents, 12 pgs. See WOHS page 9 Mail delivery Home delivery 580.225.3000 580.225.3000 Viewonline online View elkcityoknews.com elkcityoknews.com