VA patient wait times, causing patient deaths, has recently become a national news frenzy. Sadly this comes after a long history of issues with veterans hospitals. Thursday, May 29, 2014
The search is over for Choctaw's new city manager.
On Wednesday, June 20, Choctaw councilmembers interviewed four finalists for the position and ended up instructing Mayor Randy Ross to offer Roger Nelson, 48, the job and to handle contract negotiations.
The council's decision, though, is not final until they approve Nelson's contract at their July 10 meeting, Ross said.
Once that happens, the mayor anticipated Nelson's first day on the job to be Aug. 6. He will replace Robert Floyd, whose contract was not renewed this spring by councilmembers after working with the city for 25 years.
Currently, Nelson is the city manager in Clyde, Texas, a city of about 3,700 people located just outside of Abilene. He has worked in Clyde since September 2009, but the city leader started his career in Warrensburg, Missouri.
From 1989 to 1992, Nelson served as the assistant to the city manager and then city manager in 1992 to 1994 in Missouri. He then moved to Grapevine, Texas where he worked as assistant city manager from 1994 to 1997 and city manager from 1997 to 2005.
State Rep. Gary Banz scored a landslide victory over Republican challenge A.J. Bailey Tuesday with 85 percent of the vote in the GOP primary.
Banz will face Democrat Stephen Colvert in the Nov. 6 general election for House District 101.
"I'm honored that the Republicans of House District 101 chose me to represent the citizens of Eastern Oklahoma County at the State Capitol." Banz said.
Banz has represented parts of Eastern Oklahoma County since he was first elected to the House in 2004.
Republican incumbent Brian Maughan earned another four years in office Tuesday when District 2 voters re-elected him as Oklahoma County Commissioner.
Maughan defeated fellow Republican Gordon Jeney, of Harrah, receiving almost 75 percent of the vote with 5,549 ballots cast in his favor and 1,863 for his challenger.
Late Tuesday night, Jeney told EastWord News the primary was an "up-hill battle" since Maughan was the incumbent and heavily involved in the Republican Party.
