Gen. Bruce Litchfield doesn't consider the state of our nation's economy and how it impacts the military as completely disparaging.
In fact, he sees the challenges he faces as an opportunity for Tinker Air Force Base to be poised as a leader, prepped and ready for the next mission whatever that may be.
On Aug. 22, Litchfield addressed those attending the monthly Del City Chamber membership luncheon.
Tinker Air Force Base welcomed members of a national commission examining cost efficiency in the military on Tuesday.
The National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force conducted a site visit of TAFB in the morning and then a public hearing at the Reed Center in the afternoon. The visit was part of a tour of 13 Air Force locations.
The event was part of the Commission’s congressionally mandated mission to study the U.S. Air Force and its three components – active, reserve and Air National Guard - for an independent analysis. The information compiled will then help the Commission determine if and how the Air Force’s structure should be modified to best fill current and future mission requirements with available resources.
One month into Midwest City’s new curbside recycling program and the first report provided by the city’s contractor shows participation among residents is higher than the national average.
In their report, Republic Services revealed that 65 percent of Midwest City residents participated during the inaugural month of July.
This figure is well ahead of the city’s projections, said Environmental Services Director William Janacek.
"We had been told to expect somewhere in the area of 25 to 30 percent participation in the beginning of the program and we beat that percentage significantly," Janacek said. "Now, going forward, we want to keep up the momentum and continue to increase participation each month."
The national average of community participation in recycling programs is 42 percent.
Mid-Del school leaders are anxiously awaiting information they say could have a big impact on the school district.
On Tuesday, the Oklahoma State Department of Education announced the results of a study looking into the disruption some students had while taking their state tests last year.
The independent study by HumRRO found that students did as well on the tests as students not involved in the disruption.
Based on this finding, State Supt. Janet Barresi has decided to retain all scores of impacted students who scored proficient or advanced, a press release stated.
Then, students with unsatisfactory scores will not be reported.
Next Friday, Choctaw Creek Park will become the center of the universe for German food and music loving fans when Oktoberfest takes over the park for nine days.
From Aug. 30 to Sept. 7, the festival, which is in its 23rd year, will once again be the place to be for homemade German cuisine, genuine German beers and wine, and of course live German music.
Mike Turek, the festival’s organizer and proprietor of Old Germany Restaurant, said work has been underway for weeks to be ready for the event.
Waiting for hungry festival-goers are more than 7,000 pounds of potatoes, 3,200 pounds of bratwursts, 1,600 pounds of red cabbage and sausage, and 1,400 pounds of hamhocks, he said.
American Legion Auxiliary Department of Oklahoma President Debra Densmore presided over the installation of officers for Clarence L. Tinker Midwest City Unit 170 Aug. 2.
Officers installed were: President Debra Yacko, 1st Vice President Jilian Smothers, Secretary, Dee Wilkes, Treasurer Nancy Lucas, Sergeant-at-Arms Cheryl Bothwell, Chaplain Mary Boaz and Executive Committee Members Sherree Bertolasio, Julie Dartez-White and Charlene Johnston.
Unit 170 members are in the process of collecting items needed for the Oklahoma City Homeless Veteran Stand Down scheduled to take place at the Homeless Alliance on 3rd & Virginia on Oct. 18.
Donations of warm winter coats, gently used clothing and shoes, new t-shirts, underwear and socks, and toiletries such as toothpaste, deodorant, soap and shaving cream are being accepted at the post beginning Sept. 6.
Midwest City firefighters paid tribute Thursday, Aug. 8. to Jim Clark, the department's only firefighter killed in the line of duty.
A low-key ceremony was held to honor Clark, who was critically injured while working an accident on Interstate 40 and died several days later on Aug. 8, 1999.
But after last year’s flooding, the headmaster of Christian Heritage Academy is sometimes playfully referred to as the respected Biblical figure.
It’s all because of what the school leader and his team went through after millions of gallons of water flooded the school when a pipe busted one week before classes started last fall.
Even though the damage was vast, CHA persevered and made emergency arrangements for students to attend school with minimal inconvenience. Although much progress has been made, one year later, a key part of the school is still not open to students.
Classes for the new Mid-Del school year will get underway Monday, Aug. 19.
New enrollment is currently going on at each of the school sites. This year, parents are asked to provide additional information in order to enroll their child, school officials say.
The new fiscal year for cities means new beginnings.
On July 1, the Midwest City Police Department assumed control of the city’s animal control department, signifying a fresh new start for those individuals charged with taking care of the city’s various critters.
Although the police department officially assumed control last month, they had actually been unofficially operating the facility for three months, starting in April.
As the state’s second largest EMS provider, Midwest Regional Medical Center EMS was recently named "Advanced Service of the Year" by the Oklahoma EMT Association.
Eight representatives from the EMS crew attended the association’s annual Medic Update educational conference July 11 where during a banquet, the hospital’s EMS was awarded the honor.
"I am very proud of this honor because I believe the foundation of this award is rooted in the courageous and selfless efforts of the EMS staff during the May 20th tornado response in the City of Moore and the May 31st response to the flooding disaster in the City of Midwest City and Eastern Oklahoma County," said Larry Terry, director of Emergency Medical Services. "I am humbled and blessed to work with such a committed group of medical providers and support staff."
The Del City Fire Department responded to a structure fire Monday, July 29 at 4705 SE 19th Street. The call was received at 8:23 a.m. and the first arriving unit reported heavy smoke and flames on arrival. A family of five, including two adults and three children, were home at the time of the fire and escaped without injury.
Upon making entry into the house, firefighters found one of the bedrooms completely involved in flames. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire quickly, however, the house sustained heavy smoke and water damage.
Lifelong Midwest City resident Daniel McClure announced July 19 his intention to run for Midwest City’s Ward 1 seat.
The city post is being vacated by Jerry Maynard, who will term out next year. Other offices to be filled in elections next spring are council members for Wards 1, 3 and 5, as well as mayor.
The primary election will be on February 11, 2014, with the general election to take place on April 1, 2014.
"The decision is not something I’ve taken lightly, as I’m dedicated to serving the citizens of Ward 1," McClure said.
Beginning July 1, the City of Midwest City launched its new curbside recycling program in partnership with their contractor, Republic Services.
One month into the program, the city said there have been some issues to work through with their contractor including some neighborhoods not receiving pick-up on their scheduled day.
"I think things are getting better, but there have been some problems, as we expected there to be," city spokesperson Kay Hunt said.
The lessee of Midwest Regional Medical Center accepted a $7.6 billion merger agreement Tuesday, bringing an end to months of speculation that a deal was in the works.
At this time, Health Management Associates’ merger with Community Health Systems, Inc. reportedly has no immediate effect on MRMC and local efforts to address recent issues at the hospital are ongoing, hospital officials report.
The merger, CHS officials say, will take months to complete and is anticipated to be final by March 31, 2014, pending various approval levels.
Locally, the transfer of HMA’s lease of MRMC to CHS would be subject to approval by the Midwest City Memorial Hospital Authority.
Katherine Bolles, city attorney for Midwest City, in a previous interview with the EastWord News, reported that if HMA ever found itself in a situation like the present with a new third-party seeking to assume control of the hospital, the Authority would have to approve a new lease contract.
The company originally hired by the City of Choctaw to build the Choctaw Town Square development has filed a lawsuit against a new contractor brought into to work on the project.
This marks the third lawsuit filed related to the development on NE 23rd Street.
On July 2, Choctaw Town Square, LLC, filed suit against Wee Construction in Oklahoma County District Court.
The suit seeks $75,000 in reimbursement for concrete drainage pipe, CTS claims was purchased by them for the 39.3 acre project but the city never approved reimbursement.
A dedication ceremony of Midwest City’s new Veterans Memorial was largely attended, despite the roasting heat that revealed itself in full form July 12 in Joe B. Barnes Regional Park.
Event planners expected a meager crowd of maybe a few hundred, but were overjoyed to welcome 400 to 500 attendees.
Ice cold bottled water sufficed many attendees, including several World War II veterans, during the hour-long ceremony. Making comments during the event was the man that started the dream to build a memorial, Andy Cornelius.
In addition, Midwest City Mayor Jack Fry served as the keynote speaker.
Paul Jenson, CEO of Midwest Regional Medical Center, resigned from his post effective Monday.
He had been with the hospital since June 2012, replacing CEO Stan Holm.
Jenson’s resignation was announced via a memo by Melody Trimble, Southern and Western Division President of Health Management Associates, the company that leases MRMC. The correspondence was sent to the hospital’s board of trustees, medical staff and directors.
"It is with great regret that I announce the resignation of Paul Jenson at Midwest Regional Medical Center effective Monday, July 22, 2013. I thank Paul for his contribution at the Medical Center this past year and wish he and his family well in their future endeavors."
This fall, Midwest City voters will decide whether or not up to $50 million should be spent to try and oust Health Management Associates as lessee of Midwest Regional Medical Center.
On Tuesday, councilmembers unanimously voted to approve a resolution calling for an Oct. 8 special election. A total of five propositions will appear on the ballot, including one to grant Midwest City Memorial Hospital Authority trustees access to $50 million of the Compounded Principal in the trust’s account that currently holds some $71.2 million.
City Attorney Katherine Bolles said a vote of the people is one of only two ways the Hospital Authority can access trust funds. The other is if the hospital’s lessee terminated its lease and the Hospital Authority had to assume control of operations until another lessee could be named.
