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From the pages of The Ponca City News, Monday, January 29, 2001 LOCAL DEATHS NEWS BRIEFS LIFESTYLES SPORTS LOCALInvestigators Seek Cause of OSU Plane Crash Investigators Seek Cause of OSU Plane CrashBYERS, Colo. (AP) — After a snowy day walking through a mile of scattered wreckage, aviation investigators focused on whether a plane used by Oklahoma State University had been de-iced before takeoff. “We have some very detailed and painstaking work ahead of us in what are not the best weather conditions,” John Hammerschmidt, head of the National Transportation Safety Board crash investigation team, said Sunday. Ten people, including two Oklahoma State basketball players and six staffers, were killed Saturday when the twin-engine plane crashed into a field. The plane had taken off from Jefferson County Airport in light snow and with one-mile visibility. The crew had been warned ice could form on the wings, but investigators said conditions were not harsh enough for authorities to ground the plane. The Beechcraft King Air 200 Catpass was one of three planes carrying the school’s basketball team and associates back to Stillwater, Okla., after they lost to Colorado at Boulder. Federal investigators planned Monday to interview maintenance crews who worked on the plane before its takeoff, people who spoke with the plane’s crew just before takeoff and the pilots of the two planes that arrived safely at Stillwater. No distress call was sent before the crash, said Arnold Scott of the NTSB. The plane was not required to carry a flight data recorder because it carried less than 10 passengers, said Mike Kelly of the Federal Aviation Administration’s flight standard office. Among the victims were Oklahoma State players Nate Fleming and Daniel Lawson, sports information employee Will Hancock, director of basketball operations Pat Noyes and trainer Brian Luinstra. Classes were held at Oklahoma State on Monday; the school set a memorial service for Wednesday. On Sunday, cold rain contributed to the somber mood in Stillwater. “It’s like a part of the school died,” said Justin Battista, a freshman walking to Sunday Mass. “It’s always hard when you didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, or didn’t get a chance to say sorry for yelling at you a day ago or whatever,” said student Crystal Kelso, who knew both players. Two of Fleming’s friends stopped at the crash site Sunday on their way to comfort his family in Edmond, Okla. Sarah Cook, 23, of Jackson, Wyo., said Fleming, a freshman walk-on, was delighted to have some playing time. “Everybody was chanting for him and we told him he was awesome,” Cook said. Witnesses said the plane climbed and banked hard to the right before it crashed. They told investigators the propeller plane’s engines revved and eased several times before the fiery crash in a field about 40 miles east of Denver. “It sounded like he was flying full power. Then I heard a thump and saw a low glow,” said Jon Carrick, who lives about two miles southwest of the crash site. Also killed was student manager Jared Weiberg, the nephew of Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg; broadcast engineer Kendall Durfey; broadcaster Bill Teegins; pilot Denver Mills; and co-pilot Bjorn Fahlstrom. The victims’ bodies were removed and over the next few days the engines, de-icing boots and other pieces of the wreckage are to be taken to a hangar in Greeley, where investigators were to create a mock-up of the plane. The plane was registered to North Bay Charter of Reno, Nev. The company declined to comment. The university said the plane was provided for the trip by an Oklahoma City man, so it wasn’t a charter flight. -—— On the Net: Oklahoma State: http://pio.okstate.edu NTSB: http://www.ntsb.gov FAA: http://www.faa.govPonca Tribe USDA To Sign Wastewater PactWHITE EAGLE — The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma and the Rural Utilities Services of the United States Department of Agriculture will sign an agreement Thursday that will provide $908,200 for the construction of a new wastewater treatment system at White Eagle where the tribal headquarters are located. Bennett Arkeketa, Ponca Tribal chairman said, “This will be the first time that an Oklahoma Indian tribe has reached accord with the Rural Utilities Services of USDA to provide vital infrastructure facilities. “The construction of the new wastewater treatment system will pave the way for future community development, including new housing, housing rehabilitation, a wellness center, and business enterprises. We are excited about the possibilities that this construction will provide in the future.”Nearly NewsPonca City restaurants are becoming more and more a Mecca for celebrities. The Rusty Barrell has had many famous clients there while Enrique’s has celebrity fly-ins from time to time. Now add the Grand Cafe. Dennis Kinkaid re-ported that a recognizable face popped in for lunch Thursday. With all the hubbub of the filming of the Conoco commercial going on, Dennis wondered if the out-of-towners were here as part of that event. World-famous tennis star Martina Navratilova responded that no, they were on their way cross-country from Florida, it was time for lunch and the Ponca City exit was convenient. Dennis reported that Martina and her traveling companion ate a hearty meal and headed on their way.PC Schools Open Transfer Deadline SetFamilies residing outside of the Ponca City School District who would like their child to attend Ponca City schools may file an application for open transfer at this time for the 2001-2002 school year. The deadline for accepting open transfers is Feb. 1, 2001. Persons affected by this deadline are families who live outside of the Ponca City school district who desire a transfer into the district. Examples of this would be families who reside in Newkirk, Burbank, Blackwell or Kildare who want their children to attend Ponca City schools. Also included in this transfer deadline would be children who are already attending this district from dependent school district’s in Osage County (McCord, Burbank or Shidler) and Kildare or the Kay County area. The deadline does not affect persons living inside the district who want to transfer from one elementary to another (this type of transfer is referred to as an in-district transfer). In-district transfers can be filed at a later date. Decisions regarding in-district transfer are made after the final enrollment totals are determined prior to the start of the school year. If you have questions regarding the open transfer application process, contact Dr. Joe Surber, assistant superintendent of operations, or Karen Branum at the Administration Offices, 767-8000.OSU Plane Crash VictimsBy The Associated Press Victims from the Colorado plane crash that killed members of the Oklahoma State University basketball team and staff: —Daniel Lawson, 21, junior guard from Detroit, Mich., played in two of the first three games last season at OSU, then sat out the rest of the year. —Nate Fleming, 21, freshman from Edmond, Okla., was a walk-on who played in four games last year. Fleming broke his nose in practice in December and returned to the court against Texas A&M on Wednesday. —Pat Noyes, 27, director of basketball operations, was in his second year as the Cowboys’ administrative assistant. He spent the 1998-99 season at Georgia State as an administrative assistant under coach Lefty Driesell. —Will Hancock, 31, was in his fifth year as coordinator of media relations. He joined the staff in 1996. He is the son of Bill Hancock, director of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. He is married to Karen Hancock, coach of the OSU women’s soccer team. —Brian Luinstra, 29, originally from Augusta, Kan., was an athletic trainer for the Cowboys. He joined Oklahoma in December 1999 after four years as assistant athletic trainer at Wichita State. —Bill Teegins, 48, the play-by-play voice of the OSU basketball and football broadcasts and sports director of KWTV in Oklahoma City. He was named Oklahoma Sportscaster of the Year six times. This was Teegin’s 11th season with the Cowboys. He had been with KWTV 13 years. —Jared Weiberg, 22, student manager and nephew of Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg. His father is Mick Weiberg, basketball coach at Northern Oklahoma College. —Kendall Durfey, 38, a producer and engineer for the OSU radio network. Born in Hyde Park, N.Y., he moved to Oklahoma in 1977 and graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1984 with a communications degree. He earned a master’s degree in communications at OSU. —Denver Mills, 55, of Oklahoma City, an experienced pilot and had flown Oklahoma State University athletic teams for several years. A father of three, Mills would have celebrated his 56th birthday Wednesday. —Bjorn Fahlstrom, 30, was co-pilot of the plane and a native of Kalmar, Sweden. Fahlstrom had served in the Swedish Navy and been a professional tennis player. He came to Oklahoma City in 1996 to learn to fly. He had been a flight instructor at two flights schools in Oklahoma City and had been flying corporate jets for about 1 1/2 years. He is survived by a fiancee, Jacqueline Oda, of Oklahoma City.Fund established to help burn victim A fund has been established at Pioneer Bank and Trust for Jacob Roubedeaux, the 3-year-old son of Jade and Tesa Roubedeaux of Red Rock. The young Roubedeaux fell into boiling liquid Saturday and sustained second-degree burns over 75 percent of his body. He is currently in the Oklahoma City Children’s Hospital. The Jacob Roubedeaux Contributions Fund will help defray the costs associated with the accident. Pioneer Bank and Trust is located at Highland and Fourteenth Street. DEATHSLoretha Marie Vickery Loretha Marie VickeryBRAMAN — Loretha Marie Vickery, resident of Braman, died Saturday morning, Jan. 27, 2001, at her home. She was 69. The funeral is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, in the First United Methodist Church in Blackwell with the Revs. Gale Izard and Russell Bracy officiating. Burial will follow at 2 p.m. in the Old Mission Cemetery in Wichita, Kan. Arrangements are under the direction of Roberts and Son Funeral Home. Loretha Marie Vickery was born May 6, 1931, in Berryton, Kan., the daughter of Elwood Gordon and Leona Mary Murphy Allen. She grew up and attended school in Berryton, graduating in 1949. She then attended Kansas State University, where she was a member of the Clovia Honorary 4-H Society and the Omicron Nu Honorary Home Economics Society. She received a bachelor’s degree in home economics in 1953 and began teaching in the Baldwin public schools in Baldwin, Kan. She married Rollin W. Vickery on June 4, 1955, in Topeka, Kan., and they lived in various cities while he was in the Army. In 1957, they moved to Blackwell where she was a homemaker. In 1958, they moved to their current farm north of Blackwell. She re-entered the teaching profession in 1984, where she taught home economics in the Braman public school system, retiring in 1996. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Friendship Sunday School class. She also served as a Kay County 4-H leader for several years and held membership in the Oklahoma Cowbelles Association. Survivors include her husband of the home; two daughters, Janell Davis of Derby, Kan., and Gwen McFaden of Silver Spring, Md.; three sons, Brent Vickery and Curtis Vickery, both of Duncan, and Brook Vickery of Rosemount, Minn.; a brother, Norman Allen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.; and five grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, William E. Allen. Casket bearers will be Larry Miller, Bill McKenzie, Claud Hiatt, Dale Allen, Jim Galloway and Larry Cannon. Honorary bearers will be the Friendship Sunday School class. Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church Foundation or the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Cancer Fund, c/o Roberts and Son Funeral Home.Donald Lee PriceQUINLAN, Texas — Donald Lee Price, former resident of Ponca City, died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2001, at Presbyterian Hospital in Greenville, Texas. He was 58. The funeral was held at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 26, at Lakepointe Chapel in Rockwall, Texas, with the Rev. Jerry Minx officiating. Burial was in the Resthaven Memorial Park in Rockwall under the direction of Quinlan LyBrand Funeral Home. Donald Lee Price was born Sept. 8, 1942, in Ponca City, the son of William and Fannie Long Price. He grew up in Ponca City, graduating from Ponca City High School. In 1963, he married Dorothy Tucker of Ponca City. They made their first home in Ponca City, then in Tonkawa, moving to the Dallas area where they have lived for several years. He is survived by his wife of the home; one son, James Price of the home; two daughters, Donna Sue James of Dallas and Sherry Dunn of Quinlan, Texas; seven grandchildren; and two brothers, Bill Price of Ponca City and Jerry Price of Tucson, Ariz. He was preceded in death by his parents.Ronald Ellis CarsonRonald Ellis Carson, resident of Ponca City, died Friday evening, Jan. 26, 2001, at the Ponca City Nursing Home. He was 77. The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the chapel of McCafferty-Bolick Funeral Home in Tonkawa with the Revs. Jack Smith and Richard Thomasson officiating. Burial will follow in the Riverview Cemetery in Tonkawa. Ronald Ellis Carson was born April 20, 1923, in Tonkawa, the son of Ellis F. and Gladys I. McFarland Carson. He made his home in Tonkawa until entering the military. He returned to this area after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. In 1993, he moved to Ponca City. He was a member of the Baptist Church, the VFW and the American Legion. Survivors include one sister, Donna Mae Smith of Hillsboro, Texas; three brothers, Wayne Carson of Sapulpa, Ivan Carson of Ocala, Fla., and Eugene F. Carson of St. Peters, Mo.; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.Services PendingJoseph Delmer LarssenJoseph Delmer Larssen, infant son of Jo Dee Larssen, died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, in Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City. Arrangements are pending with Miller-Stahl Funeral Service.Elvin Lee NallElvin Lee Nall, resident of Ponca City, died Sunday, Jan. 28, 2001, at his residence. He was 69. Arrangements are with the Trout Funeral Home. No services are planned.Maudie SorrellNEWKIRK — Maudie Sorrell, longtime Newkirk resident, died Sunday evening, Jan. 28, 2001, in the Arkansas City Memorial Hospital. She was 81. Arrangements are pending with Miller-Stahl Funeral Service.NEWS BRIEFSRetirees Meet for Lunch — The Cities Service and Sequoia Refinery retired employees will have lunch together at Furr’s Cafeteria Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. Free Pregnancy test. Birth Choice cares. Confidential. Hours: Monday 1-3 p.m., Tuesday, 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, 1-3 p.m. and Thursday, 6-8 p.m. 700 West Broadway. 765-9689. adv. Burglary — A woman in the 2600 block of North Fifth Street reported to Ponca City police at 9:28 a.m. Saturday that some checks had been stolen from her vehicle earlier this month. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Art Competition - registration Wednesday, January 31, 11:00 am - 6:30 pm. Reception and critique, February 4. Call for details. 765-9746, Ponca City Art Association. adv. Theft — A man in the 1000 block of North Waverly Street reported to Ponca City police at 11:45 a.m. Saturday he had a subject come to his residence to clean for him and the subject stole some money and left while he was gone. He said he was only gone for about 10 minutes. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Theft — A man in the 1000 block of North Sunset Street reported a stolen bicycle to Ponca City police at 11:48 a.m. Saturday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Burglary — The manager of a business in the 700 block o South Second Street reported his shop had been burglarized to Ponca City police at 1:06 p.m. Saturday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken for destruction of private property. Subject Held — An officer in the 100 block of Whitworth Avenue reported a 23-year-old man was taken into custody on a Kay County warrant for obtaining a dangerous substance by fraud at 2:20 p.m. Saturday. Accident — A man reported a hit-and-run accident at the intersection of Bradley Avenue and North Fourteenth Street to Ponca City police at 1:10 p.m. Saturday. A description was given of the vehicle, which was last seen heading east on Bradley Avenue. An officer was assigned and the vehicle was located at the intersection of North Fourteenth Street and East Prospect Avenue. A 41-year-old man was taken into custody for driving under intoxication, driving under suspension, no insurance, no seat belt, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, transporting an open container, destruction of private property and armed robbery. Intoxicated Subject — An employee of United Supermarket, 904 South Fourth Street, reported an intoxicated man was in the store and out of control at 3:11 p.m. Saturday. Two officers responded to the scene and a 30-year-old man was taken into custody for public intoxication. Gas Drive-Off — A clerk at Conoco Convenience Mart, 1613 West South Avenue, reported an $18.50 gas drive-off to Ponca City police at 5 p.m. Saturday. A description was given of the vehicle. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Fire Run — Ponca City Fire Station No. 2 reported receiving a call at 11:14 p.m. Sunday from a subject at 80 Elmwood Avenue reporting a possible fire in the area and advised the Communications Center. Stations No. 1 and No. 3 responded to the area. An electrical short was located in the exterior wall of an apartment building in the area. Accident — A hit-and-run accident in the 2600 block of North Fourteenth Street was reported to Ponca City police at 6:10 p.m. Saturday. A description was given of the vehicle and driver. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Disturbance — A domestic disturbance in the 400 block of Lora Avenue was reported to Ponca City police at 11:43 p.m. Saturday. Two officer responded to the scene. A 38-year-old woman was taken into custody for domestic assault and battery. Subject Held — An officer in the 2200 block of North Fourteenth Street reported a 25-year-old man was taken into custody after a bar check for public intoxication at 12:15 a.m. Sunday. Theft — A man in the 1300 block of South Sixth Street reported to Ponca City police at 12:38 a.m. Sunday the front bumper had been stolen from his pickup while it was parked on the street. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Subject Held — An officer one-quarter mile east of U.S. 177 on U.S. 60 reported a 23-year-old man was taken into custody for driving under intoxication and speeding at 1:48 a.m. Sunday. A vehicle was towed from the scene. Fire Run — A downed power line four miles east of U.S. 77 on Oklahoma 11 was reported to the Communication Center at 9:47 a.m. Sunday. Kildare Volunteer Fire Department was advised. Accident — A two-vehicle, non-injury accident in the 1200 block of East Prospect Avenue was reported to Ponca City police at 10:56 a.m. Sunday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Subject Held — An officer at the Ponca City Police Department, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue, reported a 31-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were taken into custody on city warrants at 9:31 p.m. Saturday. Disturbance — A woman in the 500 block of South Eleventh Street reported to Ponca City police at 11:55 a.m. Sunday her ex-husband had shown up at that location and was very intoxicated and refused to leave. Two officers responded to the scene and a 39-year-old man was taken into custody for public intoxication. Burglary — A man at Timbers Apartments, 2201 North Fourteenth Street, reported an apartment had been broken into to Ponca City police at 1:33 a.m. Monday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Rape — A man reported to Ponca City police at 6:40 p.m. Saturday he believed his 14-year-old daughter had sex with a 19-year-old married man. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. St. Joseph Regional Medical Center’s SANE unit, a specially trained nurses unit, was activated. Accident — A minor accident in the 3300 block of North Fourteenth Street was reported to Ponca City police at 8:26 p.m. Saturday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. A vehicle was towed from the scene. Theft — A woman in the 1000 block of North First Street reported to Ponca City police at 10:22 p.m. Saturday she believed someone had opened her kitchen window and taken some medications that were sitting on the window sill. An officer was assigned and a second degree burglary report was taken. Subject Held — An officer in the 500 block of North Ninth Street reported a 24-year-old man was taken into custody after a traffic stop for driving under suspension and speeding at 2:23 a.m. Monday. Subject Held — An officer in the 200 block of East Park Avenue reported a 22-year-old woman was taken into custody after a domestic disturbance call at 8:01 p.m. Sunday on a city warrant for failure to pay and a Kay County warrant for carrying a weapon. LIFESTYLESCommunity Clinic Subject For Noon Lions Club Talk Community Clinic Subject For Noon Lions Club TalkNelda Skinner from the Community Clinic gave the program for the Jan. 24 meeting of the Noon Lions Club. According to Skinner, the clinic began in 1993 as a pediatric program and in 1994 started an adult clinic in response to a need in the community. The clinic is for low-income individuals who “fall through the cracks.” They are individuals without insurance, and who are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. They are not eligible for any veteran’s benefits or Native American benefits. The Kay County Health Department and St. Joseph Regional Medical Center jointly sponsor the clinic. Currently serving are five medical doctors, two pediatricians, two nurse practitioners, and six registered nurses. Sally Shirley does an initial screening process, and then a card is issued for 4 to 6 months of care. If an individual is on a fixed income, the card can be good for up to one year. The clinic visits are by appointment and a sliding scale payment plan is used. Peachtree Landing, Domestic Violence and the Salvation Army may refer individuals. Assistance with prescriptions is available in the form of samples and vouchers to be used at pharmacies. For adult appointments, call 765-0296 and for children call 765-0492. Guests were Henry Tebrink, Terry Gardner and Anne Murrie. Gardener is the tissue coordinator for the Oklahoma City Eyebank. Ted Matson was song leader, and Bill Thomason gave the invocation. The Noon Lions meet at the American Legion every Wednesday. They are the largest service organization worldwide and in Ponca City. Their goal is to assist in “wiping out all preventable blindness worldwide” and to provide eye exams and eyeglasses to needy in the local community. Their motto is “We Serve.”Ponca City VFW, Auxiliary Members To Attend EventJay Bjorgo of Moore, junior past state commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Oklahoma, will represent the state organization at the Feb. 4 meeting of 15 posts and 11 auxiliaries of District Eight. The meeting will be held in Glencoe, and includes representatives of the Ponca City VFW and Auxiliary. District Commander Cecil Henrick, Perkins and Trudy Farmer, Blackwell, district auxiliary president will conduct the I I a m. sessions at the Glencoe VFW located two miles south and one-fourth mile west on Highway 108. Delegates, guests and members are expected from Barnsdall, Bartlesville, Blackwell, Cushing, Dewey, Fairfax, Glencoe, Marland, Newkirk, Pawhuska, Pawnee, Perkins, Ponca City, Stillwater, and Tonkawa. Bjorgo stresses membership, noting a strong membership is needed to support the state officers when they attend the annual VFW Legislative Conference in Washington, D. C. Feb. 25-March 1. Members are reminded of the state VFW and Auxiliary MidWinter Conference in Oklahoma City Feb. 23 - 25, The state winners in the 53d annual National Voice of Democracy Audio Essay Scholarship and second annual National Citizenship Education Teacher Awards Programs will be guests of the State VFW at the evening banquet at the Biltmore Hotel. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary are service organizations dedicated to serving the veteran and his or her dependents, protecting veterans entitlements, promoting youth programs, volunteering in hospitals, helping homeless veterans, and raising funds for cancer research.Little NewsCarter Charles Bowen Keith and Stacey Bowen announce the birth of a son at 9:55 p.m. Dec. 28, 2000. Carter Charles Bowen weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and measured 21 inches long. He has a brother, Jerrod. Maternal grandmother is Shirley Billingsley of Newkirk, and maternal great-grandmother is Zelma Dudley of Ponca City. Paternal great-grandmother is Frances Rhodes of Fairfax.SPORTSTheres a Lot of Pain Theres a Lot of PainSTILLWATER (AP) — Oklahoma State coaches and players stayed out of sight Sunday, one day after two reserve players and eight other members of the basketball team’s traveling party died in a plane crash in Colorado. It was unlikely that coach Eddie Sutton would meet with the media, sports information director Steve Buzzard said at a briefing in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Sutton was in meetings with athletic director Terry Don Phillips much of the morning. “This is a day for, uh ...,” Buzzard said, his voice trailing off. “There’s a lot of pain.” Sutton had stayed in his office until after 1 a.m. Sunday, notifying family members and meeting with his grieving players. “It was tough on him,” said Tom Dirato, OSU’s director of radio and television who was with Sutton most of Saturday night. “There’s none of us who could imagine what it would be like getting on the phone and calling a father, a mother, an uncle or just people that you know and say, ‘What you heard is correct, he didn’t survive.’ “It took a toll on him.” Reserve players Dan Lawson and Nate Fleming died when the Beechcraft King Air 200 went down in a field 40 miles east of Denver. The crash also killed the team’s play-by-play announcer, its sports information director, a radio engineer, two managers, the team’s administrative assistant and the two pilots. Officials did schedule a memorial service for 3 p.m. Wednesday at Gallagher-Iba Arena as a “special time of prayer and a time of thanks, and an uplifting event,” Buzzard told reporters Sunday afternoon at a news conference. Buzzard also responded to questions about aircraft, including who provided them. “All three aircraft that were used on the trip were private and they were provided to the university by the alumni and businessmen,” Buzzard said. The plane that crashed was provided by Dick Bogert of Oklahoma City, he said. Harry Birdwell, vice president of business and external relations at Oklahoma State, said college officials continually review the best ways to transport athletic teams to and from venues. “I assure you we’re going to leave no stone unturned in terms of review of our policies to be sure that our student athletes and staff and officials of the university are as safe as they can possibly be,” Birdwell said. “We will do a complete review of our policies and re-evaluate the standards of safety that just have to be part of any activity such as this.” On campus, when students would normally be getting ready to hollar at a television during the Super Bowl, the mood was gloomy and subdued. Many of them awoke to have the tragedy of the night before hit them again. Students holding unbrellas trudged through puddles on campus, still trying not to believe. At Eskimo Joes, a usually rowdy off-campus hangout, a student tried not to cry as she seated the few customers who came in this slow Sunday morning. And in a bagel shop, the usual crowd of cutomers wasn’t laughing. “Everyone is pretty melancholy,” said freshman Chris Shumake. “They’re just walking around like zombies, sort of. You hear of airplane crashes like in Europe and over seas, but you never think of it hitting home.” Justin Battista, a freshman walking in the rain toward Sunday morning Mass, said many students were still in shock. “It’s like part of the school died,” he said. The university made counselors available to the players staff members. Plans were being made for a memorial service that Buzzard said would be held in Gallagher-Iba Arena, perhaps on Thursday. The Big 12 announced Sunday that Oklahoma State’s game Tuesday at Texas Tech had been cancelled. Buzzard said he had heard no talk of perhaps cancelling the rest of the season. “I know that coach Sutton, obviously, was concerned about the game Tuesday night,” he said. “I’m not putting words in his mouth, but the impression that I get from that end is that the season will be finished.” A three-person team from Oklahoma State left for Colorado on Sunday to work with local authorities and assist family members, Buzzard said. The group included university vice president David Bosserman, a member of the Oklahoma State University police department, and Carter Mattson, special assistant to Phillips. Buzzard said he expected the players, who left Sutton’s office stunned in in some cases crying Saturday night, would spend the day secluded. “I would be remiss to tell you I know what they’re doing today because it’s a private time,” he said. “They were together last night for most of the night and I would guess they’d be together today.” Buzzard said Sunday was in some respects more difficult than Saturday night because more relatives of the victims were arriving in town. “Now you’re starting to see families and family members come in and you see the hurt in their eyes and on their faces. That’s very difficult,” he said. “This is a great loss. You just pour your hearts and your pryaers to those family members who have lost people that are so important to them and to us.” Dirato, who does color commentary on the radio broadcasts, considered himself fortunate because he originally was supposed to return from Colorado on the plane that went down. He had flown from Stillwater on the plane, but said Sutton noticed he was hobbled by a bad back and set it up for Dirato to fly home on one of the two small jets the team used. When his plane arrived in Stillwater on Saturday night, Dirato said the pilot told them that the KingAire had to make a stop because of mechanical problems. “Eddie said, ‘Aren’t you glad you were on this one?’ ” Dirato said. “Then I just got in the car and went home.”Jared Was Following His DreamIt’s not often the Super Bowl takes a back seat to anything. But this weekend the most-watched sporting event was merely an all-too-brief diversion of Oklahomans in the wake of the plane cash in Colorado that took the lives of 10 Oklahoma State University players and personnel. It was not even that for the families of the victims or for the OSU family. “It’s overused,” said Ponca City High School basketball coach and OSU alumni Ron Arthur. “But we really are a family. Everybody connected with the basketball program is real close.” Arthur was in Stillwater Saturday night, scouting a high school game when he learned of a tragedy. He and Mike Simpson, another OSU grad who coached at Blackwell and is now the athletic director at Stillwater, immediately went to the OSU basketball office and spent much of the night answering the phones. The devastating loss of life came even closer for area fans when it was learned that one of the victims was Jared Weiberg, son of long-time Northern Oklahoma College basketball coach Mick Weiberg. Ponca City and Tonkawa fans remember the skinny sharp-shooting guard at Tonkawa High School and for two years with the NOC Mavericks. “Jared was the kind of player every coach dreams of,” said NOC women’s basketball coach Greg Krause. “He was an outstanding team player, a very unselfish player. He was the glue that kept those teams together. He’d make any sacrifice for the team.” Jared helped the Mavericks win the 1998 regional championship for a berth in the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan. But he passed up scholarships to play at small colleges. Because he had a dream — to become a coach. He said he felt he could be a better coach if he learned from the best. So he walked on at Oklahoma State, fully realizing he would spend most games on the bench, just so he could learn from one of the country’s coaching masters, Eddie Sutton. Jared was starting to realize that dream when he became a graduate student assistant with the Cowboys this season. He was taking part in coaching and running drills. He was happily following in the footsteps of his father and a brother, Brett, who is now an assistant coach at the University of Texas-San Antonio. Another brother, Chad, is also a part of the Cowboy family, in marketing for the University. Jared was following a plan that has carried numerous student assistants — like Arthur and Simpson — into coaching. “I learned more basketball in the years I was an assistant at OSU than I ever did as a player,” Arthur said. “The players go home after a game. The coaches and assistants are there viewing films and going over the game.” Traveling across the country is routine for most college athletes and for the most part it is safe. But things do go wrong. “I don’t think we ever made a trip to Colorado when something didn’t go wrong,” Arthur recalls. “It always seemed to be bad weather. On one trip I remember, we had to stop in Liberal, Kan., to refuel. Then we couldn’t land in Boulder, so we landed in Denver. The buses weren’t there and we had to rent vans to go to Boulder. We were late getting to the field house and had just 45 minutes to practice, “Then on the way back, we found out the airport in Stillwater was fogged in, so we landed at Ponca City and had to rent cars to get back to Stillwater.” Last Saturday, the things that went wrong were not just inconvenient, they were deadly.NOC Delays GameBy TED ATCHLEY NOC Sports Information TONKAWA — The mood across the Tonkawa campus of Northern Oklahoma College was somber and reserved Monday morning as faculty and students returned to classes with the heavy burden of knowing they were without one of their own. Jared Weiberg, 1998 Northern graduate and son of Northern Athletic Director and Men’s Basketball Coach Mick Weiberg, was among 10 killed in the tragic airplane crash outside Denver, Colo., Saturday evening. Jared was a graduate assistant for the Oklahoma State University basketball team, working in pursuit of his plans to some day coach his own team. “He left a mark here at Northern,” said NOC President Dr. Joe Kinzer Monday. “He was a visible example, without trying to be, of love for everyone who knew him. That was just Jared.” “He was a good kid. Everybody’s going to miss him,” Northern faculty member and family friend Randy Long said. Jared was a graduate of Tonkawa High School and went on to play on his father’s 1997-98 Region II Championship Maverick basketball team. Dr. Kinzer said Jared played with a determination and love of the game that few have. “He set a standard for hard work and improvement that coincidentally comes from his father,” Kinzer said. Jared was also honored as an outstanding scholar while at Northern and was a leader when he was a member the College’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Jared was a member of the OSU Cowboys basketball team and played under Head Coach Eddie Sutton. Upon graduation from OSU Jared began graduate work and was a graduate assistant for Sutton since that time. Northern Oklahoma College ofÞcials have postponed Homecoming activities scheduled for Monday night in Tonkawa. The basketball games against Northark have been rescheduled for Feb. 17 at 1 and 3 pm and Homecoming will be scheduled in the near future.Teegins Loved OSU Sports BroadcastingOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Bill Teegins, the play-by-play voice of Oklahoma State University football and basketball, would admit to calling Cowboy games like a fan. “By the tone of your voice, OSU fans can tell how it’s going,” Teegins said in an interview last year. “I’m doing games for OSU fans; if you do a game for CBS radio, obviously you do it different.” Teegins, 48, a Tulsa native who was sports director of KWTV in Oklahoma City, was one of 10 people killed Saturday in the crash of an airplane returning from the OSU-Colorado basketball game in Boulder. “He loved doing the OSU calls, whether it be basketball or football,” said David Griffin, president and general manager of KWTV. “He’s a great loss, as is everybody aboard that plane. He will be missed by everbody here at News9.” Teegins became known for his trademark, enthusiastic call, “HE GOT IT!” when an OSU player made a basket. He joined KWTV in 1987 and started doing OSU sports calls in 1991. He was named Oklahoma Sportscaster of the Year six times. Teegins moved to Tulsa from St. Paul, Minn., when he was 12. He graduated from Tulsa Hale High School in 1970 and attended Tulsa University. His television career started in 1975 in Amarillo, Texas. He moved to KOTV in Tulsa in 1981. Teegins loved baseball and had a huge baseball card collection. He was known to play baseball trivia with anyone, anytime and could quote the most obscure stats, the most forgotten names. “You couldn’t stump Teegins,” said Ed Murray, who worked in sports at KWTV before moving to noon news anchor in 1999. Teegins had little play-by-play experience when OSU hired him. School officials obviously wanted the clout provided by his television presence. “By his own admission, he kind of learned on the go,” said Tom Dirato, OSU’s athletic coordinator for radio and television. “He’s said it many times: He’s so much better than he was.” In an interview with the Daily Oklahoman, Teegins expressed his love of sports broadcasting. “That’s the great thing,” he said. “To think people are listening. They’re getting the game through you. That’s a real high. “Every game is so much fun. I can’t remember a game, coming off the air, that I didn’t say ’Man, this was fun.’ ”Cat Wrestlers Peaking RightBy FRED HILTON News Sports Editor Ponca City’s Wildcat wrestlers are wrapping up the regular season this week and coach Todd Steidley feels his grapplers are peaking at just the right time. The Wildcats play host to Union Tuesday night and will honor the seniors. The final dual is Thursday at Sapulpa. Then its on to the Dual State Tournament at the Tulsa Union Intermediate School Feb. 9-10 , the regional tournament at Jenks Feb. 16-17 and finally the State Tournament at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds Feb. 23-24. The Cats shook off Friday’s slow start in the Big Four-Plus Four Tournament in Blackwell to take fourth place and place eight among the top four places on Saturday. MiMi Miller took the tournament title at 125 pounds and was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament in the lighter weights. Steven Windler and Jasper Lockett placed third at 130 and 152 pounds, respectively. Brian Womble (112), Aaron Brooke (135), Roman RedLeaf (140) and Matt Littleton (145) were all third while Keith Davis (103) was fourth. Perry won the tournament title with 202 points with Bristow second at 183.5. Tuttle was third at 152 and Ponca City fourth at 138.5. “We could have caught Tuttle if we had won two or three more matches,” Steidley said. “And Tuttle is a pretty good team.” Blackwell was fifth at 133 points, followed by Stillwater (119.9), Ark City (81) and Arkansas City (36). “I was happy with the way we wrestled,” Steidley said. “ This is the most points we have scored in a tournament this year, we had three in the finals, which is also the most we’ve had and we placed the most in the top four this season. “Mimi had an outstanding tournament, Jasper won two big matches, beating a guy who had beaten him earlier and wrestler who had won the Bristow Tournament. “We are getting better every week and that is due in large part to our senior leadership.” The dual with Union is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Robson Field House.Lady Mustangs Pickup Big WinsBy DAVID DAVIS News Sports Writer RED ROCK — The Frontier Lady Mustangs put together a couple of wins to put themselves two games above 500 at 11-9. The ladies defeated Tonkawa at homecoming on Friday, 45-42. Saturday, Covington-Douglas fell to the Lady Mustangs, 48-35. Frontier led Tonkasa the final three quarters after ending the first period in a 7-7 tie. The Lady Mustangs built a nine point lead in the second quarter that appeared to put the home team comfortably ahead. The Lady Bucs lost another point in the third period and trailed 39-29 going into the fourth quarter. But, Tonkawa did not quit. The visitors put together a 13-6 fourth quarter to pull to within one point with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game. The Lady Bucs was forced to send Courtney Burgess to the foul line. Burgess was not the best choice for the Lady Bucs. She stood at the line. Calmly, she sank the first of two shots to make it a two-point game. Then, she made the second to force the Lady Bucs to run down the court to make a three just to force a tie. But it just wasn’t Tonkawa’s night to play spoiler. Burgess led Frontier with 16 points, including a 6-of-6 performance at the free throw line. Robin Pratt scored 14, including 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Alica Petty scored on two 3-pointers and Amy Beck was perfect from the foul line with her two points. Hauli Warrior scored in double-digits for the Lady Bucs with 11 points. Lacey Clabaugh scored 7, Kari Daniel, 5; Jillian McIntyre, 3 and Tiffany Hoover, 2. Coach Greg Jackson said Robin Pratt, the Lady Mustangs’ leading scorer was forced to the bench with a severe case of shin splints Saturday against Covington-Douglas. “The other girls picked up the slack,” he said. “Courtney Burgess carried us with 20 points. “Bethany Dunham began hitting her shot along with Jene` Miller. If we can continue to get outside scoring, we can be pretty good.” The Lady Mustangs out-scored Covington-Douglas 16-6 in the first quarter and 10-9 in the second for a 26-15 first half lead. Covington-Douglas cut the lead by two in the third. The score entering the fourth period was 32-23. However, Dunham hit a couple of three’s to spark the Lady Mustangs to a 16-12 fourth quarter and 48-35 win. Burgess scored 20 points, Jene’ Miller, 10; Lacey Kelly, 7; Dunham, 6; Amy Beck, 4; Jenna Root, 2 and Jessica Case, 1. Frontier travels to Cherokee Tuesday.Lutherans Win TrophyThe First Lutheran School Cardinals had a full and successful day in Independence, Kan., as the seventh and eighth girls and boys each returned to Ponca City with championships. The girls beat St. Andrews (Independence) 32-24 in the finals game. The boys beat Zion Lutheran (Independence) 45-17 in the championship game. The FLS teams played five games at Independence Community College. The boys team extended its record to 15-1, after losing the first game of the season to Frontier. The girls are 15-3. Jenna Piel scored 17 points in the championship game even though she played with a dislocated thumb. Rachel Homp, Heather Harris, Kristina Kirsch, Tedi Hill and Morgan Turner all had an outstanding tournament, especially on defense. Steven Vaughan averaged 17 points per game in the tournament. Great defensive efforts were put together by Sam McDaniel, Ryan Sands, John Penewitt, Chris Vaughan, Barry Fagg and C. J. Johnson. The Cardinals and Lady Cardinals beat Bartlesville Weslyan, St. Andrew, Independence Pirate, Zion Lutheran.Saints Split With B’villeThe Saints had another 1-1 split Thursday against Bartlesville Weslyan. The JV boys took the lead and never looked back, winning the game easily. The high scorer of the game was Justin Ladd. Justin took control of the game while Þghting off the þu, scoring 9 points and getting 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Cody Omy owned the boards with 12 rebounds, the most in the game. The Saints JV girls didn’t play well and lost by more than 13 points. The high scorer for the Saints was Kati Musgrove with 10 points. Jessi McGrew led the defensive side of the Saints with 12 rebounds and 3 steals. The Saints won both of their games Friday against Derby Christian Academy. The Varsity girls had a close game but came out on top 22-19. The high scorer of the game was Jennifer Orcutt with 8 points. The Saints Varsity boys, once again owned the game from the beginning, with a stunning 58-32 point victory. The high scorer of the game was Joseph Alcott with 12 points. Cody Omy came close to offensive leadership with 10 points, but was the undisputed defensive king with 13 rebounds and 7 steals.Tennis NotesUSTA team tennis adult league play will begin in Ponca City this spring and continue into the summer. There will be senior, men and women leagues and mixed doubles leagues. There will be a meeting Sunday, Feb. 4, at 3 p.m., in the Ponca City Library. For more information, call Kevin Milton at the Ponca City country Club, (580) 765-5179.
Copyright© Ponca City News, 1998
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