Local News
By Nathan Brewer
Tuesday, August 10, 2010--3:25 p.m.
*Note* The press release below from Bar-S Foods was released Monday, August 09, 2010.
The Boards of Directors of Sigma Alimentos (Sigma) and Bar-S Foods Co. (Bar-S) announced today that they have approved the merger of Sigma’s U.S. business and Bar-S. Both of these distinguished companies have a long history of success and will now combine their strengths to form a unified company to fortify their leadership positions in the packaged meat industry.
Sigma, a subsidiary of ALFA, is the market leader in the Mexican refrigerated food business. Besides Mexico, Sigma is present in the U.S. Hispanic market, South and Central America and the Caribbean. It owns and operates 31 plants and 144 distribution centers with product offerings of processed meats, cheese, yogurt and other refrigerated products. Among its most recognized brands are FUD, San Rafael, Sosua, Braedt, Zar, Chimex and La Villita. Also, Sigma has production and commercialization rights of the Yoplait brand for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic. In 2009, Sigma reported sales of U.S. $2.2 billion and employs more than 30,000 people. ALFA, the parent company, is comprised of four business groups: Alpek (petrochemicals), Nemak (aluminum auto components), Alestra (telecommunications) and Sigma. It had revenues of approximately $8.5 billion in 2009, operates in 16 countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia and employs more than 52,000 people.
Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Bar-S is the Value Leader and #2 national brand in the packaged meat sector in the USA. The company operates three production plants and one distribution center in Oklahoma, and its product line includes franks, lunchmeats, bacon, dinner sausages and corn dogs, all sold nationwide under the Bar-S brand. In 2009 it posted sales of U.S. $535 million and employs more than 1,600 people.
The U.S. merged company will be headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, and will be managed by a newly selected Board of Directors. Tim Day, the current Chairman and CEO of Bar-S, has been appointed Chairman and CEO of the combined enterprise, and an Executive Committee will be formed to oversee more closely the operation and performance of the company. Sergio Ramos, Senior VP International for Sigma, will keep responsibility over Sigma USA operations and also has been appointed as leader of the Project Management Office in charge of the post merger integration process. Bob Kopriva will remain as Senior Advisor to the CEO and the Project Management Office. The Support Office for Sigma USA will remain in Houston, TX, during the integration process.
Since both Bar-S and Sigma have strong management organizations with a proven record of success and very similar shared values, the Board of Directors believe the integration process will be smooth and rapid. Further, many opportunities to accelerate growth and improve profitability have been identified and will be pursued by this newly combined and reinforced management structure.
The Boards of Directors of Bar-S and Sigma anticipate that this planned merger will be fully consummated within 30 days.
Monday, August 09, 2010--2:55 p.m.
One town in the Texas panhandle is going to power down so it can come back up even stronger.
Xcel Energy is the electricity provider for Wheeler, Texas. Company spokesman Wes Reeves says Xcel is close to completing the new Howard Substation in Wheeler.
Reeves says at 8:00 Wednesday morning, Xcel will transfer Wheeler’s electricity load from an older substation to the new one, which will cause a short power outage. Reeves says they expect the power interruption to last for about 30 minutes.
Wheeler residents who have questions can contact customer information at 1-800-895-8999.
We Reeves says the new substation should improve reliability and capacity for customers of Xcel Energy in Wheeler.
Monday, August 09, 2010--1:38 p.m.
Custer County Election Board Secretary Jeri Zitterkob says residents need to act now if they want to mail their ballots.
August 24th is the Republican primary runoff election for State Insurance Commissioner. Custer County residents who want to have absentee ballots mailed to them need to get their requests in as soon as possible.
Zitterkob says that’s because two mail transactions will have to be made. The Election Board has to mail the ballots to the voters, and the voters have to mail them back.
Zitterkob says Ballots have to be at the County Election Board by 7 p.m. the day of the election in order to count. Applications for absentee ballots are available at the Custer County Election Board Office, 633 North 6th Street in Clinton.
Here are some dates voters will need for the upcoming Republican Primary Runoff. August 18th is the last day to apply for a mail absentee ballot. In-person absentee voting at the County Election Boards is August 20th, 21st and 23rd. And polls will be open August 24th from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Monday, August 09, 2010--1:37 p.m.
The Elk City Board of Education will talk about policies when it meets this evening.
The School Board is scheduled to hold a regular meeting at 6 p.m. The agenda includes discussion and possible action on several Board policies. Among these are records investigation, teacher duties and qualifications, and teacher qualifications.
The agenda says the Board will also consider adopting policies on felony records search procedures, concussions and head injuries, and acknowledgement and information sheet regarding concussions and head injuries.
The Elk City School Board may go into executive session to talk about school personnel. If and when the regular meeting is convened, there’ll be a vote whether to employ personnel in 9 positions in the school district.
During the Superintendent’s Report, Buddy Wood will talk about any resignation letters he’s accepted, as well as the district’s accreditation status, new employees and assignment changes, and the upcoming conference later this month for the Oklahoma State School Board Association.
Friday, August 06, 2010--3:20 p.m.
Erick is looking for more candidates for a special election this fall.
Monday, August 23 through Wednesday, August 25, candidates can file paperwork to run for vacant positions in Ward 1 and Ward 2 of the Erick City Council.
Beckham County Election Board Secretary Deidre O’Briant says eligibility information and filing packets are available now at the County Election Board office.
O’Briant says the term in Ward 1 ends next April, while the term in Ward 2 expires in April of 2013.
The election will be November 02 during Oklahoma’s General Election.
Election Board Secretary Deidre O’Briant says candidates must be a qualified elector of the city, and they must be registered at an address within the ward for at least six months prior to filing a declaration of candidacy.
O’Briant says only voters registered within the Erick city limits will be eligible to vote in the election.
Anyone with questions about the election or filing for either of the positions can contact the Beckham County Election Board at 928-3314.
Friday, August 06, 2010--10:35 a.m.
Northfork Electric Cooperative is teaming up with the Oklahoma Blood Institute to host a blood drive at their 71st annual membership meeting.
It’ll be Saturday, August 21, at the Sayre City Park from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Donors get a free t-shirt, health screening and a voucher for two tickets to the Oklahoma City Zoo. And local donors can help the American Cancer Society by choosing to forego the t-shirt, allowing the OBI to contribute money for cancer patients.
Members of Northfork Electric Cooperative who want to give blood can make an appointment by calling Matthew Swint at 928-3366.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010--3:20 p.m.
Murder suspect Lucas Wells pleads no-contest to murdering his girlfriend.
Twenty-seven-year-old Lucas Lynn Wells of Elk City pleaded no-contest in Beckham County District Court today in the June 2009 stabbing death of his live-in girlfriend, Angel Gilbreath.
Wells was sentenced to serve life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Assistant District Attorney Mike Abel says with the no-contest plea, Wells can request a parole hearing after he’s served 38 years and 3 months.
Assistant DA Mike Abel says he agreed to accept the plea after lengthy consultation with the family of Angel Gilbreath. Abel says the family is happy with the swifter resolution to the case.
The case came before District Judge Richard Goodwin this afternoon.
Fishermen found Angel Gilbreath’s body in Elk Lake June 22nd, 2009. After an autopsy, the Medical Examiner ruled that she died from multiple stab wounds.
Wells and Gilbreath had lived together in a residence in the 1100 block of South Randall in Elk City.
After police identified the body and questioned Wells, he told them that he and Gilbreath had been arguing a few days earlier. Wells told police that they went for a drive to talk, and Gilbreath got out of the car near the intersection of 20th and Randall and walked away. Wells told police that was the last time he saw her.
But police found incriminating evidence at Wells’ residence, including a pair of wet underwear with what looked like moss and a leaf on them, as well as blood stains. They also found a kitchen knife in the crime scene area where there was a lot of blood in the tall grass.
A botany professor from Oklahoma State University identified the moss and a leaf from the wet underwear retrieved from Wells’ and Gilbreath’s residence as matching foliage from in and around Elk Lake.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010--1:05 p.m.
Ryan McMullen, State Director of
USDA Rural
Development, will be on hand for this weekend's 95th Annual Mountain
View
Free Fair. This Friday, August 6, at 7:30pm, McMullen will make the
official announcement for the awarding of a USDA Rural Development
Community
Facility Grant. The presentation will take place at the Mountain View
Fairgrounds' Bandstand.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Community Facility Program provides
loans and a select number of grants to municipalities, counties, public
authorities, tribes, and non-profit entities located in rural areas. The
investments are to be utilized for projects that serve a community
function.
Priority is given to applicants serving areas with a population of less
than
5,000.
This summer the City of Mountain View submitted an application for a
Community Facility Grant. Details and the award amount will be made
available during McMullen's presentation Friday evening.
Friday, July 30, 2010--2:52 p.m.
After six-and-a-half months, the runway at the Sayre Airport is open for business.
Today, the airport runaway in Sayre passed inspection and reopened for business for the first time since early last January. That’s when it had to shut down to begin some federally mandated repairs.
Brian Henderson is a Sayre City Councilman and Chairman of the Airport Trust Authority. Henderson says this project involved three repairs or alterations: getting a new beacon, moving dirt around for drainage purposes, and sealing cracks in the runway.
The runway contained about 20 miles worth of cracks that had to be cleaned out and filled by hand with silicone, according to Henderson.
The project cost $242,000, but the Federal Government paid 95 percent of the total, with the City of Sayre paying 5 percent, according to Henderson.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010--10:46 a.m.
FOR ASSOCIATE DISTRICT JUDGE, BECKHAM COUNTY
*Michelle Kirby-Roper 1,062 31.36%
GARY P. McGINN 261 7.71%
DAVID BROOKS 298 8.80%
BRIAN J. HENDERSON 598 17.66%
*MIKE ABEL 1,167 34.47%
*Advances to General Election November 02
FOR DISTRICT JUDGE, DIST NO.2
RICKY McPHEARSON 2,926 25.29%
*DOUG HAUGHT 4,676 40.42%
*RICHARD PHILLIPS 3,966 34.28%
*Advances to General Election November 02
EC Charter Amendment Question
Yes 1,350
No 404
Erick City Council, Ward No. 3
Jerry Crosby 96
Jean West 70
Roger Mills County Commissioner, Dist. No. 1
Brian Hay 233
Mark Boswell 89
Washita County Commissioner, Dist. No. 1
James Gee 358
Bart Gossen 304
Washita County Clerk, Unexpired Term
Shirley McLaughlin 979
Sue Fletcher 675
Greer County Treasurer
Cheryl Logsdon 412
Donna Bull 641
Greer County Commissioner, Dist. No. 3
Steven Fite 230
Randy DeRusha 135
Tommy Francis 65
Greer County Commissioner, Dist. No. 1
* Brent York 144 (37.99%)
* Bobby Giddens 122 (32.19%)
Tom Clark 72
Bert Dyer 41
*Advances to Runoff August 24—winner to face Independent candidate Brad Wetsel in General Election November 02
.