The year 2023 was a year filled with heroism and tragedy.
There was plenty to be sad about, to be happy about and to look with optimism to Eufaula’s future. Crime made the headlines, so did the many construction projects that point to growth in the city’s future.
Here are a few of the stories we followed in 2023:
JANUARY 2023
Council approves metal facades
Over the objection of about a half dozen Eufaula property owners, the City Council on Monday approved a new ordinance that allows the use of siding in the construction of homes and other buildings.
Caregiver admits taking $275,000 from elderly client
An in-home health care provider has pleaded guilty to taking more than a quarter of a million dollars in gold and silver coins and bars, cash and firearms from the woman who paid the provider to take care of her.
Marilyn S. Long, 71, Eufaula, was charged on March 10, 2022, with abuse by a caretaker; three counts of false declaration of ownership to a pawnbroker and uttering a forged instrument.
The victim was Donna L. Coberly, 90, who died on Sept. 6, 2022, six months after the charges were filed.
Kirby responds to lawsuit
Dan Kirby claims that the passenger who died following the wreck of a motorcycle he was driving on July 23 bore some of the responsibility for her own death and asked that a civil suit against him be dismissed.
If the charges are not dismissed, Kirby demands a jury trial.
February
County in a deep freeze
Winter has packed a one-two punch in Mc-Intosh County.
Last week there was snow and ice over much of the area – causing a few wrecks on Interstate 40. There were reports by East Central Electric Cooperative of power outages in the area of State Highway 9 west of Eufaula.
However, Eufaula escaped much of the illeffects of the frigid, icy weather on Jan. 24-25.
Weather dropped into the low 20s, with wind chills in the teens, Sunday night and early Monday creating hazardous driving conditions as sleet covered the streets and highways.
School Sets April 4 for $1 million building bond issue
The Eufaula School Board approved a special election to be held on April 4 proposing a million-dollar building bond issue to make the schools safer.
The bond would increase property taxes by 4.5 percent, or $45 annually for every $1,000, which breaks down to $3.75 per month. The increase would be in effect for four years.
Overpowering turnout for first Women Empowering Women About 200 women attended Saturday’s Women Empowering Women luncheon at Xtreme RV Resort, sponsored by the Eufaula Area Chamber of Commerce.
It was standing room only as attendees listened to guest speakers Janet Wansick, president of Eastern Oklahoma State College, and News On 6 anchor Lori Fullbright, both of whom had inspiring stories to tell.
World War II veteran dies; will be buried with military honors WWII veteran Bill Fox died Friday, Feb. 10, at the age of 98.
He was overjoyed when VFW Post 8798 presented him with a new VFW hat on Sept. 6, 2022, something he had wanted for a long time.
March
Courthouse to undergo multi-million-dollar renovation
The century old Mc-Intosh County Courthouse is about to receive a $6.2 million makeover, a project expected to begin in May and take about 18 months to complete, according to officials.
When completed, there will be a new three-story addition to the west side of the building, the bottom floor of which will serve as protection for the public from tornadoes with a capacity of more than 400.
Assistant Police Chief David Bryning receives award for heroism
The heroism of Eufaula Assistant Police Chief David Bryning was officially recognized last week when the Police Department and the American Red Cross presented him with a Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action.
Bryning’s quick action and medical expertise saved the life of a three-month old boy on Nov. 29 who had stopped breathing and had no pulse.
The infant probably would have died without Bryning’s rapid response to an emergency call about a baby in distress.
Kirby indicted for involuntary manslaughter
Eufaula City Councilman Dan Kirby has been indicted in federal court with involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country in connection with a motorcycle accident on July 23, 2022, that claimed the life of 56-year-old Sheryl Bischel.
A trial date has been set for May 8 at 8:45 a.m. at the United States District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee.
Heroes at Eufaula school honored for saving student
There were a lot of heroes at Eufaula Middle School when 12-yearold student Cade Weaver went into cardiac arrest and collapsed unconscious on the gym floor during PE class on Nov. 7, 2022.
Seven of them were singled out for honors with the school district’s first ever Life Saving Award during Monday night’s monthly school board meeting.
Handing each of the seven heroes a plaque was Cade, now 13, who is lucky to be alive today thanks to the fast action of the teachers, staff and support personnel who responded quickly to the medical emergency.
The middle school student has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Councilman Kirby resigns
The City of Eufaula is looking for a replacement for former Ward 4 City Councilman Dan Kirby, who resigned at a special council meeting on Thursday, March 9.
Kirby was recently charged in federal court with involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country in connection with a motorcycle accident on July 23, 2022, that claimed the life of 56-year-old Sheryl Bischel.
April
Plans to revive Eufaula hospital move forward
McAlester Regional Air Care last week announced it has established a new base in Eufaula, effective March 30.
“The new base will complement the existing operations at McAlester Regional Health Center and provide critical healthcare access to surrounding communities,” the company posted online. “The addition of a second air ambulance, McAlester Regional Air Care II, will bring quicker response times to surrounding communities, ensuring critical care access when it matters.”
The air ambulance is stationed at the site of the former Eufaula hospital, on Hospital Drive.
This is the beginning of what will be gradually increasing medical care in and around Eufaula, which has been without a hospital since the EPIC Hospital closed in 2016 and downgraded to a clinic. The clinic closed in 2021.
City weighing increase in price of trash collection
Citing dramatic increases in operational costs, Sue’s Recycling requested an approximated 20 percent rate increase in garbage collection for residential customers and 25 to 30 percent for commercial customers.
“Disposal costs have risen an average of 61% between the two closest landfills to Eufaula. Diesel costs are up 69% and labor costs are up by 34%,” Sue’s owner Taylor Smith said during the monthly meeting of the Public Works Authority.
Eufaula man arrested following high speed
Traveling at speeds up to 120 miles per hour while fleeing pursuing law enforcement officers, Zachary Bandy, 43, struck a vehicle on Interstate 40, ran off the highway and hit a tree, according to a report by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Bandy, a Eufaula businessman, was not seriously injured and after being treated at a Sallisaw hospital was booked into the Sequoyah County Detention Center on the felony charge of eluding/attempting to elude a police officer.
After pleading not guilty, he was placed on the felony disposition docket and ordered to appear on May 17.
Major League Fishing Tournament puts Eufaula in the spotlight
Eufaula wasn’t fishing for compliments when it laid down the red carpet for the Major League Fishing Tournament that dominated the city last weekend, but it reeled in a lot anyway.
One hundred and forty-seven professional anglers from across the country entered the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational, generating a profitable weekend for area businesses and giving the lake national exposure.
May
Council in stalemate over filling Ward IV seat
The City Council on Monday failed to reach an agreement on who will replace Ward IV councilman Dan Kirby, who resigned last month.
A special meeting was set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4, to further discuss the issue in an attempt to resolve the impasse.
The council had two basic options – select a person from a list of five people who applied for the vacancy or call a Special Election for Sept. 12 and let the voters decide.
With only four council members present due to the vacancy, when it came time to vote they were deadlocked.
Ex-Police Chief meets supporters
A crowd of 100 attended a special city council meeting on Thursday originally called to determine whether the council would appoint a councilman to fill the Ward IV seat left vacant by the resignation of Dan Kirby or hold a special election to let the voters decide.
However, the meeting took on a different tone with the sudden unexpected resignation of Police Chief Mark Goodwin on Wednesday, May 3.
While many of those present were there because of the Ward IV issue, many others that filled the meeting room were there to show support for Goodwin, who has been head of the police department for four years.
Goodwin met with City Manager Jeb Jones on Tuesday and after the meeting he typed his letter of recommendation.
“Jeb and I had a difference of opinion on how a police department should be ran,” Goodwin said. “He just doesn’t like my leadership style.”
Jones said it was a personnel matter and declined to comment on the resignation.
However, Goodwin was open about what happened.
June
High winds cause havoc in the county
Hurricane force winds tore through the county Saturday night and Sunday morning, ripping apart trees; knocking down power poles; upending signs and causing widespread damage.
Thousands of customers were left in the dark for as long as 24 hours as OG&E and Eastern Oklahoma Electric Co-Operative frantically worked to restore power as their resources were stretched to the limit.
Rentiesville resident charged with gruesome crime
RENTIESVILLE The FBI led a contingent of lawmen that included its own agents, deputies with the McIntosh County Sheriff ’s Office and officers with the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department in a search for remains of a possible murder victim.
According to a federal criminal complaint filed by the FBI, the agency had received word that a victim in Rentiesville had been shot multiple times, dismembered and his body stuffed in a 55-gallon barrel of muriatic acid. At the conclusion of the search on Wednesday, June 14, Fredrick Cody Burkhalter, 25, was arrested and charged with Desecration of a Human Corpse in Indian Country.
July
Federal jury finds Kirby guilty of involuntary manslaughter
MUSKOGEE — After nearly five hours of deliberation on Wednesday, June 28, a federal jury found former city councilman Dan Kirby guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the July 2022 motorcycle wreck that killed his girlfriend, Sheryl Bichsel.
Couple ponder their future following devastating fire
Four weeks before Doug and June Rush were to celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary, they lost almost everything in a horrific fire that destroyed their home and workshop, as well as their future plans and mementos of their past.
“We had I don’t know how many photo albums,” June said as she and Doug sat at a table in a dining area of the First Assembly of God Church on SH 9 East, where a fundraiser was being held for them on Saturday.
August
39th Annual Whole Hawg Days festival gives extreme heat the cold shoulder
Despite the boiling heat that made Eufaula extremely uncomfortable this year, folks turned out in greater numbers than ever to enjoy the 39th Annual Whole Hawg Days fes-
See REVIEW, page A7 tival.
“This has been one of the best,” Chamber President Jay Hunn said. “Overall, we had a lot more people in town.”
Transitions dominated city council meeting Dr. James Hickman, DC, was sworn in as the new city councilman for Ward 4 Monday night, filling the vacancy left by the resignation of Dan Kirby on March 9.
At the same time, it was announced that Ward 2 Council Member Nancy Mouser had resigned due to health issues.
City Manager Jeb Jones said the council will decide whether to appoint someone to replace Mouser or hold a special election.
Jones announced that interim Chief David Bryning would be hired to replace former chief Mark Goodwin.
Another change came with the appointment of a new member of the Planning and Zoning Board, Eufaula Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Serina Kleveter encouraged Lewis to resubmit her application for next month.
Drive launched to help fund City, County K9 Units
Folks concerned about the proliferation of illegal drugs in this community can join the fight against the deadly dope by contributing to a fundraising effort to help support K9 Units.
John and Shari Wilkins, owners of Lake Dogs and Their People, last week began their 2023 fundraising drive to help support K9 units in the Eufaula Police Department and the McIntosh County Sheriff ’s Office.
Their goal is $20,000.
Ground broken for courthouse expansion
Ground was officially broken last week on the $6.2 million renovation and expansion of the McIntosh County Courthouse.
Work on the project is expected to take from 10 months to a year.
It will be paid for using funds approved by voters in 2006, according to County Clerk Deena Farrow and District 2 County Commissioner Monty Grider.
Starr Hardridge begins work on mural
Not long after winning Best of Show at the second annual Mvskoke Art Market competition, held in April at the River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Muscogee (Creek) artist Starr Hardridge agreed to paint a mural in Eufaula.
The project will be a highlight of the Vision Eufaula Wine & Art Festival, which will be held Sept. 9, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 105 N. Front Street.
First Baptist Church adding an expansion
Lord willing, the First Baptist Church of Eufaula will have a new wing sometime around Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024.
“We hope to have a ribbon cutting on Palm Sunday,” Pastor J. Ingram said. “It may be open before then.”
The 8,000 square foot, $800,000 expansion to the 62-year-old main building has been planned for a long time. It will increase the overall floor space by about 50 percent.
September
Fund drive for K9s kicks into high gear
The fund drive to raise money for local K9 units has received widespread support from the community.
Shari Wilkins, owner of Lake Dog and Their People, said that as of Friday $12,850 had either been donated or there have been verbal commitments for donations.
Wilkins has been a driving force for helping K9s for the past couple of years.
The amount received totals $6,600 and the amount committed is $6,260.
Friday was one of the most successful days of the month-long drive.
Economy booming
The Eufaula economy is booming, with over $2 million in sales over the past five months.
City Manager Jeb Jones reported at Monday’s City Council meeting that after receiving sales tax figures from the Oklahoma Tax Commission this week, showing $293,000 in sales tax receipts, he compared numbers over a five-month period.
Eufaula 911 office merges with Checotah
Low pay, high stress and long hours is partially the blame for the Eufaula 911 service being in dire straits.
County Commissioner Monty Grider made the decision to broach Checotah 911 to join them.
He contacted Marcus Cunningham, with 911 in Checotah, Undersheriff Jared West and Checotah Police Chief Darren Glover.
“Jared and Darren saved us,” he said. “They got the ball rolling.”
Glover agreed to allow 911 calls in Eufaula to be transferred to Checotah.
“Checotah stepped up,” Grider said.
November
No. 9 Marina donates rescue boat to Eufaula PD
No. 9 Marina CEO Barry Hadlock donated a 22-foot, 2020 Sun Tracker pontoon boat with a 115 hp Mercury motor to the Eufaula Police Department to be used as a rescue boat.
Memorial Bricks return to library in time for Veterans Day
More than 100 Memorial Bricks – with the names of military personnel killed in World War I, World War II and Korea – were reinstalled at the Eufaula Memorial Library after being in storage for several years.
Robyn Burris, Treasurer of Friends of Eufaula Memorial Library (FEML), led the drive to return the bricks to the library grounds.
Fire destroys familiar lakeside A-frame home
A fire of unknown origin Sunday morning destroyed a distinctive, decades old A-frame home that sat on the side of a heavily forested hill overlooking Lake Eufaula and the SH 9 bridge.
The copper-roofed house on the north side of the highway three miles east of Eufaula was a familiar sight to motorists driving west on the highway leaving Longtown and to visitors on the nearby lake.
December
Council OKs request for Specific Use Permit for RVs
Thomas and Gina Boling of Edmond have plans to build a townhome project on property formerly an RV park they purchased recently at 305 JC Watts Jr. Ave.
Their plans are to construct 12 townhomes on the site, which is the property north of J.C. Watts, South of McKinley, east of G Street and west of H Street.
Before they begin construction, which could be as long as a year down the road, the Bolings want to put in an RV park until building begins.
The City Council granted their request for a Specific Use Permit for the site to allow them to use it as a park, temporarily.
McGirt case resulted in historic decision by Supreme Court
The name “McGirt” has become synonymous with the issue of prosecuting Native Americans in state courts.
Jimcy McGirt of Holdenville is a convicted child rapist who appealed his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 2020 the Supreme Court overturned Mc-Girt’s conviction on the grounds that the Creek Nation’s reservation was never disestablished for criminal jurisdiction therefore state courts didn’t have authority to prosecute crimes committed by or against Oklahomans who are also tribal members.
Although McGirt won that battle, he was never released from prison. His case was sent to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma for prosecution.
On Dec. 5, McGirt, 75, pleaded guilty to one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country.
Youngsters escorted on Christmas shopping spree by lawmen
More than 80 kids are able to have a brighter Christmas this year, thanks to the annual McIntosh County Shop With a Cop program.
The 10th annual shopping spree took place last week, Monday through Thursday, spending more than $30,000 donated by compassionate people.
Each child receives about $400 worth of toys and clothes.
School report card grades good, but could use improvement
Eufaula schools’ report cards, issued by the Department of Education Nov. 15, fared well in the 2022-2023. The report is from testing in the spring of 2022.
Most school grades in the district surpass overall state grades.
“We’ve shown growth throughout the district, and improvement is always going to be our goal,” said School Superintendent Monty Guthrie. “But at the same time, our priority is always going to be on creating great citizen, on meeting the needs of the whole child as opposed to only focusing on grades, but if that leads us to greater tests, we’re going to be thrilled but that is going to be secondary.”
For the most part, tests in the 2021-22, and 2022-23 school years have shown a lot of growth.
“The middle school was a B school this year, barely missed an A. Our high school was right on the verge of moving up to a B; so those things are positives for us,” Guthrie said. “We are going to continue to get better in those areas. I feel certain of that. We are definitely making an all out district-wide effort to improve our math scores.
