Regents support CASC expansion

25 Yearss Ago

—Past and present regents of Carl Albert State College (CASC) in Poteau and Sallisaw say the college is an asset to both students and the communities.

Jerry Heatherington of Sallisaw is a CASC regent, a position he has held since 1984 when Delores Mitchell of Sallisaw, left the regent post. Mitchell, a member of the Sallisaw School Board at the time, left that board in 1977 to become a CASC regent, a position she held until 1983 when she became a member of the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission.

Both Heatherington and Mitchell are supporting and actively asking for voters approval of a half-cent sales tax in Sallisaw to expand the facility.

Mitchell said, “A person really can’t realize what an impact the college has on a community until you start looking at what it has done for the residents and the community.

“So many people in Sallisaw and Sequoyah County have been able to get an education while they’re keeping a job and raising their children, and then go on to achieve great things.”

50 Years Ago

—Hunters who trespass and shoot at property will be arrested and their rifles taken away from them, reports Deputy Sheriff Jim Rinehart.

He said there were a large number of shooting incidents this past weekend in which deer hunters went onto people’s property without permission and wouldn’t leave until ordered to do so by the sheriff’s office.

Also, there were reports of hunters firing at locks on gates, signs and other items of private property.

Jim Barnes of Rocky Point reported that late Friday night or early Saturday morning he heard something hit his truck. When he checked it out at daylight he found it had been shot by someone.

Rinehart said this is the worst he has ever seen it during hunting season.

75 Years Ago

—Sallisaw is getting ready for Santa Claus’ visit here December 12 in a big way, as Mrs. Audra McConnell, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, can tell you.

At present, she is busily sacking 810 pounds of Christmas candy for gifts to the estimated 3,200 children from throughout Sequoyah County who will be here for the big party and parade.

“There were 27 boxes of candy,” she said, “and all of it but eight boxes have been sacked. Three thousand, two hundred sacks have been bought to put the candy in for the kids.”

The secretary has been busy the last few days with the candy, and is doing the job single-handed.

—County Judge J.T. Brockman issued a temporary restraining order late Monday afternoon ordering the padlocking of Leon’s Club in Moffett. The order was issued at the request of County Attorney Fred Campbell Jr., after the club was raided successfully Sunday by state crime bureau operatives, who seized gambling paraphernalia and liquor.

The order stated that the place had become a public nuisance due to the gambling and drinking going on there. Eighteen persons were arrested by the operatives Sunday.

Some of confiscated gambling equipment was burned outside the establishment because it was too bulky to haul in.

100 Years Ago

—Cale Patton was arrested Monday charged with selling whiskey to Marvin Whitney. Whitney was arrested by Chuculate and Hicks here Monday and a half-pint of moonshine was found on his person. He at once turned state’s evidence on Patton. Patton made a $750 bond before Judge McLaughlin.

—Thieves broke into Walter Ashbrook’s grocery last Monday night between midnight and daylight, and looted his store of a considerable amount of merchandise and supplies. They entered through a back window and door and carried off all of the groceries and foodstuff required to prepare a good meal or two. They also stole an Oliver typewriter and two auto casings. The casings and typewriter have not yet been found but Sheriff Johnson and Deputy Chuculate found where they had cooked breakfast near the railroad crossing Tuesday morning and Mr. Ashbrook recognized some of the cans and bottles scattered about.

The robber gang was traced north along the Kansas City Southern road. The Sheriff’s force Tuesday placed under arrest at Marble City, Raymond and Tom Holloway and John Ismen, who claim Van Buren, Ark., as their home; Joe Adams of Lincoln, Nebraska and Fred Allen of Clayton, Indiana. The five young men protest their innocence and claim that they were headed for Carthage, Missouri, to get a truck stored there, but Sheriff Johnston is confident that he has nabbed the men who conducted the robbery Monday night.

—Perry Chuculate and George Hicks junior of the sheriff’s force had a big day of it Monday when they were called out to a nearby community and arrested Clarence Kuykendall, Nelson Ross, Bill Rosss and Jim Kuykendall all for being drunk and fighting. Bill Ross was also carrying a six shooter, which the officers found on his person. The officers got Bill and Nelson Ross to turn state’s evidence against Jim Martin, junior, from whom they claimed to have bought the “likker,” after getting the statement that they had purchased their “moonshine” from Martin, from the Ross boys, Chuculate and Hicks went at once to the Martin home near Marble City, and while Perry Chuculate hid in the brush near the house, George Hicks, junior, who was not known in that community went to the Martin home and bought a five gallon jug from Jim Martin, junior. He at once placed Martin under arrest. Martin was brought to the county seat and charged with selling moonshine to Deputy Hicks.

Nelson Ross plead guilty and was fined by Justice McLaughlin, while the others will come before Judge McLaughlin Wednesday.

According to Perry Chuculate there were only nine prisoners in the County jail Saturday morning and late that night the total had run up to 24, all prisoners were arrested by the sheriff’s force. This is the largest number of prisoners ever placed in jail here in one day’s time.