Blackgum store robbers rounded up

25 Years Ago

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times 25 years ago

(From the Feb. 6 and Feb. 10, 1994, issues of the Sequoyah County Times) –Annual school elections Tuesday will include State Question 659 which, if approved by voters, would do away with the need for annual school elections on millage funding, thus saving school districts thousands of dollars in Sequoyah County alone.

—Light will shine on darkened streets in Marble City following a decision by the town’s board of trustees Thursday that 16 street lights which were turned off last year as a cost-cutting measure be turned back on.

Lee Lucas, the newly-elected chairman of the Marble City board of trustees, said he would deliver a $400 payment to Cookson Hills Rural Electric Cooperative Friday in hopes of having the lights turned on as soon as possible.

Lucas and board members Judy Hixon and Richard Sanders voted to spend the money to turn the lights back on after Cookson Hills officials said they would overlook their re-connect policy and return light to the city for minimal fees.

—Sequoyah County voters decided who would hold school board seats in local school districts and overwhelmingly passed a state question which would have dropped tax levies.

Although local voters approved the elimination of the annual levy elections contained in State Question 659, state voters did not approve it and unofficial returns indicate the measure failed.

(From the Feb. 8, 2001, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Sequoyah County ranked fourth in the state for having the highest percentage of infants who were not counted during the 1990 census, a study released by the Presidential Members of the U.S. Census Monitoring Board, reported recently.

Overall, the 1990 U.S. Census missed one in six infants in Oklahoma. A similar undercount on the 2000 Census could have an impact on funding for Medicaid, foster care and even school construction, officials of the monitoring board, said.

In addition to the inaccurate counting of infants, researchers reported children in poverty were among the hardest hit by an inaccurate census. The study found that at least 532,769 and as many as 2,099,620 poor children were missed in the 1990 count.

50 Years Ago

(From the Feb. 5, 1976, 1975, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Arsonists, aided by dry weather and high winds, have been blamed for many of the numerous fires Sequoyah County has been experiencing lately, resulting in the blackening of thousands of acres of land.

Undersheriff Gene Hoover and special investigator for the district attorney Bob Ray said Tuesday many of the fires which have been sweeping the county are man made.

“It anyone is caught setting these fires they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Hoover said.

(From the Feb. 6, 1969, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) –The door was open Wednesday for new faces aspiring to lead the Democratic Party in Oklahoma. State Chairman William G. Kerr confirmed Monday that he would step aside and not seek a new two-year term. Several others already had been mentioned as possible successors, contingent on Kerr’s withdrawal from the picture.

Kerr’s decision assured that several of the top Democratic posts in Oklahoma will change hands. 75 Years Ago

75 Years Ago

(From the Feb.11, 1944, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) – On Wednesday night Sequoyah County passed the $133,300 quota that had been set for our county for the 4th War Bond Drive. The tally Wednesday night was $145,000 according to J. Fred Green, however, Green was very much disturbed over the fact that we were lagging in sales of series E. Bonds which according to Green represented the investment of the average citizens and he urged that every one who possibly could, to buy an E Bond before the campaign closes next Tuesday night.

—On February 16th at 8 p.m. in the County Court Room the District Price Officer and a price specialist will be here to advise the merchants in the handling and price ceiling of merchandise. It will be advisable for all merchants in Sequoyah County to be present as all durable merchandise is going under a price ceiling in the near future.

(From the Feb. 9, 1951, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —State Senator Ray Fine today issued an invitation to all Sequoyah Countians to meet with him next Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the District court room in the county courthouse for a discussion of legislation that is now pending before the senate and to make suggestions to him on matters that they feel should be given legislative action.

Fine, at the time he asked that we give publicity to the meeting, said, “With such problems as the congressional redistricting the state, ways and means of financing a soldier’s bonus, school legislation and many other matters, I feel that I should come back home and see what the home folks want me to do, because after all, I am serving as their servant and whatever action I take should reflect the desires of the folks here.”

He concluded by saying, “I believe that an open forum or discussion should be held on matters such as legislative acts in which new laws are passed that affect the lives of all of us. This is the Democratic way of life that Americans have always fought for and that is why I have always sought the advice of those I serve as their servant.”

100 years ago

(From the Feb. 10, 1919, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat and Star-Gazette) The microfilm files for Sequoyah County Democrat and Star-Gazette for this time period are missing and should resume sometime in February.

100 years ago