DUNCAN —
DUNCAN —
The Board of Stephens County Commissioners held an emergency meeting Thursday to find a temporary solution for cooling off the courthouse, until a new system can be installed. Commissioners approved a temporary solution from Allied Services in Ardmore and will rent an air conditioning unit for $10,000 for the first month and $7,000 for the second month. The commissioners estimate it will take about two months for any company to get a new Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system in stock.
On Thursday, Duncan school administrators participated in a district-wide de-briefing to discuss how Monday’s reaction to a tornado threat went at each school. Superintendent Sherry Labyer said the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Labyer said the school district will look to improve its procedures.
When the F-5 tornado did its damage at Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore on Monday, and after the silence had passed, one little boy looked at his teacher and asked where his backpack was.
“I don’t know, but we’ll look for it later,” Joy Hendrix said to him.
Stuck in traffic trying to get to his home, Roger Graham decided he might as well park the car and run. A Moore resident, the accountant, dressed in casual business attire, didn’t think twice about the distance.
“It was two miles,” he said. “I just took off.” His wife, Kalissa, a school teacher, was right behind him.
Despite the utter devastation left in the wake of the massive tornado that tore through Moore, Okla. on Monday, the deadly storm, in many ways, helped showcase how far scientists have come in providing communities early tornado warning signs.
Oklahoma Department of Transportation is requesting that motorists avoid I-35 through Moore, S. 19th Street because the ramp is closed and emergency and clean-up crews are hampering their efforts.
The Air Evac helicopter was sitting on the helipad at Duncan Regional Hospital Wednesday, but not for emergency reasons.
National EMS Week, May 19-25, is about connecting with the community and the Air Evac Lifeteam was doing just that.
“Every base we have is doing something like this during the week,” said Heather Taylor, Air Evac program director. “We want to show appreciation to our community.”
From IHOP and HomeTown Buffet to Chili’s and Olive Garden, restaurant whisperings have been running rampant in the community since the arrival of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar.
Although there are a few open spaces such as the old Golden Corral location and the soon-to-close Honda site, none of these rumors can be confirmed at this point according to Chris Deal, Duncan Chamber of Commerce president. No information on any of the businesses’ websites points to them opening a new location in the area.