1. news

The Oklahoma Publisher
Official Publication of the Oklahoma Press Association
Vol. 86, No. 4
12 Pages • April 2015
www.OkPress.com
www.Facebook.com/okpress
INSIDE
Enid News & Eagle receives CNHI honor
PRINTING: Check out the
map that shows where OPA
member newspapers print.
PAGE 7
IN THE NEWS: Oklahoma
newspapers cover events that
shape the history of our state.
PAGE 8
VIRUS ALERT: Protect
your files and computers from
viruses and malware. Plus
tips on how to know if your
computer is infected.
PAGE 10
DONATE TO ONF to receive
this Will Rogers print. Details at
OkPress.com/will-rogers.
Enid News & Eagle’s
“Under Pressure” series was
recently named co-winner of
the Public Service award in the
national Best of CNHI contest.
The 2014 series was made
possible by a grant from Associated Press Managing Editors.
“Under Pressure,” named
for the weight that develop-
ers and residents feel because
of aging and deficient water
lines, was a data-driven reporting effort that discovered some
neighborhoods in Enid lacked
basic fire hydrant protection.
Best of CNHI judges commended the News & Eagle
for its use of data analysis
and interactive maps to portray a scarcity of working fire
hydrants.
Because of the impact on
Enid’s minority population,
much of the APME grant was
used to translate each story
into both Spanish and Marshallese. Salt Lake City resident Marco Mora Hufzar, who
previously spent time in Enid
as a missionary, translated the
stories.
Rob Collins, News & Eagle
executive editor, said the ultimate goal was to help readers
understand a complex issue.
“Our digital journalism
allowed Enid readers to drill
down to see the fire flow of
their hydrant down the street,”
Collins said. “Some of the most
important work a journalist can
do is the stories that directly
impact people, to dig deeper
into the numbers and data to
the issues that affect quality
of life.”
The in-depth series was
written by staff writer Dale
Denwalt with contributions
from online editor Violet Hassler, chief photographer Billy
Hefton, photographer Bonnie
Vculek and news editor David
Christy.
In addition to the CNHI
award, the series also was recognized with APME’s Community Journalism Public Service
Initiative award in September
2014.
The News & Eagle shared
CNHI’s Public Service award
with The Anderson, Ind., Herald Bulletin, which won the
award for reporting on the
methamphetamine scourge in
its home county.
The annual Best of CNHI
contest recognizes the individual and collective journalistic
achievements of Community
Newspaper Holdings, Inc. The
contest was judged by a panel
of six veteran editors.
A visit to Vance Air Force Base in Enid was part of the activities during the annual OPA Board Retreat on April 9-10. Board members posed
for a group shot in front of this T-6 aircraft in the hangar. Front: Brian Blansett, Shawnee; Dayva Spitzer, The Sayre Record & Beckham County
Democrat; USAF Lt. Malcolm Richards; LynnDe Funk, Enid; Mike Strain, Tulsa World; Keith Burgin, OPA; Lisa Sutliff, OPA; and Robby Trammell,
The Oklahoman. Back: Jeff Funk, Enid News & Eagle; Ray Dyer, El Reno Tribune; Jeff Mayo, Sequoyah County Times; Mark Thomas, OPA; and
Emily and John Denny Montgomery, The Purcell Register.
2
The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015
NEWS
OPA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
THUR., APRIL 23, 2015
analysis
INLAND WEBINAR: BEAT COLD CALLING
10:30 AM, COST: $15
by OPA President JEFF FUNK, Publisher of the Enid News & Eagle
OKLAHOMA’S NEWSPAPERS:
How diverse we are, yet look
at what we have in common
Dayva’s newspaper has seven employees, and she’s married to one of them.
Robby’s newspaper has 690 employees,
give or take a few.
As Dayva Spitzer, Robby Trammell
and seven other directors of the Oklahoma Press Association sat down in
Enid for a board meeting and planning
retreat in early April, it struck me what
a diverse group of newspapers we represent.
Dayva and her husband, Brad, are
publishers of The Sayre Record & Beckham County Democrat, located just 19
miles from Oklahoma’s west Texas border. Dayva sat across the table from Jeff
Mayo, whose home newspaper is located
287 miles and three climate zones east of
Sayre. Jeff’s Sequoyah County Times is
in Sallisaw, just 20 miles from Arkansas.
Jeff Mayo had to travel the farthest
– nearly four hours – to get to Enid to
share his thoughts with other newspaper executives. That four-hour drive beat
out the 133 miles driven by John Denny
Montgomery of the Purcell Register and
the 115-mile drive by Tulsa World managing editor Mike Strain.
But more than geography, climate
and size separated that diverse group
of newspaper people gathered around
a table in Enid. Our political views differed, and we celebrated that with an
abundance of tales and good-natured
kidding.
Our business resources and approaches differ significantly. Some of us invest
heavily in digital news, websites, email
news blasts and text alerts. Yet many
Oklahoma newspapers are focused on
exclusively that – newspaper – and not
online news.
Some of us complement our core
newspaper with community magazines,
other marketing services and some really big events. Some of us own a press,
some contract with another printer.
Yet with all of the many differences,
the 180-plus newspapers represented by
the Oklahoma Press Association share a
lot in common. Consider these common
concerns:
Access to information: That
includes open records, open meetings,
public notice and government transparency in general. And “open” means open
to everyone, not just those with money
or inside connections.
Advertising sales: That’s how we
make availability of the newspaper so
inexpensive. The Oklahoma Press Service has a significant and helpful role
here, too.
Postal deliver y: Virtually every
newspaper uses the U.S. Postal Service
for delivery of at least part of our product, and the price and availability and
rules for that service impact us all.
A healthy Oklahoma: Good government and a good economy.
Telling OUR story: We all benefit
when readers, advertisers and news
sources have a better appreciation for
the newspaper’s role.
These issues and a whole lot more are
the common ground that the Oklahoma
Press Association focuses on improving
as we serve a diverse membership. We
can look forward to interesting times
ahead.
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outline specific sales campaigns that increase your sales potential by making sales
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webinars2015.
THUR., APRIL 23, 2015
ONLINE MEDIA CAMPUS: OUT-SERVICING THE COMPETITION
2:00 PM, COST: $35
Today just “servicing” your customer is not enough. If you want to hold on to your
customer base, whether internal or external, you must consistently add value to exceed
your customer’s expectations. How can we – as an organization, department or individual
– be 1 percent better than the competition?
THUR., APRIL 30, 2015
OKLAHOMA JOURNALISM HALL OF FAME
INDUCTION CEREMONY
11:45 AM, COST: $15
Come support your fellow journalists at the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame annual
induction ceremony on the University of Central Oklahoma campus in Edmond. Tickets
are available by emailing tclark@uco.edu or calling 405-974-5122.
THUR., MAY 7, 2015
NewsU WEBINAR: WRITING EFFECTIVE CAPTIONS
1:00 PM, COST: $29.95
Whether you write captions for print, digital or mobile platforms, you’ll get tools and
techniques for compelling and clear captions. This webinar will discuss best practices
about the length of captions and what essential information you should include.
To enroll, visit www.newsu.org.
THUR., MAY 7, 2015
ONLINE MEDIA CAMPUS: DATA DRIVEN COVERAGE
2:00 PM, COST: $35
Using data in your coverage can give your reporting credibility and hold local officials
and governments accountable. Learn how to find good, reliable sources of data
– along with tips and best practices on how to turn that data into stories.
To enroll, visit www.onlinemediacampus.com.
JUNE 4-6, 2015
OKC GRIDIRON SHOW
Mitchell Hall Theater, University of Central Okla., 7:30 PM, $32.50
The OKC Gridiron Show is moving to the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma in
Edmond at the Mitchell Hall Theater for 2015. The new venue includes free parking. Tickets are
now available online at www.okcgridiron.org.
JUNE 4-6, 2015
OPA ANNUAL CONVENTION
Sheraton Hotel, Downtown Oklahoma City
The OPA Education Committee is making plans for sessions and events at the annual
convention. Mark your calendar and make plans to attend.
JUNE 24-28, 2015
2015 IWSNE CONFERENCE
Reynolds Journalism Institute, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO
The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors will be held at the 176-year-old
University of Missouri In Columbia. For more information, visit www.iswne.org.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the OPA website at www.OkPress.com or contact
Member Services Director Lisa (Potts) Sutliff at (405) 499-0026, 1-888-815-2672 or email LSutliff@okpress.com.
The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015 3
Tulsa World unveils Customer Solution Center
The Tulsa World recently unveiled its
new Customer Solution Center, which
will provide customer service support to
all 29 daily newspapers in the BH Media
chain.
The new center is located in the
renovated first floor of the Tulsa World
building in downtown Tulsa.
Bill Masterson, publisher of the Tulsa
World, said the center will soon add 50
jobs to the current 12 employees.
Joey Cupo, director of customer solutions for BH Media Group, heads the
customer service operations for the
Tulsa World as well as for the company’s
other newspapers. The first additional
newspaper to receive its service from
Committee meets
to recommend
OPA officers
The OPA Nominating Committee
met in Oklahoma City on Thursday,
April 16, to recommend the slate of OPA
officers and directors for 2015-2016.
Members of the Nominating Committee are Chairman Rod Serfoss, Clinton
Daily News; Stu Phillips, Seminole Producer; Gloria Trotter, The Countywide
& Sun; Rusty Ferguson, The Cleveland
American; Jeff Shultz, Garvin County
News Star; Jeff Mayo, Sequoyah County
Times; and Jeff Funk, Enid News &
Eagle, which are the six most recent
OPA past presidents who are still active
as newspaper executives and the current OPA president.
The committee reviewed the OPA
By-Laws, nominating committee structure, board policies regarding board
service and the board positions to be
filled by the committee.
The Nominating Committee’s proposed list of officers and directors for
the year beginning July 1, 2015, will be
published in the May issue of The Oklahoma Publisher.
ATTENTION
OPA BUSINESS MEMBERS
2015
PHOTO ID
PRESS CARDS
the center will be the Press of Atlantic
City, New Jersey. An additional newspaper will come online roughly every three
weeks for the next 14 months.
Cupo said Tulsa subscribers shouldn’t
see a change in their service.
“Tulsa readers shouldn’t see an
impact, since they’ll be working with the
same group that took their calls previously,” Cupo said.
The new center should improve service at other BH Media properties, said
Masterson.
“One of the things Berkshire has
been committed to is perfect customer
service,” he said. “We want to provide
the customer with a very positive experi-
ence when they contact us, whether they
missed their paper or they’re going on
vacation.”
Masterson said Tulsa was chosen
in part due to the city’s location, the
residents’ relatively neutral accents and
available space at the facility.
Cupo previously established customer service solutions in-house at the
Tampa Tribune and has more than 14
years of call center experience.
He said it was the friendliness of Tulsans that persuaded him to move.
“It’s truly the people of Tulsa that
brought me here,” Cupo said.
CNHI president, CEO
named as NAA chair
Donna Barrett, president and chief executive
officer of Community
Newspaper Holdings,
Inc., has been elected
chairman of the Newspaper Association of
America.
Barrett
succeeds
Robert J. Dickey, president of the Gannett U.S.
Community Publishing
Division.
Barrett joined the NAA Board in
2006, serving the past year as vice
chairman. She has also served as
secretary and treasurer of the organization.
“I am honored to assume the role
of chairman at a time NAA is vigorously advocating for initiatives to
enhance both the future and the
value of newspapers, including their
digital outlets, to the benefit of our members and
the public we serve,” said
Barrett.
Prior to being appointed as president and CEO
of CNHI in January 2006,
Barrett served as the
company’s senior vice
president and chief operating officer.
She has been active
in the newspaper industry for several years and currently
serves on the board of directors of
the Associated Press and the American Press Institute. She is a former
president of the Southern Newspaper
Publishers Association.
CNHI is based in Montgomery,
Ala., and serves more than 130 communities in 23 states with newspapers and digital news.
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To download the form
visit
www.okpress.com
Oklahoma
Publisher
ISSN 1526-811X
Official Publication of the
Oklahoma Press Association
PUBLISHER
Mark Thomas
mthomas@okpress.com
EDITOR
Jennifer Gilliland
jgilliland@okpress.com
OPA OFFICERS
are
Y
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$5!
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Jeff Funk, President
Enid News & Eagle
Robby Trammell, Vice President
The Oklahoman
Gloria Trotter, Treasurer
The Countywide & Sun
Mark Thomas,
Executive Vice President,
Oklahoma City
OPA DIRECTORS
Jeff Mayo, Past President
Sequoyah County Times
Dayva Spitzer, Sayre Record &
Beckham County Democrat
Brian Blansett,
Shawnee News-Star
Ted Streuli, The Journal Record
Ray Dyer, El Reno Tribune
Mike Strain, Tulsa World
John Denny Montgomery,
The Purcell Register
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499
(405) 499-0020
Toll-Free in Oklahoma:
(888) 815-2672
www.OkPress.com
news@OkPress.com
www.Facebook.com/OKPress
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4
The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015
NO JUDGMENTS.
JUST HELP.
McAlester News-Capital
redesigns all products
Before
LOCAL NEWS
Inside
today’s
issue
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Former big league UL
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Page 4A
SPORTS
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www.mcalesternews.com
ONE DOLLAR FIFTY CENTS | SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2015
Serving southeast Oklahoma since 1896
SPECIAL REPORT
Energy companies show increased
interest in Pittsburg County
By MJ BRICKEY
mission hearings about their
intent to drill in scenic northeast
Pittsburg County.
The legal notices also include
permits to increase well densities, move wells and requests for
exceptions to rules set by the
Oklahoma Corporations Commission. Approximately 80 legal
notices were issued in Pittsburg
County since mid-January to the
present.
“The hearings are to make sure
gas and oil companies make all
DIGITAL EDITOR
As energy companies cut thousands of jobs due to falling oil
prices, some gas and oil companies appear to be expanding their
operations in northeastern Pittsburg County.
PetroQuest Energy, BP America Production Company, and XTO
Energy, Inc. have recently issued
legal notices alerting the public
to Oklahoma Corporation Com-
By PARKER PERRY
STAFF WRITER
A man avoided prison
time
and
pleaded no
contest in burglaries at two
McAlester
churches.
Gregory
Gregory
Harrison
Harrison, 21,
was charged in the 2014
Calvary Baptist Church
and Mt. Triumph Church
break-ins. He entered a not
contest plea Tuesday to
two counts of burglary in
the second degree, knowingly concealing stolen
property, malicious injury
to property and unlawful
possession of controlled
drug with intent to distribute.
He received a suspended
seven years for the burglary charges and the intent
to distribute charge, five
years suspended for the
concealing charge and two
years suspended for the
malicious injury charge.
A no contest plea is not
an admission of guilt, but
rather an acknowledgment that if the case were
to go trail there would be a
reasonable chance of a
conviction.
Officials with the District 18 District Attorney’s
Office did not respond to a
request for comment on
this story.
Harrison was arrested
Nov. 12 and charged with
burglary in the second
degree, knowingly concealing stolen property
and malicious injury to
property. Police said they
found a fire pit behind his
McAlester home with the
charred evidence of stolen
property from the Calvary
Baptist Church, 429 S.
Ninth St.
necessary attempts to notify the
general public, property and mineral owners of their intents (such
as permits for ‘intent to drill’),”
said Matt Skinner, public information officer for the Oklahoma
Corporation Commission. “They
are also to let other gas and oil
companies know of their intents.”
Intent to drill permits are traditionally called “drilling permits.”
“Intent to drill” means a comSEE ENERGY | PAGE 3A
Staff photo by MJ BRICKEY
Energy production equipment is
pictured in Pittsburg County near
Quinton. The area may see a significant increase in drilling a if a
flurry of legal notices filed by
energy companies in recent weeks
are any indication.
Felony charges
on the increase
By DAVID DISHMAN
STAFF WRITER
How many school buses can be purchased
with $500,000?
Billie Sistrunk, transportation director for
McAlester Public Schools, is working to find out
the answer with the intention of making the
district gets the most out of the half a million
voters approved for a school transportation
bond in February. The measure allows for the
purchase of new or slightly used buses. The
goal is for MPS to purchase five buses with the
money.
How long it will take, and just how new the
buses will be, will depend on what exactly the
district decides to pursue.
“Last time we did this, in 2005, it took almost
a year for us to get all seven of the buses,”
Sistrunk said. “It just kind of depends on who
you go with, where they’re manufactured, and
what you get.”
Sistrunk, and the district, hope to purchase
three new or slightly used conventional route
buses and two activity buses. Route buses are
used for day-to-day transport of students to and
a priority in 2013.
But when the ink
dried on a contract with
the justice center in the
beginning of
2014,
McAlester again started
serving warrants.
“The largest percentage was from our enforcing those warrants,”
Wansick said.
Records show there
were 2,897 total bookings into the Pittsburg
County Justice Center
in 2014 as opposed to
2,233 in 2013. Those
numbers are regardless
SEE JAIL | PAGE 3A
SEE FELONY | PAGE 3A
Jail bookings spike upward
STAFF WRITER
Bookings of criminal suspects
at the Pittsburg County Justice
Center rose 29.7 percent from
2013 to 2014.
McAlester Police Chief Gary
Wansick says he knows why.
“It came from us,” Wansick
said. “We had a huge (criminal
case) backlog, and we certainly
made progress towards reducing that number.”
The backlog refers to outstanding warrants. Wansick
said due to the deterioration of
the McAlester Police Station’s
jail, picking up non-violent
offenders in the city was less of
“It came from us.
We had a huge
(criminal case) backlog, and we certainly made progress
towards reducing
that number.”
GARY WANSICK
McAlester Police Chief
Richard
Evans, coowner of iYogurt, stands
in the soon to
be opened
retail business
on South
George Nigh
Expressway.
The store is
expected to
open next
month.
iYogurt opening soon in McAlester
By DAVID DISHMAN
STAFF WRITER
A new frozen yogurt shop is
coming to McAlester just as
spring, summer and warmer
weather begin to make their
way to southeastern Oklahoma.
iYogurt is owned by Richard
and Nikki Evans and is located
next to Billy Sims BBQ at 512 S.
George Nigh Expressway. The
shop is set to open next month
as long as refurbishment at the
location is complete. Richard
Evans works at the McAlester
Army Ammunition Plant, but
has had an ongoing interest in
obtaining a local business.
“About three months ago I
had the opportunity to purchase another local business,
and I was looking at this location,” Richard Evans said.
“Through that series of events
it led me to decide to install an
independent business (instead).”
The business will be known
as iYogurt and will serve a
variety of frozen yogurts and
toppings.
Before the shop is ready for
opening Richard Evans has to
finish the construction inside.
“I’m doing all the construction but I’ve got a certified
plumber, electrician and HVAC
specialist to take care of the
plumbing, electrical wiring
and duct work,” Richard Evans
said. “We kicked around several ideas. It’s all in my head so
we will see how it turns out.”
Photo by
DAVID
DISHMAN
James Schulz has a history
of public service.
His new role as McAlester’s
code enforcement officer fits
his mould.
Schulz is the brand new
McAlester employee responsible for overseeing the enforcement of city codes. The task
includes making sure homeowners don’t let their grass
exceed 12 inches in height,
looking out for trash accumulations in yards or on porches
and monitoring the upkeep of
dilapidated houses. These endeavors will improve the city’s
appearance and, over the long
haul, provide a positive economic impact, said Leroy Alsup, city community and economic development director.
“When you’re trying to recruit others to invest in the
community, the image and
aesthetic appeal of the community is a big deal,” Alsup
said. “The curb appeal is a very
important first impression you
make on those individuals.”
Schulz has served this community for several years. He
worked for the police department as a dispatcher and later
in the animal control department. Schulz is new to his
• People who use the Helpline in combination
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TONIGHT’S FORECAST
Obituaries........................ 2A
City Bits............................ 4A
Opinion............................ 6A
Sports ............................... 1B
Scoreboard....................... 2B
Classifieds ........................ 1C
Comics .............................. 7C
More weather — Page 2A
A 20 percent chance of rain.
Cloudy, with a low around 36.
Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
ALMANAC
Lake Eufaula level: 582.19’
Sunrise Monday: 7:44 a.m.
Sunset Monday: 7:24 p.m.
OKLAHOMA LOTTERY
03/05/15
7-6-9
MO/DAY/YEAR
8 - 12 - 15 - 35 - 50 - 32
Always local
TODAY IN HISTORY
FROM THE BIBLE
Today’s Highlight in History:
“The thief comes only to
steal and kill and destroy; I
have come that they may
have life, and have it to the
full.”
John 10:10
In 1930, the 27th president of the United States,
William Howard Taft, died
in Washington at age 72.
More History — Page 4A
McAlester News-Capital
positioned for the future
Staff photo by Kevin Harvison
MCALESTER CITY CODE Enforcement officer James Schulz talks about making sure area
residents take care of their properties.
current post.
see if they did, (and if they maintaining specific standards,
“I’ve been here three weeks,” don’t) we’ll try and get a hold but the city doesn’t enforce
of the property owner.”
those, Schulz said. All city orSchulz said.
If the property requires work dinances can be found online.
In those three weeks Schulz
“All of the ordinances can be
has received 10 complaints to be paid for by the city — like
about homeowners not taking mowing the lawn — the home- found online at cityofmcalproper care of their properties. owner will be billed. If the ester.com,” Schulz said.
When a complaint comes in, homeowner doesn’t pay within
Above all, Schulz wants peothere is a specific process 30 days there is a lien placed ple to know his work is meant
on the property in the amount to help the community.
Schulz takes.
“I’ll go out and verify the of the work performed, Schulz
“I’m very approachable,”
said.
The
lien
stays
with
the
complaint and then come back
Schulz said. “If someone has a
and look up who owns the property and must be paid be- complaint let me know. I’ll
property,” Schulz said. “I’ll fore a property can be sold.
verify the complaint and try
One thing Schulz does not and help fix the situation.”
send them a letter of violation
and they’ll get 10 days to recti- take care of is neighborhood
fy the problem. After 10 days covenants. Some newer neigh- • Contact David Dishman at
we’ll go back and check and borhoods have covenants for ddishman@mcalesternews.com
By PARKER PERRY
STAFF WRITER
Defense attorneys for a former
McAlester pastor accused of possessing obscene writings say their client
has been charged under an Oklahoma law that is unconstitutional.
Attorneys Brecken Wagner and
Blake Lynch represent Larry Jones,
65, of McAlester. Jones, a former pastor at McAlester Missionary Baptist
Church on East Hereford Lane, is
charged with one count of felony possessing obscene or indecent writings.
Police allege Jones wrote and possessed a letter containing a description of him with three children, as
young as 6, engaging in sexual acts.
Those children attended the church
Jones pastored. He was arrested after
his wife, Patsy Jones, found the letter
on a computer printer in their home,
but Larry Jones’ attorneys argue the
writings are protected under the principles of free speech.
“We are now criminalizing any reference of child pornography,” Wagner
said during a recent hearing to argue
www.mcalesternews.com
In the past week the
newspaper and its
owner, Community
Photo by Glenn Puit
Newspaper Holdings,
I n c . , i m p l e m e n t e d NEWS-CAPITAL JOURNALIST
some major changes to David Dishman works on a story
the way it does busi- Friday morning using his new
ness. First, on Thurs- laptop and the newspaper’s new
day, the paper launched content management system
a complete redesign of the newspaper to modernize its print,
online and digital products.
And, at the same time, the paper installed all new state-ofthe-art technology in its newsroom. That technology includes a
brand new news content management system known as
NewsEditPro. The system was installed with all new computers and internal servers, allowing the paper to provide news
content to readers immediately — often as it is happening.
“Our parent company, CNHI, believes in our continued success,” Publisher Amy Johns said. “This is why they decided to
make this kind of capital investment. New computers, upgraded software, the redesign; all will assist us in continuing to
provide news and information to our community on multiple
platforms.”
Editor Glenn Puit said the improved technology will translate into improving the newspaper’s content by saving time for
reporters, editors and page designers. Faster, modern technology will translate into additional hours every day devoted to
identifying and working on the most important stories and
>> See FUTURE// Page A3
the attorneys’ motion to dismiss case
based on the constitutionality of the
law. “It is all encompassing.”
The attorneys contend that the letter police say was possessed by Larry
Jones is protected by the First Amendment.
“It is a wide, wide definition of the
statute,” Wagner said of the law. “We
don’t stick to the purposes to protect
a victim. We start outlawing speech,
infringing upon it.”
The statute Larry Jones is charged
under is statute 21 O.S. 1021 (A)(3). It
reads:
“Every person who willfully and
knowingly, writes, composes, stereotypes, prints, photographs, designs,
copies, draws, engraves, paints, molds,
cut, or otherwise prepares, publishes,
sells, distributes, keeps for sale, knowingly downloads on a computer, or
exhibits any obscene material or
child pornography; shall be guilty
upon conviction.”
Prosecutors are not arguing whether the contents of the letters were
acted upon, but rather that the writ-
ing itself is a crime.
Wagner and Lynch
spent little time
Monday disputing
whether the former
pastor had possession of the material,
although they ar- Larry Jones
gued there is no
proof he ever had it.
The attorneys focused more on their
claim that the law infringes upon
>> See LAW // Page A3
CLASSIFIED C1-C6 // COMICS B6 // OBITUARIES A2 // OPINION A6 // SPORTS B1
LAKE EUFAULA LEVEL: 585.25’
INSIDE TODAY
Staff photo by Kevin Harvison
MCALESTER STUDENTS board a bus after school. The school district is examining the best
way to spend $500,000 in bond money for transportation.
Pastor’s lawyers go after Oklahoma law
INSIDE
48 PAGES, 4 SECTIONS
VOL. 119, NO. 144
75 cents
The McAlester
News-Capital is investing in itself and, in doing so, working to better the future of southeast Oklahoma.
WEATHER Partly cloudy. • HIGH 68º // LOW 46º
• Trained Quit Coaches offer nonjudgmental
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>> See BUSES // Page A3
STAFF WRITER
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-CAPITAL
By PARKER PERRY
from school, while activity buses are used to
transport students longer distances for extracurricular activities.
Predicting an exact cost for the two styles of
buses is hard to do.
For every air conditioning unit, engine upgrade, additional seat and even cup holders,
there is a cost. Part of Sistrunk’s job prior to the
bid process is compiling a list of desired upgrades or modifications for these buses.
“We write down what we want and send it
out to the vendors,” Sistrunk said. “If you want
more horsepower, different graphics, seats, air
conditioning, all that, then it takes a little longer.”
Emphasis will be put on making sure buses
are equipped to hold a maximum capacity of
students. Bench seats will be bought instead of
individual seats.
“When looking at the conventional (buses),
most of those come with 220 horsepower,”
Sistrunk said. “220 horsepower is standard, but
we don’t want 220 horsepower. We want 240 or
above. Because of these hills around here, you
By DAVID DISHMAN
The felony desk at the Pittsburg
County Court Clerk’s office was a
busy one in 2014, with more felony
cases filed than any other year in at
least a 17-year period.
Overall, 865 separately numbered fe“It
lony cases were
filed in the court
means
clerk’s office in
2014, representing
we’ve
a more than 11 perbeen
cent increase in
cases than what
busy.”
was filed in 2013.
“It means we’ve
been busy,” PittsCINDY
burg County Court
ELLER
Clerk Cindy Eller
Pittsburg
said Friday.
“That’s not surCounty Court
prising,”: said DisClerk
trict 18 District
Attor ney Farley
Ward, who serves Pittsburg and
Haskell counties.
Ward said there is more crime being
committed, and that law enforcement
agencies are doing a good job in getting the information on those crimes
to his office.
Staff photo by KEVIN HARVISION
mcalesternews.com
Keeper of the codes
filing more felony cases
By JOHN YATES
Detention Officers Jess Daniels, left, Cody Hance, middle, and Sgt. Chris Hartsfield work
the Pittsburg County Justice Center booking desk recently.
SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2015
MPS bond money to fund new buses
TEXT | District attorney
SEE SENTENCE | PAGE 3A
HOW CAN THE HELPLINE
HELP YOU?
>> PAGE B1
YOUR NEWS SOURCE IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA SINCE 1896
Church
burglary
suspect
receives
suspended
sentence
GET FREE SUPPORT
TO QUIT TOBACCO.
After
>> More on Page 2A
ALMANAC SUNRISE MONDAY: 7:24 a.m. // SUNSET MONDAY: 7:36 p.m.
Vol. 119, No. 154
VISIT US ONLINE:
MCALESTERNEWS.COM
/mcalesternewscapital
@McAlesterNews
Always live
The McAlester News-Capital recently launched a complete redesign to
modernize its print, online and digital products.
At the same time, all new state-of-the-art technology was installed in the
newsroom including a brand new news content management system known as
NewsEditPro as well as new computers and servers.
“Our parent company, CNHI, believes in our continued success,” said Amy
Johns, publisher of the News-Capital. “This is why they decided to make this
kind of capital investment. New computers, upgraded software, the redesign
– all will assist us in continuing to provide news and information to our
community on multiple platforms.”
Editor Glenn Puit said the new technology will improve the newspaper’s
content by saving time for reporters, editors and page designers.
“We improved the look and feel of the paper with the redesign,” Puit said.
“We’ve rebuilt our newsroom with the purpose of bringing on staffers with
talent and the proper attitude, which is public service first. With this new
technology, you will now see additional time devoted to investigative reporting
and stories all aimed at making a difference.”
Johns said this is an exciting time for the newspaper, which has been a
part of the community since 1896. The improvement of the news content, new
staffers and new technology are all aimed at doing what is right and best for
southeast Oklahoma.
1-855-DÉJELO-YA Spanish 1-866-748-2436 Video Relay
1-877-777-6534 TTY
Ask for direct VP number
Funded by:
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is just one of the benefits of being a member of the Oklahoma Press
Association’s Legal Services Plan. Remove the worry of needing
professional advice by enrolling today. For more information contact:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION’S
LEGAL SERVICES PLAN
1-888-815-2672 or 405-499-0020
The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015 5
NAA CEO Caroline Little steps down THANK
YOU
Caroline Little, president and CEO of
the Newspaper Association of America,
announced that she is stepping down
from her position effective Aug. 31,
2015.
Little, who was named to the position
in 2011, led the successful merger of the
American Press Institute with the NAA
Foundation in 2012.
She worked closely with members of
Congress and other government organizations to preserve the free flow of information to the public and legal protection
for journalists.
“On behalf of the Board, we are
grateful for Caroline’s leadership in a
time of great change for the industry,”
said Donna Barrett, chairman of the
board and president and CEO of Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. “I
have had the great pleasure of working
closely with Caroline and witnessing
firsthand the role that NAA has played
in the transformation of newspapers.
Our members have a renewed sense of
confidence in the value of their product
and the future of the industry. Caroline
is leaving the association in a strong
financial and strategic position to continue executing on our mission. I am
certain the confidence she instilled will
continue to shape our business for years
to come.”
Prior to taking the position at NAA,
Little served as CEO of North America
Guardian News and Media Ltd. and was
publisher and CEO of Washington Post
Newsweek Interactive.
“It’s been my pleasure to serve the
members of the NAA, and I am grateful
for the opportunity to work alongside
such dedicated professionals within the
organization and throughout the industry,” said Little.
“This is a dynamic moment in the
newspaper industry’s evolution and in
the history of this association. I have no
doubt that the industry and association
have a bright future.”
Little plans to join her family in Santa
Fe, New Mexico.
DEATHS
STATE REP. DAVID DANK died April 10,
2015, at his Oklahoma City home. He
was 76.
Dank was born July 14, 1938, in Pittsburgh, Penn.
At one time, Dank was publisher
of both the Moore Monitor and the
Oklahoma Conservative Review. He also
served as executive vice president of the
Oklahoma Retail Merchants Association.
Elected in 2006, Dank was a Republican who represented District 85, including parts of Nichols Hills, Oklahoma
City, The Village and Warr Acres. He
succeeded his wife Odilia, who had
served in that role for 12 years. She died
Aug. 17, 2013, at 74.
Throughout his legislative service
Dank was known as the “conscience of
the Legislature” for his strong stands
in favor of reform, winning him respect
from both sides of the aisle.
He was a member of Christ the King
Catholic Church and a strong supporter
of charitable causes.
Dank is survived by a brother, Jan,
of Sacramento, Calif.; a sister, Yvonne
Grewe and her husband Ed, of Tulsa;
stepdaughter Dr. Trina Joslin and her
husband Dr. Gale Joslin, and grandchildren Daniel and Hannah, all of Owasso.
DAVID REEDER, sports reporter for the
the past 11 years, covering all sporting
events for Jay schools.
Reeder is survived by wife Patti;
daughter Amber Reeder of Siloam
Springs, Ark.; his mother Billie Reeder of Tulsa; stepsons James Sbanotto
and wife Stephanie of Siloam Springs,
Ark., Andrew Sbanotto of West Siloam
Springs, Okla., and Allen Sbanotto of
Fort Smith, Ark.; brother Alan Reeder
and wife Denise of Flint Ridge, Okla.;
and three grandchildren.
Pauls Valley where the Reids, along with
Ed and Maxine Burchfield, published
the Pauls Valley Daily Democrat.
Reid utilized her bookkeeping skills
balancing newspaper accounting with
family life and community service.
In 1972, the Reids bought The Weatherford News from their longtime friends,
Helen and Jimmie Craddock. When they
arrived to their new community, they
began modernizing the newspaper and
converting it into a daily operation. At
The Weatherford Daily News, Phyllis
computerized the bookkeeping system
and provided computer programs for
other newspapers. She remained active
in the Oklahoma Press Association.
Reid is survived by her husband Ken;
daughters Terry Magill and husband
Bruce of Weatherford; Ruth Anne Colley
and husband Joe of Pauls Valley; sons
David Reid and wife Myra of Cushing,
and Phillip Reid and wife Jeanne Ann
Weatherford; 12 grandchildren and 10
great-grandchildren.
Delaware County Journal, died March
31, 2015, in Springdale, Ark. He was 62.
Reeder was born on Dec. 6, 1952, in
Tulsa. He worked as a sports reporter
for the Delaware County Journal for
PHYLLIS REID, former publisher for the
Pauls Valley Democrat, died on March
20, 2015, in Weatherford. She was 86.
Reid was born May 12, 1928, in Collinsville and was the valedictorian of
Collinsville High School Class of 1946.
While attending the University of Oklahoma, Phyllis met Kenneth Reid. The
couple was married on Aug. 15, 1948.
The Reids lived in Claremore for four
years while Ken worked for the Claremore Progress. In 1953, they moved to
In Memory of Our Friends & Colleagues
Ronald W. “Krash” Crawford
March 9, 2014
Celia Crawford Duggins
March 20, 2014
Bettye Jane Johnston
March 26, 2014
Jon Daris Parker
March 18, 2014
Terri Len Grubbs
March 23, 2014
Edward Knowles Livermore, Sr.
April 26, 2014
Levi Louis Haddock
March 25, 2014
to the following individuals and
organizations for their recent
donations to the
Oklahoma Newspaper
Foundation:
In memory of
Bonnie Blackstock,
Joe Hancock
and Phyllis Reid
THE PURCELL
REGISTER
A donation to the Oklahoma
Newspaper Foundation will
support its efforts to improve the
state’s newspaper industry and
quality of journalism.
ONF’s programs include training
and education for professional
journalists, scholarship and
internship programs for
journalism students, and
Newspaper in Education efforts.
ONF relies on donations and
memorial contributions to fund
these programs.
If you would like to make a
donation, please send a check to:
OKLAHOMA
NEWSPAPER
FOUNDATION
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
6
The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015
THE OG&E PHOTO CONTEST
FEBRUARY 2015
DAILY WINNER:
HARRISON
GRIMWOOD
Muskogee Phoenix
FEBRUARY 2015
WEEKLY WINNER:
RODNEY
HALTOM
Eufaula Indian Journal
Warner firefighters unroll burning hay bales after a fire burned through 50 acres of grass in Warner.
Photo by Harrison Grimwood, Muskogee Phoenix, February 22, 2015
The February 2015 contest was
judged by a member of the
Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame.
View all winning photos at
www.OkPress.com/OGE-Photo-Contest
ENTER AND WIN
A $100 CHECK FROM
OGE ENERGY CORP.
For more information about the photo
contest, visit www.okpress.com
CONTEST RULES
1.
To be eligible for the contest, photographers must be
staff members of an OPA member newspaper and
photos must have been published in print.
2.
Send your photo in electronic format (TIF or JPG, 200
dpi or higher) to Photos@OkPress.com.
3.
Photographers may enter one photo per month.
4.
Include name of photographer, name of newspaper,
photo cutline and date photo was published.
5.
All entries for the previous month must arrive at
the OPA office by the 15th of the month. Winners
will receive a Certificate of Achievement and the
photo will be published in The Oklahoma Publisher.
Sweepstakes winners will receive a plaque and have
photo published in The Publisher.
Eufaula’s Hunter Gott flies through the air and scores against the Beggs Golden Demons.
Photo by Rodney Haltom, Eufaula Indian Journal, February 12, 2015
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The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015 7
WHERE OPA MEMBERS PRINT
NOWATA
★ALVA
★
★
★ ENID
SAPULPA
★
★CLINTON
★WEATHERFORD
★ ELK CITY
★
BARTLESVILLE
VINITA
MOORELAND
The Oklahoma Press Association
recently updated its list of where
OPA business member newspapers
are being printed.
The map to the right shows the
location of cities where newspapers
print.
The list below shows the printing
facility in bold followed by the
newspapers it prints.
★
★ GUYMON
★ PONCA CITY
★EL RENO
★ ANADARKO
★TULSA
★ EDMOND
★ OKLAHOMA CITY
★
★ SHAWNEE ★SEMINOLE
NORMAN
★
MUSKOGEE
★SALLISAW
★
STIGLER
★ LINDSAY
★ALTUS
★ LAWTON
★ARDMORE
★DURANT
★ IDABEL
March 2015
ALTUS TIMES
The Frederick Press-Leader
ALVA REVIEW-COURIER
ANADARKO DAILY NEWS
The Cyril News
ARDMORE ARDMOREITE
The Davis News
The Healdton Herald
The Lone Grove Ledger
The Madill Record
Marietta Monitor
The Ringling Eagle
Sulphur Times-Democrat
The Wilson Post-Democrat
BARTLESVILLE
EXAMINER-ENTERPRISE
Oologah Lake Leader
Pawhuska Journal-Capital
CLINTON DAILY NEWS
The Carnegie Herald
The Cheyenne Star
The Cordell Beacon
The (Eakly) Country
Connection News
The Hinton Record
The Hobart Democrat-Chief
Kiowa County Democrat
Mountain View News
The Sayre Record &
Beckham County Democrat
The Sentinel Leader
The Thomas Tribune
Watonga Republican
DURANT DAILY DEMOCRAT
Atoka County Times
Johnston County
Capital-Democrat
EDMOND SUN
The Duncan Banner
The Journal Record (OKC)
The Okarche Chieftain
The Piedmont-Surrey Gazette
EL RENO TRIBUNE
Garber-Billings News
Mustang News
The Newcastle Pacer
ELK CITY DAILY NEWS
ENID NEWS & EAGLE
The Pawnee Chief
Perry Daily Journal
Stillwater News Press
Woodward News
GUYMON DAILY HERALD
MCCURTAIN COUNTY GAZETTE
Broken Bow News
THE LAWTON CONSTITUTION
LINDSAY WEB PRESS
The Apache News
The Blanchard News
Choctaw Times
The Comanche County Chronicle
The Comanche Times
The Garvin County News-Star
The Lindsay News
The Logan County Courier
The Marlow Review
The Purcell Register
The Rush Springs Gazette
The Walters Herald
The Wynnewood Gazette
THE MOORELAND LEADER
The Canton Times
Cherokee Messenger
& Republican
The Dewey County Record
The Ellis County Capital
The Freedom Call
The Gage Record
The Hennessey Clipper
The Okeene Record
Taloga Times-Advocate
The Vici Vision
Woods County Enterprise
MUSKOGEE PHOENIX
The Bigheart Times (Barnsdall)
The Chelsea Reporter
Claremore Daily Progress
Inola Independent
McAlester News-Capital
The (Pryor) Paper
The (Pryor) Times
The Stilwell Democrat Journal
Tahlequah Daily Press
Tulsa Beacon
The Westville Reporter
(Westville) Weekly Express
THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT
The Ada News
The Express-Star
(Chickasha)
Midwest City Beacon
Mustang Times
Pauls Valley Democrat
The Tuttle Times
NOWATA PRINTING
Coweta American
Owasso Reporter
Sand Springs Leader
Skiatook Journal
Tulsa Business &
Legal News
Wagoner Tribune
THE OKLAHOMAN
The Perkins Journal
PONCA CITY NEWS
The (Shidler) Review
The Tonkawa News
SAPULPA DAILY HERALD
Bristow News & Record-Citizen
The Cleveland American
Drumright Gusher
The Fairfax Chief
The Haskell News
The Hominy News-Progress
The Oklahoma Eagle (Tulsa)
Yale News
SEMINOLE PRODUCER
The Konawa Leader
The Wewoka Times
SEQUOYAH COUNTY TIMES
Eastern Times Register (Roland)
The Eufaula Indian Journal
Henryetta Free-Lance
Holdenville News
McIntosh County Democrat
The Morris News
Okmulgee Times
Vian Tenkiller News
SHAWNEE NEWS-STAR
Allen Advocate
Coalgate Record-Register
The Countywide & Sun
Holdenville Tribune
Hughes County Times
Okemah News Leader
The Prague Times-Herald
The (Shawnee) County
Democrat
Stroud American
Tri-County Herald (Meeker)
STIGLER NEWS-SENTINEL
The Antlers American
Clayton Today
Heavener Ledger
Latimer County
News-Tribune
Spiro Graphic
Stigler News-Sentinel
Talihina American
SUBURBAN GRAPHICS (OKC)
Blackwell Journal-Tribune
Cushing Citizen
Guthrie News Leader
The Lincoln County News
The (OKC) Black Chronicle
OKC Friday
Yukon Review
TULSA WORLD
VINITA DAILY JOURNAL
The (Afton) American
Nowata Star
WEATHERFORD DAILY NEWS
The (Bethany) Tribune
The Geary Star
The Kingfisher Times
& Free Press
OUT-OF-STATE
ARKANSAS CITY, KS
The Newkirk Herald Journal
BOWIE, TX
The (Lawton) County Times
The Ryan Leader
CIMARRON, KS
Harper County Journal
LIBERAL, KS
The (Beaver) Herald-Democrat
The Hooker Advance
NEOSHO, MO
The Grove Sun
The Miami News-Record
PARIS, TX
The Examiner (Hugo)
Hugo Daily News
Southeast Times (Idabel)
The Valliant Leader
PITTSBURG, KS
The Delaware County Journal
SHAMROCK, TX
The Boise City News
Mangum Star-News
8
The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015
The stories that shape our history
Clark’s Critique
by Terry Clark
Journalism Professor,
University of Central Oklahoma,
TClark@uco.edu
Twenty years ago. April 19.
Most of my students today don’t
remember, except what they see or
read as the anniversary of the bombing
is commemorated, but for a long time
in the late ’90s and thereafter, almost
every classroom had students who were
directly affected or knew people who
were.
I remember…and the list starts growing longer of memories.
One thing that stood out to me was
the statewide response by our newspapers and citizens. An article I wrote for
The Publisher that May showed all but
four of our more than 200 newspapers
having locally written front page stories.
They were photos and stories of witnesses, or people affected, or knowing
victims, or of local groups organizing to
give blood or to come help. Oklahoma
newspapers shone.
This was the biggest single event
news story in our history, I think – other
than statehood. No other one event
reached from Boise City to Eldorado to
Picher and Broken Bow. Yes the Dust
Bowl and the oil bust were longer stories, but not so universally covered. It
added to Oklahoma’s legacy as a state of
victims – Trail of Tears, Dust Bowl, oil
bust, bombing – but also to the legacy of
survivors, and our papers told those stories, helping our citizens to heal – doing
what newspapers do best.
•••
But the story of the past month that
besmirched the state’s national and
international reputation was the racial
tragedy at OU. David Boren’s quick
response – even if some of it was perhaps contradicting First Amendment
rights – was excellent PR, and garnered
strong support and coverage in our
papers.
Fourteen daily newspapers carried
stories, most of them from the Associated Press or CNHI network.
The Norman Transcript, The Oklahoma Daily, The Oklahoman and Tulsa
World carried extensive coverage, and
the OU paper scooped everyone by
a day. Others with stories were The
Ada News, The Ardmoreite, Bartlesville
Examiner-Enterprise (with a story from
the Los Angeles Times), Claremore Daily
Progress, The Duncan Banner, Enid News
& Eagle, Muskogee Phoenix, The Ponca
City News, The Seminole Producer, The
Shawnee News-Star and Woodward News.
•••
Featured newspapers this month:
The Oklahoma Daily, The Norman
Transcript, Tulsa World, The Carnegie
Herald and Delaware County Journal.
For some good news, consider many
smaller papers changing their flags for
special events. This used to be a huge
chore when I was in the business, but
computer technology allows wonderful
work these days.
While America is not officially a
“Christian” nation, someone wrote that it
is largely “defacto” in a sense. Evidence
of that shows in the Easter flags of The
Comanche County Chronicle, Coalgate
Record-Register, The Thomas Tribune,
Holdenville Tribune, Perry Daily Journal,
and the top half of The Purcell Register,
among others – connecting with your
community readers.
•••
I notice two more newspapers carrying unjustified type (“ragged right,” or if
you’re old like me, “quad left”), The Carnegie Herald and The Delaware County
Journal. Delaware’s Janet Barber wrote
a strong tribute to a deceased sportswriter, getting coaches’ comments.
Kirk McCracken’s tornado coverage
in the Sand Springs Leader was excellent.
Do you have a lake in your neighborhood? Take a tip from Megan Sando in
the Stillwater News Press writing about
low water hazards in area lakes.
HEAD’EM UP AWARDS.
First place,
The Seminole Producer, on Schahara
Riffle’s story:
SAGGY BOTTOM RUNNER LEADS
TO DRUG BUST
Second place, Enid News & Eagle,
on Cass Rains’ story about a bail bond
agent violating a new state law:
BOUNTY BUSTED
Third place, tie. The Lawton Consti-
tution, on Mitch Meador’s story about
USA Today’s ranking of the Wichita
Refuge,
WILD FOR THE REFUGE
and, The Miami News-Record on Kimberly W. Barker’s story about a research
station and spoonbill fish:
REEL BIG FISH
Honorable mentions: The Journal
Record on Adam Brooks’ headline on
Continued on Page 9
The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015 9
Clark’s Critique Continued from Page 8
“MY SON ASKED ME TO
QUIT SMOKING.”
BRANDI, TULSA
Easter flags spotted in The Thomas Tribune, Coalgate Record Register, The Purcell
Register, Holdenville Tribune and Perry Daily Journal.
a Brian Brus story about banks and
the Internet, “New domain for banks
is dot-coming”; The Country Connection
News, “Spring strikes Oklahoma”; Guymon Daily Herald, on April Coble’s story,
“They go merrily glazing: Ceramics club
meets monthly”; Tahlequah Daily Press,
on Sidney Van Wyk’s story about a Tai
Chi class, “Building better balance:” Claremore Daily Progress, on Diana Dickinson’s story about a teacher and students
using old plastic, “It’s not rubbish…
it’s art”; Midwest City Beacon, on Traci
Chapman’s coverage of the teacher’s
rally, “A teachable moment”; Sequoyah
County Times on Dianna F. DandridgeRystrom’s story about a man who builds
furniture out of old pallets, “He builds
what? Out of what?”; The Konawa Leader, “Bomb Threat Shakes Small Town
Repose”; The Madill Record, on Mark
Codner’s story about increased fines,
“Illegal Burning in City, Now Burns
$500 More”; The Lawton Constitution on
an AP story about terrorists in Kenya,
“Christians in the crosshairs.”
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The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015
Warning: Your computer may not be protected
Computer Notes
from the road
by Wilma (Melot) Newby
wnewby@okpress.com
Computer systems at several newspapers were hit by viruses this month.
Most notable was the Ransom virus,
which locked up all the files on the server. Ransom asked for several hundred in
untraceable Bitcoin to unlock the files.
The price went up every few days if the
owner did not pay.
This newspaper was saved by having
a great backup system that let them
restore the sever’s files in a few hours.
At other newspapers, browsers have
been hacked by various redirect or fishing viruses. Most employees affected by
this attack weren’t aware that they had
clicked on something that started the
virus. All the computers involved had
expired antivirus installed, or none at all.
And, several of the infected computers
were Macintosh. There was even one
heuristic virus that took over the computer completely.
Newer Macintosh and all Windows
machines need phishing and anti-virus
protection. This month I’ve rounded up
the best way to protect your computer
from virus attacks as cheaply as possible.
First, turn on the firewall. While you
may consider a firewall a pain, it gives
your computer a chance to protect itself.
Even if the computer is behind a corporate firewall, use the one on the workstation as well. Most antivirus software
comes with a firewall that takes over for
the computer’s built-in one. Just check
to make sure one of them is working.
Exceptions can be made for the software
you want to let through.
Next, consider paying for antivirus
software. Those free versions just can’t
keep up with the threat. Microsoft’s
Security Essentials and Defender are
better than nothing but both rate very
low for real protection.
As far as paid software goes, Bitdefender is one of the highest rated
packages. It has some of the best protection ratings, as well as computer performance, of any in the business. The full
package is $58.47 for 3 computers, or
$19.49 per computer.
Kaspersky is another big name in the
antivirus industry. These guys keep winning in the ratings. Cost for this one is
$69.95 for 5 devices, or $13.99 each. It’s
available for Windows and Mac as well
as phones/tablets carried by staff members. I’ve used the CD that comes in the
box to boot a computer and save files to
another drive when the computer would
not come up.
Webroot is the antivirus many large
retailers are pushing this year. It works
on Windows and Macintosh computers
but while it’s good for PCs, it’s not the
best protection for a Mac. Webroot also
can install a browsing app on a phone or
tablet. It’s lightweight to run and scans
so fast it seems like it’s not doing a good
job. I’ve seen it catch several viruses
while it’s being installed. The best thing
is the price – $79.99 for 5 computers, or
about $15.99 a computer per year.
Our old friend Norton also did well in
the ratings this year. You can put Norton
on 5 devices for $49.99, or $10 each,
making it the winner in the price game.
Like the others, Norton can be used on
Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. If you
download Norton, be sure to burn a disk
for use during the year.
What I’m trying to get across is that a
full antivirus protection program is available at a fairly reasonable price.
However, if free is the only option
available, consider Bitdefender’s free
version, which has the best rating on
the Internet. It has many tools in its
free arsenal, available at http://www.
bitdefender.com/toolbox/freeapps/
desktop/.
Panda Free Antivirus 2015 was voted
as one of the best for free protection on
many sites. To download, go to http://
www.pandasecurity.com/usa/homeusers/solutions/free-antivirus. By the way,
that was a hard URL to find on a Google
search.
This year the free Sophos for Mac
saved many of our computers.
Other free software that rated well
include Panda Free Antivirus 2015, Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit Free, Avast Free
Antivirus 2015, AVG AntiVirus Free
2015 and Spybot Search & Destroy.
I can’t caution you enough to only
NOSY ABOUT THE OPA ANNUAL CONVENTION?
You won’t have to wait much longer to see
what’s in store. The preliminary program and
registration will be in the mail soon. Meanwhile,
mark your calendar and plan to attend!
JUNE 4-6, 2015
Sheraton Hotel, Downtown Oklahoma City
download from a manufacturer’s website
and not a third party one. Read the URLs
(the blue underlined link) carefully. The
safest method is to buy a copy of your
choice of virus protection from a local
store.
Once again, free isn’t always the best
choice. Your files alone are worth more
than the annual cost of virus protection.
And, if you have antivirus protection on
your computer, make sure it’s in working order and updated.
SIGNS THAT YOUR COMPUTER
HAS BEEN INFECTED BY A VIRUS
1. Is your computer suddenly running
slower or shutting down?
2. Does your web browser redirect you
to web pages you didn’t ask to go to?
Do programs open unexpectedly?
3. Are you receiving numerous popups? (Most everyone knows this
spells trouble.)
4. Is your software quitting all the time
or the Internet freezing?
5. Do you have too many tool bars
installed in your browsers? This is
usually minor trouble but can slow
you down.
6. Slow startups/shutdowns can be a
sign of problems. But it could be you
simply have too much on your desktop.
7. Does your computer come up normally when it’s not connected to the
Internet, but not when you have your
ethernet or Wifi turned on?
8. Is your computer’s CPU/fans running overtime in the background or
is the Internet light always running
full speed on the router?
If you’re using your computer to
check bank records or purchasing items
with your credit card, keeping your computer safe is even more important. At the
very least, download a demo copy of a
good antivirus and run it
If you want to keep up with the latest
security threats to your computer, check
out the av-test.org website. They test
antivirus software against new viruses
every year.
GIMP GRAPHICS EDITOR
Many new
computers
don’t have a full
copy of Photoshop but often
have a program
called Gimp 2.8.
You can fix a grayscale photo with
Gimp. I’ll show you how to simplify the
process.
You can find the Gimp manual at
http://docs.gimp.org/2.8/en/, which
includes full instructions.
The basic steps I’m providing are
normally applied to newspaper photos.
Look under the Gimp menu to find preferences.
HOW TO CORRECT A
GRAYSCALE PHOTO IN GIMP
1. To resize the photo go to Image
Menu > Scale Image. The window
has a popup button next to the first
set of numbers. This is where you can
change to inches or picas, whatever
you’re used to.
2. To turn the photo to grayscale, look
under Image Menu > Mode > Grayscale. (Note that there is no CMYK;
this program will not natively convert
a photo to CMYK. You still need at
least one copy of Photoshop in the
building to convert to CMYK.)
3. To lighten the photo, look under Colors Menu > Levels or Curves. It
looks a little different but basically
works the same as an older copy of
Photoshop.
4. To crop the photo go to the Tool palette at the left of the photo and look
for the cropping tool, which looks
like a knife. As with everything in this
program, it works much the same as
Photoshop. Get close to the edge with
the cursor to crop.
5. To sharpen the photo, go to Filters
Menu > Enhance > Unsharp Mask.
6. In the latest version of Gimp, you
need to save a Gimp version of the
file, then export the one for the paper
by going to File Menu > Export
As. Save the photo as JPEG or TIFF,
depending on your newspaper’s preference. If another window comes up
asking about compression, choose
None or JPEG. None is a safe way to
go but creates a bigger file.
7. If the dialogue box for whichever tool
you’re using doesn’t come up in the
window, use the Command + Tab
keys to switch between programs.
This has been very useful while working with Gimp. The gray screen icon
for the extra windows shows up in my
list. Give it a try.
INDESIGN QUICK TIP
An InDesign question I’ve been asked
is how to get text into a box that is text
wrapped. Here’s the quick answer:
First, take text wrap off the box. Next,
put the text in as normal. Now, select
both the frame and text block and go
to Object > Group to group the two
objects together.
Finally, put the text wrap on the
grouped object.
OPA Computer Consultant Wilma Newby’s
column is brought to you by the Oklahoma
Advertising Network (OAN). For more information on the OAN program, contact Oklahoma
Press Service at (405) 499-0020.
The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015 11
Gaylord dean plans to step down in August
Joe Foote, Dean of
the Gaylord College
of Journalism and
Mass Communication, plans to rejoin
the faculty in August,
resigning his administrative post as dean
after a decade as the
college’s leader.
In making the
announcement, Foote, a 1971 broadcasting graduate, said, “Returning to
OU during the magic of the Boren era
has been a wonderful experience. I am
grateful to have had the opportunity to
lead this great college during a decade
of impressive improvement and upward
mobility and am fortunate to be surrounded by an exceptional group of students, faculty and staff. I’m now looking
forward to taking some of the sideshows
in my professional life and moving them
into the main tent.”
OU President David L. Boren said, “It
would be impossible for me to adequately express the appreciation of the entire
OU family for Joe Foote’s outstanding
service as Dean. He has unified the Gaylord College faculty, staff and students to
pursue the highest possible standards.
Tulsa World
reporters receive
national award
Tulsa World Enterprise Editor Ziva
Branstetter and staff writer Cary Aspinwall recently received two national honors for their continuing coverage of
Oklahoma’s 2014 execution of Clayton
Lockett.
Branstetter and Aspinwall were
named as finalists for the Edward Willis
Scripps Award for Distinguished Service to the First Amendment for “reporting that combatted government secrecy
surrounding Oklahoma’s execution of
death row inmates.”
Earlier this month, the Center for
Journalism Ethics at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison named the Tulsa
World reporters as one of five finalists
for the 2015 Anthony Shadid Award
for Journalism Ethics, for the paper’s
“aggressive, yet sensitive, coverage of a
botched execution.”
Aspinwall, a graduate of Oklahoma
State University, joined the World’s
enterprise team after several years
writing features for the Scene section.
Branstetter has worked at the World
since 1994. She previously worked as
the newspaper’s city editor and is a
graduate of Oklahoma State University.
His goal has always been to bring the
greatest possible educational experience
to our students. I am grateful he has
agreed to remain as a teacher in the college and as a leader of its international
program.”
Known as a student-centered dean,
Foote has been passionate about increasing professional opportunities for students on and off-campus. Foote founded
the Gaylord Ambassadors program, an
undergraduate leadership group that
has become a model on campus. He
led the college to create Lindsey+Asp,
one of the nation’s premier student-led
advertising and public relations agencies and “Sooner Sports Pad,” a live,
weekly television broadcast to 10 million
television households on Fox Sports
Oklahoma and Fox Sports Southwest.
Foote has been a key player in the
university’s “digital initiative” and was an
early advocate for innovation in courseware and alternative teaching modes.
Under his leadership, Gaylord College
was one of the first university programs
in the nation to be designated as an
“Apple Distinguished Program” for its
innovation in the use of technology in
education. Gaylord College has now
received the Apple distinction in three
consecutive competitions and is still the
only major mass communication program in the nation to achieve that feat.
As an OU graduate, Foote is passionate about creating stronger ties with
alumni. He worked closely with key
alumni to reconstitute, expand and diversify the college’s advisory board, now
the Gaylord Board of Visitors, which is
widely recognized as a campus leader
for alumni engagement. Foote expanded
alumni publications, both digital and
print, and began a series of successful
alumni gatherings around the nation.
Foote returned to OU in 2004
after serving as Director of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and
Mass Communication at Arizona State
University and founding dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media
Arts at Southern Illinois University in
Carbondale. He also taught at Cornell
University and for a brief time (1979-80)
was manager of KGOU.
Before entering university teaching
and administration, Foote served as a
broadcast journalist in Oklahoma and
Washington, D.C.,; press secretary to
Speaker of the House Carl Albert; and
chief of staff to Congressman Dave
McCurdy.
OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION
STAFF DIRECTORY
ADMINISTRATION
MARK THOMAS
Executive Vice President
mthomas@okpress.com • (405) 499-0033
JEANNIE FREEMAN
Accounting Manager
jfreeman@okpress.com • (405) 499-0027
SCOTT WILKERSON
Front Office/Building Mgr.
swilkerson@okpress.com • (405) 499-0020
MEMBER SERVICES
LISA (POTTS) SUTLIFF
Member Services Director
lsutliff@okpress.com • (405) 499-0026
ADVERTISING
CINDY SHEA
Advertising Manager
cshea@okpress.com • (405) 499-0023
LANDON COBB
Sales Director
lcobb@okpress.com • (405) 499-0022
BRENDA POER
Advertising Assistant
bpoer@okpress.com • (405) 499-0035
BUD HEAROD
Account Executive
bhearod@okpress.com • (405) 499-0025
CREATIVE SERVICES
JENNIFER GILLILAND
Creative Services Director
jgilliland@okpress.com • (405) 499-0028
ASHLEY NOVACHICH
Editorial/Creative Assistant
anovachich@okpress.com • (405) 499-0029
COMPUTER ADVICE
WILMA (MELOT) NEWBY
Computer Consultant
wnewby@okpress.com • (405) 499-0031
POSTAL ADVICE
STEVE BOOHER
Postal/Public Notice Consultant
sbooher@okpress.com • (405) 499-0020
DIGITAL CLIPPING
KEITH BURGIN
Clipping Manager
kburgin@okpress.com • (405) 499-0024
KYLE GRANT
Digital Clipping Dept.
kgrant@okpress.com
JENNIFER BEATLEY-CATES
Digital Clipping Dept.
jbeatley-cates@okpress.com • (405) 499-0045
MALLORY HOGAN
Digital Clipping Dept.
mhogan@okpress.com • (405) 499-0032
GENERAL INQUIRIES
(405) 499-0020
Fax: (405) 499-0048
Toll-free in OK: 1-888-815-2672
12
The Oklahoma Publisher // April 2015
OKLAHOMA NATURAL GAS CONTEST WINNERS
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FEBRUARY 2015 WINNERS
February Column: BRIAN BLANSETT, Countywide & Sun
February Editorial: WAYNE TROTTER, Countywide & Sun
FEBRUARY 2015 COLUMN WINNER
BRIAN BLANSETT, Countywide & Sun
The view from here
Dear Diary,
It’s Tuesday morning and Winter and I are having an ugly breakup.
Warm and affectionate one day, cold as crushed
ice the next … I just don’t know how much longer I
can take her teasing and mood swings.
Take last week. Out of nowhere, Winter shows
up at my house with – you’re not going to believe
this – 79 degrees. Seventy-nine degrees. Where
did she get that? Know what I mean?
I’m thinking: This is really thoughtful. Maybe
those talks we had are paying off, so let’s take a
deep breath and see where things go. We’re in
a good spot right now; maybe we can make this
thing work out.
We had a wonderful couple of days, me working in the yard and the garden, Winter beaming
her sun down on me. I took off my hat and let her
tousle my hair. I blush to think about it now, but,
when we were alone, she actually gave me a little
sunburn. On the forehead. The flirt!
Before I knew it, we were side-by-side on the
back porch, looking through seed catalogs and
picking out okra. The future was a wonderful
place.
I washed and ironed my favorite Hawaiian shirt
and couldn’t keep my mind off watermelon and
fresh squash.
And then came Sunday.
I’m not sure what happened. Maybe something
I said. Maybe something I did. Bad body language, perhaps. I don’t know what it was, but she
had changed, turned cool toward me.
The gentle, warm caresses were gone, replaced
by an uncomfortably cold shoulder. It was awkward – like seeing James Harden in a Rockets
uniform. The wrongness was more than I could
bear.
Then came Monday morning and I went outside
only to find that she had frosted my windshield and
scattered sleet and ice all over my yard.
Oh, diary. I felt so betrayed, I wadded up my
Hawaiian shirt and threw it into the dirty clothes
as hard as I could. We’ll see how she likes that.
Winter is nothing like her sisters – Autumn,
Spring, Summer. I see that now. They’re beautiful,
kind, gentle. Makes me wonder if maybe Mother
Nature was sleeping around when Winter was
conceived. That’s probably why Father Time is so
ticked.
Anyway. I hadn’t seen Spring in a while, but I
caught a glimpse of her the other day. She might
be my favorite. I’d like to see her again soon.
Really soon.
Enter and Win
a $100 Check
from Oklahoma
Natural Gas!
The February Oklahoma Natural Gas
Column and Editorial Contest
was judged by a member of the
Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame.
1. Each month, send a tear sheet or
photocopy of your best column and/
or editorial to Oklahoma Natural Gas
Contest, c/o OPA, 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.,
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499.
2. Include the author’s name, name of
publication, date of publication and
category entered (column or editorial).
3. Only ONE editorial and/or ONE column
per writer per month will be accepted.
4. All entries for the previous month must
be at the OPA office by the 15th of the
current month.
5. Winning entries will be reproduced on
the OPA website at www.OkPress.com.
Entries must have been previously
published. Contest open to
all OPA member newspapers.
Although Oklahoma Natural Gas Company
selects representative contest winners’
work for use in this monthly ad, the views
expressed in winning columns and editorials
are those of the writers and don’t necessarily
reflect the Company’s opinions.
Thank you for continued
support of “Share The Warmth”
Read the Winning Columns & Editorials on the OPA website:
www.OkPress.com (Under Contests)