MID-WEEK EDITION MIAMIOK.COM Have a great day! COVID, LEGISLATION, Thanks for supporting LAWSUITS SIGNAL CHANGE your local paper! IN COLLEGE SPORTS SPORTS, PAGE A10 6 54708 11050 1 MIAMI NEWS-RECORD Serving Miami and the surrounding communities since 1903. Tuesday, December 29, 2020 | Vol. 116 No. 103 | $1.00 Arraignment Dean ready to get rolling set for Floyd as new county sheriff Carla Nielsen [email protected] Carla Nielsen [email protected] MIAMI — An arraignment date has been set in Ottawa MIAMI – David Dean plans County for outgoing Sheriff on hitting the ground running Jeremy Floyd who was arrested when he takes over as the new on Dec. 18 for alleged embezzle- Ottawa County Sheriff. ment and perjury after being “One of my main goals right indicted by a multicounty grand now is the jail and making sure jury the previous day. it gets cleaned up,” said Dean, The first hearing has been set who takes office on Jan. 1. for Jan. 20, 2021, at the county “Holli McDaniel is the new jail courthouse, although a time administrator and she is doing has not yet been determined, a good job taking control of the according to Media Director Alex Floyd jail. They found quite a few drug Gerszewski with the attorney drops recently where people general’s office in Oklahoma City. Arrested at his residence and were trying to get drugs into Oklahoma AG Mike Hunter’s booked into the Miami Police the jail and she and her staff are office is prosecuting the case Department by Chief Thomas really kicking butt with that. moving forward because Ottawa Anderson, Floyd (who was first “The jail still needs a new roof County District Attorney Kenny elected in 2016) was then trans- and some locks. And the lights Wright is statutorily prohibited ferred to the Ottawa County jail. on the outside aren’t working from investigating and prosecut- right and we need to get some ing his own elected officials. SEE FLOYD, A2 more cameras up. So the jail is a priority for me right now.” Dean unseated incumbent COURTESY PHOTO sheriff Jeremy Floyd with 59.20 Incoming Ottawa County sheriff David Dean (right) is percent of the 11,436 votes, shown with his wife, Kim, and son, Kolby, during senior night activities at Commerce High School. Dean’s other children, Commerce man killed in compared to 40.80 percent for Kaytelin and Hunter, are not shown. Floyd on Nov. 3. A lifelong Ottawa County Police Department. He is also with the U.S. Marine Corps for auto-pedestrian accident resident, Dean retired as a a veteran, seeing service in six years. detective in 2019 after 23 years Operation Desert Shield/Storm Jim Ellis The accident occurred at of service with the Miami and Operation Iraqi Freedom SEE SHERIFF, A2 [email protected] 8:49 p.m. 50 yards south of County Road 60, 50 yards south COMMERCE — A Commerce of Commerce. man was killed Wednesday night The OHP report said Huff was in an auto-pedestrian accident on walking south in the northbound US Highway 69A. lane of 69A. Smith, driving Fairland students help brighten According to an Oklahoma southbound, saw Huff in the Highway Patrol report, Travis roadway and attempted to go left Huff, 27, of Commerce was hit around him. Christmas for local families and killed by a 2008 Dodge Char- Huff then stepped into the path Jim Ellis ger driven by Catherine Smith, of Smith’s car, being struck by the [email protected] 45, Miami. right front of the Charger. Huff was pronounced dead at Trooper Ben Bertram of the FAIRLAND — Members of the scene by Quapaw Nation EMS the student council and other due to massive injuries. SEE FATALITY, A2 groups at Fairland helped brighten Christmas for several local families through its “10 Days of Christmas” project. “This was the third year for the project, where the Fairland Student Council would conduct a ‘12 days of Christmas’ drive, with proceeds going to animal shelters, the Boys and Girls Club and other organizations. But because COVID wreaked havoc with school class schedules, it was COURTESY PHOTOS decided to change the format to Emily Rexwinkle, Madison Stotts, Kaylee Wilson and Alexis ‘10 Days of Christmas’ with the McGranahan hold hams that were distributed. local community being the focus. “This year, we decided we everything going on, money presents,” said Phariss, a special wanted to focus on fami- is tight. We wanted to focus education teacher at Fairland lies in the area because with on getting the kids Christmas Middle School and one of the event coordinators. Teachers involved, in addi- County has 27th COVID death tion to Phariss, are Michelle Johnson, Justin Goins, Aaron Jim Ellis Delaware County had a death, Bland, Mary Dushane and [email protected] in the male 65 or older group in Mitchell Hankins. the Saturday report. The student council, National MIAMI — The Oklahoma There have been 2,370 total Honor Society, FCCLA, FFA State Department of Health says deaths in Oklahoma with 279,139 and Fairland basketball teams Ottawa County had its 27th cases according to the Sunday joined forces on the project. COVID-19 related death. OSDH report. The seven-day “Originally we had planned The death was in the male 65 or rolling case average is 2,614 as of on assembling food baskets and older age group and was included Sunday. presents, but the families that in the Saturday, Dec. 26 report. Ottawa County has had were given to the counselors It was the second in the county 2,607 total cases and 2,221 total actually were already on a food since the OSDH’s report on recoveries. basket program,” Phariss said. Thursday, Dec. 24 and third since Dec. 22. SEE DEATH, A2 Chacey Davis wraps presents. SEE STUDENTS, A2 ōƃĩêÁ ĒÏÏ«}} Last minute gis! o\«Ô A¦f }âØ{ Openuntil6pmTues&Weds «¡o ¦ A¦f ÔoØâoÔ }«Ô ³ê AþØ «} Until 3pm Christmas Eve ÔØâ¡AØ{ 0âAÔ⦠o\ ³êâ 23 N MAIN ST MIAMI OK 74354 ²éÛ üo ü fÔAü A ¦A¡o B0ĕǪǪǪľŘŘŘƟ (918) 542-2413 • GOFORTHJEWELRY.COM ĄĄĄÛ²éÛ A fAþ }«Ô A }Ôoo }â Find us on Facebook and Twitter í¦â ³êÞêä{ 0, A2 | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020 miamiok.com THE MIAMI NEWS-RECORD NEWS Sentencing set for former Three injured in Saturday Miami chamber employee accident near Wyandotte Staff reports of Wyandotte. poor condition with head [email protected] Carla Nielsen The driver and two passen- injuries. [email protected] gers were juveniles. Trooper Caleb Cole of the WYANDOTTE — Three The driver was transported Will Rogers Turnpike Detach- MIAMI – A hearing was held people were injured in a by Quapaw Tribe EMS to ment of XA investigated the Monday at the Ottawa County one-car rollover accident at Mercy Hospital in Joplin accident. courthouse in the case of embezzle- approximately 6:12 p.m. Sat- where they were treated and Trooper Coleman Younger ment against former Miami Regional urday north of Wyandotte. released in good condition of the Ottawa County Detach- Chamber of Commerce employee According to the Oklahoma with head and arm injuries. ment of Troop L, Trooper Brandy Smith. Highway Patrol, a 2004 Chev- One passenger also was Deacon Greninger of the She will return to court on March rolet Avalanche was traveling transported to Mercy by Craig County Detachment 11 at 9:30 a.m. for sentencing. northbound on Oklahoma Quapaw EMS also in good of Troop L, and Trooper Charged with embezzling over Highway 10, crossed the condition and was treated Landon Miller of the Wash- $100,000 from the MRCC, Smith has centerline, overcorrected and and released with head and ington County Detachment of been out of jail on a $10,000 bond Smith lost control. The vehicle left arm injuries. Troop L assisted him as well since turning herself in in September the roadway to the right, roll- According to the OHP as the Ottawa County Sher- 2019 at the Ottawa County jail. activity, District Attorney Kenny ing two complete times before report a third passenger, who iff’s Office, Wyandotte Police After former Miami Mayor Rudy Wright found probable cause to coming to rest on its wheels. was ejected from the vehicle, Department, Eastern Shawnee Schultz, who was chairman of the charge Smith with the crime. The accident occurred ¾ of was transported to Mercy Police Department, Wyandotte MRCC board at the time, requested Smith is represented by attorney a mile south of Highway 10 then transported to Kansas Fire, Quapaw Fire Department an investigation into suspicious John Weedn. approximately 4 miles north City Children’s Hospital in and Quapaw Tribe EMS. McDaniel will also be and more bodies out there. he gets along with everyone I’ve never been a sheriff public reputation. And SHERIFF interim undersheriff until But everything is going to well. We have known each before, but I’ve been in law the sheriff’s office has a lot CONTINUED FROM A1 Dean takes office since Dan be fine. other for years,” Dean said. enforcement and in the of good people. I’m not Cook resigned Dec. 22. “We are going to hit the “Nothing is going to be military,” Dean said. letting anybody go. We are Dean has an associate’s “The sheriff has already ground running and get fast; it’s going to take some One of his goals is to see all going to get this done degree in criminal justice cleaned out his office, this county secured the best time to get everything a deputy on a federal task together.