OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION BETTER NEWSPAPER CONTEST AWARD WINNER IndianThe Eufaula Journal 2017 OKLAHOMA’S OLDEST NEWSPAPER, EST. 1876 EUFAULAINDIANJOURNAL.COM VOL 141, ISSUE 24 (usPs 261-620) – TWo secTions, 14 Pages –june 11, 2020 $1.00 Elliott charged with manslaughter in traffic death of Taylor Daniel Suspect arrested at hospital emergency room JERRY FINK McIntosh County Dis- SUV driven by Daniel. “Elliott proceeded to MANAGING EDITOR trict Court Judge Bren- Daniel was pro- tell me that he had been Courtney Eugene El- don Bridges set bond for nounced dead at the drinking and was just liott, 39, was charged Elliott at $100,000. His scene. trying to get back to Po- Tuesday, June 2, with first next court appearance According to the re- rum,” Cummings said. degree manslaughter fol- will be a pre-preliminary port, Daniel’s daughter Cummings said he lowing a fatal traffic ac- hearing conference at 9 was a passenger in the noticed Elliott had red, cident Sunday, May 31, a.m. on June 23. SUV. She was airlifted to watery eyes and slurred Hannah Rippy that claimed According to a police a Tulsa hospital for ob- speech. the life of report filed by Eufaula servation. “I also noticed that El- Rippy dies 28-year-old Police Chief Mark Good- Elliott was transported liott was unsteady on his Taylor Re- win, the accident oc- by EMS to a Muskogee feet and had an odor that after float nee Daniel curred sometime before hospital, where he later I … associate with an al- of Eufaula. 10 p.m., May 31 on State was arrested by Sgt. Josh coholic beverage,” Cum- accident In addi- Highway 9 southeast of Cummings of the Eufaula mings said. tion to man- Elliott the Dollar General store Police Department. Elliott was transported Hannah Rippy, 25, s l au g ht e r, on the south side of town. In a probable cause by EMS to the emergen- a 2013 graduate of Eu- Elliott was charged with The location was at affidavit filed by Cum- cy room at St. Francis- faula High School, died driving under the influ- State Highway 9 and mings with the McIn- Muskogee Hospital. Sunday, May 31, as the ence with a blood-alco- Honeysuckle Road. tosh County Courthouse, Cummings arrested result of an accident on hol count of .08 or more The report said Elliot Cummings stated that the suspect shortly after the Illinois River near causing great bodily inju- was driving a white 2006 when he arrived at the midnight. A blood sam- Tahlequah. ry and with driving with F-250 pickup truck south scene of the accident El- ple was taken and sent to See RIPPY, page A3 a license that has been on SH 9 when it went liott was crawling out of the Oklahoma State Bu- cancelled/suspended/re- left of center and struck the passenger side of his voked. head-on a Chevy Acadia vehicle. See MANSLAUGHTER, page A3 Taylor Renee Daniel Boy drowns in Eufaula cove School Board hears ESPN2 televising live coverage A 9-year-old Broken re-opening plans Arrow boy drowned at of Bassmaster Eufaula Cove late Satur- day. JERRY FINK with plan ‘A,’ things will Elite Event According to the Okla- MANAGING EDITOR not be normal. homa Lake Patrol the The Eufaula School New protocols are be- Enthusiastic fans of youth was standing on Board at its monthly ing developed – clean- bass fishing — and sports the swim platform of a meeting Monday heard ing protocols; enrollment fans who have missed the 1997, 20-foot Malibu plans being made for the adjustments; coping with thrill of competition — shortly after 8 p.m. when reopening of the school mental health issues of are catching live on-the- he fell into the water and district. students and staff caused water action from Lake did not resurface. Because of the uncer- by the stress created by Eufaula on ESPN2. tainty all school districts the virus. See DROWNING, page A2 The Bassmaster Elite face due to the fears gen- Gragg said the dis- Series came to Eufaula erated by the new coro- trict will have to deter- came to town Wednes- navirus, all plans are ten- mine where the students day, June 10, and will Local man dies tative. are in terms of learning, continue through Friday, while driving Jeanette Smith, su- whether there is a gap in June 13. perintendent; Heather learning created by the The Dewalt Bassmas- Tony Davis, 75, of Eu- Combs, high school prin- premature closing of the faula, apparently suffered cipal; Kristel Hickman, schools and how to close See BASSMASTER, page A3 a fatal medical episode elementary school prin- the gap. while driving on a county cipal; and Jeremy Gragg, “We will have to see road Friday, according to middle school principal, where the students are,” Pie auction, fish the Oklahoma Highway have been meeting regu- he said. Patrol. larly to develop a strategy Gragg told the Board fry June 20 The incident took place for the eventual reopen- more details will be avail- shortly before 5 p.m. on ing. able at the July Board The Warrior School June 5. “There are a whole lot meeting. STAFF | INDIAN JOURNAL grounds, 10 miles west of The OHP report said of moving parts,” Gragg Smith noted that the Nadia Gaylord, on the ladder, and Rachael Brown, holding the lad- Checotah, will be the site told the Board. “Plans administrators have been der, have spent a couple of weeks turning a manhole into a work of of an old-fashioned pie Davis was westbound on art. Not shown is student Cristen Burns. County Road E 1196 just change weekly.” working on plans to re- auction and fish fry from At this point, schools See DAVIS, page A3 open for months. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, aren’t sure whether they She said students will EAST students leaving June 20. will open sooner – or have their temperatures Political candidates are later. taken as they are getting invited for a meet and Free concert at “We have a plan ‘A’ if on buses. Glass parti- their mark greet at the event. there is a normal opening Proceeds will go to the Xtreme theatre tions are being installed JERRY FINK mark on Eufaula. and a plan ‘B’ if we have at appropriate locations. MANAGING EDITOR Warrior School Restora- to do distance learning EAST is an acronym The Lost Highway Masks will be available. Students with the Eu- for Education Accelerat- tion Organization. Band will perform a free again,” Gragg said. faula High School’s EAST Bring your lawn or concert from 8 p.m. to 11 Even if the district goes See SCHOOL, page A2 program are making their See EAST, page A2 folding chairs. p.m., Saturday, June 13 at the Xtreme RV Resort Amphitheatre. For information, call 918- Courthouse flowerbeds 705-5636 or email xtreme- [email protected]. getting a makeover Fun Day at Drug Court participants do public service Xtreme precedes JERRY FINK who are in a Drug Court MANAGING EDITOR program that allows Poker Run The exterior of the them to defer sentences county courthouse is by meeting certain goals Saturday’s annual looking a little more Golden Eagle Poker Run set up by the drug court beautiful today, thanks judge. will be preceded by a to a Beautification Team Free Family Fun Day on One of the goals is that has been working community service. Friday at the Xtreme RV several weeks pulling Amphitheater on Lake- By completing all of the weeds, planting seeds and requirements set by the shore Drive. doing a little painting. The day of fun begins judge, those in the pro- The Beautification gram may avoid spend- at 3 p.m. Friday and con- Team is comprised of vol- tinues until 11 p.m. STAFF | INDIAN JOURNAL ing 20 or more years in Crystal Newton, an employee of the McIntosh County Assessor’s Office, oversees Beautification Team unteers from the court- See XTREME, page A3 project. house and individuals See BEAUTIFICATION, page A2 PAGE A2 • THE INDIAN JOURNAL • Thursday, June 11, 2020 BEAUTIFICATION EAST from page 1 from page 1 ed by Service & Technol- ogy, a class that is part of the curriculum offered at the high school but is af- filiated with the Kiamichi Technology Center cam- pus in McAlester. The facilitator at the high school is Allison Aday. The most recent EAST project is the painting of an above ground man- hole that stands about 10 feet tall in the cove. Three EAST students, all of whom will gradu- ate June 27, have been working on the manhole art since the middle of STAFF | INDIAN JOURNAL the school year this past Drug Court participants, as part of their community service requirement, work on a flowerbed around spring. the courthouse. “They were in the middle of the project when the school closed,” Aday said. COURTESY Now that restrictions Tristen Burns works on artwork she designed. due to the COVID-19 virus have eased up, the The three students students are once again will be studying art at Cottey College in Ne- designed their artwork busy with their paint- using Adobe Illustrator. brushes. vada, Mo. She created the design that appears Then they sanded the Last year EAST stu- manhole, power washed dents painted two tall on the manhole. - Nadia Gaylord, who it, applied a primer coat manhole covers in the and then began painting. Eufaula Wetlands Park. plans to study nursing at Northeastern State Uni- Aday said EAST stu- Aday credits Eufaula dents also may be paint- City Manager Jacob Foos versity in Tahlequah.