DF)—A Drummond man injured in a crash in February has died as a result of his injuries. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials said 72 Larry Allen Bukacek died Thursday morning at an Oklahoma City hospital. He had been critically injured in a crash on the afternoon of February 17th at the intersection of State Highway 15 and East Carrier road about 1.5 miles north of Garber. Bukacek was injured when the Honda Accord he was passenger in struck a Caterpillar bucket truck. Authorities say the Honda, driven by Bukacek’s son 41 year-old Aaron Timothy Everett Bukacek tried to pass the Caterpillar in a No Passing Zone, when the Accord struck the bucket of the truck as it turned. Neither the younger Bukacek nor the driver of the truck were injured in the accident.
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IA)--An Ames woman was hospitalized over the weekend after being injured in a single-vehicle accident Saturday in Major County. Following the crash 19 year-old Saige Fielder was airlifted to OU Medical Center in OKC where she was admitted in stable condition with hip and pelvis injuries. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials said the crash occurred around 7:55 Saturday night on US-281 approximately 2 miles north of Chester. According to the report, Fielder was northbound on 281 when she failed to navigate a curve and her 2002 Ford Ranger departed the roadway and rolled an undetermined amount of times before coming to rest in the ditch. Troopers said Fielder was not wearing her seatbelt and the crash remains under investigation.
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JP)--A sales tax increase to expand and renovate the overcrowded Garfield County jail will reappear on ballots before Garfield County voters in two months. The resolution, which Garfield County commissioners adopted and approved March 6 calls for a 0.30%, or 30 cents on every $100 spent, increase to the county sales tax rate for 15 years to fund the operation, maintenance, construction, equipping and improvement of Garfield County Detention Facility. It will appear on ballots in the May 9 special election, more than one year after jail administrator Ben Crooks first proposed the expansion and renovation to county commissioners and seven months after the first resolution was rejected by voters in an August 2022 election. The resolution last year called for a 20-year period instead of 15 years but otherwise remains the same, increasing the jail by 82 beds in dormitory-style housing, adding 16,000 square feet and renovating part of the current 45,000-square-foot building. The estimated cost is about $8.5 to $10 million. If the resolution passes, about $2.7 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds would be applied toward the expansion and renovation.
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