PG)--An Enid man is facing two counts of lewd molestation. 42 year-old Jerry Wayne Fry was charged Wednesday in Garfield County District Court with the felony charges. Enid News and Eagle reports Fry appeared in court Thursday, and bond was set at $250,000. According to an Enid Police Department report, an investigation of child sexual abuse was launched March 14 after EPD detectives received information from Department of Human Services. Police learned a 15-year-old girl disclosed being molested last month by Fry. Police officials said when interviewed Fry initially denied the allegation but later in the interview confessed to molesting the teen. Fry was then arrested on a complaint of lewd molestation and was booked into Garfield County Detention Facility.
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HS)--Housing availability in Oklahoma was the topic Thursday of an Oklahoma Academy town hall at Autry Technology Center. Lynn Thompson, with Oklahoma Academy, discussed a report based on the findings in a 2023 town hall held in October. Oklahoma Academy is a membership-based public policy nonprofit. It has held 21 town halls across the state since 2001. This was the first time housing was deemed one of the top four priorities in the state by Oklahoma Academy. On Thursday, the top five recommendations in the report were shared, which were deemed the consensus items from the town hall held in October.
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EF)--Local residents will have the opportunity next week to hear information on the Enid Public Schools proposed bond issue, and from the two candidates in the Ward 1 Enid City Commission recall election. The forum, which will be open to the public and live streamed online, will be 6:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Stride Bank Center main ballroom, 301 S. Independence. The forum will be one week ahead of the April 2 local election. The first segment of the forum will focus on the Enid school district plan for a bond issue to address technology, security and transportation needs. The bond issues package totaling about $10.8 million will be on a separate ballot April 2, with all voters in the Enid Public Schools district eligible to vote. Beginning at 6:00 p.m., Dudley Darrow, Enid schools superintendent, will give an explanation of the school needs to be addressed by the bond financing plan. That will be followed by a question-and-answer time. Both city commission candidates, incumbent Judd Blevins and challenger Cheryl Patterson, have confirmed their participation. The commission portion of the forum will begin at 6:45 p.m., with candidates making opening and closing statements and answering questions. Although almost all Enid residents will be eligible to vote on the school proposal, only residents of Ward 1 in southwest Enid will be able to vote on the commission candidates. The Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce and Enid News & Eagle are sponsoring the election forum. For voters who cannot attend in person, the forum will be live streamed on EnidNews.com, the school system’s EPS-TV and the city of Enid Facebook page and website.
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