This summer’s heavy rainfall contributed to safety hazards and water damage across the city. Streets and businesses were temporarily shut down in response to rain. Storms scattered up to 7 inches across the city.
Although the Fourth of July sky was not filled with rain, it was not filled with fireworks either. The extensive rainfall caused Stillwater Parks, Events and Recreation to cancel the Boomer Blast. Mud and runoff made the ground too wet to park cars for the event without tearing up the grass.
The rainfall not only affected streets, businesses and fireworks but also delayed road construction. However, a goal of several construction projects includes updating drainage systems to prevent further flooding problems.
City streets are not the only construction projects. More construction is on the way for the Oklahoma State University campus. In August 2008, a $23 million parking garage will open on the corner of Hall of Fame Avenue and Monroe Street. The Monroe Street Parking Garage will serve as a multimodal center for students, staff and the university’s transit systems.
OSU is raising tuition costs 9.9 percent for the fall semester. The Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents approved a bill increasing tuition cost to cover faculty raises and provide more financial aid opportunities for students.
Tuition price jumps are not the only expense being raised for the fall semester. The Stillwater City Council approved a 3 percent increase in utility bills on June 4. Stillwater Power, Wastewater Utility Services, Water Utility Services and Waste Collection and Street Sweeping rates will go up to cover a $3 million deficit in the 2006-07 annual budget.
The OSU Alumni Association appointed a new president. Russell Bass took the place of Jerry Gill on June 1 after 22 1⁄2 years of presidency.
In mid-June, a freezer in Life Sciences West containing many dead animals stopped working. The specimen stored there included snakes, fish, birds, rats, frogs and an adult camel. Most of the fish and the camel quickly went bad, filling the building with a powerful stench. More than $1,000 was reported lost in the freezer malfunction.
JamesOn Curry, a junior on last year’s OSU basketball team, left his name in the June 28 NBA draft, leaving the Cowboys. He was selected as the 51st overall pick to the Chicago Bulls, making him the fourth Cowboy to go pro in the past seven seasons.
OSU is still searching for a new president to take the place of Interim President Marlene Strathe. The presidential search committee started advertising and taking nominations for the position and launched a Web site June 29 to progress the presidential search.
The presidential search committee is not without any candidates. Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents member Burns Hargis resigned July 2 to pursue the OSU presidency.
A Stillwater man committed suicide at Stonewall Tavern on July 6. Officers found him lying inside the back door of the business with a .22-caliber rifle lying on the floor under his leg. The suicide shocked many, including bartender Donovan Weens, who said he had never noticed anything wrong with the man, a regular customer of at least 10 years.
On July 15, Marcus Dove, senior captain on the OSU basketball team, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence at McElroy Road and Washington Street about 2 a.m. Coach Sean Sutton said Dove will be suspended and punished.
Nearly a year of legal battles resulted in OSU acquiring the last piece of property for a $316 million athletic village. Payne County Judge Donald Worthington ruled in favor of the OSU Board of Regents on July 23. Kevin and Joel McCloskey, the property owners, plan to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
A 14-year-old girl will be charged as a youthful offender for first-degree murder concerning the May 19 stabbing of a Cushing woman, Payne County Special District Judge Phillip Corley ruled Tuesday. If convicted as a youthful offender, the girl could be offered parole after only 15 months. As an adult, she could have faced life in prison.
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