Oklahoma County sheriff’s deputies look for man who robbed convenience store
The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in finding a man who robbed a convenience store Dec. 5.
Officials said the robbery occurred at a convenience store located near the intersection of I-35 & Waterloo Road. The armed man is described as 24 years of age, 5-foot-8-inches tall, weighing between 140-160 pounds and possibly has blue eyes. The man was wearing a dark jacket with large paisley emblems all over it.
If you have information regarding the robbery please contact the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office at (405) 713-1006.
Rinehart: ‘Too many hurdles’ to overcome in re-election bid
It’s official: The voters have fired Brent Rinehart.
With all precincts reporting, Rinehart received only 21 percent of the vote. That wasn’t enough to make it to the Republican runoff for his District 2 Oklahoma County commissioner seat.
Reached in the lobby of a movie theater, where he was attempting to watch “The Dark Knight” with his girlfriend, Rinehart reflected on what cost him his job in tonight’s primary election.
“Too many hurdles. Mountain too high. Too many battles,” Rinehart said. “You hope throughout everything that the public sees and understands and so you do your best, and I’ve done my best.”
Rinehart said there’s more work to be done before he leaves office, starting tomorrow morning at the weekly board of county commissioners meeting.
– John Estus
Caudill looks ahead after election win
Carolynn Caudill, speaking from a watch party at an employee’s upscale home in Bethany:
“We have lots to do,” she said of the next four years.
About the campaign, she said, “It was brutal. It was very difficult for me when I know that lies are being told about me and it’s very expensive to counter them … I believe in the people of Oklahoma County and they believe in me, apparently.”
– Nolan Clay
Johnston: ‘I’m happy to be in the runoff’
At a watch party in Bethany, J.D. Johnston said he’s glad to be in the runoff against Brian Maughan for the Oklahoma County District 2 commissioner seat.
“I’d rather have won, but this gives me another chance. So, of course, I’m happy to be in the runoff now,” Johnston said.
He said about Maughan: “I’m not really knocking him. I just want to offer out my experience that I’ve had — the 10 years that I was with the city of Bethany. I was a councilman for three years and mayor for seven years.”
– Nolan Clay
Dickinson wins Dist. 2 Democratic race; Maughan, Johnston in GOP runoff; Caudill victorious
No love lost
Regardless of who wins the Oklahoma County clerk’s race, the animosity between the two candidates isn’t likely to subside.
County Clerk Carolynn Caudill and her opponent, Stan Inman, have a long history going back to Inman’s time as District 3 Commissioner.
Caudill was no fan of Inman’s predecessor, Stuart Earnest, and the two started off well enough after Inman won the commissioner’s seat in 2002. But their relationship deteriorated quickly once Inman took office.
The two clashed over Caudill’s desire to share software with other county clerks in the state, and as is common in county politics, the professional disagreement quickly became personal.
Caudill and Inman repeatedly sparred verbally at public meetings. The animosity only got worse when Inman and District 2 Commissioner Brent Rinehart decided to disband the county budget board, made up of all eight elected county officials, and put the budgeting responsibility in the hands of commissioners.
Caudill supported Ray Vaughn, a former state legislator, when he challenged Inman in the 2006 election. Vaughn won the seat easily.
When Inman decided to challenge Caudill for her job this year, not surprisingly, the campaign turned negative relatively quickly. Inman accused Caudill of releasing sensitive personal information of county property holders on her Web site, claimed she rarely showed up for work and cited a critical auditor’s report.
Caudill responded by calling Inman a liar and a “desperate man trying to deflect attention from his poor record as a county commissioner.”
So far, Caudill holds a lead over Inman.
– Bryan Dean
Maughan supporters just want 1 more percent
With two third of the precincts reporting, Brian Maughan maintained a lead with 49 percent of the vote.
Supporters hung on, waiting to see if their candidate would push past 50 percent, and thus avoid a runoff.
“One more precentage point, and we’ll get it without the runoff,” supporter Guy Smith said.
– Devona Walker
Oklahoma County races, as of 8:50 p.m.
County Clerk, 235 of 305 precincts reporting
Inman 8,399
Caudill 11,494
County commissioner Dist. 2, 80 of 96 precincts reporting
Democrats
Boyster 875
Dickinson 2,227
Saunders 1,148
GOP
Maughan 3,385
Johnston 2,178
Rinehart 1,472
Caudill celebration doubles as birthday party
Carolynn Caudill, at 8:30 p.m., said, “I’m feeling real good. But I always feel good because I think the people always know the truth.”
A cake ready to be cut at the party read, in icing, “Congratulations and Happy Birthday Carolynn.”
– Nolan Clay
Maughan supporters fawn over candidate
With more than half of all the votes counted, and with Brian Maughan receiving nearly half of those votes, the mood at his watch party was festive.
Supporters spoke of a man with a long history of public service.
“Brian is a really good man. he’s always taking care of people,” said Kim Rietz. She was a mail carrier and saw Maughan, at age 14, as a caregiver to an elderly couple in the neighborhood.
“Every time I’d take their mail to them, he was there with them, helping them write letters, anything they needed. Brian was a person they counted on,” she said.
– Devona Walker
