Edmondson Lawton Constitution 1-19-14

JANUARY 19, 2014
THE SOURCE FOR INFORMATION IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA
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GONE FISHIN
Who will file for US Senate seat?

BY STEPHEN ROBERTSON
STAFF WRITER [email protected]
WHATS INSIDE
LOCAL
Conservation needed
Cameron University professor Jerry Dodd gave a crash course on the realities of the world's water supply Saturday.
See story, 3A
MICHAEL D. POPE/STAFF
Professor advocates websites

Cameron University music professor Thomas Lab is working to take classroom technology beyond "death by PowerPoint."
Area residents bundle up and hit the Lake Lawtonka dam Saturday morning for some early-morning fishing. Fishing season is in full swing in the Medicine Park area and warm temperatures have provided prime conditions for weekend outings. The warm temperatures are expected to continue today before a slight cool down.
See story, 6A
BUSINESS
Burch named to post

Debra Burch likes getting a lot of people together to get things done, and she'll have even more opportunities this year as chairman of the board for the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Man restores breech-loading rifle at museum

BY MITCH MEADOR
See story, 1B
Openings eyed
More than one establishment on Northwest 2nd Streets plans a March opening.
See story, 1B
SPORTS
On the rebound
The Aggie women went on the road and upset LSC leader Tarleton State University, 69-64, on Saturday.
See story, 1C
Sooners pull upset

The 25th-ranked Sooners rallied with a big run in a 66-64 victory Saturday at No. 12 Baylor, which had won 13 straight at home.
In the years he served as curator of artillery for the Fort Sill Museum, Lynden Couvillion always knew the 3.18-inch Breech-Loading Chambered Rifle was special. Now, thanks to him, visitors who tour the Field Artillery Museum can see exactly how it was loaded. It was Couvi who brought this important artillery piece to my attention and suggested restoring it for exhibit in the museum, Field Artillery Museum Director Gordon Blaker said. As the Armys first breech-loading artillery piece, it is a significant gun in the development of technology and artillery history. The story begins not with the rifle itself, but its predecessor, which is also on display in the south gallery of the museum. Thats the 3-inch Ordnance Rifle, which was in widespread use during the Civil War and saw service from 1861 to 1907. Its made out of wrought iron rather than cast iron or bronze, Couvillion explained. Its a wrought iron rod that goes through a forge, is heated quite hot, wrapped around a mandrel (a cylindrical piece of metal) and then welded, and then layers put on. Its a very strong gun, because each layer compresses the preceding layer, so its very
SEE RIFLE, 4A
COURTESY PHOTO OF ROD ROADRUCK
Lynden Couvillion, who once worked as curator of artillery for the Fort Sill Museum, is now a volunteer for the Field Artillery Museum. Hes shown here during his three-month restoration of the Armys first breech-loading artillery piece, the 3.18-inch Breech-Loading Chambered Rifle.
With filing for U.S. Sen. Dr. Tom Coburns seat less than three months away, would-be candidates have to think hard but not too long about whether to enter the fray. Coburn announced last week that he will step down after this session of Congress, leaving two years on his six-year term. Gov. Mary Fallin set the special election to fill the seat on this years regular election schedule, so candidates must file in April. No one has announced for the seat yet, but political observers are compiling lists of possible candidates, mostly on the Republican side of the ledger. Sean Sullivan of The Washington Post lists Congressmen Tom Cole, James Lankford, Jim Bridenstine and Frank Lucas, along with former Gov. Frank Keating and Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon of Lawton, as among those being mentioned. Itll be very hard to put a campaign together in the next few weeks, said Charles Kolker, chair of the Comanche County Democratic Party. Ed Petersen, chair of the Comanche County Republican Party, said prospective candidates who are already in office have an advantage. I think that the people who are in office already have war chests that they were planning on using for their re-election campaigns, he said. I think there will be a herd of Republicans lining up to go for that post, Kolker said, and theres no telling who will come up on the Democratic side. Its too early to tell. Among names mentioned on the Democratic side are former Gov. Brad Henry, former Congressman Dan Boren, former Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and former Attorney General Drew Edmondson. Wallace Collins, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said hes put out feelers for candidates; so far there have been lots of rumors, but no confirmations yet. Because there will be no incumbent in the race, he said, there may be some dark horses jump in there. Petersen is confident that the GOP which controls the Legislature, holds all statewide ofSEE SEAT, 4A
See story, 1C
STYLES
Museum plans makeover
Schools explore options for safety

BY KIM MCCONNELL
The culture, history and significance of the heartland will be presented to Southwest Oklahomans as never before when the Museum of the Great Plains undergoes substantial renovations next fall.
See story, 1D
Bears to plunge
Several Lawtonians will take the polar bear plunge next month for a good cause.
See story, 1D
School administrators and their school boards admit that student safety strongly supports the idea of safe rooms, especially in Tornado Alley. But administrators also say achieving that goal is linked to finances, and money is the stumbling block. Discussions about adding safe refuges to Oklahomas schools gained ground in 2013 in the wake of a tornado that devastated Moore during a May school day, killing seven elementary students as it destroyed or severely damaged school facilities. It wasnt Moores first brush with the worst of the worst
Moore has been hit by three times by EF4 or EF5 tornadoes since 1999 but this storm took the lives of students who were in a building where everyone assumed they would be safe. Moore Superintendent Robert Romines, who took over Moores top leadership role this past summer, described the May storm as an F5 grinder. Romines, who shared the districts problems with members of an Oklahoma House of Representatives interim study in October, said it wasnt that the district didnt expect storms: Tornadoes in 1999 and 2003 taught personnel that Oklahomas weather is harsh. But those earlier storms happened at a time when parents could retrieve their children.
Shelter from
Coming Monday
The multi-purpose room option
the storm
The May 2013 storm was fast, fierce and early. Despite that, district personnel were able to take evasive measures: Romines said that in schools where staff knew from which direction the
storm was approaching, students were moved from the west walls to safer places. Twenty-three thousand students were protected that day by our staff, he said. Moore has done what it could financially, after learning from the 1999 May tornado that crushed portions of the city, including schools. But even today, only two Moore schools have safe rooms: West Moore High and Kelly Elementary, both damaged by the 1999 twister. That was possible only because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stepped forward with funds to cover safe structures in those schools, multi-purpose rooms that have a daiSEE STORMS, 4A
INDEX
Basketball 4C Book reviews 5D Bowling 5C Bridge 3D Classifieds 1E Couples 4D Dear Abby 3D Horoscope 3D Lottery 8D Menus 3A Opinion 4B,5B Outdoor column 7C
COMING THIS WEEK

Monday
Lawtonian Tara Cevantez was nervous about getting health insurance for the first time, until she talked to an Affordable Care Act counselor. See Health
Tuesday
The annual Trail Dance Film Festival is set for Friday and Saturday but the invitations have long ago gone out. See Neighbors
Thursday
Are you ready for some chocolate with accolades? See Travel
WEATHER
Pleasant!
Todays high: 68 Tonights low: 35
6 SECTIONS
Vol. 40 No. 25 2014 Lawton Media, Inc.
Call 353-6397 to subscribe

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JANUARY 19, 2014

THE SOURCE FOR INFORMATION IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA

Who will file for US Senate seat?

Professor advocates websites

Burch named to post

Man restores breech-loading rifle at museum

Sooners pull upset

COURTESY PHOTO OF ROD ROADRUCK

Museum plans makeover

Schools explore options for safety

COMING THIS WEEK

Call 353-6397 to subscribe

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