SPORTS

Signing Day Ceremonies

B2

GA State swim Uhampionship on tap for prep athletes.

Week of Feb. 15-21, 2012 two sections, 12 pages

www.mooreamerican.corn

Volume 55, No. 07

Road crews All About Birds' program visits Moore Central Junior High allows the children to see the birds crane, African grey parrot, a barn have easy up close with a few of them also fly- owl, a black vulture, a Harris's hawk, a roadrunner, American ing over the crowd. winter so far During this program the Harris's crow, an Abyssinian ground hornStudents at Moore Central Junior
By Melissa Elder
For The American American Staff Writer

By Joel Pruett

This year's biggest snow so far has come and gone, leaving Cleveland County and Oklahoma well below snowfall numbers recorded by Will Rogers World Airport last year. The greater Norman area averaged 1.5 inches of snow from Sunday night through Monday morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Speheger said. Monday morning's snow accounts for the entire 20112012 winter season accumulation. Will Rogers Airport recorded 1.8 inches of snow for the event. Last year, the 2010-2011 winter season saw a total of 19.6 inches at Will Rogers and even higher numbers in northeastern portions of Oklahoma That doesn't mean Cleveland County road crews weren't busy. District 1 County Cornmissioner Rod Cleveland said he mobilized eight workers at 1 am. Monday to grade and sand roads within his district Rains starting around 4 am. turned snow to slush, complicating the road cleanup, he said. Larry Clore, of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, said crews were sanding highways in Beckham and Kiowa Counties late Monday afternoon.

Photo by Melissa Elder / For the American

Jennifer Reeder and a bald eagle named Bensar

High school were given a chance to view some exotic birds in a very upclose and personal way. The University of Oklahoma's George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center introduced students to a variety of birds through its "All About Birds" program. Representing the Tulsa research center were Ryan VanZant, Jennifer Reeder and Joseph Hanks. The All About Birds program

hawk, Zephyr, en route from the bill and the show stopper, a bald back of the eagle. On the Net Part of the Sutton Research Cenauditorium to suttoncenterorg th e stage, ter's conservation success came to with helping save bald eagle from decided extinction. make a stop on a student's back. In 1990 in Oklahoma alone, there VanZant and his team showed some beautiful specimen of mainly were no pairs of eagles nesting. In Oklahoma native birds, but also a 2011, with the help of the Research Center, there were 27 pairs of few foreigners. Among the birds presented by the research team were a sandhill PI- See BIRDS Page A2

PLS to close book on new library

County prisoners moved to new jail

Thumbs up:
Oklahoman Ryan Dowling was a member of the winning team from this year's Innovation Challenge, an international competition that pits graduate school student teams against one another to find creative technology solutions for businesses. Downing, currently a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University, is a 2002 graduate of Westrnoore High School and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2008. The winning team received a $20,000 prize and rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. AT&T, GE and Syngenta are major sponsors of the competition. Dowling's team was challenged to present a detailed plan for addressing questions on emerging technology and how AT&T can better connect its cloud-hosting services with mobility applications to meet the needs of small businesses. The VCU team beat out MBA teams from schools like Harvard, Dartmouth and University of California at Berkeley. Charlie Price

Photo by Melissa Elder / For The American

The Southwest Oklahoma City branch of the Pioneer Library System, near the Moore-Norman Technology Center's South Penn Campus, serves residents in northwest Cleveland County and Moore. After several delays, it is expected to open by month's end.

Newest library branch expected to open by month's end

The city of Oklahoma City is currently working with equipment manufacturers to remedy last-minute obstacles that are keeping Pioneer library System's 10th branch closed to the public. The branch, at the southwest corner of the Moore-Norman Technology Center's South Penn Campus at Southwest 124th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, serves residents in northwest Cleveland County and Moore. In spite of a ribbon-cuffing cere-

mony Dec. 2, the library is unable to open its doors to patrons because of some late deliveries and complications with electrical equipment "We're at the end of a 20-month construction process and in spite of these obstacles, we're excited, and we're pleased that the community is excited," said Lisa Wells, PLS assistant director for library services. "The library is in its final stages of completion." Kristy Yager, Oklahoma City public information officer, said the issue at the forefront of the holdup is the installment of a piece of electrical equipment called a whip, which,

essentially, is a specialized extension cord requiring professional installment The whips were supposed to arrive in conjunction with pre-wired computer furniture. Without them, crucial services such as circulation and public computer access is impossible. 'The city is currently working with the furniture manufacturer, and installment of the whips is expected within the next few days," Yager said. Additional items holding up the library's opening include delivery of

See LIBRARY Page A2

Cleveland County sheriffs deputies began moving prisoners from the detention center adjacent to the courthouse to the new F. DeWayne Beggs Detention Center at Franklin Road and U.S. 77 early Saturday morning. Undersheriff Rhett Burnett said the prisoners were being transferred about 30 at a time in a van and sheriffs cruisers. Deputies blocked the roadway near the jail as the escort vehicles and transfer cars exited the fenced yard. Burnett said about 300 prisoners were transferred Saturday. The overall transfer took roughly 8 hours, beginning at around 5 am., with the most dangerous inmates transferred first All the inmates being transferred-were pre-booked at the Beggs Detention Center to ensure a quick, smooth transition. 'The old facility is now empty and all jail operations are at the new Center," Burnett said. "I personally rode on every convoy, so I know we didn't lose anyone or experience any complications." Officials opened the 540bed jail last month. It is being paid for by a temporary sales tax that is generating more than $500,000 a month.

Veteran's School Flag Program stops at Moore High School

INSIDE
"All About Birds" Real Estate Obituaries Senior menus Wanda Billbe column
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Veterans continuing to serve Old Glory through the Veterans School Flag Program presented a flag etiquette class to students at Moore Hip School on Friday. The Veterans School Flag Program is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching students proper flag etiquette and the history of the Pledge of Alle-

giance, said Terry Fanner, flag coordinator. Flag etiquette includes everything How to help from how To get involved by to prevolunteering, donating sent the money or contributing colors to in any way, contact the Terry Fanner at meaning www.okveteransflagprogram.ccm. of each of the 13 folds of a flag being retired. The group has been spread-

ing the word about the U.S. flag to school students since 1985, he said. They have been in 367 schools during the past four years. On April 6, they will present their program to college students at the University of Central Oklahoma To fill our their corps of volunteers, the program relies on volunteer veterans to participate

Photo by Melissa Elder / For The American

Gary Hanson, left, and Vern Babcock begin folding the flag meanings of the See FLAG Page A3 13 folds is presented to the students.