Flashbacks

Aug. 23, 1995

Local Ambulance Service Ahead of Times

Machine Gives Heart Attack Victims Survival Chance

Cordell Memorial Hospital Director Charlie Greene and Ambulance Director Jim Scott saw four years ago the need to give heart attack patients a better chance of survival. They invested $7,000 into a technological device called a semi-automatic defibrillator.

Over the last four years, the 20-pound, briefcase-sized portable pack has been used 150 times and according to scott has been successful in restarting the patient’s heart 25% of the time.

Scott, who recently became one of the seven defibrillator master trainers in the state, said the machine gives the heart a shock after cardiac arrest. It can only be used when the patient is showing no signs of a heartbeat.

Until this year, the CMH ambulance was the only small community hospital west of 1-35 to carry a defibrillator. However, Their use is so vital to emergency calls, that the Oklahoma State Department of Health has passed a rule that all Emergency Technicians be defibrillator certified, or be in training, by the beginning of 1996. CMH is ahead of the pack, by having eight of 11 EMT’s already certified. The remaining three will be getting certified on August 26th.

Scott said the machine gives “everyone a better chance of survival” because it saves precious minutes in the time it takes to get to the hospital. With the defibrillator the work restarting the heart begins in the ambulance.

Scott, who teaches EMT training at the Western Technology Center in Burns Flat, has been helping other area hospitals and ambulance services establish defibrillator training. He is Currently working with hospitals in Mangum, Carnegie, and Vici and also the community ambulance service of Burns Flat and Sentinel.

Operators are retrained, in a four hour course, every three months.

Mooney Murder Trial Rescheduled

The first degree murder trial of Jerry Dewayne Mooney will continue this week and on into next week inside the third floor courtroom of the Washita County Courthouse.

The 18-year-old Mooney is accused of killing 93-year-old Richard Turley during a 1993 robbery at Turley’s Canute home. Mooney is currently serving 20 years in the Department of Oklahoma Corrections system for the robbery.

Turley died six months after the beating and after Mooney and Rickey Dawn Fletcher, a co-defendant, were convicted of the robbery.

Former Washita County Assistant District Attorney Luther Cowan, who is the case’s lead prosecutor, said he expects the 12 person jury to decide Mooney’s fate sometime next week.

Cowan said the state is seeking the death penalty for Mooney, who is being represented by Oklahoma City Attorney Sherry Wallace.

Fetcher will have a jury trial in the fall, according to Cowan.

Aug. 27, 1970

County’s Vote to Hall, Steed

Washita County gave whopping vote majorities to David Hall for governor and Tom Steed for congress in Tuesday’s primary election.

The county also returned a big “no” vote against the state question that would have abolished the state legislative apportionment commission. The official vote was 1,811 no and 1,059 yes.

Lt. Gov. George Nigh, running for reelection, led the Democratic ticket at Tuesday’s primary. He garnered 2,472 votes and Jack K. Gillespie 548. He even outdrew two home county men-- Rep. Don R. Greenhaw, who received 2,274 votes, and James V. Son, who had 2,233.

For governor, Hall with 1,761 outdrew all three of his opponents-- Bryce Baggett with 565, Wilburn Cartwright 511 and Joe Cannon 362. Evidently Cannon’s campaign for liquor-by-the-drink did not appeal to Washita county voters.

Dr. Lesie R. Fisher, Moore school superintendent who has many friends in this area, received 1,866 votes and his opponent, Charles D. Holleyman, Mustang school superintendent, had 778.

Congressman Steed walked away from his two opponents. He had 2,091 votes to 798 for Keith Myers and 154 for Owen Trotter,

Robert L. Bailey, Norman attorney, was the leader in Washita County for the new fourth district court of appeals office. Bailey received 1,201 votes. Haskell A. Holloman of Anadarko was second high with 893.

Washita County Commissioner Ed Piercey won re-election over two opponents and State Representative Don Greenhaw was re-elected to the legislature, but two other county races remained uncertain. Harold W. Cooper, former deputy sheriff, held a 21-vote lead over Sheriff Clifford (Skip) Hines, who said Wednesday morning he was “thinking about asking for a recount.” It would take a chanage of only 11 votes to reverse the situation. In the three-way state senater race in District 26, James V. Son of Cordell missed the runoff by only 103 votes, according to unofficial tabulations from the four counties - Washita, Kiowa, Harmon and Greer. The three-way court clerk’s raced headed for a runoff between Nita Medlin Upton of Cordell and Alvin Ernst of Bessie. Also in a runoff will be State Representative David Hutchens of Hobart and Gilmer N. Capps of Snyder for the state senate seat being vacated by veteran Senator Byron Dacus of Hobart. The court clerk and state senate races were to be the only ones on the runoff ballot September 15 that would have had particular local interest.

Car Injures City Woman

Mrs. Moneta Hobbs, 71 , was struck by a car driven by Randell E. Lee, 16, at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at the southeast corner of the Cordell Courthouse.

Deputy Sheriff Bob Lee, who was with his son in the car, siad Randell was attempting a left turn onto market when the sun obscured his vision so he did not see Mrs. Hobbs as she crossed Market street from the TG&Y store to the mailbox on the square.

Mrs Hobbs was taken to the Cordell Memorial Hospital with bruises and possible internal injuries. She remained at the hospital under observation and was reported in fair to good condition.

Car Mishap Injures Two

A two-car collision on highway 152 in Cordell last Saturday is reported by the Washita County Sheriff’s Office .

According to the sheriff’s department, a Ford Falcon belonging to Ruell Flatt and driven by David Penner made a left turn at a corner of North Fleming and East Main into the path of a Chevrolet driven by Gerald Alexander of Dill City.

Penner and Flatt were treated at Cordell Memorial Hospital.

Flatt is in satisfactory condition and under observation for possible back and internal injuries.

Deputy Sheriff Bob Lee reported that Penner is in county jail with minor scratches. Penner is being held on a charge of driving while intoxicated, Lee reported.

Both cars were damaged.

Girl Has Close Brush With Death

Valerie Stafford was taking Linda and Kathy Long to scholl Monday when she lost control of the 1968 Buick she was driving on a bridge a half mile south of Cordell. The car spun and rolled off the bridge into the rear of a hay truck. The truck bed slid up the trunk of the car, through the rear window, and over the head of Kathy. She was cut loose from the truck and taken to Cordell Memorial Hospital for observation.