This Sunday is the 18th annual Sunday Dinner Fundraiser for the local pregnancy centers. A meal of brisket or pork loin, new potatoes in green beans, garden salad, homemade rolls, chocolate cake or cobbler will be served from 12 to 1:30 at the Methodist Enrichment Center on the corner of 6th & Quinn. It will be a free-will donation event. The Hope Pregnancy Center here in Guymon and the New Hope Center in Beaver invite you to come and enjoy a delicious meal and fellowship.

It comes around every year, with a message of hope, unity, peace and goodwill toward all people.
One tradition has continued to spread, and offers people the opportunity to look into the truest meaning of the holiday. Giving a message and a gift to those who need it the most.
Operation Christmas Child, one of the programs conducted by Christian organization Samaritan’s Purse, collects shoebox sized packages filled with small gifts, hygiene items and a message of hope and salvation to children in developing regions throughout the world.
Collection week ends at noon on Monday, Nov. 21, so make sure to get your boxes packed and delivered to Guymon’s Church of the Nazarene, located at 2214 N. Sunset Lane in Guymon. For more information, contact Jill Johnson through the church at (580)338-3553. More information on Operation Christmas Child can be found online at samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child.
For full details and the full story, grab Tuesday's GDH paper.

This gentleman is walking across the United States to carry a cross and a message of unity to his fellow countrymen. It is a message some share with him, but only a few are willing to go out of the way to carry it to people face-to-face.

James Anania started off in Los Angeles with a flight to Washington, D.C. with one thing in mind - the division between Americans. As Americans become more divided over topics including sports, religion and politics. Traversing the highways, Anania hopes to encourage people to unite with one another, rather than remaining divided with the divisive arguments led by national media. A month ago, he passed through Wichita, Kansas. This week, he passed through the Oklahoma panhandle.

The trip began on Father's Day with the motivation to follow Christian values such as loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself.

Anania has expressed his concerns about the nation turning to martial law as people continue to divide and fight against one another, giving those in authority reason to chip away at freedoms. He has stated his being a Christian isn't what matters, rather, but following the values that faith teaches.

Anania hopes to return home by Christmas.

While there is some contention on the state level as to whether the current system of testing and school report cards offers useful information for districts, schools still received their report cards this year. Some talk even took place asking whether this year’s report cards should be released.
This was part of the discussion at Monday evening’s regular school board meeting - a three hour long meeting with presentations from principals and lengthy discussion about how to bring performance up in Guymon’s schools.
Every report card received for the district had the schools dropping in their scores - with Academy Elementary taking the biggest hit with a 13 point drop.
For the full story, be sure to grab today's paper.

A Tyrone man recently received a FedEx Humanitarian Award for performing CPR on an injured man - who was in a September wreck - in an attempt to save his life near Liberal, Kansas.
Jim King of Tyrone, Oklahoma, was recognized for his heroism in assisting a person in need - Ramiro Palacio-Castillo, 25, of Great Bend, Kansas.
Kansas Highway Patrol reported on Sep. 17 around 5 a.m., a 2005 Chrysler 300 - driven by Palacio-Castillo - and a tractor-trailer were traveling east on U.S. Highway 54, about
two miles east of Liberal.
KHP said Palacio-Castillo failed to see the tractor-trailer making a left turn due to foggy conditions and struck the rear of the trailer.
About 30 seconds after the wreck, King said he was driving through the fog that he described as highly dangerous, noticed the wrecked vehicles and pulled to the side of the
road.
“It was obvious to me that it was a severe accident,” King said. “When I got to the vehicle, I noticed an occupant (Palacio-Castillo) slumped over.”
For the full story, be sure to grab today's paper.

Congratulations to you all!

The Rose Garden Club is proud to continue their annual tradition of the Christmas tree fundraiser by celebrating their past President and Northwest District President, Mary Ann Montano, with the theme of “Christmas Rose.” Organizer of this year’s Christmas tree is Mary Ann’s granddaughter and RGC member, Anna Marie Montano, who incorporated the help of fellow Rose Garden Club members, Dee Naifeh, Katrina Akers, Bailey Akers and Diana McDaniel. A very special thank you to these special ladies that captured Mary Ann’s favorite flower during her favorite holiday season.
This years proceeds will go to the 2015 - 2017 president’s project of beautification at the Guymon Municipal Airport per current RGC President Marlene Brown and project organizer and RGC member, Jill Johnson.
As in years past, the Christmas tree is on display at the Bank of the Panhandle where it will remain until the drawing, which will be held on Sunday, December 5th.
Your donation to help beautify Guymon may be made at the following locations: Bank of the Panhandle, Guymon Vision Clinic, Naifeh’s Steakhouse, Tiger Auto Sales, Farmer’s Market, Wal-Mart and from any Rose Garden Club member.

As the debate on teacher pay in Oklahoma continues, Guymon Public Schools is looking at ways to keep teachers in the district. Discussions on coaching, pay, and even positive reinforcement for a job well done was offered up as parts of the solution to retaining teachers.
While discussions appeared fruitful and furthered talk on what can be done to encourage educators remaining in Guymon, one action was taken by the Board of Education this month in a bid to keep teachers longer than a single year of instruction.
At the front of the talks, the board, principals and the district superintendent discussed the best ways to not only retain teachers, but to assist new teachers with the tools and skills that could help them become more successful in the classroom. From a teaching coach to assist with tools and lesson planning, extending and adding inservice days, and even possibly contract signing stipend bonuses, administrators and the board of education hopes to retain teachers and assist them with what they need to help their students be successful.
To read the full story, be sure to grab today's paper.

Guymon Fire Department said an early Saturday morning fire resulted in a total destruction of a Guymon home. Guymon Firefighters responded to a 911 call at 917 N.E. 24th St. The owner of the home reported the fire at 4:22 a.m.
“As fire units approached the scene, flames could be seen arising over the trees from the roof of the home,” said GFD Assistant Fire Chief Grant Wadley.
Home owners, Eladio and Christina Nunez, were asleep at the time the fire broke out and were woken up by smoke entering their bedroom. They were both able to get out of the home safely and call 911.
“Heavy fire conditions were present on firefighters arrival with the entire south and east sides of the home completely involved in flames,” Wadley stated.
GFD Fire Chief Dean McFadden said the area has limited water in the area. More GFD trucks were requested to prevent the fire from spreading.
“There’s just no fire hydrants to hook up to there as well,” McFadden said. “We sprayed water but it was too big of a fire.”
Guymon firefighters called upon Goodwell and Hooker Fire Departments to assist in this blaze due to limited access to hydrants in this location.
It took firefighters about one hour to bring the fire under control and another two hours to extinguish remaining hot areas.
Fire investigation of this blaze found that a heat lamp left on in the garage came in contact with combustible materials, then began to spread to other items in the garage including two parked vehicles. The home and all contents of the home were a complete loss. Early estimated cost of this fire is over $200,000.
Water tanker units from Goodwell, Hooker, and Texas County District #2 were all used in supplying water to the fire units at the scene.
“Location from 24th street, limited access to the home from only one direction, and limited water supply in the beginning made this fire very difficult for firefighters,” Wadley said.
No injuries were reported and Red Cross has been contacted for this family.
In addition to Goodwell and Hooker Firefighters, Guymon Firefighters were also assisted by Guymon Police Department, Texas County Emergency Management, Tri-County Electric, and the Guymon Utilities Authority.

A man is wanted out of Texas County for allegedly rapping his teen daughter 20 times and impregnating her with a child that now needs medical care for multiple health issues.
Court records show a warrant is issued for Pedro Ramos-Guico, 41, on two charges of rape in the second degree with lewd molestation in the alternative and one count of incest charges.
The affidavit filed in court lists 20 instances of rape, as Ramos-Guico is alleged to have raped his daughter starting when she was 14 years old in homes the family resided in both Guymon and Altus, Oklahoma.
Suspicions were brought into the open when the victim gave birth to a child with multiple medical issues which required genetic testing. The testing is noted to be standard procedure in court documents. The genetic testing indicated to medical professionals that the father of the child is a close relative, noting to officers investigating that the father was either a parent or brother of the victim in the case. The infant has undergone surgery in an Oklahoma City medical facility for an unspecified heart condition.
The outstanding arrest warrant has a bond set for $200,000 as requested by the state, with the condition that he has no contact with the victim.
Online records show Ramos-Guico has been arrested in Altus on charges of incest in Jackson County, and is scheduled to stand for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 14 at 9:30 a.m. The Oklahoma Indigent Defense System has been appointed as his defense counsel there.
Grab tomorrow's paper for the full story.

Utility rates are rarely an easy topic for councils to approach, and it is a matter the Guymon City Council has not touched since 2009. On Nov. 17, discussion about what to do with the current rates moving forward took place during a special council meeting.
Interim City Manager Larry Mitchell noted that an adjustment of utility rates could be necessary simply to continue to cover the cost of operations. Three options for rate increases were presented to council, including increases for sewer and water services.
"Over the last six weeks, we have been providing council with information in regards to our current utility rates," Mitchell said. "We believe it is necessary to proceed with adjusting those rates to at least cover the cost of operations for the water treatment plant, sewer treatment plant, maintenance of our collection systems and the operation of our sanitation service."
Mitchell rendered his recommendation to council, presenting the options for council and those in attendance at the meeting.
The new rates were approved unanimously by council to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2017.
Read the full story in today's paper.

After a Guymon family lost their home to a fire last weekend, the boy’s friends and teammates came together to raise money, gathering $5,800 in donations. Noel Nunez’s teammates went door-to-door Monday evening and accepted monetary donations to his family.
The boys basketball team and boys and girls cross country teams raised about $3,900 during the two-hours Monday night.
Guymon High School’s Student Council donated their $400 earned from a hat day fundraiser and gave a $1,000 donation. GHS National Honor Society donated $500.
Noel and his parents lost everything after a fire broke out from their home, located at 917 N.E. 24th St.
Guymon Fire Department said the house was completely destroyed and early estimates showed over a $200,000 loss. Guymon firefighters responded to the fire at 4:22 a.m. Saturday. On arrival, GFD saw flames coming from the roof of the home and said the area was limited to fire hydrants and water. Goodwell and Hooker firefighters were called to assist in putting out the blaze due to the limited access to hydrants in the location. Fire investigators said a heat lamp left on in the garage came in contact with combustible materials, causing the fire to spread to other items in the garage including two parked vehicles.
The home and contents of the home were a complete loss.

Now is the time to give back to communities with #GivingTuesday kicking off the charitable season all around the world today.
#GivingTuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year. One of the best ways to get involved is in your own community. Guymon provides several opportunities to get involved with giving back to local organizations and charities.
People can donate to Loaves and Fishes and Oaks and Mamre.
Also, City Bank and Trust Company is having it’s Star Children Program for the holidays. Their star tree has 101 children who are in need this holiday season.
Oklahoma Panhandle State University’s Images Art Club is doing their annual Angel Tree event. The Angel Tree is located inside the Student Union Building right outside The Grill in Goodwell. The Angel Tree Drop-Off box is located upstairs in Hesper Hall by the front door.

As November wraps up, the deadline for Excellence in Ag scholarship applicants will come to a close Thursday, Dec. 1. Students in agriculture based studies are encouraged to apply for a scholarship. It isn’t just any scholarship, but one that could give one exemplary student $4,200 to help with the cost of college.
Soon-to-be high school graduates have the opportunity to get $4,200 in scholarships by filling out an application. The application is found online at agfuture.org/scholarships under the AFA Community Leader and Academic Scholarship link.
Requirements for the scholarship include: must be pursuing a degree in an agricultural field - the Occupational Guide for Agriculture lists nearly 200 agricultural careers; student must remain in good standing, as defined by their governing institution, during first semester to receive second semester funds; applications and essay must be completed by the student applying for the scholarship.
Criteria include an essay on the applicant’s personal vision for agriculture and why they are interested in an ag career, an interview where the applicant reinforces the vision shared in the essay, community service exhibiting a commitment to community, student group activities showing effectiveness in roles as a leader or team member, general factors including work experience, student potential, family needs and consideration of scholarships and grants, and scholarship with student rank and GPA. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.
The top five finalists will be asked to provide reference letters from two people outside of family stating why the applicant deserves a scholarship. Reference letters must be 500 words or fewer.
Before applying, students must either be a resident of Texas County, attend high school in Texas County, or the student’s parents must own or operate an ag business (farm or ranch) in Texas County.
Sponsor businesses and individuals are encouraged to contact the Guymon Chamber of Commerce to discuss sponsorships for the Excellence in Ag scholarship program. Deadline for applications is Dec. 1, 2016, with the Excellence in Ag event taking place on Jan, 26, 2017. Scholarships will be awarded at the banquet.
For more information, contact the Guymon Chamber of Commerce at (580)338-3376 or email jada@guymonokchamber.com.

The Guymon Community Theatre has a tradition of presenting classic stage performances every holiday season, and 2016 continues the tradition with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
The production is set to hit the stage Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.; Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.; Dec. 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 each.
The Guymon Community Theatre is located at 413 N. Main St. For tickets, call (580)338-0019 and leave a voicemail for reservations. Tickets will also be sold at the door, but don’t wait to get yours, as Christmas performances sell out quickly!

It's time for the Christmas Open House in downtown Guymon tonight! From 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., holiday shoppers will be able to take advantage of downtown businesses staying open late, offering specials for the biggest shopping night of the year in town! Bricktown carriage rides, a $1,000 cash drawing, ugly sweater contest and so much more is on! Join in and find some of the best unique Christmas gift shopping deals! We hope to see you there!

Monday morning brought a request from Memorial Hospital of Texas County in the form of $125,000 in assistance to be approved by the county commissioners.
Commissioner Jack Strain indicated he had received information that Little River Healthcare has spent $355,000 over the original $500,000 originally agreed upon by contract. The county agreed to match another $500,000, of which $125,000 remained before Monday.
To read the full story and learn more details, pick up today's paper.

One of the big news stories of 2016 has been the long-awaited opening of a federally funded clinic in Guymon, serving the portion of the community lacking insurance, or even those who are simply having trouble finding a medical provider.
During the presentation, CEO Sarah Wagner reminded the group the Panhandle Counseling and Health Center (PCHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Clinic (FQHC), and is a recipient of federal grant funding as a result of that qualification.
“We are actually in the process of finishing the application for the next three years of funding. Our current grant goes through May 2017, and then there shouldn’t be any reason we don’t continue to get funding,” Wagner said.
For the full story, grab tomorrow's paper.

A Beaver teacher was arrested Friday on a rape first degree charge for allegedly having sex with a high school student, court records show.
Jonathan Michael Hampton, 31, not only faces a rape first degree charge, but a a felony penalty for violation of Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act. Court records show Hampton was snap chatting with a Beaver High School student.
Beaver Superintendent Scott Kinsey said Hampton is suspended from the school and that the suspension will continue until proceedings are done. Hampton was a high school coach and math teacher.
Hampton was bonded out Saturday. His hearing date is scheduled 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Pick up today's paper to read the full story.