Cleanup crews were busy this week clearing the future site of a new four-story Canadian County Courthouse at 201 N. Choctaw.

A 112,407-square-foot building will be constructed where M&M Wrecking recently demolished the county’s 63-year-old Administration Building.

A groundbreaking ceremony is set Feb. 9 for the new courthouse build.

County commissioners are scheduled to consider a guaranteed maximum price at their Feb. 2 meeting. Lingo Construction is the project’s construction manager.

Crafton Tull Foundation has awarded Blessing Baskets a $2,000 grant.

The Crafton Tull Foundation supports community service initiatives of Crafton Tull employees by pooling their resources and directing them to charitable organizations that resonate with their team members.

Crafton employee Julie Slaymaker volunteers for Blessing Baskets.

She contacted Donna Dyer, Blessing Baskets Director of Community Relations to complete the grant application. 

Blessing Baskets continues to serve those in need in western Canadian County through various programs.

A ballot measure going before Oklahoma voters calls for imposing a dramatic increase in the state’s mandatory minimum wage with continued, rapid escalation based on the cost of living in urban centers in states like California and New York.

State Sen. Kristen Thompson, whose family operates two restaurants, warns the real-world impact of that proposal will not align with pie-in-the-sky promises made by advocates of the California-style wage plan.