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DEATH NOTICES FROM A17 — Olen Ray Leach, 72, former Claremore Wrecker and Transmission Service owner, died Wednesday in Claremore. Visitation 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Rice Funeral Service, Claremore, and service 2 p.m. Monday, Destiny Life Church, Claremore. Collinsville — Marvin Clifford Shoulders, 89, rodeo cowboy, died Thursday. Memorial service 2 p.m. Saturday, Shoulders residence. Reynolds. Commerce — Vivian Viola Kaze, 95, licensed practical nurse, died Friday. Private family services. AdamsCrest Cremation, Tulsa. Cushing — Jack Clark, 86, retired businessman, died Friday. Graveside service 1 p.m. Saturday, Euchee Valley Memorial Park. Davis. Dewey — Dorothy E. Haines, 88, died Friday in Bartlesville. Services pending. Walker-Brown, Bartlesville. Drumright — Lorene Greene, 76, homemaker, died Tuesday. Service 2 p.m. Monday, First United Methodist Church. Michael’s. Enid — Melvin D. Bloss, 52, real estate agent, died Thursday. Service 2 p.m. Monday, Oakwood Christian Church. Brown-Cummings. Evansville, Ark. — Jason L. Griffin, 54, carpenter, died Thursday. Service 10 a.m. Tuesday, Hart Funeral Home Chapel, Stilwell. Henryetta — Ruby Ann (Henry) Shellenberger, 94, former Okmulgee Loan and Collection Agency employee, died Friday. Services pending. Sien-Shelton, Skiatook. Independence, Kan. — Marjorie I. Weaver, 71, died Thursday. Celebration of life 1 p.m. Tuesday, Cathedral of Praise. Penwell-Gabel Webb & Rodrick. Mannford — Wilma J. Gentry, 89, St. John Medical Center registered nurse, died Thursday. Services pending. Floral Haven, Broken Arrow. McAlester — Audie Shields, 69, auto mechanic, died Thursday. Service 1 p.m. Monday, Peaceable Valley Church. ChaneyHarkins. Miami — Albert J. Kuntz, 73, accountant, died Thursday in Commerce. Rosary 6 p.m. Sunday and funeral Mass 2 p.m. Monday, both at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Paul Thomas. Muskogee — Helen R. Sokolik, 97, homemaker, died Monday. Service 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Grace Episcopal Church. Foster-Petering. Owasso — John Albert Henbest III, 58, teacher and musician, died Friday. Private family services. AdamsCrest Cremation, Tulsa. Panama — Carol (Moore) Sisco, 73, caregiver, died Wednesday. Service 2 p.m. Monday, Free Will Baptist Church. Evans & Miller, Poteau. Prague — Mildred Lois (Good) Stricklin, 85, dairy farmer, died Thursday. Service 2 p.m. Saturday, Parks Brothers Funeral Service Chapel. Prue — Vera “Punkin” PattersonCavin, 69, retired from Dick Conner Correctional Center, died Thursday. Service 2 p.m. Monday, Prue Baptist Church. Chapman-Black, Cleveland, Okla. Pryor — Madison Mae Fuller, infant daughter of Kimberly and Michael Fuller, died Jan. 17 in Tulsa. Service 2 p.m. Monday, Stephens Funeral Home Chapel. — Josephine Madole, 90, homemaker, died Friday. Services pending. Shipman’s. Rose — Maxine D. Baldridge, 86, homemaker, died Friday. Memorial graveside service 2 p.m. Tuesday, Rose Cemetery. Key, Locust Grove. Sapulpa — Nikki Brown, 58, Creek Nation Tulsa Bingo employee, died Wednesday. Graveside service 2 p.m. Monday, Green Hill Memorial Gardens. Smith. Sedan, Kan. — Martha R. Gibbons, 72, died Wednesday. Services pending. Stumpff, Bartlesville, Okla. Stilwell — Harold Wayne “Boogie” Johnston, 72, Air Force veteran, formerly of Stilwell, died Jan. 19 in Irving, Texas. Graveside service 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, Dallas. Brown’s, Irving. Tahlequah — Raymonde E. Wilson, 79, homemaker, died Wednesday. Service 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Reed-Culver Funeral Home Chapel, and graveside service 1 p.m. Tuesday, Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Fort Gibson. — Barbara Wright, 74, waitress, died Thursday in Muskogee. Visitation noon-6 p.m. Sunday and service 2 p.m. Monday, both at Reed-Culver Funeral Home. Yale — Joshua Reams, 27, construction worker, died Tuesday. Funeral Mass 2 p.m. Monday, Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Cushing. Davis. Wagoner — Robert “Bob” Cleeland, 62, teacher and coach, died Thursday in Tulsa. Memorial service 2 p.m. Jan. 29, Mallett Funeral Home Chapel. Westville — Verlene Bradford Knepp, 79, retired educator, died Thursday. Visitation 6-8 p.m. Monday and service 10 a.m. Tuesday, both at Roberts Funeral Home.
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A 17
Sullivan opposes extending debt ceiling • The Republican congressman says at two town hall meetings that he is leaning toward voting against it.
“I am leaning toward not voting for the debt ceiling,” he said. “One idea that makes sense but I doubt will happen is that we raise it on a monthly basis. We’ll raise the debt ceiling, but you also have to cut.” The $14.3 trillion federal debt limit is expected to be
reached within a few months; at about the same time, a temporary spending bill allowing the federal government to continue without a new budget expires. Some conservatives say the national debt is already becoming unmanageable and the ceiling should not be
raised. The Obama administration and, quietly, some Republicans argue that not raising the ceiling will bring government to a halt and cause the U.S. to default on some financial obligations. The debt ceiling has been raised regularly since the late 1950s and 12 times in the past 15 years. Although the national debt’s dollar figure is at an all-time high — and is high by recent historical standards — as a share of the economy, it is well below the record postWorld War II levels. “To raise our debt ceiling right now, I’m concerned about that,” Sullivan said, comparing the process to raising the credit card limit of someone already over his head in debt. “It is going to be painful, but we need to go ahead and go to the bottom so we can bounce back up,” he said. Friday’s two town halls
bled the corn-based ethanol mandate despite mounting questions about ethanol’s compatibility with existing The waiver was engines, its economic sustainability, its environmental issued after a data impact and its transportation review, the EPA says. needs. Inhofe said Oklahomans FROM A15 have expressed concerns, adding that he plans on refuels issues since passage of introducing legislation to rethe 2007 energy bill.’’ spond to market demands on He said that measure dou- when and where consumers
prefer clear gas. In announcing her agency’s move on Friday, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the decision waiving a limitation on so-called E15 fuel came after a review of testing and other available data. “Recently completed testing and data analysis show that E15 does not harm emissions control equipment in newer cars and light trucks,’’ Jackson said.
“Wherever sound science and the law support steps to allow more home-grown fuels in America’s vehicles, this administration takes those steps.’’ The EPA said it continues to review public comments for an E15 pump label to help consumers use the correct fuel. The EPA in October approved a waiver allowing the use of E15 for 2007 and
BY RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
First District Congressman John Sullivan said Friday that he will probably vote against extending the federal debt limit. “They’re putting a lot of pressure on us right now,” Sullivan said during a town hall meeting in Collinsville. “Our leadership, some want to do a debt ceiling, some don’t. … I’m not for it. … Raising the debt ceiling today, I’m not leaning that way.” The Oklahoma Republican repeated his statement two hours later at Hardesty Regional Library in south Tulsa.
U.S. Rep. John Sullivan drew a crowd of about 100 people to a town hall meeting Friday at Hardesty Regional Library. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World
EPA:
were the first for Sullivan since a shooting spree in Tucson two weeks ago that killed six people and wounded 13, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. Sullivan was accompanied by a Tulsa County deputy sheriff at both town hall locations. Sullivan said the shooting was carried out by “a crazy person” and that there had been some overreaction to it. About 40 people filled the American Bank of Oklahoma Community Room for Sullivan’s Collinsville stop, and he drew an overflow crowd of about 100 people at Hardesty Regional Library. The Hardesty audience grew testy at times while challenging Sullivan and one another on such issues as health-care reform, term limits and the nature of congressional perks.
newer cars and light trucks but denied a request to allow the use of E15 for model year 2000 and older vehicles. The agency also said no waiver is being granted this year for E15 use in any motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles or nonroad engines because that action is not supported by current testing data.
Randy Krehbiel 581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com
Jim Myers (202) 484-1424 jim.myers@tulsaworld.com
Tucker Cole, 6, Preston Cole, 11, Erynn McCabe, 12, and Emily McCabe, 8, walk in a tunnel under downtown Tulsa on Friday.
SCHOOL:
“Closing school is a hard decision. It just weighs on you. But I reached a point of clarity — and it was after I fell,” he said with a laugh. Still, if too many snow days are called, students could have to make them up later. Typically, school districts tack them on to the end of the academic year. Jenks, Broken Arrow and Union school districts have five weather days built into their calendars. Owasso has four, and Tulsa just three. And another chance of snow is just around the cor-
ner on Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. An initial snow prediction for Sunday has been downgraded to a chance of drizzle. Ballard said, “The key
really was refreezing on side streets, knowing that things weren’t going to get any better by morning, plus the temperatures were very worrisome to me when you think about kids walking to
school.”
Seven area school districts refused to process the scholarships, stating that the new law violated the constitution The bill’s author has by using public money for scholarships and confiled HB 1744, which private flicted with other laws. would give the state However, the Tulsa, Owasso and Bixby school districts control, not districts. said they would process the FROM A15 scholarships after being assured by the bill’s sponsor arships for special-education that the law would be amendstudents. ed.
On Thursday, Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, filed House Bill 1744, which would, among other things, give control of the program to the state Department of Education instead of to local school districts. “Clearly, having the school districts involved won’t work,” Nelson said in a statement. “Almost since I introduced House Bill 3393 last year,
some school districts have chosen to make this a nightmare for everybody involved. Placing the State Department of Education in charge of administering the law should solve the problems created by these districts.” Other aspects of the bill include the establishment of a hotline and website to provide parents and schools with information about the program, the additional op-
tion of easier transfer between public schools and “several provisions to increase accountability,” according to the statement from Nelson. Nelson said the language introduced Thursday is not the final draft of the bill. The Legislature convenes Feb. 7.
Advocate says children are ‘bait’ in budget wars
CUTS:
Area schools plan for snow and ice, building days off into their calendars. FROM A15
Ballard said the mishap wasn’t the deciding factor to close schools Friday, but it certainly reinforced his concerns about the safety of the district’s 42,000 students.
HB 3393:
BY MICHAEL McNUTT The Oklahoman
OKLAHOMA CITY — A children’s advocacy group and others criticized the state Health Department on Friday for using children as “political bait” by threatening to cut its child abuse prevention services if the agency’s budget is cut in the next fiscal year. “We believe this is morally wrong and financially foolish,” said Linda Terrell, executive director of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. Health officials said last week that if the Health Department’s budget is cut by 5 percent in the 2012 fiscal year, which starts July 1, the Office of Child Abuse Prevention would be eliminated. Lawmakers are anticipating a budget hole of between $250 million and $600 million for the 2012 fiscal year, basically to make up for one-time money
Preston Cole, 11, reads a magazine Friday at the Central Library. His father took Preston and his siblings on an exploration of downtown Tulsa. Photos by CHRISTOPHER SMITH/Tulsa World
— savings and federal stimulus funds — used to balance this fiscal year’s budget. “We are disappointed that the state Health Department has chosen to make children political bait in this debate over budget cuts,” Terrell said. She said the Office of Child Abuse Prevention got about $3 million of the $63.7 million the Health Department received this fiscal year. The office contracts with 20 agencies and groups to provide home visitation services intended to prevent child abuse and neglect. Oklahoma is the third-worst state in the number of child deaths, she said. However, the child death rate in the state has improved in recent years. “We are making strides,” Terrell said. “But as valuable child abuse prevention efforts are cut, more Oklahoma children could be at risk.” mmcnutt@opubco.com
Agencies were asked to budget for three levels of cuts. FROM A15
that the Health Department was asked to examine how it would adjust to cuts of 5 percent, 7.5 percent and 10 percent. He said the Office of Child Abuse Prevention would be eliminated to handle the 5 percent cut and higher cuts would result in additional reductions. Over the last two years, the Health Department has had to absorb a 15 percent budget reduction. The agency has been able to spread the reductions to all of its agencies to minimize the impact, Cline said. During that time, funding for the Office of Child Abuse Prevention was reduced by less than 5 percent. But if further cuts have to be made, that approach will
no longer work. “Rather than weakening all the infrastructure across the state we have to be surgical with those cuts,” he said. Because the department is required to deliver core public services such as disease and outbreak response, further cuts would compromise its ability to keep the public safe, Cline said. “It’s a very important service in the state and would be painful and meeting a short-term need and wouldn’t be a long-term solution,” he said. “The concern is it would drive up child abuse in the state over time and years down the road you’ll see more kids needing services. You’re postponing those costs into the future and you also have the human tragedy.” Doherty met with Cline this week to discuss the situation. “I feel better knowing that he’s at the helm but worse because there doesn’t seem to be any solution to preserve this service for our vulnerable chil-
Kim Archer 581-8315
kim.archer@tulsaworld.com
Andrea Eger 581-8470
andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com
Jerry Wofford 581-8310
jerry.wofford@tulsaworld.com
dren, most under the age of 1, who don’t have a voice, can’t run away and don’t know what’s happening to them,” she said. “The state budget looks so bleak. I always try to look for a winwin situation and I don’t see any,” she said. “If OCAP is cut, children will suffer. If it’s not cut, other vulnerable populations’ services will suffer.” Doherty added that public and private funding is needed because there is a public responsibility for the safety of children, and one stream of revenue can’t cover the costs. “There is a moral obligation to take care of the vulnerable populations. I don’t see that we always act in ways to put our money where our mouth is,” she said. “Put your state dollars, however little you have, to work where your moral obligations lie.” The Oklahoman contributed to this story. Mike Averill 581-8489
mike.averill@tulsaworld.com