Wednesday, September 13, 2017

T H E O ’ C O L LY

PAGE 3: OSU FOOTBALL PLAYER ARRESTED

W e d n e s d ay September 13, 2017

CLOSE QUARTERS City officials work to keep up with Airbnb’s rising popularity in Stillwater

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION TAKEN FROM AIRBNB.COM

AIRB N B

cover s t o ry

Without regulations from city, Airbnb gaining popularity in Stillwater Sam Holzs c h u h Staf f R epo rt er @Ho ltzue

Airbnb has risen in prominence in Stillwater as an easy way to rent out homes for a short amount of time.

The City of Stillwater does not regulate Airbnbs, but there are 82 Airbnb rentals in the Stillwater area.

Most ads for these Airbnb spaces are game day-themed to attract people who plan to visit Oklahoma State University.

The home-sharing app, like a home-rental version of Uber, allows homeowners to rent out parts of their houses to short-term visitors. Similar to a bed and breakfast, Airbnb appeals to people who want an authentic local experience instead of staying in a hotel.

Laura Rillos, a spokesperson for Airbnb, a San Francisco-based company, said the online agency provides protection for hosts and gives a fair share of taxes.

“Airbnb helps families in Stillwater turn one of their greatest expenses, their homes, into a tool to earn extra money to

help make ends meet,” Rillos said. “At the same time, Airbnb is democratizing travel by giving people visiting Stillwater and Oklahoma State University an affordable opportunity to stay closer to campus.”

Rillos said 42 percent of Airbnb guests’ spending occurs in the neighborhoods that these guests stay in, ensuring that businesses across Stillwater are benefitting from visitor spending.

Stillwater City Manager Norman McNickle said the city does not have any legal interaction or involvement in rentals, including Airbnb. He said Airbnb, similar to Amazon, voluntarily collects and remits sales and lodging taxes to the finance department of the municipality.

“The city has begun work on an ordinance to require short-term rentals to collect and remit both sales tax and lodging tax,” McNickle said. “Once the ordinance becomes effective, short term rentals will be subject to sales and lodging taxes here in Stillwater.”

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

This ordinance would legally require Airbnb to continue the tax collection it already does. McNickle said Stillwater will turn the collections to the Oklahoma Tax Commission, which will redistribute the taxes to the city.

Rillos said the proactive tax collections exemplify the investment Airbnb has in the community it services.

“Airbnb is committed to helping our community pay its fair share of taxes, which is why we have agreements to voluntarily collect and remit these taxes with more than 300 governments around the world, including the State of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City,” Rillos said. “These agreements generate meaningful revenue for communities, and we hope to reach more soon.”

McNickle said the city requires hotels to collect state and local sales taxes and lodging taxes, but Airbnb simply avoided the issue because there was no simple way to determine exactly how many short-term rentals exist in the jurisdiction.

He said there is an

issue of fundamental fairness when shortterm rentals don’t collect taxes and commercial establishments do, but electronic ads such as those on the Airbnb app, have made it much easier to identify short-term rentals and bring them into compliance.

Under the concerns of host and tenant protections, McNickle said the city has no ordinance to regulate activity with rentals.

“We cannot prevent

rental of private property,” McNickle said.

“In fact, it would be perfectly acceptable for me to rent you a bedroom of my home for months at a time. It is the short-term rentals for commercial use for which the ordinance is intended to require tax and lodging payment.”

Airbnb has initiatives to protect its hosts, including a “$1 Million Host Guarantee and Host Protection Insurance,” Rillos said. The company also requires

hosts to certify they

will comply with local rules before listing a space for rent. The intention is to ensure hosts are responsible and comfortable without legal protections.

Calls to several Stillwater-area Airbnb hosts were not returned.

Sam Holzschuh is a multimedia journalism senior from Aledo, TX and can be reached at sam. holzschuh@okstate.edu.

Ethan Sample/O’COLLY

Airbnb, an app that allows homeowners to rent out parts of their homes to short-term visitors, is popular among people who travel to Stillwater.

OCOLLY.COM

PAGE 2

c owb oy Football

S p o rt s

OSU redshirt Freshman arrested on drug charges Kelsy Schlotthauer and Dekota Gregory @Ocolly

An Oklahoma State football player was ar rested Saturday after police said they found large amounts of marijuana and cash in his dorm room.

OSU police arrested Brendan Andrew Vaughn, 18, on charges of possession of a controlled and dangerous substance with intent to distribute within 2,000 feet of a school and possession of dr ug paraphernalia.

Vaughn was redshir ting this season as a member of OSU’s 2017 recr uiting class.

He was a threestar linebacker out of Forney High School in Texas. Scout listed Vaughn as the No. 38 prospect in the country at outside linebacker and No. 6 in the state of Texas.

OSU coach Mike Gundy announced Tuesday that Vaughn was dismissed from the team Sunday, the

day after Vaughn’s ar rest.

“Obviously, I’m the guy that makes that decision,” Gundy said. “Any time you violate team r ules, then immediately, you’re off our team.”

At about 4 p.m., OSU Residential Life employees and police followed the smell of marijuana to Davis Hall, according to repor ts.

Police said they knocked on the door and rang the doorbell but there was no response.

“A strong odor of fresh marijuana” was coming from the window of the apar tment and an officer could hear a vacuum sealer r unning inside, according to the affidavit.

After police knocked on the door again, three men came out. Two men repor tedly told police they were residents and said their roommate, Vaughn, was in his room. Police asked whether they could search the apar tment for marijuana, and the two resi-

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

dents said yes.

The smell led police to Vaughn’s room, and he repor tedly gave them permission to search for marijuana.

Officers found a small pile of “green leafy substance” on the desk in front of the window and a shoebox with a vacuum-sealed food bag containing a “large” amount of what appeared to be marijuana, according to the affidavit.

Police placed Vaughn under ar rest for possession of marijuana at about 4:30 p.m.

Payne County Courthouse and continued the Brendan Vaughn, a redshirt freshman linebacker, was arrested Saturday on drug charges. search.

He was then kicked off of the OSU football team, coach Mike Gundy announced Tuesday.

In the closet, according to cour t He was released police found an afternoon and records.

Sunday. “even larger bag” pleaded not guilty.

A total of $2,119 Vaughn was of the substance in Cameron Jourdan and 708 grams, or charged Tuesday a suitcase, “sevcontributed to this eral” more vacuum- about 1 1/2 pounds, with one count of repor t. of marijuana were felony possession sealed bags of the of marijuana with substance, a safe, a seized.

Kelsy Schlotthauer is a Police transintent to distribute digital scale, and a multimedia journalism por ted Vaughn to within 2,000 feet Versace sunglasses senior from Edmond.

She can be reached at the Payne County of a school and box containing kelsyas@okstate.edu.

Jail. At the jail, he one misdemeanor more than $1,500, repor tedly told ofcharge of unlawful according to cour t Dekota Gregory is a university studies senior ficers he was unpossession of dr ug records. from Locust Grove. He employed and made paraphernalia.

Police also found can be reached at sports. the money from Vaughn appeared more than $500 in ed@ocolly.com. a dresser drawer, selling marijuana. in cour t Tuesday OCOLLY.COM

PAGE 3

F raudulen t Charities

NEWS

Authorities warn donors ABOUT fake charities Dy l an Proksa S taf f Repo rter @ o c olly

Two weeks ago, Hurricane Harvey hit Texas.

This week, Hurricane Irma hit Florida, and, next week, Hurricane Jose will possibly hit the East Coast.

People from across the US have donated to charities to benefit victims of these disasters. Although many of these organizations are legitimate, fraudulent charities do exist.

After Harvey hit, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter issued a press release to warn citizens about charity scams.

“As the tragedy on the Gulf Coast continues to unfold, I know Oklahomans will step up to help in a multitude of ways, like we see after all disasters,” Hunter said. “I am urging individuals looking to donate money to use caution and research to ensure a charity is registered to solicit in the state to avoid becoming the victim of a charity scam.”

The IRS’s guidelines for what is considered a charity are broad, which is why Lt. Johnathan Flowers of Salvation Army said people are more cautious than ever to donate money.

“I look for transparency,” Flowers said.

“Ask questions. A lot of people are looking

for stories, others are looking for meaning and some are asking, ‘Where does my money go?’”

Captain Bruce McDougal, Stillwater Police Department, said no one has reported scams in the area, but he recommends people to do their research before they donate to charities.

Websites such as https://www.charitynavigator.org/ and http:// www.tampabay.com/ topics/specials/worstcharities.page provide databases that include charities’ tax documents and facts about the charities.

Flowers said 87 percent of all donations to the Salvation Army make it back into the community. The other 13 percent cover maintenance, equipment and other administration costs for disaster relief.

“Our proceeds go to food purchases, utility assistance, rental assistance, emergency food and shelter, rehabilitation programs,” Flowers said. “We provide emergency hotel assistance for those that might have been displaced.

We provide gas vouchers and help people that might need to go to the doctor. We work with a lot of partner agencies to make sure those people are kept sustainable.”

The Salvation Army is a 501(c)(3), which means it’s an organi-

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

Photo illustration by Zach Hake & Jeremy Kolok/O’COLLY

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter issued a press release to warn citizens about charity scams. zation organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes.

No 501(c)(3)’s earnings may go to a private shareholder or an individual.

“501(c)(3) (organizations) are the nonprofit(s) where the money goes towards the cause,” McDougal said.

“March of Dimes and some other ones...it’s only a small percentage of donations that end up making it to their destination.”

March of Dimes and the American Red Cross were contacted regarding the distribution of

their donations, but neither charity responded with comments.

Despite the risk of scams, McDougal isn’t discouraging people from contributing donations to causes that matter to them.

“If it’s in your heart to give, find a legitimate organization, and give to them,” McDougal said.

Dylan Proksa is an economics junior from Owasso and can be reached at proksa@ okstate.edu.

OCOLLY.COM

want more info?

For more information: Visit www.charitynavigator.org to view a database that includes charities’ tax documents and financial informantion

COLLY.COM PAGE 4

COWB OY FOOTBALL

S P O RT S

Linebackers must adjust with injuries, dismissal Ca m er on Jou r da n Asst. Sports Editor @Ca m_JO u r da n

Linebackers at Oklahoma State have had a tough week.

The OSU football team will enter its final nonconference matchup with Pittsburgh on Saturday depleted at linebacker.

After the Cowboys beat South Alabama 44-7 Friday night, coach Mike Gundy announced redshirt sophomore Kevin Henry will miss the remainder of the season because of a knee injury. Henry suffered the injury in practice before the game.

Thursday, fellow linebacker Kenneth Edison-

McGruder suffered an undisclosed injury. He didn’t travel to South Alabama with the team and Gundy said Edison-McGruder is listed as day-to-day.

Sophomore Calvin Bundage started at the star linebacker spot Friday during Edison-McGruder and Henry’s absence but was called for targeting in the second half and was ejected from the game. Because of NCAA rules, Bundage must sit out the first half of his next game.

Redshirt Brendan Vaughn was removed from the team Sunday after his arrest Saturday for possession of a controlled substance with

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

intent to distribute. Although Vaughn was likely redshirting this season, his dismissal made four linebackers short of the healthy unit from only two weeks ago.

Kirk Tucker, a senior from Tucker, Goergia, could start Saturday during EdisonMcGruder and Bundage’s absence. Tucker, a three-year letterman, has played plenty during his time with the team, but he said he knows his roll will increase.

“It’s definitely a thinner group, but we have a lot of guys that can step up and make plays,” Tucker said.

“We have a lot of veterans that can step up and make plays, so that’s what we’re

doing.”

Because Tucker is a senior, he said he can be a mentor to the younger guys and step into the his new role more that possibly includes increased minutes Saturday.

“It’s very unfortunate with what happened to Kevin,” Tucker said. “Talking to (the younger guys) and telling them to keep their head up, telling them that (the game) is not over, it just helps them move on to the next phase.”

Cameron Jourdan is a sports media senior from Edmond and can be reached at cameron. jourdan@okstate.edu.

OCOLLY.COM

O’COLLY File Photo

Kirk Tucker will have an increased role for OSU’s defense.

PAGE 5

cl a ss ifieds

Help Wanted

Houses For Rent Houses For Rent

Help with farming, mowing and job cleanup. 405‑743‑8200.

Part-time desk clerk. Evenings, General office duties, non-smoker, apply in person.

Hwy. Express Inn & Suites, 2313 W. 6th.

3112 N. Madison 4 Bed w/offc, 2 Bath, 2 Car Garage Luxury Home located in Lakeview Village next to Boomer Lake. Large trees. Yardwork included.

Pets w/owner permission. $1,900/mo www.campbellmgmt.com 405‑372‑9225 ext 0

YOST RANCH (1904 W. Yost Rd) ALL UTILITIES PAID! Brand New 3 Bed, 2 Bath 1,216 sq.ft. Solitaire Home.

Private Addition located on 65 acres. Large pond.

8 x 12Storage Bldgs.

Refrig, D/W, Stove & Oven, W/d hkups, Option for Horses.

Only $1,095/month ALL UTILITIES PAID! www.campbellmgmt.com 405‑372‑9225 ext 0

Misc. For Sale

Computer Services

SCOOTERS WHY WALK?

Honda of Stillwater 105 S. Perkins Road

ALL THINGS ELECTRONIC

stillwaterhonda.com

2‑Masters near campus, open layout, 405‑564‑4683.

223 S WINDSOR ‑ WESTPARK 3 BR 2 BA 405‑880‑ 6095

229 S. Burdick 3 Bed‑1Bath New Paint & Carpet Centrally Located Available Now $725 127 N. Duck 2 Bed 1Bath Apartments Only $425 Per Month Close to Campus Total Electric

Stillwater Property 405‑743‑2126

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

VALERO SHORT STOP is hiring! If you are a high energy motivated individual looking for a cashier job then come and see us! Shifts vary. Apply at 1010 W 6th St.

Houses For Rent

FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

JAMES CREEK 138 S. Bryan Ct. 3 Bed, 3 Bath, 2 Car Garage Home. Available NOW 1,550 Sq Ft, Private Gated Addition w/Pool, Spas, Sand Volleyball, Sport Court.

Granite/Stainless Steel Throughout, Each Bedroom is 13ft x 15ft with Walk‑In closet.

Starting at $1,200/month www.campbellmgmt.com 405‑372‑9225 ext 0

Laptops, game systems, computers, cell phones, data recovery and password bypass

FREE ESTIMATES

Call or text 405‑332‑1715

Misc. Services

Apartment Rentals CASA MIA has a two and three bedroom unit available, all bills paid w/cable & reserved parking. 1 block east of OSU. CasaMiaOSU.com, (405) 372‑ 1228, or visit 140 N. Duck.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

Complete horse stabling facility: Indoor/Outdoor arena, round pen, pasture available.

RV parking available also.

Trish‑405‑612‑9460

ACROSS 1 Green Angry Birds animals 5 Salon style 9 “Jabberwocky” opener 13 Les __-Unis 15 Eye layer 16 “For __ jolly ... ” 17 Name on a twoliter bottle (and what’s inside) 19 Double-crossers 20 Like microwavable meals 21 Valued caches 23 Independently owned suds producer (and the suds in question) 26 Parthenon goddess 29 “How cool!”

30 Length of most TV dramas 31 WWI battleship Graf __ 33 Kin by marriage 37 CIO partner 38 Where Starbucks began (and a product it popularized) 40 __ snail’s pace 41 Note above A 43 Snoop (around) 44 Blockage 45 Slangy “It’s cool” 47 Currently combusting 49 Pepperidge Farm treat (and its ideal companion) 53 Novelist Waugh 54 Scolds harshly 58 Jones with a locker 59 What’s clued in parentheses for each of four answers, and found in corresponding sets of puzzle circles 62 Don Juan’s mother 63 Just 64 __ protector 65 Give a darn 66 Horseshoes turn 67 Dijon dad

OCOLLY.COM

9/13/17

By Adam T. Cobb

DOWN 1 Cop’s quarry 2 “Like __ lump ... ” 3 Marvin of Motown 4 Speech therapist’s challenge 5 More virtuous 6 President Morales of Bolivia 7 DVR “back up” button 8 Chanted word 9 Add, as a shrimp to the barbie 10 Go this way and that 11 Autumn bloom 12 Flip 14 “‘And hast thou __ the Jabberwock?’”

18 Music box?

22 Deal with, as loose laces 24 “Almost there!”

25 Borscht veggies 26 Quaker captain of literature 27 Fashionable Brit 28 Ship frame 32 Freak out 34 2016 Best Picture nominee “__ Land”

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

35 All-inclusive 36 Salary 38 Like a path that’s cobbled together?

39 Allowed to get out 42 Examine in detail 44 Go from cloudy to fair 46 Wisecrack 48 Tweeters 49 Physician at the front

9/13/17

50 The first Mrs. Trump 51 Prying tool 52 Acts like a good dog 55 Lose steam 56 Elec. or mech. expert 57 __-Ball: arcade game 60 Suffix with concert 61 Big tee sizes

PAGE 6

h o ros cop e

Daily Horoscope oklahoma state

STUDENT MEDIA STUDENT MEDIA AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 106 Paul Miller Building • OSU • Stillwater, OK 74078 Phone: 405-744-6363

Level: 1 2 3 4

The mission of Oklahoma State Student Media is to provide a professional environment where students create outstanding media and help local businesses.

Oklahoma State's award-winning newspaper since 1895 To place an ad, call 405-744-7371 or email ads@ocolly.com To place a classified ad, call 405-744-7355 or email lori@ocolly.com To pitch a story idea, call 405-744-6365 or email news.ed@ocolly.com To report an error, complaint or other issue, email editorinchief@ocolly.com To report an issue with newspaper delivery, email barbara.allen@okstate.edu or call 405-744-8369

9/13/17

SOLUTION TO TUESDAY’S PUZZLE

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit

www.sudoku.org.uk © 2017 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

Available throughout campus in print MWF, inside the Stillwater News Press TWF and online 24/7 @ocolly.com.

All your marketing needs under one roof, from websites to videos, from ad campaigns to social media

Our office is open M-F from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 108 Paul Miller.

For a free video consultation, call 405-744-7039 or email videos@orangehouse.agency For a free consultation on other digital/marketing needs, call 405-744-4192 or email orangehouseagency@gmail.com

OCOLLY.COM

By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Today’s Birthday (09/13/17). You’re in the money this year.

Save for a rainy day. Invest energy into home renovation.

Begin a two-year phase of profitable communications this autumn. Write, record or film. Consider plans over winter before launching into motion. Express your heart.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Talk with family about domestic changes. Don’t act until everyone is on board.

Strengthen home infrastructures. Creativity and romance blossom through communication.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Writing and expression projects flower today and tomorrow. Postpone important actions and decisions. Wait for an obstacle to shift.

Gentle pressure works better than force.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Profits are available over the next two days. Don’t bend the rules. Make plans with your team. Wait for obstacles to clear before proceeding.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 9 -- You’re more confident today and tomorrow. Personal affairs need attention. Be careful and thorough to advance. Push too hard and things break. Sensitivity matters.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Private introspection and contemplation satisfies over the next few days. Clean, sort and organize. Make plans for what’s next. Follow rules closely. Recharge.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Connect with friends over the next few days. Share ideas and information.

Talk about goals and dreams for the future. Share resources and strategies.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Your work is attracting attention. Plan for two days in the spotlight. Avoid resisting authority. People depend on you. Allow things to unfold naturally.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- The next two days are good for expanding your territory. Get into an adventurous phase. Figure out how to make it happen. Take charge.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Snafus and barriers around rules and regulations could frustrate your accounts. The next two days could get profitable; keep your patience and track the numbers.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Today and tomorrow favor negotiations and compromise. Accept and offer support. Let others help. Refine the plan. Will power and effort equal results. Collaborate.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- The pace is picking up. Find out what you’re doing the hard way. Streamline routines and balance to minimize stress over the next two days.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- There is more time for love today and tomorrow. No need to spend frivolously. Don’t count your chickens until they’re hatched.

Reserve time for fun.

PAGE 7

Tip:

Keep

. e f a s y e n o your m

) . s s e r t t a m r u o y der

n u n a e m t ’ n o d e w (and

Enter to win

O O O , 2 $

You’ve outgrown hiding your cash in the sock drawer. For better options, check out BucktheNorm.com for advice and

here. o g s t e e h S .

Not money

tips on life and money.

Enter to win $2,000 on facebook.com/buckthenorm by September 30, 2017!

from Tinker Federal Credit Union Federally insured by NCUA

Financial empowerment for all.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

OCOLLY.COM

PAGE 8