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TUESDAY • FEB.
5, 2002
Ice storm ravages state; power outages continue
BRIEFS >News Terrorism vs. liberty Dr, Keith Eakins will discuss the effects terrorist acts may have on Americans' civil liberties in a public lecture Feb. 5. ✓ Page 4
>News Varsity blues Freshman year can adversely affect students' stress, according to a recent study. v Page 9
>Sports Pinning down a win Broncho wrestling maintained their No 1 ranking Feb. 1 with a win against No 9 Nebraska-Kearney. ✓ Page 6
TODAY IN HISTORY In 1972, Bob Douglas was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame -the first black man to receive this honor. Douglas was coach and owner of the New York Renaissance, an all-black team which won 88 consecutive games in 1933.
QUOTE - OF THE DAY "Life is elastic. It sretches away when you need it close — and pulls close when you want it far away." — Burgess Meredith
WEATHER Chance of snow rain. Lows/tip .. upper 20s, highs `; ■ ,' ∎ ■ ;,.., upper 30s.
Tue . or
,,‘
,
' 4, Wed. Partly cloudy. ■,..iik,
Lows near 30, — Pre highs lower 50s. "
BY GRAHAM UNDERWOOD
Associated Press ailing ice presented a new threat for residents recovering Saturday from this week's ice storm, but many officials said the worst hazards were over. "Things are as stable as they're going to be for a while," said Cherie Speer, deputy director of emergency management in Garfield County. Some communities in the area might not have power for up to two weeks, she said. To the ' west, Woodward County sheriffs Deputy Donny Mitchell said at least half of the 55,000 residents in the county remained without power and that about 10 emergency shelters were operating in county fire departments. "Everything's going pretty smooth," she said. The Oklahoma Department of Civil Emergency Management said about 149,000 customers were without power across the state Saturday afternoon. The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives reported Saturday that about 25,000 of its customers were without power. The cooperative said some
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PHOTO BY NATHAN DUNN
Tape was wrapped around the area west of Mitchell hall late last week to prevent injuries to bystanders from falling tree lira bs. The ice storm that hit the state last week damaged trees and knocked out power to thousands of Oklahomans, many of which continue to be without electricity.
14,000 poles had fallen because Norman and 'Tipton and planned to restore all power to Cherokee of the storm. Customers without power by Monday. Warming temperatures have included about 5,300 in the Binger - area, 2,300 in Stillwater eased fears of cold-related and about 10,000 in the injuries, Speer said. But one woman in Garfield County Kingfisher area. The cooperative said it had narrowly escaped injury when a restored power to all customers in 20-pound chunk of ice fell from a traffic light and crashed through her car's rear window. Speer said carbon monoxide poisoning also has become a concern as people use kerosene and propane heaters. Kingfisher County sheriff's dispatcher Randall Thompson said no weather-related injuries had been reported. However, he said, ice brought down trees that blocked doorways and hindered the recovery of two bodies from rural homes. Both people died of natural causes, Thompson said. The storm is being blamed for at least four deaths. The latest death attributed to the two-day storm was that of an elderly Hennessey woman, who refused to leave her home after Piles of tree limbs lay scattered outside Murdaugh Hall following many homes lost power on Wednesday, authorities said. the ice storm that hammered Oklahoma last week.
An officer checked on her Thursday and found her dead on her couch, covered in blankets and holding a flashlight. The temperature in the house was 55 degrees. Low-hanging power lines have caused hazards on some area roads, Thompson said. In Ponca City, several grocery stores and gas stations stayed open in the dark so residents could buy gas and food. Buy For Less employees handed out flashlights to shoppers entering the store and took only cash for purchases. At United Supermarket, workers used a generator to keep the business running when the lights went out. They kept food cold with dry ice. In Enid, a midnight curfew remained in effect Saturday. A 9 p.m. curfew to prevent looting and to ensure safety had been in effect Thursday. •
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