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750 119th YEAR NO. 293
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18 PAGES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2012

ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA

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Gov. Fallin lifts burn ban

STATE
By Michael Pineda
michael.pineda@ardmoreite.com

Gov. Mary Fallin lifted the statewide governor's burn ban Thursday, citing improved conditions as the reason for doing so. The burn ban has been in effect since Aug. 3. "With cooler temperatures and higher humidity we are seeing a lower occurrence of wildfire," Fallin said. "These

factors, combined with recent precipitation across the state, allow the ban to be lifted?' Fallin previously lifted the ban for 22 counties on Sept. 28. MARY Ardmore has FALLIN received nearly 1-1/2 inches of rain since Sept.

26, which is below the normal rainfall for this time of year. Ardmore has received 25.20 inches this year compared to the normal amount of rainfall of 28.85. There is a chance of rain accompanying a cold-front this weekend. "We are still pretty behind on our annual rainfall," Paul Tucker, Carter County Emergency Management Officer, said. "So if you

are going to burn, please use caution and notify the local fire departments. Also pay attention to the wind and other environmental factors?' Cimarron County, located in the panhandle, is the only county remaining under a burn ban. Cimarron County Commissioners have a 30-day burn ban in place, which is expected to expire Nov. 1.

SULPHUR FALLS IN STATE 1ST RD.

DIGEST, PAGE 4A

APACUAEKI'

SPRINGER

Traditional Kickapoo tribe harvests cattails at Ardmore City Lake

Students make a pledge that 'It Can Wait'

By Jennifer Lindsey
jennifer.lindsey@ardmoreite.com

POLICE FIND 1,500 POT PLANTS

ONLD IN PRINT

Traditional Kickapoo tribe harvests cattails at Ardmore City Lake, Page 1A Meet a Veteran Q&A, Page 1A Shop with Cops Rodeo a good tinme, supports a great youth program, Page 8A
These stories you'll find only in today's print edition of The Ardmoreite.
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Kickapoo tribe member Dominque, center, harvests cattails at Ardmore City Lake with her sons.
KEVIN KERR/THE ARDMOREITE

By Kevin Kerr
kevin.kerr@ardmoreite.com

Whether you knew it or not, Thursday was harvest day in Ardmore specifically, apacuaeki. For those that don't speak Kickapoo, that means cattail. Members of the Kickapoo traditional tribe descended on Ardmore City Lake Thursday to collect the sturdy reed in a tradition that dates back hundreds of years in their culture. Tribe member, and "harvest master," Laveda Salazar lives with her family in a traditional Kickapoo village near McCloud. Each fall, they venture out in search of cattails to use as mats

for the roofs of their traditional homes. "It dates back hundreds of years, passed down from generation to generation," she said. "It started with the tribes up in Wisconsin and, as far as we know, we're the only ones still doing it." After the Kickapoo tribal leader took a trip to Ardmore, and saw all the cattails around Ardmore City Lake, city officials were contacted about harvesting the reeds. After the agreement was written up and settled, tribe members made the trek to Ardmore to begin the harvest. "We have harvested in other

areas, never here before," Salazar said. "The other places this year, though, (the cattails) were too short or too dry." Oklahoma's recent drought affected cattails, making them shorter and drier than in recent years. For this reason, members of the Kickapoo tribe had to search farther and longer to find suitable reeds for their homes. "We have a winter and a summer home," Salazar said. "We will harvest in the fall for our winter homes, and that's what this is." The reeds, when dried and treated, will be waterproof and sturdy for up to a year over the
SEE HARVEST, PAGE 3A

SPRINGER Springer High School Student Council members are pledging It Can Wait. Sponsored by AT&T, "It Can Wait" is a campaign to encourage teens to stop texting and driving. "We live in too big a hurry," said Tricia Brown, student council advisor. "You don't have to answer each text immediately?' Student council members started by watching a short documentary featuring people who have been affected by texting and driving accidents. "The video hit students where they live emotionally," Brown said. Sophomore Colton Mize is a member of student council and has a driver's permit. "I knew it was pretty dangerous, but my parents do it, and that's where I got it from," Mize said. He described the video as "sad and scary," particularly reacting to a story about a teen who hit and killed a bicyclist while texting and driving. "I'm definitely not going to do it now," Mize said.
SEE PLEDGE, PAGE 3A

Photo gallery: Frontier Day Photo gallery: Atoka and Lone Grove football Read the latest, local blogs at www. ardmoreite.com

MEET A VETERAN Q&A

By Michael Pineda I michael.pineda@ardmoreite.com

Larry Payne
What did you do while in the military? I was in the Army. I was in an airborne infantry unit while I was stationed in Italy. I also performed administrative duties within the unit. What did you do after you got out? I went to work with the Ardmore Police Department. I was hired in 2009 and worked patrol on different shifts until June of this year when I started working investigations. Describe a memorable moment from your service? The time I served in Iraq. It seemed like that was the purpose for serving and I got to make a difference. Airborne school was fun and was kind of a shock. You think you have plans to jump out of a plane but, until you get up there, you don't really know how high you are.

More about Larry Payne

AGE 36 BRANCH OF SERVICE U.S. Army HOMETOWN Ardmore

INDEX
Classified 3B Obituaries 2A Comics 10A Sports 1B Digest 4A Weather 2A Lifestyles 5A

1111111 8 31771 00101

Larry Payne served in Iraq as a member of a U.S. Army Airborne unit. Payne is currently working investigations with the Ardmore Police Department. MICHAEL PINEDA/THE
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