pleaded not guilty to public intoxication after his arrest during a school dance over the weekend Replogle appeared in court Tuesday morning where our crews captured video as he left the hearing He declined to comment or answer questions reported that Replogle appeared to smell of alcohol and was accused of inappropriate touching of students during the dance in Tulsa on Saturday night RELATED STORY: Bixby High School Principal No Longer Employed At District Following Arrest, Public Intoxication Allegations He is scheduled to return to court in November RELATED STORY: Bixby High School Principal No Longer Employed At District Following Arrest, Public Intoxication Allegations and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application passed away peacefully in her home on April 24 and together they built a home filled with love eventually settling in the mountains of Western North Carolina in 1976 Laney carried forward their legacy with grace and resilience Laney had a gift for making people feel at home — whether through a warm hug She never met a stranger and made lifelong friends wherever she went Her family and friends were everything to her Sissy Turner and Ginny Bixby; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a wide circle of friends and former students who loved her dearly and her love and support will be carried in their hearts forever Laney will be laid to rest at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Cashiers Details for a service celebrating her wonderful life will be shared soon and boundless love will live on in all of us who were lucky enough to know her Please make donations to the Conkle-Rowe Scholarship Endowment at: www.goodshepherdofcashiers.com/conkle-rowe- scholarship.html or to The Christmas Connection of Jackson County at: www.christmasconnectionofjc.org/contact in lieu of flowers to support Jackson County youth “A mother’s love is the first light that guides us and the last to ever fade” This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors A 46-year-old woman and her 7-year-old daughter have been found dead after floodwaters swept their car off a low bridge in Tulsa County on Sunday The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office said the crash happened around 17700 E TCSO said the Broken Arrow family involved had four people inside the vehicle They said the father and 10-year-old daughters were able to escape while the car filled with water while the mother and their 7-year-old daughter could not Authorities identified the mother as Leila Seyed Faraji Authorities said approximately 100 emergency responders were involved in the search effort for the child on Monday TCSO said that a boat crew from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol located the body of 7-year-old Rosa Faraji shortly after 5 p.m "It's a mixture of emotions because the search is over They were successful in what they came here to do but this isn't the way we wanted this to end We desperately wanted to find them alive tonight but we knew going into this morning that wasn't going to be the outcome but you always hope for a miracle," said Casey Roebuck Officials say the car attempted to cross over a low bridge TCSO Captain Michael Heisten stressed the importance of turning around when there's water in the roadway RELATED: Floodwater kills more Oklahomans than tornadoes in the last decade, here's why David Prock is a digital content producer for Griffin Media and is a regular contributor to both News9.com and NewsOn6.com A native Oklahoman and Emmy-award-winning reporter Day grew up in Owasso and graduated from the University of Oklahoma \"It's a mixture of emotions because the search is over but you always hope for a miracle,\" said Casey Roebuck RELATED: Floodwater kills more Oklahomans than tornadoes in the last decade, here's why and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox We're here for you 24 hours a day: 1-800-275-2332 Relieve your family the burden of making difficult decisions during a time of great stress and grief you will save money and give peace of mind to your family and loved ones at a time when they will need it most call (319) 393-8000 or toll free at 1-800-275-2332 and ask to speak with a Certified Preplanning Counselor There is nothing more important to us than serving families and being there for them when they need us most Please review our services and let us know how we can help Stop in or call us at (319) 393-8000 or toll free at 1-800-275-2332 "Everything for your family." These four simple words drive everything we do at Cedar Memorial it's our goal to embrace you and your family with beauty passed away peacefully surrounded by family from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm at the Cedar Memorial State Room in Cedar Rapids.  Funeral Service 11:00 am Thursday at Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories.  Interment at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery in Cedar Rapids to Buss and Linda (Brandon) Bixby Todd worked as an industrial painter for New Leader Manufacturing in Cedar Rapids for a little over one year Prior to that he was an industrial painter for Clipper Wind Power for 15 years.  He belonged to Bix Fab Speed Shop and whiskey.  Todd always kept himself busy with all sorts of projects around the house One of his biggest passions was building and working on cars He loved to spend time with his family and was loved by all Buss Bixby; many nieces and nephews: friends: family; Daisy Mae and Ruger Phone: 319-393-8000Toll Free: 800-275-2332Fax: 319-393-9047 Phone: 319-393-8004Toll Free: 877-638-2622 Copyright © 2025 Cedar Memorial. All rights reserved | Web Application by Informatics, Inc. | Pay OnlineEC2AMAZ-JURNIGD A memorial service to celebrate Mary’s life will be held at 11:00 am on Friday April 25th at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory Visitation will be from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on Thursday Inurnment will be in Rock Island National Cemetery Memorials may be made in care of the family a daughter of William and Hyacinth (Holland) Price She graduated from Alleman High School in 1966 and went on to attend the California College of Health Sciences where she earned her certification as a respiratory therapist Mary went on to work for several local hospitals as a respiratory therapist and he preceded her in death on February 9 cross-stitch and spending time with family and friends She was able to visit many places including Mary especially enjoyed her long weekends in Galena Cross-stitch was a passion of hers and she ensured that all family and close friends received personalized Christmas socks to remember her by She even won a few contests over the years for some of her work the two of them enjoyed driving to many state parks to hike Those left to cherish Mary’s memory include her children Alyssa Bixby and Kale Pattison; great-grandchildren Patricia “Pat” Veronda; and several nieces and nephews and all the memories they made together over the years They made sure to call each other everyday and they always claimed that “True friends are great riches” Mary truly valued her friendship with Cheri Online condolences may be left for the family on Mary’s tribute wall by visiting Bixby Piccolo Hill ’27 and his three siblings spent a lot of time playing together as a family He explains that in their TV-free household the siblings liked to make up imaginary scenarios and play act When Bixby was in elementary school, his older sister, Parker Piccolo Hill ’25, performed in her middle school’s production of Into the Woods “I remember sitting in the audience and thinking to myself And I really want to do that!’” Bixby says “I remember going up to the boy who played Jack after the play and saying Ever since then, Bixby’s been involved with theater. Bixby relishes the mixed plate of opportunities he has in the Performing & Media Arts (PMA) Department in the College of Arts & Sciences From wiring and hanging lights in the Schwartz Performing Arts Center He’s grateful to the university for the generous financial support he’s receiving Bixby is a recipient of the Martin and Bernice Rosenzweig Scholarship and his brother currently applying to college Bixby said his aid package makes a big difference for his family “Knowing that my family is not sacrificing too much for me to get this education—it gives me a sense of security I can focus on taking advantage of all the opportunities Cornell offers me,” he says Read the full story on the Alumni Affairs and Development website.  From batteries to connecting your phone via bluetooth and asking for help to navigate the way home, your connected car is part of your life. We'll help you figure it all out. Whether you want to build your own home theater or just learn more about TVs, displays, projectors, and more, we've got you covered. Translate text, identify images, and more, all in one app If this doesn't work for you, the text mode might be disabled in the settings. Trigger Bixby Vision and then tap the three dots > Settings—ensure that Text is switched on. Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Bixby grass fire contained after power poles fall from high winds near 145th and Yaleby Sierra Joslin OKLA (KTUL) — The Bixby Fire Department responded to a grass fire near 145th Street and Yale on Wednesday afternoon the fire was started by eight power poles falling due to high winds The fire spread across nearly 30 acres but no structures were reported to be damaged "We greatly appreciate the assistance from the Glenpool Fire Department as well as our off-duty and volunteer firefighters," said Nick Flanary BFD was able to fully contain the grass fire at around 1:50 p.m OG&E crews have responded to the area to work on the fallen power poles SIGN UP FOR THE CHANNEL 8 NEWSLETTER Bixby Police are alerting residents that they may hear loud noises throughout the week as the department conducts scheduled public safety training exercises Officials say the drills are necessary for officer preparedness and ask for the public’s understanding Training exercises will run through Friday Officers will conduct drills near the river each day from 9 a.m starting April 28 and continuing through Friday Police warn that residents in the area may hear loud noises during training hours Officials emphasize that the sounds are part of the exercises and do not indicate any danger to the public Authorities assure residents there is no cause for alarm and no action is required They encourage anyone with concerns to contact the Bixby Police Department for more information In a world where classrooms are filled with technology one Bixby Middle School teacher is proving that sometimes led the school’s first official Tech-Free Day News On 6 sat down with her to talk about why students are learning better when they unplug—even just for a day Q: What is the foundation of Tech-Free Learning at Bixby A: I utilize the Building Thinking Classrooms methods throughout the year This approach puts students in random groups and they go to the boards to solve problems Sometimes they get stuck—and that’s a good thing Being stuck is when their problem-solving skills kick in A: Research shows that students are more likely to try something on a whiteboard or a non-permanent vertical space because it feels less threatening it’s not just about their individual work standing out—it’s the work of the entire group we had to embrace technology because kids were in and out of school We had to find ways to provide information whether they were at home or here it’s time to go back to some of those old methods because kids are now able to collaborate again Q: Why did you think Tech-Free Day was necessary A: It seemed like kids were kind of losing touch with each other We took a big step this year by eliminating phones and now we’re trying to bring back other methods that can really help in the classroom Q: Are you hoping to move away from technology long-term A: It’s not about stepping back in time—it’s about reimagining how kids learn to collaborate Q: How does physical movement help learning but now it’s time to step out and revisit those interpersonal skills they’re not stagnant—and research shows that helps them learn better Q: What did students think of the no-tech approach a couple of my students thought the day would be annoying without their Chromebooks They were fully engaged and had a lot of fun but it’s important to step back and try something new Q: How does this connect to student health they want to lock into their screens and isolate themselves I think it’s really important that kids learn to engage with each other again—even if it’s to the point where we have to remind them to quiet down have gotten into the habit of communicating through a device It’s important to have face-to-face interactions and really connect A: I think we should definitely do it again I don’t want to abandon technology because it’s crucial for our students in today’s world but this is a moment where kids can stop and really think for themselves Whether it’s solving a problem on a whiteboard or engaging in face-to-face conversations Clagg believes that Tech-Free Day is about more than just academics—it’s about teaching kids how to connect and communicate without a screen in the way Ethan graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a minor in Communication Studies from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Ethan Wright joined the News On 6 team as a multimedia journalist in January 2025 A construction worker was killed in an incident on a site in Bixby on Monday Officials said it happened at an active construction site near E Bixby Fire responded to the scene and said the patient was taken to the hospital in critical condition The City said OSHA is investigating the incident The city of Bixby says the man was working on part of the Iconik Bixby apartment building when he fell from the top platform and lost his life It happened at the Red Dog Construction site The construction company's owner said the man was not a Red Dog employee He says the man was climbing the scaffolding around and fell off around 10 a.m Red Dog Construction operates the construction site and released the following statement: The Bixby police chief says this was an industrial accident and not a crime The chief says his department is working with OSHA by notifying the man’s family Eden Jones started as a Multimedia Journalist for News On 6 in June 2023 where she covers everything from breaking news to local features She loves connecting with the community and sharing the stories of Green Country Francestown’s George Holmes Bixby Library has launched a new way to get town residents out exploring cultural destinations around New England who took the helm at Bixby about a year ago has swapped the traditional museum pass program for a reimbursement program the library had passes to several different museums and cultural centers for people to check out for the day which is what most libraries do,” Crooker said “These passes were getting used  by our patrons but it was really not enough to justify the cost of purchasing the pass Some of the passes were up to five or six hundred dollars a year and they were just not getting used enough.”  instead of purchasing annual passes from museums in Boston and other locations Bixby created an reimbursement system for town residents who want to visit any New England cultural site “All people have to do is bring us their receipt within 30 days of visiting the museum or wherever they went they will get a check from the treasurer reimbursing them for the cost of the tickets,” Crooker said The limit on reimbursement is $75 per family per year people must have a Bixby Library card in good standing and be residents of Francestown Crooker said the library’s goal is to encourage people to visit museums botanical gardens and other cultural attractions “We want to keep encouraging people to go to museums and now it is not limited where they can go or they just want to go to the Currier Museum,” Crooker said “We’re just trying to get the word out there that this is how it works now and we think the program is catching on with residents.”  said the Friends are thrilled with the new system “What Beth has come up with is really innovative and it makes a lot more sense financially,” Kane said “It was always hard to figure out which passes we should buy because there are so many different places to go Crooker said that while about the same number of patrons have taken advantage of the voucher program as previously requested passes no two people have been to the same museum Now they can choose to explore new places instead of just going to the same places where we have purchased a pass the new system has definitely saved the library money.”  patrons have received reimbursement for visiting  the SEE Science Center Kane said the new program is a great example of Crooker’s leadership at the library “Beth has just done an incredible since coming the library and we have just been thrilled with what she has done,” Kane said who is also the librarian at Temple’s Mansfield Library instituted the same program for Temple residents you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users ADRIAN — The fate of a planned unit development in Adrian to transform the former ProMedica Bixby Hospital site into a residential housing community will go before the Adrian City Commission at next week’s Monday The city commission meets in downtown Adrian at Adrian City Chambers The commission will be tasked with reviewing a planned unit development (PUD) proposal that seeks to construct a housing community of 63 for-rent, market rate single-family homes, varying from one- to two-bedrooms. The proposed residential structures are not to be considered as low-income housing, it was clarified during last week’s monthly meeting of the Adrian planning commission which met March 4 to inspect the project’s final development plan The former Bixby Hospital was at 818 Riverside Ave., since June 1957 and across from the Adrian High School campus. It had been vacant since 2020 when it was shuttered and replaced by ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital in Adrian Township Initial talks about tearing down Bixby Hospital and constructing rental houses on the property began in January 2024 when real estate developer Michael Collier told the city commission he secured a contract with ProMedica to redevelop the property and tear down the hospital but in early December — and after a handful of meetings between Collier and the planning commission — demolition started on the hospital Bixby Hospital has since nearly been completely razed with demolition crews taking the building down in sections to offset noise for nearby residents From December 2024: Demolition plans announced by ProMedica for vacant Bixby Hospital; demo work starts Dec. 5 Flint-based RJ Industrial Recycling is contracted with ProMedica and Collier and Gibson — who are partners in the real estate development firm — Collier-Gibson a firm that focuses on creative adaptive reuse and ground-up development projects in the United States with a current concentration in the Midwest Being the third time the Adrian planning commissioners requested Collier-Gibson to come back with an amended development plan it didn’t take long at last week’s meeting for the commissioners to give their final approval of the housing project The PUD was unanimously approved by the planning commission in a 5-0 vote albeit with two members absent from the meeting in Chad Johnson and Brian Watson The approval came with a few minor contingencies that need to be addressed going forward: Beaubien Companies Inc. in Adrian will be contracted for landscaping and maintenance work at the community to “create common maintenance and continuity to the site,” Gibson explained Any action taken by the planning commission is in the form of a recommendation to the Adrian City Commission which has the final review and say of whether a project is ready for approval or needs to be sent back for additional work “As we have discussed time after time after time this (housing proposal) addresses this to a great extent,” Planning Commission Chairman Mike Jacobitz said of the proposal providing housing options in Adrian “There’s always the possibility that if that land lies fallow Here’s something that we have some control over and addresses an identified need.” The contingencies that were included in the final approval are “relatively minor,” Jacobitz told The Daily Telegram and have nothing to do with the housing concept itself The Bixby Hospital property is currently zoned office/service With an approval from the city commission at their March 17 meeting it will be updated to planned unit development PUD is almost an 18-month process for approval A planned unit development requires the approval of both the planning commission and the city commission as it changes the ordinance and the zoning of a particular property we need housing in the city of Adrian so I’m very pleased to see you’re moving forward with it,” Adrian City Commissioner and Planning Commissioner Gordon Gauss said during last week’s meeting Support local news and subscribe: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content. A handful of neighboring residents adjacent to the Bixby Hospital property approached the planning commission last week and raised a variety of concerns about the project including landscaping how the development doesn’t address missing middle housing in Adrian Gibson said he expects there to be at least 150 people residing within the residential community is constructing all units at the same time we are contemplating doing it in one shot,” Gibson said when asked by the planning commission if construction on the development will be completed all at once or in stages “It is possible that it could be done in two phases We’ve looked at doing maybe 24 units and leasing those and then doing the balance We’re entertaining both scenarios at present.” Gibson said addressing one of the landscaping concerns More vegetation will be added to the site to ensure it is attractive and an enhancement provided the most feedback for the planning commission at last week’s meeting saying she was “at a loss” because of the lack of an open house information or presentation about the housing development at the Bixby site “I don’t think enough was done to present this,” she told the planning commission From April 2024: Plans to build rental housing on former Bixby Hospital site continue According to Michigan statute, information about zoning changes will be notified to those who are within 300 feet around the parcel. Information about planning commission meetings, topics of discussion and presentation are published in a newspaper of regular circulation — like The Daily Telegram — and on the city of Adrian's website, adriancity.com Discussions of the Bixby redevelopment have been taking place at planning commission meetings for more than six months there have been at least three presentations by Collier-Gibson on the development which the planning commission has requested additional information and adjustments to the plan nearly each time “People have been asking when the hospital was going to come down but yet we are still getting questions like yours But to say we’re not being transparent; that’s just not the case.” residents should expect continued noise from concrete grinding material sorting and hauling truck traffic Road closures should not be anticipated during the process Demolition crews from RJ Industrial Recycling told The Daily Telegram they expect to be on pace with ProMedica’s initial schedule of having all demo and debris removal activities completed by April. Briskey Brothers Construction from Tecumseh also is on site at the former hospital working alongside RJ Industrial Recycling to haul away scrap concrete — Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LenaweeHeineman. READ MOREUtility pole in Bixby intersection raises safety concerns among residentsby Alexandra Sharfman (KTUL) — The City of Bixby released a statement regarding a utility pole that's in part of an intersection near S Harvard Avenue and E 147th Place S A utility pole is in part of a Bixby intersection near S Harvard Avenue and E 147th Place S Residents have raised concerns that it's an accident waiting to happen and it's not clear how the issue was created or who will be responsible for resolving it (KTUL) — Greystone is a lovely upscale Bixby neighborhood but one homeowner is having to deal with a level of frustration that's off the scale "It just sounds like such a disaster trying to even fix what has been done," said Mike He has asked that we not reveal his identity to avoid potential backlash to his business but he is showing the river that his backyard turns into every time there's a major downpour "I see it as someone dropped the ball," he said where other pipes from the neighborhood converge When a crew from the city came out to respond to Mike's concerns he asked them.. "Surely you guys didn’t just run one pipe through here and just leave it at that?," he said look for yourself at the footage he shot on his phone during several storms "I don’t know exactly what happened with either land development someone obviously approved that it was ok to cut that pipe right there and leave it in the backyard and I guess leave it up to the homeowner to figure out how it’s going to get drained off," he said News Channel 8 reached out to the city but has yet to hear back The rain over the weekend came within ten feet of entering his house giving a sense of realism to the helm on his children's playset As to what action he'd like to see from the city "If it takes a year and it’s demolition time and you want to come through and tear everything up to make it right the first time ADRIAN — City commissioners in Adrian got their first detailed opportunity March 17 to see and hear about the ins and outs of a housing development project being proposed at the former Bixby Hospital property Nearly all of Bixby Hospital has been demolished torn down and hauled away from its previous parcel of land at 818 Riverside Ave is the first of two steps being taken to revitalize and transform the vacant hospital’s property The second step is what real estate developers and business partners Scott Gibson and Michael Collier describe as an answer to a “unique challenge” in both Adrian and Lenawee County: Coming up with a housing solution that meets the needs in the Adrian and Lenawee County markets Gibson and Collier, who together form the commercial real estate development agency Collier-Gibson are proposing to construct a 63-unit planned unit development (PUD) housing community that consists of for-rent single-family homes that vary from one- to-two-bedrooms The proposed PUD was presented for the first time in front of the Adrian city commissioners after it went through several development phases and meetings with the Adrian planning commission a governmental body that establishes and enforces regulations for the use of public and private land After more than one year of working with Collier-Gibson on the proposed housing development PUD planning commissioners submitted their approval of the project March 4 and recommended it be placed in front of the city commission which ultimately will decide the fate of the proposal According to Adrian Mayor Angie Sword Heath any type of potential action/vote taken by the city commission won’t happen for a couple of weeks “It’s a month at least out (from a vote),” Heath told reporters following the city’s March 17 meeting I don’t know if it’s even coming to us at the next (meeting) The Adrian City Commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting is April 7 The commission meets on the first and third Mondays of each month When it is time for the city commission to act on the PUD it will come as an ordinance review with a first reading for consideration followed by a second reading which will result in some form of voted action A planned unit development requires the approval of both the planning commission and the city commission as it changes the ordinances and the zoning of a particular property The PUD has been placed before the city commission as a nearly complete document When the planning commission supported the proposal and moved it along to the city planning members did so with some minor contingencies that need to be addressed including the completion of a lighting diagram submission of a development schedule/timeline and providing a notice of responsibility that the property owner will be responsible for all common grounds maintenance Heath didn’t have an answer for what she thought the inclination of the commission would be toward the development “What (the commissioners) are very happy about is to get rid of a blighted building and to see that action moving,” she said “I know that housing has been a big thing we have all wanted to see more of We know that there’s two sides to this; there’s people who want it to be low-income (housing) and there’s people who don’t want it to be But the driving factor sometimes is that if you do have more rentals it will drive down the costs of the other rentals which could maybe make them more at a rate that people can afford who appeared before the planning commission March 4 talked about the PUD virtually March 17 with the city commission which is intended to split the difference between a garden-rise multifamily density zone — which is about 12 units per acre according to Adrian’s housing code — and a higher density single-family residential which approximates around four units per acre The development will only be on the former Bixby site and will not affect the Grace Chrisman medical building to the north which will remain adjacent to the proposed housing The 63 units will form a pocket community concept that will be kept as a single-family product clustered groups of residences designed around a shared community space like a courtyard or a green area to encourage a sense of community Much of the proposed design for the Bixby redevelopment is based on a pocket community in Bentonville, Arkansas, named Black Apple The concept is incorporated into Adrian’s design The development is not to be considered low-income housing the residences will range from 1,276 to 1,437 square feet in size with monthly rental rates varying from $1,200 to almost $2,000 per month are based on multiple factors including existing cost structures and new tariffs Construction costs are projected to be anywhere from $350,000 to $411,000 per residence “We’ve tried to keep the rental targets within what Fannie Mae defines as missing middle housing, which is 80 to 120% of area median income,” Gibson said during his presentation. “I think in 2024, HUD (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development) defines area median income for Lenawee County at around $84,000 for a family of four.” listed median rent for Adrian at $939 and the median mortgage payment at $1,109 “This is something that my business partner and I felt like was a critical need in the neighborhood in the community and within this part of town and we self-define this as such,” Gibson said “But we did base it upon what Fannie Mae defines as missing middle housing We think that this density for this site is completely appropriate and works really really well because it's a more common design.” An unnamed local management company will be utilized to manage the assets ingresses and egresses into and out of the housing community will be off Kimole Lane and Riverside Avenue Developers: Housing concept will ‘reduce stress on the existing infrastructure’Things like city water and storm sewer lines are expected to see a significant decrease in use from Bixby Hospital and to the housing community There have been some concessions made within the project’s design to “take some pressure off” certain intersections around the former hospital site He also said the housing project will lower all uses from an infrastructure standpoint in going from a hospital to a single-family housing community Bixby Hospital was connected to at least three city water lines: two 6-inch lines and a 10-inch line so in this plan we’re reducing the 10-inch line to an 8-inch line and we will not be using either of the two 6-inch lines,” Gibson said The same type of reduction goes for the existing storm water system; the design reduces the amount of water coming into the system because the housing community’s size is reduced by more than 1-1 1/2 acres from Bixby Hospital “We are reducing the amount of stress on the existing infrastructure We will be reducing the impact and that goes for the traffic as well,” Gibson said That’s how we’ve all approached this project It is actually lowering the impact to the community from an infrastructural standpoint.” In terms of adding pedestrian crossings or other safety enhancements in the area those decisions will be made by the city commission at a future date Potential increases in traffic with a new housing community along Riverside Avenue has been a major concern for some residents Residents still have concerns about the developmentPrior to Gibson’s presentation and after some Adrian residents still voiced their concerns about the housing proposal who spoke publicly at the March 4 planning commission meeting stated his concerns about the proposed development and how the developer says the project will provide missing middle housing According to Timm’s public comment statement the proposed plan only includes single-family houses which do not qualify as missing middle housing Timm went on to describe missing middle housing as a range of housing types such as duplexes The proposed development also fails to align with Adrian’s comprehensive plan and land use plan adding it does not meet the criteria for a planned unit development “This plan falls short on all counts,” he said many surrounding neighborhoods already better fulfill these requirements.” another resident who spoke at the planning commission meeting March 4 requested more project information and transparency given to the immediate neighborhood and the entire city of Adrian she said the redevelopment for the Bixby property doesn’t appear to be a good fit in her estimation “It probably would be a good fit for Adrian “And I think a lot more needs to be studied on it a lot more needs to be done to involve the residents even if they don’t show up I think an outreach would be very helpful.” City Commissioner Bob Behnke commented on the proposal and said he viewed the housing development as an opportunity to get families into Adrian and directly across the street from the Adrian High School campus which could be an attraction for teachers and other educators in joining the Adrian Public Schools community “I think this is a great opportunity for entry level teachers firefighters to come and live in our community and be anchored here,” Behnke said an update on a proposed rezoning in Bixby that multiple residents have shared with NewsChannel 8 their opposition to We've been following this proposed rezoning since it showed up in the city council agenda a month ago Now the city is moving forward with a decision "This has been discussed over the last back and forth and going through the process Due to lack of quorum on the last two meetings we were unable to have the items heard," said Joey Wiedel the Bixby City Manager in the city council meeting tonight the city council discussed the proposed rezoning of Bixby Farms the land next to Lantern Hill from Agricultural use to residential use Many residents attended this meeting and shared their concerns One of those residents was Gary Halstead who we’ve spoken with in the past when he organized the petition to suspend residential developments in South Bixby until infrastructure catches up there’s so many planned developments that we have approved We need to let those builders finish those developments and then push forward but we need to see what the impact on our schools are going to be," said Halstead His concern is that more focus needs to be placed on building and updating roads and building schools before the city attracts more people to their town by building homes the city council voted to not rezone Bixby Farms — An epic snow day announcement for Bixby Public Schools The superintendent is breaking out his rap skills in a viral video 2 News sat down with him as he championed some fun for his district You’ll normally find Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller in his office getting the work of the district done That same snow day is what’s sending his rap debut into viral territory “You never know what’s going to happen when you put these videos out,” said Rob Miller It was the highlight of the morning as the head of more than 8,000 students in the district donned his beanie and mic to recreate one of the millennials’ favorite rappers' most popular songs “We wanted to replicate it as much as possible because the juxtaposition of myself a 63-year-old white guy trying to do Eminem in a rap song Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” turned to Miller’s “Snooze Yourself.” “We love to have fun and make this a place where kids feel comfortable to have fun as well,” said Miller Miller says all of the magic happened at Bixby High School “We had access to green screens and all the sound and everything else so we spent about an hour doing the footage and then he did the magic of pulling it all together and making it great,” said Miller The district has been putting out these snow day videos since 2020; one year mimicking Will Ferrell’s famous SNL skit and another year lip-syncing a cold weather tune Miller says he’s keeping his day job but says it’s fun to bring a little levity and mom’s spaghetti to the district every now and then “It stirs my creative juices as well and helps me have fun with this job because there are a lot of serious things that superintendents and district leaders and educators have to deal with every single day so we have to remind ourselves sometimes that this is a fun job,” said Miller a group of parents in the Bixby Public Schools district whose children have Down syndrome or autism have fought for their children’s rights to access a regular classroom setting as allowed by federal law But they say Bixby school officials have steadfastly opposed those efforts despite years of research showing that children with disabilities benefit from inclusion in a traditional classroom with little or no downside to their typically developing peers An investigation by the Oklahoma State Department of Education found that Bixby failed to properly document the decision-making process that resulted in children with special needs being segregated into separate classrooms for much of the school day And parents say the instruction given to their children often lacks serious academic goals the reading materials used by Bixby appear to rely on the three-cueing method a practice outlawed by state lawmakers this year because research has shown it does not teach students to read After parents filed a complaint with the state they say Bixby officials responded by portraying Down syndrome children as disruptive and even violent to keep them out of traditional classrooms “You shouldn’t have to sell your house and move to a different school district just for your kids to get their rights that they deserve to find a school that’s following the laws,” said Lauree Lee Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) law children with special needs have the right to an education in the “least restrictive environment,” a phrase that means children should be incorporated into general-education classrooms with non-disabled peers as much as possible the school often segregates children into special-education classrooms for much of the day The state goal is for 71.5 percent of students with disabilities to spend most of the school day in a regular classroom, but according to data publicly reported by school districts only 52 percent of students with disabilities at Bixby were in the general classroom for that much time during the 2023 state budget year the state goal is for 35 percent of children with disabilities to receive the majority of special education and services within a regular early childhood program but only 2.5 percent of Bixby students do so The state goal is for fewer than 19.5 percent of children with disabilities to attend a separate special education class for early childhood programming but 55 percent of students at Bixby are segregated in separate classes Bixby school officials “repeatedly told parents that they don’t consent to recording meetings and would end the meeting if they were recorded.” “It’s driving our children into these special-education classrooms without any typical-developing peers,” said Kristen Whitmer whose seven-year-old daughter has Down syndrome “It’s also putting them on curriculum that’s never going to give them an opportunity to even try to earn a regular diploma when they’re older.” Parents say Bixby’s practices do not align with decades of research A 2016 report by Abt Associates reviewed more than 280 research studies conducted in 25 countries and found “consistent evidence that inclusive educational settings—those in which children with disabilities are educated alongside their non-disabled peers—can confer substantial short- and long-term benefits for children’s cognitive and social development.” The report also found that research “suggests that in most cases being educated alongside a student with a disability does not lead to negative consequences for non-disabled students.” Parents also say their children are not being taught basic literacy skills It appears a major reason is because Bixby officials rely on a long-discredited teaching method known as “three cueing.” students are encouraged to guess words based on associated pictures and to memorize entire words rather than learn to sound them out This year, Oklahoma lawmakers passed Senate Bill 362 which stated that Oklahoma public-school teachers “shall be prohibited from using the three-cueing system model of teaching students to read” starting in the 2025-2026 school year At least 10 other states have banned the use of the three-cueing system A Bixby spokesperson said the “three-cueing method is not part of our instructional practice at Bixby Public Schools in any capacity.” school reading material provided by a parent appeared to contain clear elements of the three-cueing method Parents say school officials also lack ambition when setting their children’s literacy goals she still had this goal of ‘shall identify her letters,’” Whitmer said you’ve been working on this since she was three and also lots of sight words.’ So last November She knows this.’ And so the first reading goal that they were willing to do that was a step beyond the letters was ‘Adeline will learn 15 sight words in the next 12 months.’ And I said Whitmer is having to teach her daughter more advanced reading instruction at home because the child isn’t receiving that instruction at school Lee’s daughter is currently in sixth grade and has been at Bixby since the fourth grade Lee said she has seen little academic growth The schoolwork assigned to the girl in sixth grade is little different from the material received two years ago State data for the 2022-2023 school year show that just 8.4 percent to 18.75 percent of Bixby students on an individualized education program (IEP) tested proficient in reading at six of seven school sites Students on an IEP include those with everything from dyslexia to Down syndrome to autism and more Lee said there was little obvious change in many academic goals included in her daughter’s IEP from one year to the next “They’re just not very ambitious,” Lee said “and we just think she’s capable of more.” Even when Bixby officials agreed to allow students to attend some general-education classes parents found that was no guarantee their child would receive instruction ‘How is Adeline doing during that time?” And she goes That’s a SPED teacher’s job,’” Whitmer recalled but the general education teacher did not view it as her responsibility to even try to educate her Numerous parents of special-needs children sought to have their kids incorporated into traditional classrooms for a larger share of the school day nine families filed a complaint with the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) in May Eight of the families have children with Down syndrome and one has a child with autism The complaint stated that officials at the Bixby school district had “systematically placed students with an Intellectual Disability or higher need Autism in a segregated setting without maximizing supplementary aides and services (or even trying them at all) in the Least Restrictive Environment.” The complaint also stated that Bixby officials “repeatedly told parents that they don’t consent to recording meetings and would end the meeting if they were recorded.” parents can record any conversation they participate in When the agency issued its decision on July 22 Oklahoma State Department of Education officials noted “Districts should not place students in a more restrictive setting based on behavior unless the behavior is so disruptive that no amount of supplementary aids and services would allow him to be satisfactorily educated in a general education setting …” The agency found Bixby officials had not produced “sufficient documentation regarding the meaning of the evaluation data and discussion of placement options that the District considered if students could be successful in the general education classroom with the full range of supports before considering more restrictive placements along the continuum.” “The District is out of compliance based on the documentation of the procedural process.” officials at Bixby were required to meet with parents to discuss their children’s individualized education programs Whitmer said Bixby officials raved about their children they would give us these great reviews,” Whitmer said “‘They’re so sweet.’ ‘They’re doing so well.’ ‘They don’t have behavior issues.’ They would just glow about our kids.” But that changed after parents demanded their children receive a better education “They started painting our children to be a monster,” Whitmer said When Whitmer met with the IEP team after filing the state complaint she said Bixby officials came with a 14-page document outlining her daughter’s alleged bad behavior “trying to paint this picture of why she couldn’t be in gen ed.” only one behavior in that whole 14 pages was I like And that behavior occurred on only one occasion The other alleged problem behaviors included things like not saying “Hi,” not making eye contact at times and lying on the floor instead of sitting on the floor When she was given her son’s IEP draft after filing the state complaint Hough said school officials “filled it with all of this stuff that had never been in there before about how my son was aggressive and basically saying that he cannot learn in the general-education classroom in certain subjects.” “The thing that got me was that they were trying to say that his behavior was such that he couldn’t be included,” Hough said most kids with Down syndrome are sweet kids.” “No one has ever said before that you have any problems with his behavior Bixby gets extra money for special-education kids public schools receive additional funding for each student who has a diagnosed learning challenge State funding can be bumped by thousands of dollars per student How is that money being used to benefit the students that generate the extra funding “That’s been a lot of our questions,” Whitmer said During a recent presentation research professor and director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University said many schools nationwide spend money boosting special-education staff numbers but that doesn’t necessarily translate into better outcomes “One of the most fascinating findings we’ve come across is diseconomies of scale,” Roza said larger districts tend to spend more per special-ed student meaning that there are no efficiencies gained by having more students smaller districts are at a disadvantage because they only will have one of a type of a student and so you end up investing in a special-ed teacher for a smaller number of kids But we’re actually finding that the cost structure is higher in the larger districts.” When Edunomics researchers examined National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) reading scores they found that staff-heavy school programs “weren’t correlated with higher reading outcomes” for students with special needs as we’ve been looking around across the country the inputs—meaning the staffing counts—are treated as the outcome,” Roza said ‘We are trying to improve our special-ed programs; we have hired this many more specialists.’ That’s not the outcome We need to then check to see if this hiring is actually delivering value for students.” Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller said the school has worked to address the concerns raised by the parents especially those in special education,” Miller said “We take every parent’s concerns to heart because inclusion is at the core of our district’s values.” Bixby parents face uncertain future for their children Hough noted there are college programs that cater to individuals with various disabilities and special needs but students must often have a certain level of education to attend those programs She fears the path Bixby officials have placed her son on in elementary school and the children of similar families across the district makes it extremely unlikely those youth will be able to attend one of those programs after high school “We would like for him to grow up and hopefully have a diploma and then go to one of the 300 college programs that are in the United States for people with intellectual disability to learn how to live independently and have meaningful employment and relationships and get married if he would like to,” Hough said “But I feel like the path they have him on … I don’t think that aligns with our goals for him It’s one of the things that makes us really sad.” Ray Carter is the director of OCPA’s Center for Independent Journalism He has two decades of experience in journalism and communications He previously served as senior Capitol reporter for The Journal Record media director for the Oklahoma House of Representatives and chief editorial writer at The Oklahoman Carter received 12 Carl Rogan Awards in four years—including awards for investigative reporting including first place in the editorial writing category of the Associated Press/Oklahoma News Executives Carl Rogan Memorial News Excellence Competition for an editorial on the history of racism in the Oklahoma legislature © 2025 Oklahoma Council Of Public Affairs National experts: Alleged violations in Bixby ‘shocking’ Alleging violations of their children’s rights under state and federal special-education law, nine families in Bixby filed a complaint with the Oklahoma Department of Education (OSDE) earlier this year and during a recent online forum experts said the alleged treatment of Bixby children with Down syndrome and autism is appalling even on a 50-state scale  “What the parents were saying had been happening and some of the decisions that had been made were kind of shocking,” said Fred Buglione chief executive officer of the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education which supports families of students with disabilities which is the least inclusive state in the country so for me to be shocked by some of these things … Because I’m like ADA refers to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act IDEA refers to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act a former director of special education who now works as a parent advocate with IncludeNJ an organization supporting families of students with disabilities She said the Bixby case involves not just a denial of student inclusion Ahearn was dismayed by the attitude of Bixby officials towards children with Down syndrome and autism “These are children we’re talking about,” Ahearn said “And the comments and some of the things that are coming out of educators’ mouths are equally shocking I think that we are probably in for a long The nine Bixby families sought to have their children incorporated into general-education classes to a much greater extent noting that reams of research show that is a best practice But Bixby officials have refused to accommodate those requests the nine families filed a complaint with the Oklahoma State Department of Education in May The OSDE investigation found Bixby failed to properly document the decision-making process that resulted in the children being segregated into separate classrooms for much of the school day That forced Bixby officials to hold new individualized education program (IEP) team meetings with the nine children’s parents But Bixby parents said those meetings were not productive “None of us had good outcomes from these meetings,” said Kristen Whitmer One possible reason Bixby officials feel free to continue balking is that schools have substantial taxpayer resources to pay lawyers to fight families in court while parents’ finances are limited and schools have also locked up a substantial share of attorneys with relevant subject-matter expertise we have about five or six special-education attorneys and two of them work full time for the school-district law firms that represent most of the school districts in Oklahoma,” said Lucia Frohling director of parent services at Oklahoma Parents for Student Achievement (OPSA) an organization that assists parents working to improve their child’s education “So that’s a pretty difficult process for parents Karmen Haley noted her son’s future “depends upon the choices we make today,” but Bixby school officials appear indifferent to that reality “One district administrator repeatedly told me if I disagreed I should take it to the state,” Haley said Bixby officials also benefit from the fact that Oklahoma law allows them to run roughshod over parental wishes in ways that might not be allowed when dealing with students who do not have disabilities “There’s only 17 states in the United States that are considered ‘consent states,’” Frohling said which means the parents only have the power to consent to evaluations of their child and the initial provision of services Anything after that you can disagree and the school can still implement it.” While procedural safeguards are provided for parents The parents can represent themselves in legal proceedings or they can hire an attorney—and good luck finding an attorney ‘You need to hear me: You can disagree with us the school still went forward with what they proposed because we don’t have a right beyond that.” The lack of parental consent for the education of a child with special needs is in sharp contrast to the rights afforded to Oklahoma parents of typically developing children and I got to choose if he was the honors track or the regular track diploma,” Frohling said “There’s no reason why parents who have students with disabilities should not be afforded that same right for their child and that should not be decided—in my opinion—at the age of three.” The Bixby parents and national experts discussed the case on a recent episode of “The Art of Advocacy,” hosted by Charmaine Thaner an inclusion advocate and founder of Collaborative Special Education Advocacy “It is really heartbreaking when you see your young kids and you know that their opportunities are being limited,” Thaner said Bixby parents say they are considering all options to make certain their children receive a quality education our kids are number one here,” said Katy Hough “We want them to be successful and to have every opportunity And we know that that starts with education and we will not stop until we get our voices heard—because we want our children to have bright futures.” ADRIAN — Demolition of the former and vacant ProMedica Bixby Hospital in Adrian is scheduled to begin Thursday, Dec. 5 in what ProMedica calls a demonstration of its “support of community revitalization.” Located at 818 Riverside Ave., across from the Adrian High School campus, Bixby Hospital has sat vacant since 2020 when it — along with ProMedica Herrick Hospital in Tecumseh — was replaced by ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital in Adrian Township Bixby Hospital first opened its doors to the public in June 1957 as the Emma L later going through an assortment of name changes Demolition work on the main building of the hospital will take place seven days a week from 7 a.m The demolition work will involve taking the building down into sections to help minimize noise for residents neighbors should expect some level of noise during the demolition backup beepers and concrete grinding,” ProMedica said the demolition contractor will implement watering measures throughout the project.” residents should anticipate continued noise from concrete grinding All demolition and debris removal activities are expected to be completed by the end of April 2025 “We know the former Bixby Hospital carries countless memories for people all across our community,” Julie Yaroch resident of ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital it was the place where community members were welcomed into the world and where families and friends said final farewells to loved ones It was also a place where generations of hospital staff demonstrated their tireless commitment to patients and formed lasting bonds As we say goodbye to this building to pave the way for redevelopment Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content. Redevelopment plansPlans are in the works to transform the hospital campus into a rental housing community that would include 50 individual dwelling units. The development plans originally came before the Adrian City Commission in January when developer Michael Collier told the commission he has secured a contract with ProMedica to redevelop the property noting he understood such a project has been desired in the community since the hospital closed it was estimated that demolition of the hospital — not the Grace Chrisman Medical Building which includes the ProMedica Hickman Cancer Center — could begin sometime in mid-July News of the planned demolition beginning this week was well received by city of Adrian officials From April 2024: Plans to build rental housing on former Bixby Hospital site continue “It would be very good news if that building starts coming down,” Adrian City Administrator Greg Elliott said “I really can’t see how it can fail at this point.” The contract signed between ProMedica and the demolition contractor provides for a line of continued funding from ProMedica that will allow for complete demolition and cleanup to take place Utilities to the building have been shut off and permits from the city of Adrian have been pulled for starting the demolition “There really should be nothing that can go wrong at this point ProMedica has the money there and set it aside to do it,” he said A preliminary planned unit development (PUD) approval is still required before any noticeable changes of the hospital campus into a residential community will be seen The next step after the PUD approval — a sort of parcel-specific zoning designation where a developer proposes a plan within certain parameters — would be the rezoning of the property — Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LenaweeHeineman. affectionately known for her sweet and kind spirit A proud graduate of Rossville High School in 1956 Patricia dedicated 37 years of her life to the noble profession of nursing; she worked as a licensed practical nurse at St providing comfort and compassion to her patients during their most vulnerable times Her commitment to nurturing others was also evident in her devoted care for her elderly parents Patricia often reflected on her desire to have children of her own; however she found immense joy and fulfillment in the lives of her numerous nieces and nephews Patricia's life was rich with memories filled with the warmth of family gatherings particularly holidays spent at Grandma and Grandpa Bixby’s house She took great delight every Christmas in gifting a new pair of socks for each of her nieces and nephews a tradition that showcased her love and thoughtfulness Family occasions were never complete without Patricia's presence as she was a very special part of Donna’s family bringing joy and laughter wherever she went In addition to her professional accomplishments with particularly fond memories of a trip to Switzerland and Germany during her younger years She enjoyed traveling across the United States with her sister as well as spending summer vacations with her sister Betty and her family One of her greatest joys in life was spending time with extended family and enjoyed the friendship of her little nieces and nephews.  Patricia was very proud of her Catholic Faith and was a member of St Patricia is survived by her beloved sister and great-nieces and great-nephews who will forever honor her memory Teresa Miller and Betty (Hinterweger) Cummings She was also preceded in death by her niece A visitation will be held on Thursday,January 30 followed by a Rosary at 7:00 PM at Piper Funeral Home A funeral Mass will be celebrated to honor her memory on Friday followed by her burial in Rossville Cemetery.  Patricia Ann Bixby lived a full and productive life touching countless hearts with her gentle spirit and unwavering dedication to caring for others She will be deeply missed but lovingly remembered by her family and all whose lives she enriched Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text (KTUL) — Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller's defamation lawsuit against State Superintendent Ryan Walters will move forward Tulsa County Judge Daman Cantrell denied Walters' motion to dismiss the case Judge Cantrell said Miller's attorneys identified enough in Walters' July 31st press conference to make a defamation case especially Walters' comments about Bixby Public Schools having "all kinds of financial problems." "As plaintiff (Miller) points out in his papers this is particularly pertinent to the claim of slander regarding injury to office profession or business," Judge Cantrell wrote in his opinion Judge Cantrell also noted that Walters' July 31st press conference comments also fell under the "malice" required under defamation law with a public figure Newschannel 8 has been following the story since that press conference in July in which Ryan Walters responded to a media question about Miller's public criticisms by saying He knows every year when he gets the Title I funds and we're dealing with all kinds of financial problems with his district that we're hoping to address right now Rob--- Rob's a clown and a liar." Miller then filed a defamation lawsuit against Walters in August Judge Cantrell heard arguments to dismiss the case in late November What happens next in the case: the discovery phase Judge Cantrell said in his opinion that any of Walters' issues with the case may be re-raised after further discovery under "normal procedure," including any audits of the Bixby district presented to the court Already have an account? Log in here Oklahoma Voice Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller speaks outside the state Capitol for a Public Schools Day rally on Tuesday in Oklahoma City OKLAHOMA CITY — The race for state superintendent has begun with the first candidate announcing his campaign Tuesday Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller said he is running for the post in the 2026 election Miller said he will retire from Bixby at the end of the school year made the campaign announcement at a Public Schools Day rally in front of the state Capitol He already had filed paperwork with the state Ethics Commission to establish his candidacy Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily If you're not a student and value our work “I have been encouraged by quite a few people to give this a shot,” Miller told reporters as a high school band boomed behind him at the rally “I’m at that point in my career where this has nothing to do with politics This is about going to the state Department (of Education) rolling up my sleeves and working hard on behalf of Oklahoma’s students and families because I have no aspirations beyond this job unlike other people.” The comment was a barb against the incumbent state superintendent whom many believe will seek higher office in 2026 He is eligible to seek a second term as state superintendent Miller said he hopes to address the critical shortage of qualified teachers in Oklahoma and to bring “pride and respect back to education.” The longtime educator and former Marine criticized the political atmosphere hanging over Oklahoma schools and educators, indicating Walters is the one responsible. Walters has spent much of his time in office remarking on culture-war issues and seeking to place Bibles in classrooms teachers feel like they’re under a storm cloud,” Miller said They’re afraid to speak out because of retribution from certain leaders and what I want teachers to know is we support you (and) we value you You make a difference in the lives of kids every single day Tell us what you need to do that job better.” Miller has become an increasingly prominent figure in Oklahoma education particularly because of his clashes with Walters the Bixby schools leader complained Walters’ administration failed to give adequate notice of each district’s federal funding levels Walters called Miller a “clown” and a “liar” and insinuated Bixby had “all kinds of financial problems.” Miller sued Walters for defamation over the comments The lawsuit is still pending in Tulsa County District Court Walters’ administration has called the case a frivolous political stunt Miller’s profile continued to rise when he received a shoutout in Gov Kevin Stitt’s State of the State Address earlier this month Stitt complimented Bixby’s decision to prohibit cellphone use during the school day for students up to ninth grade The governor joined Miller at the Bixby Ninth Grade Center in November to discuss the issue of cellphones in schools with students and teachers Miller’s most recent claim to fame, though, came in the form of a viral internet video He parodied Eminem’s rap hit “Lose Yourself” to announce a snow day on Feb Miller reprised the parody to announce his campaign for statewide office on Tuesday donning an Eminem-style beanie hat and performing rhymes for the eager audience outside the Capitol he said he wanted to set an example of “doing things that are fun and encouraging.” “Because that’s what we want our teachers to do “We want them to go to their classrooms and make it fun then what prompts them to do it in the classroom?” Oklahoma Voice is an affiliate of States Newsroom, a nation 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and donations focused on delivering state government news. The Voice maintains full editorial independence. For more stories by Oklahoma Voice go to oklahomavoice.com Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student and value our work, please disable your ad blocker or click here to match that if you can. Steven Bixby sits in a Greenville County courtroom April 4 for a status conference related to his mental competency for execution The house where the Bixby family barricaded themselves in a 2003 shootout with law enforcement was demolished by Abbeville County in 2018 sentenced to death in the killing of two Abbeville County law enforcement officers will have a hearing in August to determine if he is fit for execution Conor Hughes is a reporter for the Post and Courier Greenville GREENVILLE — More than two decades after gunning down two law enforcement officers in Abbeville County prompting a more than 12-hour shootout with police death row inmate Steven Bixby appeared in court April 4 as the state considers whether he's competent to be executed The status conference at the Greenville County Courthouse comes three weeks after the S.C Supreme Court stayed Bixby's execution in a 3-2 ruling set a tentative date for Bixby's competency hearing for Aug Bixby was convicted in 2007 of murdering Abbeville County Sheriff's Deputy Danny Wilson and state Constable Donnie Ouzts at his home in Abbeville County the morning of Dec along with his parents Rita and Arthur Bixby — who all lived together off state Highway 72 just outside the city of Abbeville — had been clashing with S.C Department of Transportation workers as the agency prepared to widen the road in front of their house The project would have impacted a 20-foot strip of land on their property who had moved to the area from New Hampshire in the 1990s When the family accosted DOT employees placing survey stakes down for the widening the Abbeville County Sheriff's Office dispatched Wilson to talk to them about the dispute Bixby shot him through the front door of the house When Ouzts arrived shortly after to check on Wilson The State Law Enforcement Division later described the ensuing standoff as the worst police shootout in state history. A helicopter had to be flown in from Columbia to resupply officers with ammunition as they exchanged thousands of rounds with Bixby barricaded in his home.  The standoff ended when Bixby surrendered himself and police took him and his parents into custody Rita and Arthur Bixby were both charged and convicted in connection to the shootings. They both died in state prison in 2011 as well as a slew of related charges in 2007 and sentenced to death He has been on death row in the roughly 22 years since as pharmaceutical companies refused to sell lethal injection drugs to the state But executions resumed last year after South Carolina enacted new shield laws that provide anonymity to those companies. So far, four inmates have been put to death since executions resumed in September if his execution had not been temporarily stayed as his competency proceedings move forward Bixby's defense team included a report from clinical psychologist Richart DeMier who conducted a 15-hour examination of the death row inmate over two days in February 2024 at the Broad River Correctional Institution DeMier argues Bixby is not capable of assisting in his own legal defense or of understanding the nature of the proceedings citing his "bizarre beliefs" that Demier says have "rendered him totally unable to understand even the most basic legal procedures." Bixby is a member of the sovereign citizen movement a lose group of people who share extreme beliefs that the government holds little to no authority over them particularly as it applies to private property played a major role in the shooting that claimed Wilson's and Ouzts' lives Bixby also expressed that he holds a number of other delusions including that Jesus Christ's DNA was found on his clothing following the shooting that photographic evidence proved an angel was present during the standoff and that direct intervention from God saved him during the shootout Demier attributed Bixby's aberrant behavior and thought patterns to narcissistic personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder Bixby reaffirmed his beliefs that South Carolina courts have no jurisdiction over him in comments to Spruce Attorney General's Office is representing the state in Bixby's competency proceedings with support from the 8th Circuit Solicitor's Office which tried the original death penalty case During the April 4 status conference in Greenville County Senior Deputy Attorney General Melody Brown said the prosecution will be filing a motion to access Bixby's state Department of Corrections health records as well as to interview staff who have treated him during his incarceration 8th Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo told reporters he disagreed with the Supreme Court's decision to stay Bixby's execution but had full confidence in the judicial system's ability to resolve the issue Follow Conor Hughes on Twitter at @ConorJHughes or reach him on his email at chughes@postandcourier.com News tips/online questions: greenville@postandcourier.com Subscription questions: subserve@postandcourier.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: A Bixby man is upset after he recorded a masked intruder stealing from his home in the middle of the night The homeowner says this happened while he and his family were asleep Eric Gill says he never expected something like this to happen in his neighborhood He says it's really frightening because he and his family were all inside at the time Gill couldn't believe what he saw after the sound of his door alarm woke him up in the middle of the night probably about five seconds behind him leaving the house He checked his phone and saw someone in a mask walking from his home "The kids are worried and have had nightmares waking up in the middle of the night scared," Gill said "No one wants to stay at home alone anymore." Gill says his wife's purse was taken from the house The neighbor next door found it in the morning He was relieved that nothing else was taken but still felt uneasy that a stranger was in his home with the amount of guns people have out there and wanting to protect their property," he said Gill is not sure how the person got inside his home but thinks he could have left a door unlocked News On 6 talked with a different Bixby homeowner who had a similar experience Video shows someone in a mask entering a home near 111th and Memorial and stealing a purse Related: Caught on camera: Bixby woman nearly walks in on masked burglar in her home Bixby officers say similar reports are coming in from Tulsa and they are working with those police departments to gather information Gill says this is a scary reminder to double-check and make sure your doors are locked every night it would have been very scary,\" said Gill \"The kids are worried and have had nightmares waking up in the middle of the night scared,\" Gill said \"No one wants to stay at home alone anymore.\" with the amount of guns people have out there and wanting to protect their property,\" he said Related: Caught on camera: Bixby woman nearly walks in on masked burglar in her home Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller announced his candidacy for Oklahoma State Superintendent on Saturday setting up a potential Republican primary challenge against current Superintendent Ryan Walters who has led Bixby Public Schools since 2018 said he is running for Oklahoma’s families and children He plans to retire at the end of the school year to focus on his family and prepare for the upcoming election I'm running for Oklahoma's families and kids trying to restore pride in public education and fighting for our teachers in schools and doing the hard work they do every single day," Miller said Miller has been in a legal dispute with Walters filing a defamation lawsuit in August 2024 The lawsuit alleges Walters made false statements about Miller including calling him a "liar" and a "clown" and accusing Bixby Public Schools of financial mismanagement Walters denied wrongdoing and sought to dismiss the lawsuit released a statement in response to Miller’s candidacy "Superintendent Walters remains focused on keeping woke administrators out of the classroom implementing President Trump’s education reforms and empowering parents to have a greater voice in their children’s education Future political decisions will be made at a later time," the statement read Most of the people News On 6 spoke with say they weren't surprised by this announcement and Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller has their vote as the next state superintendent Bixby Public School parents say Miller would be a great fit for the job "Several throughout the community have definitely said he is a true fighter for teachers and kids and he's just a phenomenal guy but he'd make a huge impact in the state for sure," said Sara Macalinao "Whenever I've seen him at different events I think he's a good man I think he's got a lot of good thoughts about how things should go in a school system," said Kathy Moody One parent says Miller has proven he would improve Oklahoma's school system if elected "He's a right fighter and I think that's something that the state really needs," said Macalinao Another Bixby mother says Superintendent Rob Miller cares about the community because he does fun things "I mean he just posted this really cute snow day story that everybody saw and loved," said Sarah Hobbs 🔗Bixby Superintendent Sues State Superintendent Ryan Walters for Defamation 🔗State Superintendent Ryan Walters Files Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Brought by Bixby Superintendent 🔗Judge to Rule on Bixby Superintendent’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Ryan Walters in 30 Days Tatum Guinn is an award-winning journalist who has covered pivotal events and stories across the nation Tatum joined News On 6 in 2022 as the 4 p.m trying to restore pride in public education and fighting for our teachers in schools and doing the hard work they do every single day,\" Miller said including calling him a \"liar\" and a \"clown\" and accusing Bixby Public Schools of financial mismanagement \"Superintendent Walters remains focused on keeping woke administrators out of the classroom Future political decisions will be made at a later time,\" the statement read \"Several throughout the community have definitely said he is a true fighter for teachers and kids and he's just a phenomenal guy but he'd make a huge impact in the state for sure,\" said Sara Macalinao \"Whenever I've seen him at different events I think he's a good man I think he's got a lot of good thoughts about how things should go in a school system,\" said Kathy Moody \"He's a right fighter and I think that's something that the state really needs,\" said Macalinao \"I mean he just posted this really cute snow day story that everybody saw and loved,\" said Sarah Hobbs 🔗Bixby Superintendent Sues State Superintendent Ryan Walters for Defamation 🔗State Superintendent Ryan Walters Files Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Brought by Bixby Superintendent 🔗Judge to Rule on Bixby Superintendent’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Ryan Walters in 30 Days A statue of Washington Irving located in Bixby was vandalized recently when someone removed its head was arrested and the missing part of the statue has been recovered Arrest records show that Dinh was booked into David L Moss on Christmas Eve on charges of destroying public/private property His bond is set at $5,000 and he has a scheduled court date on Dec Washington Irving is a prominent figure in American literature and he is celebrated for his classic works such as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” He is considered one of the first American authors to gain international acclaim Irving visited what is now Oklahoma in the 1830s and wrote about his experience in his book “A Tour On The Prairies.” The 32-acre Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum bears his name in honor of his contributions and legacy It also includes a memorial for the Oklahoma City bombing and a beam from the World Trade Center honoring September 11 Emory Bryan is a general assignment reporter for News On 6 He began his news career covering the school board for his hometown radio station and worked on the newspaper staff in college before making the switch to television Emory Bryan joined the News On 6 team in 1994 A string of burglaries and home invasions has neighborhoods in Jenks One of those incidents was caught on security camera showing a Bixby woman who nearly came face to face with the masked man inside her home he is walking out my door as I'm walking out of my bedroom So it was like seconds that I missed him," Chelsey said Chelsey gets up with her dogs throughout the night and didn’t think anything was wrong when her dogs started barking around 3:30 a.m they ran around the side of the house," she said It wasn’t until morning that she realized what had happened when she couldn’t find her purse where she'd left it the night before “I realized it was on the floor when I went to bed I didn't get up in the middle of the night and mess with my purse so I backtracked over the middle of the night and as you scan across my kitchen I had no idea at the time that anyone had been in my home." she said Bixby Police Chief Todd Blish said his investigators found the purse not too far away from the home The only thing missing was a pair of AirPods Chief Blish said his department is working with Jenks Broken Arrow and Tulsa to compare reports and make a fast arrest in this case “So many things could have happened that didn't So it was like seconds that I missed him,\" Chelsey said they ran around the side of the house,\" she said I had no idea at the time that anyone had been in my home.\" she said There are no statistics available for this player Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our 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