WAURIKA LAKE
OHP: Man, 73,
drowns Monday
A 73-year-old man reportedly drowned Monday in icy waters in southern Oklahoma.
According to Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports, Darwin Wayne Smith of Arlington, Texas, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on Waurika Lake.
Troopers said the incident occurred at approximately 4:25 p.m. on Waurika Lake, about 1/2 mile southeast of the Wichita Ridge boat ramp, which is approximately 3 miles north of Hastings in Jefferson County.
At that time an aluminum flat-bottomed Jon boat operated by Smith, was on the water and for an unknown reason “overturned and the operator was thrown overboard into the water.”
Smith was pronounced dead at the scene by Medical Examiner Ron Jenkins. The exact cause of death is pending the medical examiner’s report.
Troopers say both Smith’s condition at the time of the incident as well as its cause are both “under investigation.”
Personal floatation device were reportedly in use at the time of the incident.
— Tim Hudson
GREEN TEAM
Norman moving
toward renewables
NORMAN — Norman environmentalists and community leaders want to move toward 100 percent renewable energy.
In conjunction with the national Sierra Club #ReadyFor100, a communitywide coalition will host listening sessions, educational presentations and workshops throughout Norman during January and February, kicking off with a Community Wide Listening Session at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the First Presbyterian Church, 555 S. University Blvd.
Speakers include leaders in the local solar and wind industries, members of the RF100 policy team and others on the forefront of the movement for just and equitable renewable energy.
“We want to bring the underserved and the under-heard to table,” said Adrienne Gautier, Ready for 100 coalition member. “These listening sessions are one way to get input and hear concerns from the community as we finalize our list of commitments to present to the city council later in the year.”
The Green Team at the First Presbyterian church is hosting the kick-off event.
“We became aware of this and offered to host,” said Charles Marshall, a member of First Presbyterian’s Green Team. “I look forward to learning about the content of what Ready For 100 stands for as a goal for our community. There are some elements the state of Oklahoma and individual citizens can do to work toward this.”
— The Norman Transcript