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Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014

Section A, Page 3

OUR AREA
Area man faces assault charge
A Haskell man is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for allegedly stabbing a Hulbert man. Charles William Curley, 58, is being held in the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility on Curley $50,000 bond. Curley is charged with stabbing Arthur Gene Hair, 53, on Jan. 13. According to court documents, Hair sustained cuts to his abdomen and leg. The stabbing was the result of a fight that took place in the 200 block of North Third Street. Curley will be back in Muskogee County District Court on Feb. 7 for a sounding docket, at which time a date will be set for a preliminary hearing.

Tech trust visits FG school

Fort Gibson Intermediate Elementary shows off results of $65K technology grant
By E.I. Hillin
Phoenix Staff Writer

Charges to be determined Monday

An Oktaha man being held on a murder complaint wont find out until Monday what charges, if any, he will face. Justin Capps, 18, was arrested for allegedly shooting Richard Kosterlitzky, Capps 30. Kosterlitzky was found shot to death in a mobile home late Wednesday night. Capps is being held without bond Kosterlitzsky in the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility. A court hearing is set for 3 p.m. Monday. District Attorney Larry Moore said that more interviews are needed to complete the investigation. The homicide was the first in Muskogee in 2014.

Representatives from the Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust visited Fort Gibson on Friday to view the benefits from the $65,000 grant awarded to Fort Gibson Intermediate Elementary. Sherry Rybolt, the schools principal, said the representatives were happy with the results from the grant. They seemed pleased by how the technology was being used, she said. The grant helped purchase new technology equipment for the school. Weve purchased 24 Smart Boards, 24 document cameras, iPads and keyboard cases, web cams, microphones, and laptops, Rybolt said. Robert Franklin, a OETT trustee and the associate superintendent of Tulsa Technology Center, enjoyed his visit to Fort Gibson. It was magical. It was an eye-popping moment, Franklin said. I found it very warm and engaging. Franklin has been an educator for 33 years. He said that the use of technology similar to that in the classrooms in Fort Gibson Intermediate Elementary is part of the fu-

ture of education. This is the new frontier, he said. Franklin was impressed by the way the school had used the grant funds. Theyve maximized and leveraged that very well. They have good leadership, he said. Rybolt applied for the grant in early 2013. She attended a Cooperative Council of Oklahoma School Administrators conference in 2012, where she learned about the grant. I was really excited about the opportunity to write this, Rybolt said. It was a shared effort. I wrote the grant with a lot of teachers input. Susie Graves, executive director of Communities Foundation of Oklahoma and Foundation Management Inc., also visited the school. Graves said that the Oklahoma Education Technology Trusts grants are unique. A lot of people give technology grants, Graves said. We give not only the tools but the training to teach the teachers to be able to use those tools effectively. Graves said she was impressed by the Fort Gibson school. They are focused on more authentic learning experiences and teacher collaboration, two of the best practices of high achieving schools, she said. The grant provided the school with new equip-

Submitted photos

Robert Franklin, associate superintendent of Tulsa Technology Center, visits the classrooms of Fort Gibson Intermediate Elementary. Franklin and other representatives of Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust toured the school Friday morning to see how grant funds were benefiting the students.

ment, but to Graves its more than that. Its not all about equipment. Ultimately, it results in higher achievement, she said. Rybolt said the students are having fun and benefiting from the equipment purchased from the grant. The school will be able to use the technology to benefit the current and future students. They love it. It will last for years to come, Rybolt said. Reach E.I. Hillin at (918) 684-2926 or ehillin@ muskogeephoenix.com.

The Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust grant provided Fort Gibson Intermediate Elementary with interactive tools for students. The school used the 2013 grant to purchase smart boards, document cameras, iPads, and other interactive tools.

OSB student earn spelling honors

Top left: Middle school winners of the Oklahoma School for the Blind spelling bee are seventhgrader Richelle Zampella, left, champion, and eighth-grader Brianna Brennan, alternate. The bee was held on Jan. 22. Winners advance to the Eastern Oklahoma State Spelling Bee.

City man member of Sigma Alpha Lamda

Colby D. Brown of Muskogee has been recognized as a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda Leadership and Honors Organization at the University of Oklahoma. Sigma Alpha Lambda is dedicated to promoting and rewarding academBrown ic achievement and providing members with opportunities for community service, personal development and lifelong professional fulfillment, according to a media release. Brown is a junior transfer student majoring in finance and management. He graduated from Connors State College in 2013 with an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in Business. Brown is the son of Cedric and Charlotta Brown, the grandson of Cedric and Danetta Brown and Lucille Lang, and the great-grandson of Velma Brown.

Volleyball team to have fundraiser

The Muskogee Mizunos Volleyball team will hold a flapjack fundraiser from 8 to 10 a.m. Feb. 8 at Applebees, 415 W. Shawnee Bypass. All proceeds raised will be used to hire new training coaches as well as help offset tournament travel costs and entry fees in the upcoming season. Breakfast includes a short stack of pancakes, sausage, milk, juice and coffee. Tickets are $6 and can be purchased by contacting Steve Barton at (918) 577-5025.

Eufaula scholar makes deans list

Erin E. McLeod of Eufaula was named to the Deans List at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, during the Fall 2013 semester. To be named to the Deans List, students must earn a 3.653.99 grade point average for all courses attempted while earning at least 12 semester credit hours of academic course work during the fall semester.

Bottom left: Oklahoma School for the Blind elementary spelling bee winners are champion Beau Eller, left, and alternate Tommy Phelps. Both are in the sixth grade. The OSB spelling bee was held Jan. 22. Winners will move on to the Eastern Oklahoma State Spelling Bee.
Submitted photos

You should know

If you don't like your tax assessment, contact Muskogee County Excise Board which meets Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. Get in touch with them through county clerk office, first floor County Services Building, Fourth Street and Broadway, (918) 682-7781.

Corrections and clarifications

The Phoenix tries to promptly correct errors. To report an error, please call (918) 684-2900.