Altus Times (Altus, Okla.), Vol. 102, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 22, 2001 Page: 1 of 20
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ALTUS
CITY
OK
73105
Prosecutors
to seek death
March 22
Please see “Penalty, page 2
Former APD dispatcher faces more charges in Jackson County
Classifieds........10&11
...12
Dr. Gott....
Altus Dai
13 50510
Thursday, March 22, 200
www.altustimes.c om
Altus, Oklahoma
WEATHER
Today in HISTORY
HOME OF...
AROUND Town
PAUSE To PRAY
WHAT’S INSIDE
Want to subscribe to the All us Times? Need to place an ad? Have a news tin" Call 82-1291
Margaret
Schuster
Obituaries.
Calendar....
Weather.....
Living........
Sports.......
Opinion.....
Leisure......
500
Vol. 102
No. 7
Partly cloudy,
upper 60s-70s...
See complete weather
page 2...
As we grow older, dear
Father, we realize more the
brevity of life, yet we seem
pushed at an accelerating
pace. Enable us to slow
down and enjoy the won-
derful blessings you pour
into this brief lifespan.
.....2
.....2
.....2
.....3
4&5
.....8
.....9
Laser technology
On this day in I960 techno-
logical history was made
when Arthur Schawlow of
New Jersey and Charles Hard
Townes of New York received
the first patent on lasers The
high-power single frequency
laser beam later developed by
Sylvania is shown.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor
Karl Malden is 89. Pan-
tomimist Marcel Marceau is
78. Actor William Shatner is
70. Sportscaster Bob Costas
is 49. Actress Lena Olin is 46.
Singer-actress Stephanie
Mills is 44. Actor Matthew Mo-
dine is 42. Actress Kellie
Williams is 25.
Clouds and rain may be headed to Oklahoma
(AP)-Clouds are expected to dle region. Lows are to vary reach the lower 60s to mid 70s. 40s to mid 60s.
bring rain and slightly cooler from the upper 30s to lower Cloudy sides will linger over Sunday is to be partly
temperatures to Oklahoma by 50s. the state on Friday right and cloudy with only a slight
the weekend. Friday is expected to be the chance of showers and chance of showers and thun-
The National Weather Ser- mostly cloudy statewide with a thunderstorms will continue, derstorms. primarily in the
vice says skies will become chance of showers and thun- Low temperatures will range Panhandle. Afternoon highs
mostly cloudy over western derstorms. The greatest from the mid 30s to the mid are to be in the lower 50s to
and central Oklahoma on chance of rain will be in west- 50s. lower 60s and Sunday night
Thursday night and there will ern and eastern parts of the Showers and thunderstorms lows will be in the 40s.
be a chance of showers and state while the rain may miss are likely statewide on Satur-
thunderstorms in the Panhan- central Oklahoma. Highs are to day with highs from the upper
Happy birthday wish-
es go out today to MAR-
GARET SCHUSTER,
REV. RON STARKEY,
MIKE SALMANS, KARA
KING and SUSAN
TOOMBS...
Prosecutors will seek the
death penalty for a 22-year-old
Frederick man charged with the
murder of his 18-year-old girl-
friend and her unborn baby.
Shannon Tremale Birdine
faces the death penalty on two
counts of first degree murder in
connection with the Jan. 22
shooting death of Brigite John-
son and the unborn baby.
Earlier this year, Special Dis-
trict Judge Suzanne Mollison or-
dered Birdine to stand trial fol-
lowing a preliminary hearing
that lasted only one hour.
District Attorney John
penalty
By MARK GLENN
Altus TIMES
By MARK GLENN
ALTUS Times
Wampler and First Assistant Dis-
trict Attorney Dan Deaver filed
Altus Fort, documents in Jackson County
. . Altus Times photo Foww. District Court Wednesday of
First in Oklahoma their intentions to ask a jury to
Roosevelt Elementary School Principal Bob Kirk, right, and Dr. Mike Copeland, Superinten- ameers ounideguthypenalty if Bir-
dent of Schools, unveil the Master School banner at Roosevelt yesterday. The school is the In the documents, prosecutors
first in Oklahoma to obtain Master School status. call Birdine’s murder of his girl-
friend and the unborn child ag-
gravating, heinous, atrocious
A Run’ Dnooglt Clomonton Qohaol finot in otote and cruel. They say Birdine “in
AICUS Kooseveii LlCmendTY □111001 inbi III bidic tentionally killed Johnson.
4 - j knowing full well she was 26
1 n 1 weeks pregnant with a viable
to be named Reading Renaissance Master School
Dr. Mike Copeland joined Principal Bob Kirk leading the school toward its Master School chest during the early morning
Wednesday in recognizing Roosevelt Elementary goal. hours of Jan. 22. She was taken
School as the first Reading Renaissance Master in order to attain the Master School status, a from her residence at Lincoln
School in Oklahoma. The pair unveiled a ban- school must achieve Model School goals for an Manor Apartments to Jackson
ner, which will be hung in the school to show off 18-week period, Payne said. Master Schools County Memorial Hospital where
the accomplishments of its students and teach- must school-wide have average student reading she was pronounced dead.
ers. levels at 80 percent, with each classroom turn- Birdine was arrested on Jan.
Not only was Roosevelt the first Oklahoma ing in an average score that falls between 85 25 in Dallas, following a three
school to attain the designation of Master and 92 percent. At least 60 percent of the and one-half day search. Police
School, but it was one of the first two schools in schoolis educators must be Model Classroom say he traveled to Weatherford
the nation to meet that mark. teachers, and at least 30 percent must be Mas- where he left his car hex also
The schoolis high achievement, said ter Classroom teachers. All students must take he then went to Dallas by a
Copeland, shows the importance of setting wor- pre- and post-tests on the S.T.A.R. program, tor
thy goals and attaining them. and a positive growth must be shown school He was arrested at a Dallas
il am so proud of the efforts you have put wide, Payne said. ...convenience store, about one
forth in this,! Copeland said. iThis is why you do Rooseveltis average student reading levels far block away from an apartment
all of the hard work n to get to celebrate your exceeded the 80 percent mark by reaching 100 building where he was staying,
successes.i percent, she said. He was arrested by a federal
Copeland gave special recognition to Kirk, Students will further celebrate their achieve- marshall and Dallas police.
teachers Pam Roudebush and Kayla Bull, and ment Friday afternoon with a hotdog and cola
Library Assistant Sue Payne for their efforts in meal at the school.
raphy and violation of a were found inside the Shelby originally was cers from the APD "liter
state statute via com- defendant’s personal arrested in the early ally took the phone out
puter. dayplanner. The discs morning hours of Sept, of Shelby's hands when
a farmer Alts Police Bond was set at contained various types 15 when he was working making the arrest," Pat
Denartment dispatcher $25,000 and Shelby was of sexually explicit pho- during his overnight terson said.
Departmentidisptdrn ordered to return to tographs including shift at the police de- Local police officers
Ardmore for in court with an attorney three photos of Shelby. partment. Altus Police and Ardmore authori-
Ardmore for malls foin on April 19. The computer was Chief Mike Patterson ties had worked togeth-
decent chiB now faces Wednesday’s arrest seized and sent to the said Shelby was en- er daily on the case for
ARE Jack Stemmed from a search Oklahoma State Bureau gaged In a telephone 11 days prior to that ar
sim Conntv 8 of Shelby's house at 924 of investigation for fur- conversation at the time rest.
Dennis Russell Shel- Asa Lee on Sept 15. ther examination. It re- of his arrest. Police said Shelby was bound
hv 44 was chared in 2000. According to an vealed 27 additional the dispatcher thought over for trial following a
Xuiutopestt affidavit filed by Detec- sexual explicit pictures, he was talking with a 30-minute preliminary
Jackson County District tive Mike Turner of the Local law enforcement teenage girl. He was ac- hearing Dec. 18.2000.
distributee and during Altus Police Depart- officials were awaiting a tually talking to an em- at Carter County Dis-
s on of luvtene ment, three floppy disks report from the OSBI ployee of the Ardmore trict Court in Ardmore,
sion ol Juvenile pornog 1 before filing the charges Police Department. Offi-
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Bush, Michael. Altus Times (Altus, Okla.), Vol. 102, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 22, 2001, newspaper, March 22, 2001; Altus, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2188153/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed July 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.