THE LAW

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012

N
75 CENTS

THE SOURCE FOR INFORMATION IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA www.swoknews.com

WHAT'S INSIn'
NATION

Probes continue into local homicides

BY MALINDA RUST
STAFF WRITER MRUST@LAVVTON-CONSTITUTION.COM

Round 2
Obama, Romney turn in fiery debate performances
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) An aggressive President Barack Obama accused challenger Mitt Romney of favoring a "one-point plan" to help the rich in America and playing politics with the recent deadly terrorist attack in Libya in a Tuesday night debate crackling with energy and emotion just three weeks before the election. Romney pushed back hard, saying the middle class "has been crushed over the last four years," that 23 million Americans are struggling to find work and that the death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya was part of an unraveling of the administration's foreign policy. The president was feistier from the outset than he had been in their initial encounter two weeks ago, when he turned in a listless performance that sent shudders through his supporters and helped fuel a rise by Romney in opinion polls nationally and in some battleground states.
AP

Important energy
Energy drives everything from the economy to the presidential election.
See story, 2D

LOCAL

Notable achievements
Marching band members from area schools meet to compete for state honors at Cameron University.
See photos, 2A

STYLES

Author visits Sill

Author David "Blackie" Steece, a once-high ranking member of the New Orleans underground who went A Question Honor straight and even became a awman and Marine,is scheduled to visit the main PX on Fort Sill today.

See story, 4B

Native American fashion

Kelly Holmes, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, has created a fashion magazine geared toward Native American men and women and non-Native Americans who want to learn about the culture.
See story, 2B

Fright night
On Halloween night, you've obviously got to make sure kids can see out of their masks and won't trip on costumes, and you've got to monitor candy hauls, but here are some statistics to provide a reality check on what's really scary about Fright Night.
See story, 3B

Lawton police are continuing to investigate several homicides reported this month. Although Hai Thi Figures, 68, died Oct. 4, her death was not ruled a homicide until Monday after the medical examiner's office completed an autopsy and determined the woman died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck. Lawton Police Capt. Craig Akard said detectives are "looking at some individuals" and conducting interviews, but nobody had been arrested as of Tuesday afternoon. Akard said Figures was living in the 2100 block of Northwest Lindy Avenue with a man only identified as her boyfriend. On Oct. 4, the man told police he came home and found Figures lying on the floor unconscious and not breathing. The man told police he called 911 a call received around 12:45 p.m. Figures was taken by ambulance to Comanche County Memorial Hospital, where she was revived. However, she died later that night. According to Akard, Figures did have some bruising on her body and other "significant" injuries. Akard said he was not aware that the victim's boyfriend had reported any signs of forced entry at the house, and he was not aware that any neighbors or potential witnesses reported seeing anyone out of the ordinary at the home the day Figures died. Detectives have been out to the home and processed the scene for evidence, but Akard said he would not comment on details of what the home looked like namely whether there were signs of struggle or conflict. At the time of her death, Akard said hospital staff and the observing medical examiner could not explain how Figures died, but detectives began gathering evidence in case the death was ruled suspicious. Other homicide investigations continuing In addition to Figures' death, police are searching for suspects in the Oct. 1 shooting death of Darren Bush, which happened at his residence at 1309 Cache Road and the Sept. 29 shooting of Kenneth Young, who was killed outside the Dew Drop Inn, 1804 Fort Sill Blvd. If anyone has any information, call Crime Stoppers, 355-INFO. Callers remain anonymous and may qualify for cash rewards.

President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speak Tuesday during the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

Obama and Romney disagreed, forcefully and repeatedly about taxes, measures to reduce the deficit, energy, pay equity for women and health care as well as foreign policy across 90 minutes of a town-hall style debate.
SEE

PRESIDENTIAL,

2D

A culture of commitment
Southwestern Medical Center marks 105 years
By KW HiLus
STAFF WRITER KWHILLIS@LAWTON-CONSTITUTION.COM

oing back to the future _ back to its basic mission while having a vision for the future are keys to Southwestern Medical Center's current growth on its 105th anniversary today and its future longevity said Steve Hyde, SWMC chief executive officer. "It was the first hospital in this community and it was started by a group of passionate physicians. People said they wanted to have a good hospital," Hyde said, explaining that when he came onboard 21/2 years ago, he noticed "we had gotten away from talking about the mission ... Our mission statement (was and is) : 'We want to give to you and your family exceptional service and quality care at all times.' A vision statement "We want to be a place that patients want to come, physicians want to practice and team members want to work" complements the mission statement. They both have the same core message "that we are here to take care of people," he said. Back to the basics Going back to the basics means touching on the history of the hospital. What is now Southwestern Medical Center began on Oct. 17, 1907, as the Turner and Lewis Private Hospital and Training School for Nurses at 402 SW Lee Blvd. For history buffs, the hospital's long history from private ownership to corporate ownership, though various name changes and expansion, and the March 1, 1986, opening of the newly named Southwestern Medical Center in a

FILE PHOTO

Teresa Fletcher, standing left, the director of radiation and oncology at Southwestern Medical Center, talks with a patient as technologist Wayne Kates checks images taken from the hospital's new nuclear imaging camera, the Discovery NM630, which was installed in June this year. The camera is the only one of its kind in Oklahoma and very few are available in the U.S.

"Instead of focusing on details and finances, focus on doing the right things. If you do the right things service, quality and taking care of people then the finances follow and they just take care of themselves."
STEVE HYDE
SWMC CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

106,000-square-foot facility at 5602 SW Lee Blvd. is documented on the hospital's website, www.southwesternmedcenter.co m. The commitment to the mission statement is close to the hearts of Registered Nurse Joan Libro and Dr.William Atkinson. Both started work at the hospital when it was still privately owned. Libro, employed by the hospital at 402 SW Lee Blvd. from 1956

to1969, was named director of nursing in 1960. It was hands-on, person-to-person work in those days with very little technology involved, Libro said. "Now they have the recovery room ... computers and ICU. We had none of that. When I came out of nursing, you have to feel the little premature (heart) beats with your fingers." But the basic mission is the same.
SEE

SOUTHWESTERN,

3A

Simulator proves it: Driving while texting kills

BY TYRELL ALBIN STAFF WRITER TALBIN@LAVVTON-CONSTITUTION.COM

FOOD

Simply delectable
Italian pastries and puff tarts, coffee-rich coffee cake, lemon doughnuts could treats be any more terrific?
Recipes,1B

Dozens of pedestrians were run over on the campus of Cameron University Tuesday afternoon and hundreds of vehicles were wrecked fortunately, the carnage was virtual, designed to demonstrate the dangers of texting while driving. AT&T set up a texting and driving simulator outside the McMahon Centennial Complex. Students had the opportunity to "drive" a car that played out a simulation, much like a video game, while trying to type text messages. Drivers wore virtual reality goggles to show them the video simulation. AT&T representatives were also on hand to hand out small blue rubber thumb rings to act as a reminder not to text and drive. Deano Cox, area director of external affairs for AT&T, said the simulator visit was

campaign to get people to stop texting when they are behind the wheel. "It's just our campaign to put out the message that no text is worth dying over," Cox said. Cox added it was AT&T's goal to get as many CU students as possible to try out the simulation, so they could see firsthand just how dangerous it can be to deal with phones while driving. Cameron sophomore Xavier Landrum was one of the first students to try out the simulator. JEFF DIXON/STAFF Landrum admitted he, like many people, Thom Balmer, assistant professor of psychology at has texted while driving on a few occasions, Cameron University, tries a texting and driving simu- but said it was dangerous. lator AT&T brought to the CU campus Tuesday afterHe said in the past he has tried to only do it noon. The simulator is part of the company's nation- while stopped. al "It Can Wait" campaign to raise awareness about "It made me scared," Landrum said of the the dangers of texting while driving. simulator. "It made me want to wait until I get part of the company's national "It Can Wait" home or get to my destination."

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