Kingfisher Oklahoma

While three county schools move into the regional round of the basketball playoffs this weekend, the four other local schools will begin their own playoff runs. Kingfisher, Hennessey, Cashion and Crescent all take part in district tournaments this week.

Coach Justin Edsall was hopeful his Lomega boys team would take Dover seriously in their Class B district championship. The Raiders opened the seasonwitha36-point win over the Longhorns, but Edsall knew this was a different Dover team visiting on Friday.

Lomega has won what it hopes is the first of four postseason championships. The Lady Raiders had little resistance last Friday as they defeated Dover 97-35 at home to lay claim to a Class B district championship.

Cashion’s basketball teams spent most of last week searching and searching for someone to play. Like most teams, they’d experienced a rash of cancellations and if they couldn’t find an opponent or two for later in the week, they’d be looking at a three-week stretch between games.

Kinggfisher County residents woke up to the coldest temperatures yet Tuesday in the sustained arctic blast, with actual temperatures at minus 12 and some Cimarron Electric Cooperative customers also woke up to surprise rolling blackouts, which started just before 7 a.m.

No estimates of water damages caused by broken water pipes in both the Hennessey elementary and high schools, but "I imagine it will take us a month to get the high school back so we can use it," said Superintendent Dr. Mike Woods in a phone interview.

UPDATE: 10:49 a.m. Tuesday Blackouts over for now.UPDATE: 8:46 a.m. Tuesday Rolling blackouts started with no notice.UPDATE: 3:06 p.m. Monday to include news release issued by Western Farmers Electric Cooperative, which feeds Cimarron Electric customers.UPDATE: 1:28 P.M.

Local gardeners scurrying in recent weeks to cover early emerging plants know that arctic temps and subfreezing temps and tender blossoms don’t mix.

Kingfisher County may feel like Minot, N.D., over the next week to 10 days, but local emergency and basic service providers ask residents to remember the differences.

A predicted new round of brutally cold temperatures starting Sunday brought warnings from Kingfisher County Extension Director-Agricultural Educator Bryan Kennedy to provide additional care to outside animals.