2013 BETTER NEWSPAPER CONTEST AWARD WINNER Presented by the OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION VOL 136, ISSUE 36 (USPS 261-620 – TWO SECTIONS, 18 PAGES – SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 OKLAHOMA’S OLDEST NEWSPAPER, EST. 1876 Indian Journal T h e E u f a u l a 75 ¢ Overcast skies cooled the temperatures for at least the start of the 18th Annual Eufaula Indian Community Pow-Wow, held Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day Weekend. This year’s event honored veterans. The color guard that raised the flag Saturday morning included, left to right, Spc. Larue Guocaddle of Carnegie, Sgt. Darlene Sandadota-Sanders of Anadarko, Richard Dabbs (flag bearer for the Creek Nation Veterans Honor Guard) of Eufaula and Marine Lance Cpl Kimberly Toyekoyah of Anadarko. The females were part of the Kiowa Women Warriors. (Staff photo by Jerry Fink) Could face death penalty By Jerry Fink Managing Edito r Following a lengthy preliminary hearing that took place three days shy of the one-year anniversary of his arrest, Steven Lee Vanzant was bound over for trial last week in connection with the murder of prominent Checotah resi- dent Debbie Kelsoe. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Vanzant will be arraigned in McIntosh County District Court and a trial date set at 9 a.m. on Sept. 24. Pittsburg County Associate District Judge Jim D. Bland presided over the preliminary hearing that took place most of the day on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Kelsoe, 57, was found dead at her rural residence near Checotah on Aug. 14, 2012. Authorities said she had been shot in the head with a .22-caliber pistol and her house had been set on fire in an apparent effort to hide the murder. Firefighters put out the early morning blaze before the house was destroyed. See TRIAL, Page A5 Boating fatality occurred July 4, 2013 By Jerry Fink Managing Edito r A prelimi nary hearing for Ryan Shumway, charged with first -degr ee man- slaughter in connection with a boating fatality on July 4, 2013, has been set for 9 a.m., Sept. 22. Shumway, 31, is alleged to have been speeding in a boat across the lake with his family when he collided in the darkness with two other boats, killing Gary McIninch, 54, of Oklahoma City. The collision took place about a mile from Eufaula Cove. Authorities said Shum- way left the scene of the accident and didn’t turn himself in for four days. If convicted of man- slaughter he could be sen- tenced to four years in pris- on. Shumway also was charged with the misde- meanor of failure to give information and render aid at a vessel accident. Shumway is represented by McAlester attorney War- ren Gotcher. Authorities said he left the scene of the crash and returned to his home in McAlester without reporting the accident. Assistant District Attor- ney Crieg Rittenhouse said the long delay in filing charges may be attributed to the state’s boating stat- utes, which are somewhat limited. It took an extended time to find additional evidence to support filing a man- slaughter charge, Ritten- house said. According to information filed in support of the man- slaughter charge, the dis- trict attorney’s office said See CHARGES, Page A3 McCutchen hearing postponed By Jerry Fink Managing Editor A hearing for a former Checotah teacher doing time after being convicted of having sex with students was postponed last week until Wednesday, Sept. 3. Michelle Diane McCutchan, 42, who is incarcerated at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud, requested the hearing asking the court to re-evaluate her sentence in hopes of having several years taken off th e 15 years she must serve. The hearing was to have been held on Monday, Aug. 27, before Associate Dis- trict Judge James Pratt. McCutchan was present at the hearing, but a pack- et of information from the Department of Corrections was not. See HEARING, Page A2 By Leilani Roberts Ott Staff Writer It’s not just the harmony of the music that keeps people coming back each year to the Dusk ‘til Dawn Blues Festival; it’s the harmony that you feel when you’re there. “It’s all people enjoying the same thing,” Bare Bones Filmworks of Muskogee to video all the performances at the three- day festival in Rentiesville that features 34 bands on three stages. Besides the musical artists, there are puppeteers, vendors and food like barbecue and foot-long corndogs. The festival was started by the late D.C. Minner and his wife, Selby, 24 years ago. Eufaula Dam celebration committee reaches out to the future By Jerry Fink Managing Editor A limited number of per- sonal “time capsules” will be available to be placed in a small vault that will be buried near the Eufaula Dam, to be opened in 50 years. Middle School Principal Chris Whelan is creating the personal capsules out of 12-inch sections of PVC pipes. The capsules are being sold for $50 a piece – and only 25 will be available. They are part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the dedication of Eufaula Dam, which took place on Sept. 25, 1964. See DAM , Page A3 Vanzant to stand trial on murder charge Preliminary hearing set on manslaughter charge Harmony in the air at 24th annual Blues Festival Friday: Eufaula vs Beggs 7:00 • Saturday: OU at Tulsa • OSU vs Missouri State