Man Arrested for School Threat

March 28, 2023

Beckham Co. Sheriff Office Press Release

A Beckham County man was arrested Tuesday after Sweetwater School officials notified the Beckham County Sheriff’s Office of a threat received by email.

Sheriff Derek Manning said his school resource sergeant alerted him to the message sent to the school’s superintendent by a parent who was upset.

Along with the threatening language in the e-mail, the message included a link to a story about Monday’s school shooting in Nashville. “That obviously created an immediate concern for us,” Manning said. “Our School Resource Officers and other deputies acted immediately to ensure the security of the school. The rest of us located the suspect at his residence and arrested him just as he was leaving in his vehicle.”

Manning said the report of the threat and the arrest all happened before 11:00 Tuesday morning. Sheriff Manning said there were no weapons in the vehicle when the individual was stopped, and the man was arrested without incident.

It was particularly disturbing to see someone using such a fresh tragedy like Monday’s shooting of children and teachers in Nashville in a message like that. I’m glad we were able to resolve this situation quickly,” Manning said. “We’re still investigating and working with the DA’s office on the case. The individual is currently being held on a complaint of making threats of terrorism.”

Arrested in connection with the incident was 53 year-old Michael Scott Howell.

Copyright 2023 Paragon Communications. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.

Man Arrested for School Threat

March 28, 2023 Beckham Co. Sheriff Office Press Release A Beckham County man was arrested Tuesday after Sweetwater School officials notified the Beckham County Sheriff’s Office of a threat received by email. Sheriff Derek Manning said his

SWOSU Announces 2023 Distinguished Alumni

March 28, 2023 By News Director Jared Atha Southwestern Oklahoma State University has announced its 2023 Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame inductees. Known as “SWOSU’s highest honor,” the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame was established in 1976

OHS Awards Grants to Two Local Organizations

March 29, 2023 By News Director Jared Atha The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) has announced that 39 organizations have been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program. Two organizations are located right here in

General Store Opens at Elk City Museum Complex

March 27, 2023 By Landry Brewer A major museum addition is ready for the public. The new General Store on the sprawling grounds of Elk City’s Museum Complex is open for business. In the works for a

Request an Emergency Ballot for the April 4th Election

March 24, 2023 Roger Mills Co. Election Board Press Release Registered voters who become physically incapacitated after 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 20th and cannot make it to the polls, still have an opportunity to cast their ballot.

Early Voting Begins March 30th

March 23, 2023 Beckham Co. Election Board Press Release Early voting begins Thursday, March 30th for voters in Beckham County. Voters who will not be able to make it to the polls on Election Day, have the

Drought Conditions Persist in Western Oklahoma

March 23, 2023 By News Director Jared Atha The U.S. Drought Monitor has released it’s latest data for Oklahoma and despite some rain over the past several weeks, western Oklahoma still remains very dry. As of Thursday,

Mann Honored by President

March 22, 2023 By News Director Jared Atha An Oklahoma woman with western Oklahoma ties was given one of the nation’s highest awards at the White House. Henrietta Mann, who was born in Clinton, was awarded the

Higher Education in Sayre Reaches Milestone

March 22, 2023 By Landry Brewer Students at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Sayre are continuing the tradition of higher education in the Beckham County seat that began 85 years ago. Which was before cell phones and

Updating Elk City Projects

March 21, 2023 By News Director Jared Atha Elk City City Manager Tom Ivester gave an update recently of ongoing construction projects taking place in the city. He said that due to weather delays, the Aquatic Center