THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2014

WHATS INSIDE
SPORTS

THE SOURCE FOR INFORMATION IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA

www.swoknews.com

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US, Cuba relations begin long thaw

TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU (TNS)

WASHINGTON Saying its time to cut

the shackles of the past, President Barack
Obama announced Wednesday that the U.S.
will restore diplomatic relations with Cuba, a
historic first step in a process that could ultimately end a more-than-50-year stalemate between the two countries.
Obama acknowledged that the long-standing
U.S. economic embargo against Cuba has

failed to move the island nation toward democracy or improved human rights there. He said
choosing instead to engage with Cuba will improve the lives of Cubans, reunite families estranged by Cold War-era policies and strengthen ties between the two countries.
These 50 years have shown that isolation
does not work. Its time to try a new approach,
Obama said to reporters in the Cabinet Room of
the White House. His statement came after
Cubas release early Wednesday of American

Alan Gross, who was convicted of illegally

bringing communications equipment into the
country as a U.S. government contractor, and
was imprisoned there for five years. Obama
called Gross release one of the last hurdles to
beginning talks to restore relations.
The U.S. ended formal ties with Cuba in
1961, two years after Fidel Castro seized power, amid worries about communism encroaching on the West.
SEE CUBA, 6A

SEASONS
MEETINGS
Ready for action
Star running back Samaje
Perine, quarterback Trevor
Knight and wide receiver Sterling Shepard should all be
ready to play when the Sooners take to the field against
No. 18 Clemson in the Russell
Athletic Bowl.

See story, 1C

HOME & GARDEN

Christmas
for the birds

Constitution photographers are

staying busy this week with plenty of
Christmas preparations and other
important doins going on in Lawton
and across Southwest Oklahoma.
See inside todays paper for more
pictures, including a nice one of a
memorable Christmas performance at
Swinney Elementary School and
another of a bike giveaway at
Cleveland Elementary.
AT RIGHT: From left, Heather Daly and
Tera Rullmann are helped by volunteer
Brandy Aaron at Wednesdays
Christmas distribution to military families by the Southern Plains field office
of Operation Homefront. See a story
about Operation Homefront on page
2A. (Jeff Dixon photo)

Hollie
berries
and other
goodies
some
possibly in
your yard
make
the holidays special to
feathered friends.

See story, 1B

ENTERTAINMENT

No show
for Interview
Under the threat of terrorist
attacks from hackers and with
the nations
largest multiplex chains
pulling the
film from
their screens,
Sony Pictures
Entertainment took
the unprecedented step of
canceling the Dec. 25 release
of the Seth Rogen comedy
The Interview.

See story, 3B

STYLES

Walk in
the New Year
On New Years Day, many of
Oklahomas 35 state parks
plan special hikes to welcome
in 2015.

See story, 2B

ABOVE: Prior to a Wednesday luncheon, Oklahoma AT&T President Steve Hahn, center,
explains to a group of state legislators the recent upgrades the communications company
made in Southwest Oklahoma. From left are Rep. John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton, Sen.
Ron Justice, R-Chickasha, Hahn, Sen. Don Barrington, R-Lawton, Rep. Jeff Coody, R-Grandfield
and Deano Cox, AT&T community relations manager. (Michael D. Pope photo)
RIGHT: MacArthur High School Cadet Master Sgt. Zarius Marable plays with Rober Duron, left,
and Alaizhia Keith at Beginnings Academy prekindergarten Wednesday. Junior ROTC cadets
from MacArthur and Eisenhower High School took the children toys and Eisenhowers was the
host battalion for this years gift-giving. See a story on page 2A. (Jeff Dixon photo)

Holiday horde departs Fort Sill

BY MITCH MEADOR

STAFF WRITER
MMEADOR@SWOKNEWS.COM

The new reception complex for the 95th Adjutant General Battalion helped to streamline the
process of sending 2,645 Fort Sill trainees home
for the holidays this year.
Col. Jose Thompson, commander of 434th Field
Artillery Brigade, said the building was designed
by people in the brigade several years ago and
was built over the past two years.
Planning for the holiday block leave started
some six months ago.
We went through an intensive staff planning
process. The brigade and the installation does this
every single year, so we start out with a great deal
of historical and continuity products, Thompson
said.
Weve run through a number of rehearsals culminating in a brigade-level rehearsal we executed right here about two weeks ago ... We went
through the entire plan on how were going to execute this mission right here, which really is
probably the biggest operation that the brigade as
a whole runs every single year. And then we ran
through a whole host of smaller rehearsals at the
battalion and battery level on how we were going
to move soldiers. We centralized the control of it
at the brigade level for the manifest. Each battery
typically has about 200 soldiers and a battalion
anywhere from 800 to 1,200 soldiers when its full.
MICHAEL D. POPE/STAFF
And theyre literally going to every place imagi- Christopher Elbin of Cumberland, Md., makes do with
SEE FORT SILL, 6A anything that can carry as he heads home for the holidays.

WEATHER

4 SECTIONS

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Vol. 113
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2014
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Do Nothing
Congress closes
WASHINGTON (AP) The
tempestuous 113th Congress has
limped out of Washington for the
last time, capping two years of
modest and infrequent legislating
that was overshadowed by partisan clashes, gridlock and investigations.
Thank God its over, Sen. Joe
Manchin, D-W.Va., said as he left
the Capitol late Tuesday.
Hows this for a legacy? More
than 200 bills became law during
the past two years, according to
congressional data. That was the
fewest since at least 1947 and
1948, when what President Harry
Truman dubbed the do-nothing
Congress enacted over 900 laws.
This Congress did less than the
do-nothing one.
Efforts to revamp the immigration system, tighten gun buyers
background checks and force
work on the Keystone XL oil
pipeline all foundered as the Republican-run House and Democratic-led Senate check-mated
each others priorities. Acrossthe-board spending cuts designed
SEE CONGRESS, 3A

INSIDE
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