Watonga Republican

10/07/2025

Harvest Moon over Watonga.

10/06/2025

It's TIME! Get set for the 48th annual Cheese Festival, ramped up by inclusion of the Plains Collective with Indigenous art, culture, food and fashion. Don't forget Watonga Eagle Homecoming Friday, native dancers at halftime or the rodeo Saturday at the fairgrounds.

10/04/2025

Final: Cashion 42 - Watonga 7

10/04/2025

Halftime: Cashion 42 - Watonga 0

10/03/2025

BREAKING NEWS:
Helluva mess at the four way in Watonga. A semi trailer hauling scrap snapped loose from its cab while turning south and scattered the metal all over the road. Please avoid the area until the debris can be cleared.

10/02/2025

Good morning, Watonga!

10/01/2025

New Contract for Diamondback
CoreCivic announced early this morning that a contract has been reached to resume operations at the Diamondback Correctional Facility, vacant since 2010.
The contract commenced September 30 and is valid for five years.
For the full story, see today’s Watonga Republican.

09/25/2025

Wednesday was a red-letter day for Watonga, one way or another.
The Oklahoma Board of Corrections considered a contract with CoreCivic to reopen the Diamondback Correctional facility as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement -ICE- detention center. The prison closed in 2010.
CoreCivic owns and operates a similar facility in Cushing.
The Oklahoma DOC agreed in a unanimous vote to allow itself to enter into an agreement with CoreCivic if ICE agrees to open a detention facility at Watonga.
The next step will be for ICE to contract with ODOC as well as CoreCivic.
Residents of Watonga have noted ongoing upgrades and traffic at the 2,100 bed prison even as the state has tried to move away from the use of privately owned facilities and recently purchased the Lawton prison, touted as the last privately owned prison used to house state prisoners. The state does, however, lease privately owned facilities, including the Great Plains Facility at Hinton.
A ruling by the Board of Immigration appeals allows mandatory detention of aliens without bond, no matter how long they have resided in the U.S. That, in turn, will increase the demand for facility space.
The Oklahoma DOC released a statement, saying : "If ODOC enters into an intergovernmental service agreement with ICE, the management agreement will provide the agency management authority over a detention center operated by Core Civic at the Diamondback Correctional Facility. The Oklahoma Board of Corrections unanimously voted to allow the ODOC enter into this management agreement with CoreCivic, should ICE authorize operation of a detention facility at DCF. Any finalized agreements will be released once executed."

09/25/2025

Controversial State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters announced Wednesday evening that he is resigning. He will become the CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, an organization he was accused of promoting using state funds.
Nellie Sanders, Oklahoma Secretary of Education, is a possible replacement, according to news outlets in Oklahoma City. Sanders is the wife of Mike Sanders, CEO of the Oklahoma Broadband office and former state representative of District 59, which includes Watonga.

09/22/2025

Keep your eyes peeled and be weather aware!

Severe storms are possible mainly overnight tonight into Tuesday morning. The highest likelihood is from I-40 in Oklahoma north into Kansas but there's a low-end risk that does extend south into southern Oklahoma and north Texas. It's possible a severe storm occurs south of I-40 but the chances are very low. Storms enter far northern Oklahoma around midnight tonight. These storms have the highest potential to be severe with up to golfball size hail, a quick spin-up and 70 mph winds. Storms move ESE into early Tuesday morning with the severe risk decreasing to mainly a quarter size hail and 60 mph wind risk but again a small probability of a spin-up exists. Stay weather aware and have a way to get warnings that you can hear while asleep

09/20/2025

Watonga Eagles fall to Mangum Tigers 55-0.