OKLAHOMA COMPUTER STOLEN FROM SCHOOL The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK - Drummond school patrons offer reward for stolen items:

Drummond school patrons offer reward for stolen items
By Tippi Rasp Staff Writer

DRUMMOND — A group of local school patrons has pooled a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect or return of equipment stolen from the school over the weekend.

Drummond Public Schools Superinten-dent Vic Woods said someone broke into the school’s agriculture building and took a laptop computer, digital camera, wire and stick welders, a plasma cutter and a torch kit.

The detached building sits on the west side of the school.

Someone pried open the door on the south side of the building. Although there was minimal damage to the door, the replacement cost for the stolen equipment is about $7,200.

“It creates a big problem financially for the school and for the students’ learning process,” Woods said. “They’ll be limited to what they can learn.”

He said he has turned the information about the theft into the insurance company, but it could take a while to receive a settlement.

“It’s an unexpected event that wasn’t figured into this tight budget,” Woods said.

Much of ag teacher Keith Dillingham’s curriculum was installed on the laptop, and he used it daily to teach.

“He was really bothered about the situation,” Woods said of Dillingham.

Woods said about 60 students are affected by the theft. He said he hopes the district can get by for the rest of the semester with two stick welders. When the fiscal year ends, he said, hopefully some of the equipment can be replaced.

“It really puts us in a world of hurt,” Woods said.

Garfield County Under-sheriff Jerry Niles said be-cause Woods was able to provide serial numbers for some of the equipment, it might help the investigation.

Woods said volunteers also have offered to check local and area pawn shops in hopes the equipment shows up.