Bank assumes responsibility for seized cows

Sheriff Kenneth Tidwell told county commissioners Monday morning that the last he heard, he thinks he’s out of the cattle business now.
Tidwell had told the Clinton Daily News Friday afternoon that a hearing scheduled for 3 p.m. that day was held early and the First National Bank and Trust of Chickasha was going to “take care of, feed and water” 94 head of cattle belonging to Marvin May of Butler. The sheriff had “seized” 92 head on paper a week earlier after receiving complaints from neighbors that they were starving and dying in a pasture north of Butler.
May also was charged criminally with animal cruelty but allowed to remain free after posting bond.
Tidwell said Friday the Chickasha bank was the mortgage holder for the cattle and he understood it had hired Vaudie Rhodes, who’s associated with the Clinton sale barn, to take care of them. He also said the bank would repay his office the money he had spent on feed and veterinary bills for the cattle since their condition was brought to his attention and they were seized.
The seizure was a paper one done in accordance with an order issued by District Judge Jill Weedon on March 8. She had given the bank a week to hire someone to take care of them, but as of Friday morning when the Daily News spoke with Tidwell for a follow-up story, he was not aware that had happened.
Friday afternoon he said, “They will stay where they are. They will be fed in place.”
He said that to his knowledge none of the cattle had died since his office took them over and his deputies began feeding them. “There were three dead ones when we got there (the first time),” he said.
Kevin Evans, sergeant of investigations, has been working the case for the Sheriff’s Office.