SHERIFF QUITS DRUG TASK FORCE OVER HIRING OF NEW DIRECTOR

TAHLEQUAH (AP) -- The Creek County sheriff has stepped down from a drug
task force because she does not want to work with the man appointed to
oversee it. Cherokee County Sheriff Delena Goss quit District Attorney
Richard Gray's drug task force because of Gray's decision to put Vyrl
Keeter in charge of the unit.

Goss said she's upset with the appointment, in part, because of Keeter's
disputed travel expenses that were scrutinized while he was a member of the
Wildlife Commission and an employee of U.S. Rep. Brad Carson, D-Claremore.
Questions about the expenses forced Keeter to resign from his job and his
position on the commission.

"Always in the past, everybody has worked together. That was my intention,
... but not with Vyrl Keeter," Goss said. "As long as Vyrl Keeter is
involved in the drug task force, I will not participate."

Goss also said Keeter's lack of law enforcement experience jeopardizes the
safety of her officers and called off a planned drug raid after learning
that Keeter would head the drug task force.

The district attorney's drug task force uses state, federal and local
agencies for arrest and seizure operations in Cherokee, Wagoner, Adair and
Sequoyah counties.

Law enforcement experience was not important for a drug task force
director, Gray said. Administrative experience and the ability to handle
the task force's $267,000 budget was more important, Gray said.

"I don't need a door-kicker to do that," Gray said.

Keeter, who previously was hired as Gray's office administrator, said the
questionable expenditures are "history."

Keeter was appointed to the Wildlife Commission by Gov. David Walters in
October 1994 and was reappointed by Gov. Frank Keating in 1998.

He served as the commission's vice chairman.

State records show Keeter claimed to have traveled 12,938 miles on
commission business during his employment with Carson, while four other
members of the Wildlife Commission submitted no travel reimbursement claims
for that period.

Keeter resigned from both political positions and paid $6,650.71 to the
state Wildlife Commission after concerns were raised over his reimbursements.

Keeter has denied any wrongdoing despite the repayment and dismissed Goss'
objections.

"That's very petty," Keeter said. "I was a junior high principal once, and
that's about like a junior high issue."

Keeter is a retired school administrator from Muskogee Public Schools,
where he helped start the district's first drug- awareness program.