Gene Stipe counted streetlights for community service, officials say

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- Two former city officials say former state Senator Gene Stipe counted McAlester's streetlights to fulfill his court-ordered community service requirements.<br/><br/>Former

Monday, April 11th 2005, 6:25 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- Two former city officials say former state Senator Gene Stipe counted McAlester's streetlights to fulfill his court-ordered community service requirements.

Former City Manager Randy Green and former Mayor Dale Covington each say it was the other's idea.

Stipe declined to answer specific questions, citing his ailing health.

The streetlight audit was in addition to the 360 community service hours Stipe attained as a consultant to McAlester's taxpayer-funded economic development service.

In January 2004, a federal judge in Washington included one-thousand community service hours in Stipe's sentence for a campaign fraud conviction. Stipe also was fined more than $735,000 and placed on six months of home confinement.

Federal probation officials say they nullified some of Stipe's hours last month after The Oklahoman reported on his consulting work with McAlester's economic development service.