Jeanine L'Ecuyer Visits OU

Jeanine L’Ecuyer, journalist and former Director of Communications and Press Security for the Governor of Arizona, visited journalism students at the University of Oklahoma to discuss her role in the Arizona prison hostage situation of 2004.

L’Ecuyer spoke to the students about how the media reacted to this devastating event.

“Was I happy with the way the media handled this?” she asked. “95 percent yes, for the most part I thought they did a good job. They handled it respectively.”

The scene of the hostage situation, Arizona State Prison Complex- Lewis in Buckeye, AZ, became a camp ground of media. Trucks were parked there for the entire two weeks of the standoff so that they would not miss anything as it happened.

“The challenging aspect of this case for the media was that there was not a lot of information given,” L’Ecuyer said.

L’Ecuyer explained that she had to hold information from the press, such as the victim’s names and certain situations that happened. This was done because they did not want the prisoners to know how much information they had.

“Advantages are hard to come by, and you need to preserve them as long as you can,” she said.

The Arizona prison hostage situation lasted for 15 days in Jan. and Feb. It is the longest prison hostage situation ever. Two inmates, Ricky Wassenaar and Steven Coy, tried to escape the prison, but instead took two of the guards, one female and one male, hostage.

The female hostage, Lois Fraley, said that the voice of radio host Andy McKinney kept her alive throughout the situation.

After 15 long days, the prisoners surrendered their weapons because of the negotiations that were made between them and the government, including food, beverages, cigarettes and airtime on news channels. Fraley was released to the police and taken to a local hospital to be treated.

L’Ecuyer said that had this have happened now, social media would play a large role with the media.

“If I was doing this today, I would go straight to Twitter and release as much as I can from the Governor’s office,” she said.

Jeanine L’Ecuyer told students that monitoring social sites like Twitter and Facebook could possibly change the outcome of a situation like this in today’s time.

Cajun King Buffet is Set to Rule Norman

Cajun King Buffet, a popular Oklahoma City restaurant, is set to open a new location in Norman.

“We hope to open the Norman location within 30 to 45 days,” co-owner and chef Ken Mills said.

The new restaurant is situated on Ed Noble Pkwy. near The Home Depot and PetSmart. Mills is more than excited for this location to open.

“We wanted a restaurant in Norman because of the population,” he said. “There is a lot of demand there. I have customers that come from Purcell, Norman and Pauls Valley to eat my food. It just made sense.”

Mills and his partner Simeon Adda opened the first Cajun King Buffet in Oklahoma City in Jan. 2010. The restaurant quickly became a popular place for people looking for some soul food. Mills and Adda know how to serve up the Cajun cooking because of their roots in New Orleans.

“We’re from New Orleans,” Mills said. “I had a restaurant across from the Superdome in the heart of the city, so when I moved up here, I wanted to bring the Cajun flavor with me.”

Flavor, Mills says, is what sets Cajun food apart from other types of food. Cajun food mixes the cuisines of the French, Spanish, American and a bit of Cuban to make something truly unique. The mixing of different spices and seasonings from these places gives the food the special “kick” that people in New Orleans expect.

There is no shortage of food for those looking to try the Cajun cuisine. The buffet includes favorites such as gumbo, crawfish etouffee, collard greens, blackened pork chops and fried chicken, but it is the catfish that keeps people coming back.

“We have the best catfish you’ll ever eat,” Mills said. “It melts in your mouth like butter. It is definitely the most popular thing we have.”

For those looking to cure their sweet tooth, Cajun King Buffet offers
their famous bread pudding, covered in a sweet sauce. Also, beignets are brought straight to the table once you arrive. Beignets (pronounced “ben-yays”) are French fried pastries reminiscent of doughnuts.

This restaurant is easily accessible to all looking to fill up on an all-you-can-eat buffet. Lunch prices are $8.99, plus the cost of drink, and dinner is priced at a reasonably low $9.99, plus the cost of drink. People can experience New Orleans fare without having to break the bank in this economy.

Ken Mills and a bevy of hungry customers are excited for the opening of the new location of Cajun King Buffet in Norman so that they can get their hands on his famous catfish.

The new Cajun King Buffet on Ed Noble Pkwy
PHOTO: Marissa Pittman

Billy Sims Barbecue Hits it Big in Oklahoma

If there is two things Oklahomans love more than anything, it is Sooner football and some good barbecue.

At Billy Sims Barbecue, that is exactly what they get. This barbeque joint combines Billy’s history at the University of Oklahoma with some good, down-home barbeque.

“We focus on the key things like quality food,” manager Mike Kirby said. “We are set apart from other barbeque restaurants because we are also geared towards sports, especially because of Billy’s connection to OU.”

This restaurant has everything that any barbecue lover could want, from the Bevo Plate (beef brisket) to the Pulled Razorback (pulled pork). As for sides, there is Mini-Huskers (corn on the cob) and Sooner Slaw-ter (cole slaw), among others.

“Our sliced brisket sells the best,” Kirby said. “We always get compliments on how tender and juicy it is.”

The walls are completely covered with photographs from Billy’s playing days, giving the atmosphere a warm feeling. There are helmets from all of the Big 12 teams lined up on a partition. You even get a dose of Sooner Magic in the bathrooms, where there are upside down Longhorn stickers in the toilet bowl.

Billy Sims was a running back at the University of Oklahoma from 1975-1979, where he won the Heisman trophy in 1978. After his remarkable career at OU, he was the first pick in the 1980 NFL draft, where he was selected by the Detroit Lions and played from 1980-1984.

His first barbecue restaurant was opened six years ago in Tulsa and has now franchised over 15 other, including one in Norman. The location in Norman was opened on Nov. 4, 2009.

“Billy’s name definitely influences people to come in, especially in Norman,” Kirby said. “They continue to come back for the good food.”

Sooner fans can even meet Billy, if they are lucky. He frequents the restaurant quite a bit to check on things or to get some food.

“Billy sometimes comes in,” Kirby said. “He likes to talk to the customers, it gives their experience a personal touch.”

Those fans can even get their hands on some merchandise. Billy Sims Barbecue sells anything from t-shirts to collector’s cups to an autographed football helmet by the man himself.

After going into this restaurant, people can understand why Billy always says, “It’s not just barbecue… it’s BOOMER-Q!”