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HONORING OUR VETERANS | VETERANS DAY

Today, the Osage County Sheriff's Office proudly honors the brave men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

Your courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to defending our nation and protecting our freedoms will never be forgotten.

To all veterans, including those who continue to serve our communities in law enforcement, we extend our deepest gratitude.

Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your dedication to our great nation.

Happy Veterans Day!

— Sheriff Bart Perrier & the Osage County Sheriff's Office … See MoreSee Less

𝗘𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗨𝗧𝗬 𝗕𝗢𝗕 𝗡𝗔𝗜𝗟

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office is proud to introduce Environmental Deputy Bob Nail, a longtime public servant who brings nearly five decades of experience in emergency medical services, firefighting, fire investigation, and law enforcement to his new assignment.

Bob’s public service career began on October 10, 1978, when he reported for the very first shift in the history of EMSA in Tulsa. That day marked the beginning of a remarkable 45-year career as a paramedic.

During the latter part of his EMS career, Bob served the City of Skiatook as both a firefighter and paramedic, including serving as the city’s only paramedic for a period. He later served as Skiatook’s Municipal Fire Marshal and on the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal’s Association.

Bob has extensive specialized training in arson and wildland fire investigations and hazardous materials. He has also served as an instructor with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training since 1996, sharing decades of knowledge and experience with other public safety professionals.

In 2017, Bob earned his CLEET certification and began another chapter of his public service career. He joined the Osage County Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Deputy in 2021. Following his retirement from EMS and the fire service, Bob turned his attention toward law enforcement and continued his education through CLEET, including training related to EPA and Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality laws and environmental violations.

Bob recently trained alongside long-time Environmental Deputy David McAlister before assuming the Environmental Deputy position following McAlister’s retirement after more than 16 years of service to the Sheriff’s Office.
And Bob wasted little time getting to work.

During his first week in his new position, Bob investigated individuals who were illegally dumping approximately 80 tires in the Prue area near Keystone Lake. His investigation resulted in arrests, with the individuals accused of violating Oklahoma law related to the illegal disposal of tires.

The Environmental Deputy serves an important role in Osage County. Illegal dumping is more than an eyesore. Tires, household trash, hazardous materials, and other waste dumped along our roads, on private property, or near our lakes and waterways can create environmental and public health hazards while leaving property owners and taxpayers responsible for the cleanup.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office will continue to actively investigate illegal dumping and other environmental violations throughout our county. Those who choose to use Osage County as their dumping ground should understand that these cases will be investigated and, when probable cause exists, those responsible will be held accountable under the law.

We are proud to have someone with Bob’s extensive public safety background take on this responsibility.

Please join us in welcoming Environmental Deputy Bob Nail to his new assignment and thanking him for nearly five decades of service to the citizens of Oklahoma.

Protecting Osage County means protecting our people, our property, and the land and water we all call home.

#OCSO #OsageCounty #EmployeeHighlight #EnvironmentalDeputy #KeepOsageCountyClean #PublicService … See MoreSee Less

🚨𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐎𝐊𝐋𝐀𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐀 𝐋𝐀𝐖: 𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍

Effective November 1, 2026 | Senate Bill 1238

Oklahoma has strengthened its domestic violence laws to provide greater protection for children who witness domestic abuse.
Under SB 1238, domestic abuse committed in the presence of a child is now a felony on the first offense.

What you need to know:

🔹 First-Offense Felony: Domestic abuse committed in the presence of a child can result in felony charges, even for a first offense.
🔹 Children Don't Have to See the Abuse: The law includes situations where a child can see or hear the abuse.
🔹 Any Child Is Protected: The child does not have to be related to the victim or offender.
🔹 Accountability: The law also addresses penalties and requirements for domestic violence offenders, including intervention programs and counseling.

Domestic violence doesn't just affect the immediate victim. Children who witness abuse can suffer lasting emotional and psychological harm.

The Osage County Sheriff's Office remains committed to protecting victims of domestic violence, safeguarding children, and holding offenders accountable.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.

#OsageCountySheriffsOffice #DomesticViolenceAwareness #ProtectOurChildren #OklahomaLaw … See MoreSee Less

𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐏. 𝐌𝐜𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐝 (𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟗-𝟏𝟗𝟑𝟏)
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐫𝐚

Benjamin Perry McDonald was born on December 6, 1878, in Ninnescah Township, Cowley County, Kansas, at a time when the frontier still shaped the character of the Plains. Like many ambitious young men of his generation, McDonald followed opportunity south into Indian Territory, eventually planting his roots in what would become Pawhuska, the seat of Osage County.

𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝘄𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗸𝗮

McDonald arrived in Pawhuska during its earliest years, coming from Blackwell around the time of the townsite sale in 1906. He quickly established himself as a businessman and civic-minded resident, opening a drug store with his brother, Leland “Lee” McDonald. Their venture—McDonald Bros. Drugs—became a familiar fixture in town, offering prescriptions, soda fountain service, cigars, and even acting as agents for Eastman Kodaks at a time when photography was just beginning to enter everyday life.

The brothers first opened their drug business on a vacant lot where their new building would later stand. After selling their stock in 1912, they constructed a new building in the Geo. W. and Ben Parsons block, repurchased inventory, and returned to the drug trade. The business mirrored Pawhuska itself—expanding, rebuilding, and adapting as the county grew rich on oil and population.

Following the sale of the drug business, McDonald invested heavily in Pawhuska real estate and Osage County oil interests. By the 1920s, he was widely known throughout the county, not as a politician, but as a dependable, genial businessman with deep local ties.

𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

On October 27, 1908, Ben married Jessie May Hill, the daughter of pioneer Pawhuska family George Hill. Together, Ben and Jessie became a respected couple in the community. Jessie would later outlive her husband by more than fifty years, passing away in 1985 after witnessing nearly a century of change in Osage County.

McDonald was active in civic life, a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Elks Club and well known for his approachable nature. Newspapers of the era routinely described him as genial, widely acquainted, and deeply invested in the county’s progress.

𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲

In 1928, McDonald made his first and only serious entry into politics, announcing his candidacy for Sheriff of Osage County. Though he had never sought public office, friends urged him to run, believing his business sense, fairness, and familiarity with the county made him well-suited for the role.

He ran as a Republican in a crowded primary field and emerged as the nominee after a closely contested race. In the general election, McDonald defeated long time Sheriff’s Deputy and previous Undersheriff, Democrat Arthur A. Graves, earning more than 8,000 votes and winning support from voters across party lines.

In his victory statement, McDonald publicly thanked both Democrats and Republicans, pledging an open-door policy and promising to devote his full attention to the office. He also praised his opponent for running a clean campaign—an important note in an era when elections were often anything but polite.

𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀

McDonald took office in early 1929, succeeding Sheriff H. M. Freas, who had chosen not to seek re-election. His term came at a difficult moment in Osage County history. Though the worst years of the Osage Reign of Terror had passed, its legal, political, and emotional aftermath still loomed large. Oil wealth continued to attract crime, and the county jail remained a constant pressure point.

McDonald’s administration reflected a practical, hands-on approach. He retained experienced personnel, naming Ed Clewien as undersheriff, keeping Jack Coffey on staff, appointing William Henson as head jailer, and assigning Bill Bryant to fingerprint and jail duties.

He personally transported prisoners to McAlester, including bank robber Henry Cornett, arsonist Fred Larkin, and Jimmy Strikeaxe. His work ranged from routine enforcement—cracking down on delinquent automobile licenses—to high-profile investigations, including murder cases, livestock theft, jailbreaks, and manhunts that stretched into Texas.

𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

McDonald was also known for innovative solutions to everyday problems. To help manage jail costs, he raised vegetables on land he owned in Pawhuska’s Industrial Addition. Prisoners—particularly women inmates who volunteered—assisted with canning under the supervision of the county home demonstration agent. Beets, grown by the acre, filled the jail pantry, supplemented by rabbit meat McDonald personally purchased for inmate meals.

𝗔 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁

After completing his term, McDonald remained active in business and began campaigning for another run at sheriff. In the summer of 1932, however, his health failed. Rushed to Tulsa for surgery, he initially appeared to be recovering before suffering a sudden relapse.

Benjamin P. McDonald died on June 5, 1932, at the age of 53.

He was laid to rest in Pawhuska City Cemetery, the town he helped build through commerce, public service, and steady leadership during one of Osage County’s most complex eras.

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆

Ben McDonald was not a career politician or a headline-seeking lawman. He was a merchant-turned-Sheriff who brought business discipline, fairness, and personal involvement to the office. His story reflects a time when Osage County demanded more than a badge—it required judgment, resilience, and an understanding of a community still finding its balance after unprecedented wealth and tragedy.

#OsageCountySheriff #SheriffHistory #OsageCountyHistory #PawhuskaHistory #OklahomaHistory #LawEnforcementHistory #PreservingOurHistory #HistoricOsageCounty … See MoreSee Less