‘HOPING SOME SORT OF MIRACLE HAPPENS’: BACONE COLLEGE IN MUSKOGEE AT RISK OF CLOSING

MUSKOGEE, Okla. –

The campus of Bacone College in Muskogee is set to go on Sheriff’s auction in December after a contractor says the school owes the business more than a million dollars for the work the company did at the school.

Whoever buys the property can choose to keep it as a college or close it.

If the campus closes, students who are seniors won’t be able to graduate in the spring.

Dr. Nicky Michael, Bacone College Interim President, says it’s a shame that after educating students for 143 years at Bacone College could be forced to close its doors for good.

Bacone College has faced many hardships over the years, with it’s accreditation in question, financial issues and infrastructure. Now the School is going up for auction next month

“We’re of course very uptight and nervous about what’s going to happen. Mostly because we want to assure that our students are able to graduate in spring,” said Bacone College Interim President Dr. Nicky Michael.

It’s up to the whoever buys the college to decide how to use the property.

The buyer could choose to close the school, but Dr. Michael is hoping a hero will step in and save the day.

“I’m really hoping some sort of miracle happens with this and maybe the city can help us or a tribe wants to take us under their wing,” Dr. Michael said.

It was the administration before Dr. Michael that hired Midgley-Huber Energy Concepts to do construction work at the college.

Midgley-Huber Energy Concepts (MHEC) lawsuit says they did the work, but, Bacone owes them more than a million dollars and that’s why they sued.

“We have a judgment, and that judgment is beyond what we’re capable of handling at the at the time,” said Dr. Michael. “We did offer to make payments. They told us, they wanted it all.”

She says MHEC wasn’t supposed to start the work until the money was in place, but, the previous administration allowed them to begin construction anyway.

“I know it’s been argued legally but here’s the thing. There was supposed to be an account and that account was supposed to have been full before they started the work,” Dr. Michaels said.

The initial appraisal of the property was $10,000,000 but, a current one says the property is valued at around $4,500,000.

News On 6 called Midgley-Huber Energy Concepts twice to get their side of the story and haven’t heard back yet.

The auction is Dec. 14th at 10 a.m. at the Muskogee County Court house.