Beaufort woman's motorcycle -- stolen in Texas -- found

A motorcycle and trailer stolen from a Beaufort woman on a cross-country charity fundraiser ride have been found, according to a news release from the Amarillo Police Department.

Police found Gail Ankney's trailer July 31 in a fenced-in lot about five miles southwest of where it was stolen. Her motorcycle was recovered three weeks later, on August 22, about six miles southwest of the Motel 6.

Officers searching the fenced-in lot found the trailer hidden under mattresses and pallets, according to the release. Police also found the motorcycle's windshield and other parts that had been removed from the bike.

Police found the motorcycle in the garage of a vacant apartment after a person reported seeing two motorcycles there, the release said. One was identified as Ankney's Harley-Davidson. Police are still searching for the owner of the other bike, a Suzuki. It was not reported as missing or stolen.

Ankney's motorcycle and trailer were stolen from outside her hotel during a stop in Amarillo July 26 during the Women's Freedom Ride, an event she created to raise money for injured veterans and raise awareness for female motorcycle riders.

Ankney said police told her they had recovered her property last week. After getting the good news, however, she ran into trouble trying to get her bike back to Beaufort.

Her insurance company would only pay to have the bike and trailer shipped back if they were both a total loss, Ankney said. Since they weren't, it meant she would have to pay for everything, including impound fees and any repair costs needed to even ship the trailer and motorcycle home.

To offset some of the costs, Ankney said several people asked about donating money. She said two donated $1,000 to pay the impound and repair fees for the trailer, and others donated about $560 of the $650 payment to get both shipped home.

Ankney said the shipping company is expected to deliver her motorcycle and trailer between Saturday and Monday.

"I'm estatic about getting it back, but I'll feel much better when it actually gets here," she said.

Police initially told her it was unlikely her bike would be recovered intact.

Despite the ordeal in Amarillo, Ankney plans to keep taking the Women's Freedom Ride. Back in Beaufort now, she's planning a ride for next year along the east coast, as well as shorter trips to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and Milwaukee.

"Bike thefts can happen anywhere, to anybody," she said. "It didn't stop me then and it's not going to stop me in the future."

The investigation into the theft of the trailer is continuing, the Amarillo release said. The owner of the lot where the trailer was found was not charged.

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Source: BeaufortGazette (AP, 8/28)

Maypearl rally aids wounded heroes

MAYPEARL – Downtown Maypearl was thundering with the thrum of motorcycles as thousands turned out Friday-Sunday for Rally Round Our Heroes.

Big B’s Leather and Wounded Heroes of Texas organized the motorcycle rally, concerts and vendor fair to raise money and awareness for disabled veterans and the veterans associations of Dallas-Fort Worth.

“This is basically the first family-oriented biker rally in North Texas. We didn’t expect it to be this big, but we will definitely do it again next year,” said Chuck Perry, Wounded Heroes of Texas founder. “We wanted this to be an event to honor our disabled vets and raise funds for our Galveston retreat. It’s really just a feel-good event and helps vets.”

Perry said the Wounded Heroes of Texas helps disabled veterans adjust to life after service and reintegrate into society. The nonprofit organization’s annual Galveston fishing and sailing retreat for veterans is one of the ways it helps.

The three-day event featured live music from Southern Heat, Curb Service and Janis Joplin tribute band Piece of My Heart, while several vendors sold “everything from mufflers to mints,” Perry said. Rally Round Our Heroes also featured raffles, displays and bike washes.

He said the Wounded Heroes of Texas serves veterans from the Oklahoma border to Temple, Texas, and he is hoping to start a chapter in Brownsville next year. The organization is part of the national Veteran Association’s reintegration program and aims to continue to serve more of Texas every year.

The Rally Round Our Heroes received support from the Maypearl city council and mayor, as well as local support from businesses. Bruce (the big ‘B’ of Big B’s Leather) and Cupcake Helsing helped host the event, organize the vendor fair and promote the event to their customers.

“We’re a traveling vendor and have the store here (in Maypearl), so we invited all of our contacts to come set up at the rally,” Cupcake said. “We’ve got vendors clear from Iowa to local vendors out here.”

The event attracted a lot of visitors and customers to downtown Maypearl.

“We set it up spread out like this so people would want to walk through town to see everything and spend time visiting the businesses and vendors,” she said. “We hit some logistical bumps in the road this year, but it is the first year we’ve hosted it.”

Cupcake said she worked with Perry to host the event in Maypearl, because she wanted to see the small town flourish. The Helsings opened their store four years ago in downtown and the Farm-to-Market Roads 66 and 157 have become favorite routes of bikers.

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Source: Waxahachie News (Schwaderer, 4/15)

OKLAHOMA BIKER on FOX 23

Beginning Aug 6th Oklahoma Biker will be hosting a weekly television show on Fox 23 in Tulsa. The show will air late nights on Saturday at 12:30 (or Sun morning whichever you prefer to call it). This television show will feature Oklahoma Bikers and Arkansas Bikers at motorcycle runs, rallies, and events. We will also showcase biker owned and biker friendly businesses located in Northeast Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas.

If you have a bike night, motorcycle run, a rally or biker event you wish to have featured on Oklahoma Biker Television please call 918.260.7195 or go to www.oklahomabiker.net.

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source: currentland.com (Briggs, 8/5)