I grew up in the small town of Locust Grove where my parents owned a old-fashioned variety store known as Nunley Sundries which was located next to the bank on Main Street. Nowadays when I find myself back in Locust Grove, I enjoy eating at the Country Cottage restaurant, known far and wide for delicious down-home cooking. Believe it or not,  people drive from all over Oklahoma, western Arkansas, southwestern Missouri and southern Kansas to regularly eat at the Country Cottage.

This morning I awoke to news reports of an E. coli outbreak that may be linked to the Country Cottage. 26 year-old Chad Ingle of Pryor died Sunday at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa. While lab tests results are not yet available, doctors are indicating that E. coli is the likely cause of Mr. Ingle’s death.

Oklahoma health officials have confirmed that over two dozen others are suffering from illnesses possibly related to E. coli. Those who have become ill live in Bixby, Pryor, Sand Springs, Locust Grove, Broken Arrow, Peggs, Tulsa and McAlester.

The owners of the Country Cottage are working closely with the Oklahoma State Department of Health to assist in the investigation. The restaurant will be closed tomorrow as the investigation continues.

For more on this story, read this Tulsa World article.