Category: Oklahoma

Police Chief: 1 Dead in Oklahoma Asphalt Plant Explosion

ARDMORE, Okla.—One person was killed in an explosion Friday morning at an asphalt plant in southern Oklahoma, police said. Police Chief Kevin Norris said no one else was injured in the explosion at the Asphalt Express plant in Ardmore, about 90 miles south of Oklahoma City. “The ID of the deceased is still unknown, but…


Oklahoma State Board of Education Adopts Emergency Rules Targeting Critical Race Theory

The Oklahoma State Board of Education on Monday voted to approve emergency rules that would suspend the teaching licenses of teachers who promote discriminatory elements of critical race and gender theories. The board meeting was meant to provide specific and formal guidance that would help schools navigate the upcoming 2021–22 academic year, in the wake…


Unemployed Oklahomans Could Receive $1,200 in Back-to-Work Incentive

The state of Oklahoma will offer $1,200 to thousands of citizens who have returned to work since the CCP virus pandemic in a back-to-work incentive. “With employers in all sectors now hiring, assistance to families, job seekers, and employers must be prioritized as we continue to build a more prosperous Oklahoma,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said…


Lankford Calls GOP Chairman’s Support of Primary Opponent ‘Highly Unusual’

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said the Oklahoma Republican Party chair’s support of his primary opponent is atypical and that most state party leaders remain neutral in regards to primary races. “It’s more unheard of than it is rare. I’d say it’s highly unusual for a state party chair in any state in America to come…


Oklahoma Jury Recommends Death for Alleged Serial Killer

OKLAHOMA CITY—A jury in Oklahoma has recommended a death sentence for an alleged serial killer who was convicted of kidnapping a woman from a car wash and killing her more than 20 years ago. The jury on Wednesday recommended the death penalty for William Lewis Reece, who was convicted last week of first-degree murder for…


Oklahoma Renames 20-Mile Section of State Highway After Trump

A highway in Oklahoma will be named after former President Donald Trump after the state’s Republican governor signed a bill renaming a 20-mile section of U.S. Route 287 after the 45th president of the United States. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday signed Senate Bill 624 (pdf), a measure that honors dozens of individuals—from members of…


Oklahoma Legislature Passes Bill Banning Mask Mandate and COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements in Schools

The Oklahoma House passed a bill on Wednesday, banning the mask mandate in public schools and prohibiting forcing students to get vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines. The state House passed the bill, SB 658, by 76-18 and sent the bill to Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday. The state Senate had passed the bill by 38-8 a…


Oklahoma Legislature Passes Bill Banning Mask Mandate, COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements in Schools

The Oklahoma House has passed a bill banning mask mandates in public schools and requirements for students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The bill, SB 658, passed the state House by 76–18 and was sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt on May 26. The state Senate had passed the bill by 38–8 a day earlier. “For…


Feds Seize 68 Lions, Tigers and Other Animals From ‘Tiger King Park’ in Oklahoma

THACKERVILLE, Okla.—Federal authorities have seized 68 animals from an animal park in Oklahoma featured in Netflix’s “Tiger King.” The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that the seizure of the federally protected lions, tigers, lion-tiger hybrids, and a jaguar as part of a court-approved agreement to resolve a DOJ complaint against Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe…


Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma to End Federal Unemployment Benefits in June

Texas, Indiana, and Oklahoma on Monday announced that they will be joining a growing number of GOP-led states in ending the expanded federal unemployment benefits that were implemented during last year’s pandemic relief efforts. In a letter (pdf) to the Biden administration, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that the $300 weekly extra payments under the…