News

For police careers, Oklahoma ranks No. 43 in nation

May 16, 2019

Forty-two states rank higher than Oklahoma when it comes to choosing a career as a police officer. With more than 900,000 law enforcement officers in the nation, WalletHub.com released its “2019’s Best and Worst State to Be a Police Officer.” In the “opportunity and competition” ranking, Oklahoma is No. 48. In “job hazards and protections”…

Councilors set probes of Tulsa police ‘disparities’

May 16, 2019

A panel appointed by the Tulsa City Council will meet June 26 to discuss the “racial and gender disparities” revealed in the city’s 2018 Equality Indicators Report. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Citizens can make comments at 5 p.m. on June 19 at the City Council Chambers…

OU president resigns

May 16, 2019

With less than a year in office amid periods of controversy and upheaval, University of Oklahoma President James L. Gallogly announced his resignation Sunday. Gallogly, 66, resigned as president just a day after the university finished with its 2019 commencement ceremonies. In his 10 months as university president, OU has been rocked by an investigation…

New law requires signed consent for use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes

May 16, 2019

A bill requiring informed consent for nursing home patients and their families regarding the use of powerful antipsychotic drugs has been signed into law. State Sen. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City, is the principal author of Senate Bill 142. Rep. Tammy West, R-Bethany, is the principal House author. The measure deals with the overuse of powerful…

Oklahoma picks ribeye as the best

May 16, 2019

A bill naming the ribeye as Oklahoma’s official state steak has been signed into law. Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt is the author of Senate Bill 21 along with House principal author Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton. Murdock said with 5.1 million head of beef cattle in Oklahoma, the state is ranked third in the nation in…

Tax exemption for American Legion

May 16, 2019

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill that will exempt the American Legion Department of Oklahoma from sales tax. House Majority Leader Mike Sanders, R-Kingfisher, and Sen. Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, are authors of House Bill 1003. The measure previously passed unanimously in the House and Senate. “The American Legion is our state’s largest veterans’ organization, serving…

DNA field testing passed

May 16, 2019

The use of rapid DNA field testing technology by law enforcement is one step from becoming law. Senate Bill 184, which would use the technology to quickly determine if an arrestee is already in the system for a previous serious offense, is headed to the governor’s desk for review. SB 184, authored by Sen. Wayne…

Rape kit legislation OK

May 16, 2019

The Senate gave unanimous final approval to legislation which authorizes the use of one standardized sexual assault evidence kit by all law enforcement agencies statewide. Rep. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, said she authored Senate Bill 975 to address the state’s backlog of untested rape kits and to get victims justice faster. In 2017, the Oklahoma…

National measles epidemic could spread to Oklahoma

May 16, 2019

Oklahoma has not experienced any confirmed cases of measles in 2019, but with numerous cases in surrounding states and across the nation, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is encouraging families to review their immunization records, and plan ahead in case you need to get vaccinated before upcoming international travel. Although measles was declared…

Sierra Leone telephone scam alert

May 16, 2019

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter issued a consumer alert early in May after a rash of scam phone calls from Sierra Leone have swamped Oklahomans with Tulsa area codes. Local authorities believe the calls are part of a scam known as a wangiri scam, or one ring phone scam, where an individual’s phone will only…