Oklahoma

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Oklahoma Carries Out Nation's Last Execution of 2024

Kevin Underwood killed 10-year-old girl, planned to eat her

(Newser) - An Oklahoma man who killed a 10-year-old girl in a cannibalistic fantasy died by lethal injection Thursday in the nation's 25th and final execution of the year. Kevin Ray Underwood was pronounced dead at 10:14am at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, state Department of Corrections spokesperson Lance...

Driver, 71, Hospitalized After Cop Throws Him to the Ground

Oklahoma City Police officer on paid leave following alleged use of excessive force

(Newser) - An elderly man was hospitalized after an Oklahoma City police officer threw him to the ground in the course of giving him a traffic ticket, reports USA Today . In newly released body camera footage , the officer identified as Joseph Gibson tells a driver he's being ticketed for an improper...

Oklahoma Town's Entire Police Force Quits in One Day

2 of 3 city council members also resigned on the same day

(Newser) - Geary, Oklahoma, lost its entire police force and two-thirds of its city council all on the same day last week. The city's police chief and all four of its patrol officers resigned Thursday, the Oklahoman reports. They turned in their badges without giving an explanation for their departures, KOCO...

Glossip Has Unusual Ally in SCOTUS Fight

Both he and Oklahoma are pushing for new trial, citing prosecutorial misconduct

(Newser) - Glossip v. Oklahoma, a highly watched case before the Supreme Court, isn't quite what its name suggests. Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip is pushing for a new trial, arguing the one that resulted in his murder conviction and death sentence was rife with errors. But Oklahoma is of...

Oklahoma Executes Inmate Despite Parole Board's Vote

Gov. Kevin Stitt declined to intervene in Emmanuel Littlejohn's lethal injection

(Newser) - Oklahoma executed a man Thursday for his role in the 1992 shooting death of a convenience store owner after the governor rejected a recommendation from the state's parole board to spare his life. Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and was declared dead...

Dog Chews Lithium-Ion Battery, With Disastrous Results

Tulsa Fire Department issues warning after home burns

(Newser) - A dog chomping on a lithium-ion battery sparked a serious house fire in Oklahoma, and video of the moment the sparks began to fly has been enlisted by a fire department to show the potential dangers of those batteries. The footage taken from the home and posted last week on...

Cops: Kidnapped Man Was Forced to Jump Off Bridge

Badly injured Oklahoma man was bound with duct tape, sheriff's office says

(Newser) - Police in Oklahoma say that when they responded to a call about somebody "jumping into traffic," they found a badly injured man—and determined that it had not been a suicide attempt. "Further investigation revealed the victim in this case had been abducted and forced off the...

Former Sen. Inhofe, Known for Snowball Stunt, Dies at 89

Oklahoma lawmaker brought the snowball to Senate floor to mock environmental worries

(Newser) - Former Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, a conservative firebrand known for his strong support of defense spending and his denial that human activity is responsible for the bulk of climate change, has died at age 89. Inhofe, a powerful fixture in Oklahoma politics for over six decades, died Tuesday morning after...

In Oklahoma, an 'Extraordinary Move' on Bible in the Classroom

Ryan Walters, state superintendent, orders the religious text to be taught in public schools

(Newser) - Coming to classrooms in Oklahoma: the Bible. The state's superintendent has ordered the religious text be taught in Oklahoma's public schools, reports the New York Times , which calls it "an extraordinary move that blurs the lines between religious instruction and public education." "Every teacher, every...

Oklahoma Inmate's Last Words: 'I've Said My Goodbyes'

State executes Richard Rojem, convicted of murdering 7-year-old ex-stepdaughter

(Newser) - Oklahoma executed a man Thursday who was convicted of kidnapping, raping, and killing his 7-year-old former stepdaughter in 1984, per the AP . Richard Rojem, 66, received a three-drug lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester and was declared dead at 10:16am, prison officials said. Rojem, who had...

Court: Public Funds Can't Go to Religious School

Oklahoma case may wind up before the US Supreme Court

(Newser) - Oklahoma's Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked approval of what would have been the nation's first publicly funded religious school. The high court determined the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board's 3-2 vote last year to approve the application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma for the St. Isidore...

Air Traffic Staff to Alarmingly Low Flight: 'You Good?'

Southwest flight drops to 500 feet above ground in Oklahoma, triggering air traffic control concern

(Newser) - If you're low-key wary of flying lately, we can't say we blame you , and the latest news out of Oklahoma probably won't ease your concerns. The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into Southwest Flight 4069 out of Las Vegas, which dipped to an alarmingly low altitude just...

Court Dismisses Lawsuit From Race Massacre Survivors

Oklahoma's top court upholds judge's decision

(Newser) - The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit from the last two survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The decision dampened the hope of advocates for racial justice that the government would make amends for one of the worst single acts of violence against Black people in US...

Latest Round of Deadly Storms Kills at Least 18

Including 3 family members found dead in one home in Texas

(Newser) - The death toll from the latest deadly weather to strike the central US has been raised to at least 18 people, the AP reports. Powerful storms also injured hundreds, left tens of thousands without power, and left a wide trail of destruction across Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas after obliterating homes...

At Least 5 Dead After Powerful Texas Storms

Oklahoma also got slammed

(Newser) - Powerful storms across Texas and Oklahoma obliterated homes, leaving thousands of people without power and a wide trail of damage Sunday. A sheriff said at least five people were dead in one rural community in Texas and more were injured, per the AP . The destructive storms began Saturday night and...

As Texas Bakes, a New Weather Warning for Oklahoma

More twisters may be headed to Sooner State, while heat index in Texas hovers near 120 degrees

(Newser) - Forecasters are warning of another day of heightened risk of dangerous tornadoes in the Midwest on Saturday and telling people in South Texas it may feel like close to 120 degrees Fahrenheit almost four weeks before summer starts. The weather service in Oklahoma compared the day to "a gasoline-soaked...

Their Final Resting Spot: a Cow Pasture

More details are trickling in on the murders of Kansas women Veronica Butler, Jilian Kelley

(Newser) - Two Kansas women who disappeared after traveling to Oklahoma in March were found dead inside a chest freezer buried in a cow pasture, court documents reveal. The location in Oklahoma's Texas County was just 10 miles from where Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, disappeared March 30 while...

Strange Puzzle May Link BTK Killer to Missing Teen

Puzzle sent by serial killer to TV station includes Cynthia Kinney's name, sheriff says

(Newser) - Since last year , authorities have been investigating a possible link between the BTK serial killer and Cynthia Kinney, who went missing in Oklahoma in 1976 at age 16. Now they're taking another look at a crossword puzzle sent by the convicted killer, Dennis Rader, to a TV station...

With Parents Crushed by Tornado, Boy Becomes 'Superman'
With Parents
Crushed by Tornado,
Boy Becomes 'Superman'
in case you missed it
May 5, 2024 2:50 PM CDT

With Parents Crushed by Tornado, Boy Becomes 'Superman'

Branson Baker, 9, ran in search of help, reportedly saying, 'I have to save my parents'

(Newser) - A couple and their 9-year-old son were driving toward a storm shelter as tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma on Saturday when they ran out of time. A tornado unleashed its fury on the family near the town of Ardmore, tossing their truck into trees and pinning the parents inside. It was...

Tornadoes Kill 4, With More Danger Ahead

Heavy rain and flash flooding are possible into Monday, weather service says

(Newser) - Tornadoes that tore across Oklahoma left a wide trail of destruction Sunday, leveling homes and buildings and knocking out power for tens of thousands of residents. At least four people were killed, including a child, the AP reports. Dozens of reported tornadoes have wreaked havoc in the nation's midsection...

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