Kurt Gwartney

Jones To Step Down As Head Of State Prison System

Kurt Gwartney and eCapitol — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:07:19 +0000

The executive director of the Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections announced Monday he will resign Oct. 1, according to eCapitol’s Shawn Ashley. The announcement from Justin Jones comes after a legislative session where the department’s funding was not increased and its budget practices were called into question by key legislative and executive budget negotiators.

Fiddling In Foreign Lands: Oklahoma's Horseshoe Road Tours The Pacific Rim

Kurt Gwartney and Brian Hardzinski — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:31:13 +0000

Nothing Fishy About City Rep's "Tuna"

Kurt Gwartney — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:52:41 +0000

This is the last weekend to see Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre’s production of Greater Tuna. But staging a comedy, even one as iconic in the southwest U.S. as “Tuna,” following a tragic community event like the tornadoes that ripped through central Oklahoma can be tough.

Actors Donald Jordan and Jonathon Beck Reed say taking time to laugh can provide relief for people dealing with the trauma of the destruction.

Voices In My Head: Three Local Authors On Character Development

Kurt Gwartney and Brian Hardzinski — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:04:56 +0000

In 2007, Gov. Brad Henry signed some of the country’s strictest anti-immigration legislation into law.

House Bill 1804 by State Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore) made it a felony for the state to provide education and health care services to illegal immigrants, and requires police to investigate the immigration status of anyone “suspected” of being in this country illegally.

Six years later, the controversial law and its effect on people form the basis for Oklahoma native Rilla Askew’s fourth novel Kind of Kin.

“I'm always writing about the coming together and the clash between cultures and races in Oklahoma,” Askew says. “I was disturbed by the notion of a bill like that.”

Reunited: 90 Tornado Displaced Pets

Kurt Gwartney and Associated Press — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 20:23:24 +0000

The Animal Resource Center has reunited at least 90 lost pets with their owners since a May 20 tornado hit Moore.

7 Ways To Avoid Getting Tick Sick This Summer

Kurt Gwartney — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:05:15 +0000

While Oklahomans have been focused on the violent nature of recent weather, the conditions are also ripe for disease-spreading ticks. The state Health Department says a warm spring and the onset of summer will bring an increase in the number of tick bites.

El Reno Tornado, Now EF5, Sets Record

Kurt Gwartney — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:12:12 +0000

Meteorologists have upgraded the tornado that hit Canadian County, west of Oklahoma City, as an EF5, the top of the ratings. The width of the tornado, 2.6 miles, is being called the widest ever recorded.

The upgrade came after researchers from the University of Oklahoma and meteorologists with the National Weather Service evaluated the tornado using information from a mobile research radar.

Flooding Forces Mobile Home Park Evacuation

Kurt Gwartney — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 14:55:11 +0000

Authorities are using a boat, raft and Humvee to evacuate residents of a mobile home park in Crutcho.

The Oklahoma County Sheriff's offices says they are also searching for missing man from the area whose vehicle was found washed off the road near E. Hefner Rd. and N. Dobbs.

The man left for work at 6:30 a.m. Friday and has not been heard from since, according the sheriff's office.

Images from the mobile home park near NE 23rd and Air Depot show flood waters halfway up the doors of parked cars.

Flooding Continues, Survey Teams Assess Friday Storm Damage

Kurt Gwartney and Associated Press — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 12:59:24 +0000

Authorities in the Oklahoma City metro are discouraging travel Saturday morning due to flooding across the area.

Addiction, Relationships Focus Of New Movie

Kurt Gwartney — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

A new film from the Oklahoma City metro’s Fall Films dealing with addiction and its affect on relationships premieres Saturday at Oklahoma Contemporary.

Tarsus features the group of young actors that have been a part of other Fall Films productions, including Danny Marroquin and Rebecca Cox.

Marroquin plays struggling crack and cocaine addict Johnny McGuire who meets up with Cox’s character, Patricia Peters, at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.