Former Prosecutor Headed To Prison
A former Ottawa County Assistant District Attorney has been sentenced to prison.
Daniel Thomas Giraldi, known as “Vegas G”, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and banned from practicing law in Oklahoma this week after being caught in a sting operation.
According to the affidavit written by an FBI agent, Giraldi represented a client back when he worked as a criminal defense attorney.
After becoming a prosecutor, the former client used his connection to obtain legal favors for associates, with Giraldi receiving sexual acts in return.
He was caught after an FBI informant lured him to a home under the guise of needing help with a child custody case in exchange for sex.
When he was arrested, Giraldi had controlled substances on him, including Klonopin and Oxycodone.
Giraldi has been permitted to self-report to prison.
Fort Sill Soldiers Deployed
The escalation of war in the middle east is a real possibility. Fort Sill will be deploying soldiers to within the United States Central Command area of responsibility.
Fort Sill garrison commander Col. James Peay IV says the post’s soldiers are trained and ready to support U.S. forces.
The Lawton Constitution reports the commander was not able to provide any further details due to security reasons.
Officials at the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport say military movements out of the facility will increase dramatically.
The airport is preparing to host 20 to 25 military and commercial charter flights in the next three weeks.
The U.S. Central Command area of responsibility centers on 21 countries, including Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Oklahoma Water Resources Board Updating Plan To Ensure Access To Water For Next 50 Years
The Oklahoma Water Resources Board is updating its comprehensive water plan for the next 50 years and is reaching out to residents for feedback.
With a $3.5 million budget from the Legislature, the board aims to predict water supply through 2075 and assess the state's water infrastructure.
Challenges include aging systems, unchanged water rates and declining aquifer levels affecting farmers.
The water plan update is set to be completed by late 2024 and presented to the Legislature by early 2025. Meeting details and surveys are available on the board’s website.
Picher Project Musical
In the northeastern corner of Oklahoma, huge piles of mining waste pollute the waters of Picher and surrounding communities with lead and other heavy metals. Thousands of miles away in Lower Manhattan, audiences have been learning about the story through a musical called the Picher Project.
Lauren Pelaia wrote the show’s music and lyrics. She says a musical is just the right medium for this story of pain, loss and hope.
"This isn't, 'Get out the tap shoes and all of a sudden we're doing a dance number.' This is, 'The words aren't enough to tell the story. So we have no choice but to put it in song,'" said Pelaia.
The plot spans from 1983, when the area around Picher became a Superfund site, to 2013, when only seven people were left in the town after government buyouts. Many of the characters are based on real people.
"There are some lines and lyrics in the show that are truly the words of the people that we spoke to," she said.
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