Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Approves Extension of Time Between Executions
After a request from the State Attorney General and the Director of the Department of Corrections, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has voted to increase the time between future executions.
In January, AG Gentner Drummond and DOC Director Steven Harpe filed a joint motion with the court to increase the interval between executions to 90 days, saying the current pace of executions is unsustainable and puts undue stress on DOC staff. On Tuesday, the court voted to approve the request.
Two of the five judges voted against increasing the time in between executions — including Gary Lumpkin, who said DOC staff need to quote “suck it up” at a hearing in March.
This follows the court approving a change from four weeks between executions to 60 days last year at Drummond’s request.
In addition to having more time in between them, the court decided future executions will be scheduled individually rather than in phases. The last execution of the current phase is that of Wade Lay on June 6.
Oklahoma City Council to Hold Public Hearing on Proposed County Jail Location
The next step in the process for the proposed Oklahoma County jail takes place later this month.
Oklahoma City Council will hold a public hearing May 21.
The hearing will focus on a special permit application that would allow the county to build the new jail on land off East Grand Boulevard.
That site borders Del City, and Del City leaders are preparing a legal fight to keep the jail from that location.
Mid-Del Schools to Repay Over $500K in COVID Relief Funds
Mid-Del Public Schools has pledged to reimburse over half a million dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds, which were reportedly used for athletic fields.
The district received over $12 million in COVID-19 relief funds, but $588,000 was allegedly spent on athletic lawn services.
Now, the State Department of Education is demanding the money back. State Superintendent Ryan Walters called the spending a misuse of federal taxpayer dollars.
While Mid-Del works on a response to the state education department, it maintains its spending aligned with federal and state guidelines.
OKCPS Nears Announcement of New Superintendent
Oklahoma City Public Schools is set to announce its new superintendent possibly by this weekend.
The district’s board of education held a special meeting at the Skirvin Hotel Wednesday, conducting interviews with potential candidates behind closed doors.
Another special session is slated for Saturday morning at the Clara Luper Center.
The Oklahoman newspaper reports it’s expected the new superintendent will be named at that meeting.
The new superintendent will replace Sean McDaniel who unexpectedly announced his resignation in February citing irreconcilable differences with a board member.
Oklahoma City Thunder Gear Up for Game 2 Against Dallas Mavericks
The Oklahoma City Thunder are back in action tonight in the second game of their playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Thunder won the opening game of the series by 22 points, and earned wide praise for their play on the defensive end of the court.
Coach Mark Daigneault says he was pleased with the team’s effort and attention to detail.
“[There’s] obviously plays we can learn from, but I thought we were on it from an effort standpoint, from a focus standpoint," said coach Daigneault. "I thought we had a great week of preparation and we were really, really sharp. And now we’ve gotta make the corrections and sustain that level of energy and effort.”
Game 2 against the Mavericks tips off at the Paycom Center at 8:30 tonight on ESPN.
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