Grand Jury Investigates Ryan Walters
Following the state auditor’s discovery of more than $1 million in misspent pandemic relief funds, a multicounty grand jury is investigating State Superintendent Ryan Walters.
The Oklahoman newspaper reports last week, grand jurors heard testimony about Ryan Walters’ handling of Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funds, which were awarded to states by the U.S. Department of Education.
In 2023, state auditor Cindy Byrd released a report that found $1.7 million of those funds were misspent on non-educational items. The report also found the executive director of the nonprofit Every Kid Counts Oklahoma was directly involved in the program and gave blanket approval of vendors. This position was held by Ryan Walters at the time.
Walters has blamed Florida-based company Kleo Inc. for the misspending, but two separate lawsuits against them have been dismissed by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
The grand jury has not issued any indictments at this time. It will meet again on October 8.
More Pressure On Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett
State lawmakers are asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to disqualify Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett from judicial cases at the corporation commission. OPMX’s Anna Pope has more.
A trio of Republican representatives are asking the court to bar Hiett from the commission’s judicial cases. Hiett has been accused of drunken sexual misconduct. He's remained on the commission despite calls for him to step down.
Hiett said he does not remember what happened, he was not in his right mind and started treatment for his problems with alcohol.
The petition argues the cases are tainted, and utility companies have leverage over Hiett in their cases before him at the commission. The lawmakers have publicly panned Hiett’s continued role in the commission's cases and asked for an opinion from the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office.
Last month, Hiett voted to approve a $31 million dollar rate increase for Oklahoma Natural Gas. At the time, fellow commissioner Bob Anothony said he did not think the proceeding followed state ethics laws.
Cleveland County Water Testing
The Oklahoma Well Owners Network will offer free water testing for private wells tonight from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds in Norman.
Event hosts invite well owners to collect tap water in an unused plastic bottle and have it tested for things like E. coli bacteria and nitrates.
The Oklahoma Well Owners Network offers these events across the state - to see if there’s one near you and find detailed instructions about collecting a water sample, you can visit their website.
Haircut Rally
Activists are raising awareness about a 7-year-old boy whose hair was cut during school in north-central Oklahoma. A rally was held Friday outside Frontier Public Schools, causing the school day to be virtual.
Dozens of people gathered to express their concerns about an Autistic boy and Ponca Citizen named Asiah.
“My son was sent home with his bangs cut from school,” his mom Rachelle Plumley said at the rally.
An investigation led by a school resource officer determined Asiah cut his hair himself. But Plumley and the gathered activists disagree. Frontier Schools Superintendent Erron Kauk said steps are being taken to prevent a mistake like this from happening again. Plumley plans to continue advocating for justice because her son’s hair represents his spirit.
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