Legal Challenge Delays Vote on $1 Billion Rock Creek Entertainment District
A legal challenge has stalled plans to put the Rock Creek Entertainment District to a public vote.
The proposed $1 billion project will not appear on the Feb. 11 ballot.
A court hearing is set for Feb. 19 to address a challenge to the petition that called for a public vote on the project.
Opponents of the petition argue it doesn’t meet legal standards.
If the court rules in favor of the petition, the election could be scheduled for April 2.
The Norman City Council approved the development back in September. The plan includes an arena, housing and retail spaces.
Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board Denies Clemency Request for Kevin Underwood
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to deny clemency to convicted murderer Kevin Ray Underwood.
The board unanimously voted against clemency for Underwood on Friday.
Underwood was sentenced to death in 2008 for murdering 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin in Purcell two years earlier.
Bolin’s family said she loved spaghetti, her Girl Scout troop and the color green.
In an investigation into the case, Underwood told the FBI he targeted Bolin because she would be defenseless against his attacks.
At his clemency hearing, he apologized to her family, his own family and everyone “who had to hear the horrible details” of what he did.
“Although I do not want to die, I recognize that I deserve to for what I did. If my death could change what I did then I would gladly die," Underwood said.
Underwood is scheduled to be killed by lethal injection on Dec. 19, which happens to be his 45th birthday.
Gov. Stitt To Explore ‘Unplugging’ Oklahoma From Southwest Power Pool Grid
Oklahoma shares power with 13 other states in the Southwest Power Pool, but Gov. Kevin Stitt says he is exploring the possibility of leaving the group.
In an interview with News 9, Stitt says he is looking into “unplugging” from the Southwest Power Pool during the last two years of his term.
He says he doesn’t want to give up Oklahoma’s sovereignty on permitting rights or eminent domain for energy projects.
As of noon on Friday, Stitt’s office had not responded to multiple requests for clarification on his comments.
The Southwest Power Pool says it is in communication with Stitt to ensure it can "fulfill its mission of keeping the lights on affordably and reliably in the state of Oklahoma."
Two Historic Oklahoma Homes Added to National Register of Historic Places
Historic homes in Oklahoma City and Norman are the latest additions to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office says the register is the nation’s official list of properties significant in our past.
Prairie House on 48th Avenue NE in Norman was completed in 1961.
It is considered an exemplary work of organic architecture and designer Herb Greene's vision to synthesize various arts and respond to the elements of “people, place, time, materials, and spirit.”
In Oklahoma City, the Dr. William L. and Susie Price Haywood Estate on N. Sooner Road also earned the designation.
The home was constructed around 1930 and features the Late 19th and Early 20th Century Classic Revival style.
The Haywood Estate is listed in the National Register for the couple’s significant role in the African American community in Oklahoma City.
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