Oklahoma state testing scores show rebound, but pandemic’s impact remains
Each spring, Oklahoma students take a battery of tests. They improved in 2022, the second year of normal testing after the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
2021’s scores weren’t pretty. 2022’s show a rebound. Still, less than half of Oklahoma students were proficient or advanced in any single category tested.
But students assessed in grades 3 through 11 showed an increase in proficiency in 15 out of 17 categories related to language arts, math and science.
That’s a lot of numbers for the State Department of Education to sift through. And they’ll use them when schools get letter grades for the first time in three years later this fall.
Lawyers for Richard Glossip asking for new trial
Death row inmate Richard Glossip’s lawyers are asking for a new trial in response to new evidence that was discovered last month.
Following the discovery of letters that suggest Justin Sneed, the man who admitted to killing motel owner Barry Van Treese in 1997, wanted to recant his statement claiming Richard Glossip hired him to carry out the murder, Glossip’s lawyers have challenged his conviction on the grounds these documents were never turned over to the defense.
Additionally, the lawyers have accused prosecutor Connie Smothermon of flagrant misconduct during retrial.
This follows Gov. Kevin Stitt granting Glossip a stay of execution to allow the Oklahoma Court of Criminal
Appeals to consider his claim of innocence, pushing his execution date back to Dec. 8.
Oklahoma legislators return for special session to appropriate federal ARPA funding
Oklahoma lawmakers return to the state Capitol on Wednesday for a special session to appropriate $1.8 billion in federal pandemic relief. The Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding made their final recommendations last week. As Quorum Call publisher Shawn Ashley explained in Capitol Insider, the next step in the process is drafting bills to implement the spending plan.
"Those recommendations are being turned into bills that lawmakers will consider when they return in the second special session Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. If approved, they go to Governor Stitt, who can sign them, veto them, or allow them to become law absent his signature. House Joint Committee co-chair Kevin Wallace, who also chairs the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, noted then the real work begins," said Ashley.
The special session is expected to last through Friday.
A poll ranks an Oklahoma pumpkin patch as the best in the nation
Myriad Gardens Fall Festival "Pumpkinville" won first place as the top Pumpkin Patch in the United States, according to a USA Today Poll.
Pumpkinville was voted number one out of 20 contenders nationwide. The Oklahoma City pumpkin patch features more than 40,000 pumpkins.
Reservation Dogs renewed for third season
Reservation Dogs, the award-winning show featuring an all Native cast has gotten the greenlight for a third season.
The second season, which is still airing on FX on Hulu has received critical acclaim for its in-depth storytelling, outstanding performances and moments of humor and tenderness. The show is filmed in Okmulgee and follows a group of teenagers as they live life on the reservation. The show shakes many Native stereotypes while also poking fun at them.
In a statement to Variety, series co-creator and Oklahoman Sterlin Harjo thanked people for the outpouring of support the show has received. "Thank you to FX for ordering season 3, excited to bring you more laughter and love from the Rez."
Season 3 will debut in 2023.
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