Misdemeanor charges against a preacher have been dropped
The Oklahoman reports District Attorney David Prater has dropped charges against Reverend Derrick Scobey, the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.
Scobey was charged with obstructing an officer and impeding a roadway during a prayer vigil for Julius Jones, a former death row inmate whose sentence was commuted to life just hours before his execution last year.
Scobey’s lawyers argued the charges violated his 1st Amendment right to peacefully protest, and Scobey refused a plea deal to receive community service.
Scobey is a member of the Justice for Julius Jones Coalition and was recently appointed to the Oklahoma County jail trust.
Domestic violence shelter in Adair County
Oklahoma has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the nation. Officials within the Cherokee Nation want to do something about it.
Cherokee Nation opened a new shelter that has room for six families in Stilwell, Oklahoma.
The transitional shelter will provide help finding a job, mental health services and other needs when families have their life turned upside down by domestic violence.
Deb Proctor is with One Fire Victim Services within the Cherokee Nation. She says her office has seen a growing need for their services in Adair county, where the shelter is located.
“We currently have 797 clients across 12 of our 14 counties. In 2021, the total number of clients or victims that we had was 440. So you can see how it's grown exponentially.”
Earlier this year, Principal Chief CHuck Hoskin Jr. reauthorized the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act, which included $10 million for emergency shelters.
OKC freezing pet ordinance
As temperatures drop below freezing this week, pet owners in Oklahoma City are reminded to protect their furry friends in freezing weather.
Earlier this year, an ordinance was passed requiring dog owners to keep their animals inside when temperatures dip below freezing.
Oklahoma City residents cannot leave their dogs alone outside for more than 30 minutes when temperatures drop below 32 degrees.
A dog is still considered outside if it has access to an unheated doghouse or other unheated structure.
The University of Oklahoma bans Tik Tok
The University of Oklahoma has banned TikTok from university-owned devices and campus networks.
OU sent out a letter yesterday informing students and staff that the popular social media website and app is banned from its campus-wide internet network.
The letter also states that no one should access TikTok on University-owned or operated devices. OU-administered TikTok accounts also must be deleted.
This comes after Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Executive Order that calls on state agencies to stop using the app due to national and cybersecurity concerns.
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