EF-3 Tornado Hit Cole, Damage Surveys Continue
Three deaths are confirmed in central Oklahoma from Wednesday night's large tornadoes that moved through the area.
The tornadoes struck overnight Wednesday, so it was only in the light of day that the destruction became clear.
McClain County and the tiny town of Cole is where lives were lost. But Shawnee took a significant hit as well.
Governor Kevin Stitt spoke this morning from Oklahoma Baptist University, where multiple buildings were damaged.
“All the families in Shawnee and that have students who go here from out of state, everybody’s been accounted for, all the students,” Stitt said. “We’ve canceled class for the next two days. And so we’re rebuilding and going to put things back together. But let all the families know that all the kids are OK.”
Stitt says he’ll be asking for a disaster declaration for the impacted counties.
The National Weather Service sent crews out Thursday to multiple locations to survey damage and determine the strength of the tornadoes. The NWS says at least one home in Cole suffered EF-3 tornado damage. Preliminary estimates found EF-0 damage just south of Tinker; EF-1/EF-2 type damage near Cole and near Etowah.
Death Row Inmate's Conviction Stands
Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s request to vacate Richard Glossip’s death penalty sentence was denied Thursday morning.
After more than two decades on death row and five previous delays to his execution, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals will not vacate Richard Glossip’s sentence or grant him a new stay of execution.
The court said they “found no credible claims to prevent the carrying out of Glossip’s sentence on the scheduled date” which is now May 18.
Earlier this month, AG Drummond’s office released an independent report highlighting the issues with Glossip’s case, including undisclosed documents and prosecutorial failures. The report came with the recommendation to vacate Glossip’s conviction.
Glossip was found guilty of hiring another man, Justin Sneed, to kill motel owner Barry Van Trese in 1997.
Drummond says he will continue his efforts to delay and stop Glossip’s execution.
Lawmakers Work To Override A Veto, Spend $600 Million In Medicaid Surplus
Despite the governor’s best efforts, Oklahoma lawmakers are going to spend the state’s $600 million Medicaid surplus. A fight over leftover federal funding ended this week with a veto override.
Throughout the pandemic, the federal government was giving states extra funding for their Medicaid programs. Oklahoma’s Medicaid agency held onto that money and put it in a special fund, kind of like a savings account.
The Legislature passed Senate Bill 1130, which ordered the agency to use the money for normal operations. The half-billion would replace appropriations that would otherwise come from the Legislature, so it shores up resources for members to send elsewhere. Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed the bill. He wanted to safeguard the money for longer-term health policy initiatives.
The Senate voted almost unanimously to override the veto. Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson said the Legislature designs the budget, not the governor.
He bristled at Stitt calling the bill imprudent in his veto message.
Weekend Festivals Dedicated to Tribal Art
Displays of First American and tribal art are coming to Oklahoma this weekend.
This weekend marks the 10th annual Artesian Arts Festival in Sulphur. The festival features more than 100 artists displaying a wide array of original art, beadwork, cuisine and a variety of tribal performances.
Headlining this year’s entertainment will be Oklahoma City rappers Lil Mike and Funny Bone. The Pawnee and Choctaw siblings perform as Mike Bone and specialize in motivational speaking and dancing. They’re best known for their recurring roles on the show “Reservation Dogs.”
Tulsa will host the 2nd Annual Mvskoke Art Market at the River Spirit Casino Resort. The event will showcase over 80 artists showing off woodwork and Native American jewelry.
_________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU AM NewsBrief.