Oklahoma Under Medical Heat Alert
The first Medical Heat Alert of the year has been issued.
EMSA sent out the alert Thursday after medics responded to five suspected heat-related illness calls around the metro area Wednesday.
Health officials recommend people take heat precautions when spending time outside, particularly over the coming days.
Temperatures are forecast to climb back to near 100 for the weekend.
The Heat Alert remains in effect until temperatures or heat-related calls decrease.
McGirt Convictions Overturned
The man at the center of a landmark Supreme Court ruling, Jimcy McGirt, had his federal child rape convictions overturned in a federal court.
A new federal trial for McGirt is possible. He is currently serving three life sentences in federal prison for child rape.
Federal appeals judges ruled McGirt’s conviction should be overturned because his 2020 jury was wrongly limited in how to weigh inconsistent witness testimony from 1997.
The court says in its order while the jury could have still found McGirt guilty, the judges were unsure they would have.
In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled McGirt was wrongly tried in state court because the crimes were committed on the established Muscogee Nation reservation and McGirt is Native American.
The McGirt decision reaffirmed several reservations in eastern Oklahoma. It set the precedent that crimes involving Native American defendants on reservations must be tried by the federal government or tribal prosecutors.
Federal attorney Christopher Wilson originally prosecuted the case. He says he is disappointed in the reversal, but will keep pursuing it.
Reduced Warrant Costs
Certain Oklahoma City citations are eligible to be cleared at a reduced cost until the end of the year.
People with warrants for an unpaid ticket for a class “A” offense dated on or before June 30, 2021, can participate in a penalty reduction program until December of this year.
Participants will not be arrested or go to jail.
The program reduces the cost of overdue tickets that have acquired extra fines or failure to appear charges to a cost similar to a ticket paid on time.
People with financial difficulties can request a hearing from a judge at the Oklahoma City Municipal Court to determine their ability to pay.
Food Resources Available For People Impacted By Severe Storms
Oklahoma nonprofits and government agencies are offering resources for people who lost food due to the power outages in Northeast Oklahoma.
After strong storms last weekend, hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans were without power - and the ability to keep food refrigerated. Many have had to discard items that went bad.
The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma serves counties impacted by the storms.
“Since Sunday, our emergency response team has been providing thousands of emergency meal boxes and water,” said Diana Capra, spokesperson for the food bank.
The Food Bank has also seen an increase in community support.
“We’ve had a few hundred extra volunteers helping with this effort, making up the burgers, making up the emergency meal boxes. The folks that don’t need help are providing help to those who do,” Capra said.
The Food Bank encourages people who qualify for SNAP to apply for replacement benefits if they have food that went bad.
Brown’s Bakery In OKC Closing July 8
Brown’s Bakery in Oklahoma City is closing for good next month after serving customers for 77 years.
Owner Billy R. Brown says he wants to retire. Brown is the latest of four generations to run the bakery.
A sign on the door announcing the closure reads, “To our customers and neighbors…Thank you for 77 years of serving you. It is time to put our aprons down for now.”
Brown’s, located at 10th and Walker, will host a community celebration on July 8 at noon, then will officially close.
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