State Board Rejects AG’s Recommendation To Deny Clemency For Death Row Inmate
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted Wednesday to recommend clemency for a man scheduled for execution next month.
The board voted 3-2 to recommend clemency for Emmanuel Littlejohn despite a recommendation from Attorney General Gentner Drummond to deny clemency.
Littlejohn was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 1992 fatal shooting of Kenneth Meers during a robbery of an Oklahoma City convenience store.
Another man, Glenn Bethany, was also involved in the deadly robbery.
A different jury found him guilty of first-degree murder as well, but he was sentenced to life without possibility of parole.
Court documents show there was uncertainty over which man was the shooter, and Littlejohn maintains it was not him.
Drummond issued a statement after the hearing:
“I am disappointed by the Pardon and Parole Board decision today but appreciate their thoughtful deliberation. I remain steadfast that the family of Kenny Meers has waited far too long for justice to be done. My office intends to make our case to the governor why there should not be clemency granted to this violent and manipulative killer."
With clemency recommended by the board, it’s now up to Gov. Kevin Stitt to actually grant clemency.
Littlejohn is scheduled to be executed on Sept. 26.
Norman Begins Planning For Opioid Settlement Funds
The City of Norman is one step closer to receiving funds from a settlement between Oklahoma’s Attorney General’s Office and opioid suppliers.
The city is expected to receive more than $1 million.
Funds from the settlement are being distributed across the state of Oklahoma, but Norman is set to receive the largest amount.
The city’s portion was calculated using city population size and the amount of opioid-related deaths per capita.
Interim City Attorney Rick Knighton said the settlement recognizes the impact of the opioid epidemic.
“The reason that I think we're in this position is because of the devastating effect that the over-prescription or over-utilization of opioid pain medication has had,” Knighton said.
Once the Attorney General’s Office and the City of Norman finalize an agreement about spending provisions for the funds, the Norman City Council will be tasked with deciding exactly where to put the money.
This could include boosting city and local programs that already exist, or the creation of new ones.
Edmond Construction Contractor Cited For Safety Violations
Federal regulators have issued multiple citations against an Edmond construction company.
In February, a worker employed by Jerlow Construction Company died after a nine-foot deep trench collapsed at a Shawnee worksite.
OSHA investigators determined the employer allowed workers to do their jobs without proper protection equipment.
Following the investigation, OSHA issued citations to Jerlow Construction for one repeat violation and three serious violations.
The company now faces more than $85,000 in proposed penalties.
Jerlow Construction has 15 business days from receiving the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings.
Invasive Tick Found in Oklahoma for the First Time
An invasive tick is now in Oklahoma. State officials identified one in the state for the first time on Monday.
Oklahoma is the 20th state to confirm the presence of Asian longhorned ticks since they were first spotted in New Jersey in 2017.
They’re originally from Eastern Asia but have spread to other parts of the world, including Mayes County in Northeastern Oklahoma.
Like other ticks, they can carry diseases that infect people and animals. But unlike other species Asian longhorned ticks can reproduce asexually, laying thousands of eggs at a time.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says these pesky bugs can cause distress and even anemia in animals. After a dairy cow becomes a host, its milk production can drop by 25%.
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry says it’s launched an epidemiological investigation to figure out how the ticks arrived in Oklahoma and the extent of their spread.
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