State Audit Reveals More Than $300,000 in Misappropriated Funds in Red Rock
A State Auditor and Inspector’s report shows hundreds of thousands of dollars were misappropriated in the Town of Red Rock.
The auditor says the office has seen an uptick in forensic audit requests for small towns.
Fewer than 300 people live in Red Rock, in Noble County.
From the beginning of 2019 to mid-2024, the state auditor and inspector’s office found about $336,000 was misappropriated from the town and the Public Works Authority.
State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd says for a small town like Red Rock, the impact of losing the funds can be felt for years.
“A lot of our small cities and towns are struggling for revenue streams to just keep basic functions in operation, and whenever you have such a large misappropriation of funds as this, it could take a decade for this small town to get back on its feet," Byrd said.
Among the findings, the audit shows the town's former clerk and treasurer misappropriated more than $241,000 and the clerk’s spouse also received unlawful payments.
Byrd found, the town’s board members were also overpaid and another clerk misappropriated funds.
City Leaders Discuss Litigation Options For Mold Infested Norman Library
The Norman City Council held a closed-door session Tuesday night to discuss legal options related to the ongoing mold issues at the Norman Central Library.
The library has been closed since last November.
Documents show the building has had mold problems since 2018, months after construction began.
Officials are weighing potential litigation costs which could reach $200,000 according to estimates.
No public statements were made after the meeting.
The library's reopening date remains uncertain.
Oklahoma Tribes Receive Domestic Violence Prevention Grants
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded nine Oklahoma tribal nations $6.2 million under two programs.
The Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program allocated funding to tribes to decrease domestic violence incidents within the reservation and to provide support to tribes exercising sovereign authority over these crimes and the perpetrators.
The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma received the largest amount under this fund, totaling at $1,169,642.
Following that was the Eastern Shawnee Tribe at $793,463; the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma at $792,148; the Quapaw Nation at $600,000 and the Delaware Tribe of Indians at $282,632.
In addition, the 2024 Office for Victims of Crime Tribal Victim Services Program awarded funds to support victims’ needs through traditional and cultural services as identified by the tribes.
The Eastern Shawnee Tribe, the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, and the Osage Nation each received $441,989.
The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma also received $394,653; the Seneca Cayuga Tribe $254,413 and the Shawnee Tribe $229,973 respectively.
According to the DOJ, four out of five Native people have been or will be the victim of domestic violence in their lifetime.
A 2023 report from the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office shows Oklahoma has seen a steady increase in intimate partner related offenses and homicide. In the past four years, there have been more than 100 victims of domestic violence related murders.
Oklahoma currently ranks third in the nation for intimate partner homicide, and number one for domestic violence offenses.
Cross Canadian Ragweed Reunites For Stillwater Concert
Cross Canadian Ragweed’s first concert in nearly 15 years will take place next spring in Stillwater.
The band started playing together in Yukon 30 years ago, before immersing themselves in Stillwater’s Red Dirt scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
They quickly became one of the genre’s most popular and successful bands, racking up radio play, album sales and tour dates. But it all fell apart, with Cross Canadian Ragweed calling it quits in the fall of 2010.
The split was bitter, and as recently as this past February, singer Cody Canada said a reunion would “never” happen.
But, it turns out, “never” is now.
On Tuesday, Rolling Stone reported the band will co-headline an all-day show with The Turnpike Troubadours at Boone Pickens Stadium on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater on April 12, 2025.
“I should not have said I’d never do it. When I told you that, I thought, ‘What if we do [reunite]? I’ll have to eat my words,’” Canada told Rolling Stone. “Now, I’m sitting right here with a mouthful of my words. You really never know, and you should never say never.”
“The Boys From Oklahoma” concert will also feature performances by The Great Divide, Jason Boland and the Stragglers and Stoney LaRue. A presale is set for October 7 and tickets go on sale to the public on October 11.
The concert is currently the only gig Cross Canadian Ragweed has booked, but they aren’t closing the door on future shows or tours.
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