Local & Regional

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Growing anti-police sentiment around the country could have a profoundly negative impact on the ability to recruit quality officers, police chiefs from two Oklahoma cities told state lawmakers on Thursday.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday rejected the Oklahoma Democratic Party’s lawsuit challenging the state’s absentee voting rules.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge John Dowell wrote that the state’s absentee voting rules are “reasonable, nondiscriminatory and legitimate.”

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The head of the U.S. Census Bureau visited a census event Friday to encourage people to fill out their census form before the end of the month.

Director Steven Dillingham stopped by a census event outside the Oklahoma Capitol where people could drive by and pick up census forms ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline.

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — One week after its originally scheduled season opener was supposed to take place, No. 11 Oklahoma State will finally take the field this weekend. 

After Tulsa had several players test positive for COVID-19 earlier in camp, the Golden Hurricane had requested an extra week of practice and, conveniently, both teams initially had a bye week Saturday, so it was an easy decision to move the game back a week. Kickoff is at noon Saturday.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 1,249 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, increasing the seven-day rolling average of new infections to 989 and bringing the state's cumulative total of cases to 74,567.

140 cases were in Tulsa County, which brings the Tulsa County total to 15,794, increasing the seven-day average to 129 new cases per day.

The state's seven-day rolling average was at its highest on August 1, at 1,093. 

Six more deaths were also reported Friday, with one being a 50-64 year old man in Tulsa County.

In a Thursday press conference at the Capitol, Gov. Kevin Stitt acknowledged that hundreds of Oklahomans continue to be admitted to hospitals with COVID-19, but touted advancements in medical treatments for those who become infected.

At a Thursday press conference, local officials said concern is growing alongside COVID-19 infections as more Tulsa County children catch the novel coronavirus.

"In the 5-to-17 age group, there were over 100 cases last week," Tulsa Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart said, adding that some in that age group were hospitalized.

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the man accused of killing Tulsa police Sergeant Craig Johnson in a June shooting.

In a Thursday filing, Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler noted Johnson was a peace officer and that his murder was especially cruel and done to escape arrest.

The filing also argues 33-year-old David Ware presents an ongoing risk to society.

In a previous interview, defense attorney Kevin Adams said he fully expected prosecutors to pursue the death penalty.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported on Thursday 1,034 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 73,318.

Tulsa County had 185 of Thursday's cases. Its total now stands at 15,654, second to Oklahoma County's 15,859.

The state's seven-day average of new cases, which shows the trend in infections, rose from 908 to 945. The average has now increased five days in a row and is up 163 in that time. The state's average peaked at 1,093 on Aug. 1 and had fallen to 645 by late August.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s former state epidemiologist warned that President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa in June could lead to as many as nine deaths and 228 new cases of COVID-19, according to documents released Wednesday.

The latest report for Oklahoma from the White House coronavirus task force once again recommends a statewide mask mandate, points to Arkansas as a model for virus response, and warns that nursing home policies and procedures must be altered to keep residents safe.

In a 9-0 vote, the Tulsa City Council voted Wednesday to amend the city's penal code to include sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes for the purposes of the enforcement of hate crimes.

While the state of Oklahoma and federal government both have hate crimes statutes on the books, they do not cover those four classes.

Councilor Jeannie Cue asked city attorney Mark Swiney if such an ordinance would violate the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, providing equal protection, a concern she said she had heard from constituents.

Saying the science is clear that children 10 and older can spread and be sickened by the novel coronavirus, the director of the Tulsa Health Department recommended the Tulsa City Council amend the city's COVID-19 mask ordinance to apply to those 10 and above rather than just those 18 and above.

Federal prosecutors have indicted a man for allegedly providing the gun used in the killing of Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson and the wounding of Ofc. Aurash Zarkeshan in June.

"Jakob Garland is alleged to have been the person who gave the gun to David Ware. He is alleged to have exchanged that gun for heroin," said Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported on Wednesday 970 new cases of COVID-19, pushing the state's total to 72,284.

Tulsa County had 111 of those cases. Its total now stands at 15,469, second to Oklahoma County's 15,694.

The state's seven-day average of new cases, which shows the trend in infections, rose from 894 to 908, the first time it's been above 900 since Aug. 2. The average has now increased four days in a row and is up 126 in that time. The state's average peaked at 1,093 on Aug. 1 and had fallen to 645 by late August.

The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane is set to begin its football season Saturday in Stillwater. That game was delayed a week to give TU more practice time after a COVID-shortened preseason.

Now, Tulsa’s next opponent on the schedule has pushed back a game, seemingly because of the coronavirus. 

Arkansas State’s home football game against Central Arkansas has been pushed back from Saturday to Oct. 10.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has denied Gov. Kevin Stitt’s request it rehear a case in which the court ruled gaming compacts he signed with two tribes were invalid.

The court denied Stitt’s request Monday without comment.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Collections to Oklahoma’s main government operating fund exceeded the estimate last month by about 1%, state finance officials reported Tuesday.

Office of Management and Enterprise Services Director Steven Harpe attributed the higher-than-expected collections to a couple of anomalies, including the timing of corporate income tax payments.

“These anomalies should not be expected to continue in other months, especially after federal assistance payments are fulfilled and deferred tax payments are received,” Harpe said.