Local & Regional

It’s nearly spring, and you know what that means: potential severe weather for Green Country.

The National Weather Service in Tulsa says there's an elevated severe weather risk for the area Tuesday night into Wednesday, mainly southwest of State Highway 351 and, farther east, south of I-40.

Potential hazards include winds up to 60 mph, hail as large as golf balls and a low risk of a tornado. The highest chances for a tornado are in southeast Oklahoma.

Local flooding is also possible if heavy rainfall lingers over an area.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported on Tuesday 232 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 433,025.

Tulsa County had 34 of Tuesday's cases. Its total now stands at 72,039, second to Oklahoma County. At the time this story was published, the state health department had not updated Oklahoma County's total.

The state's seven-day average of new cases, which shows the trend in infections, fell from 519 to 513. The record of 4,256 was set Jan. 13. It has remained under 1,000 since Feb. 19.

Two prominent civil rights attorneys appeared on a virtual press conference Monday alongside the Norman High School girls basketball team to discuss the possibility of litigation against a broadcaster who swore at and used the n-word about them.

"Possible causes of actions would be the torts known as the negligent infliction of emotional distress and/or the intentional infliction of emotional distress," said Little Rock- and Chicago-based attorney Mike Laux, discussing potential legal action against announcer Matt Rowan and his Tahlequah-based company. 

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The mayor of Oklahoma’s largest city publicly received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Monday and urged others in the state to do the same.

“With most Oklahomans now eligible, I want our residents to hear the message that there is no need to delay your pursuit of the vaccine any longer,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said in a statement after receiving his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the Oklahoma City-County Health Department.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported on Monday 310 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 432,793.

Tulsa County had 48 of Monday's cases. Its total now stands at 72,005, second to Oklahoma County's 82,710.

The state's seven-day average of new cases, which shows the trend in infections, rose from 498 to 519. The record of 4,256 was set Jan. 13. It has remained under 1,000 since Feb. 19.

Tulsa County's seven-day average rose from 59 to 61. The record is 647, set Jan. 9. It has remained below 100 since March 4.

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections says COVID-19 vaccines are beginning to arrive at the state's prisons, but some advocates for the incarcerated say the state's rollout for that population is lacking.

The Oklahoma Senate has not yet started its budget work in earnest, but it has received a $500 million income tax reduction package from the House to consider.

The Tulsa City Council has been asked to approve transferring $4 million from a pandemic relief fund to cover some areas where the city is coming up short.

A convention and tourism facilities fund, which covers the Cox Business Convention Center and Performing Arts Center, would get $2.3 million.

The Osage Nation is among the latest Oklahoma tribes to begin offering the COVID-19 vaccine to all adults who want it, Native and non-Native alike.

"We want to ensure our Native people are vaccinated, but we have a lot of neighbors that we live side-by-side -- community members, friends, family members, coworkers that are non-Native," Osage Nation Health Services chief operations and compliance officer Laura Sawney said. "So in order to ensure that we're saturating all of our Native communities, that includes non-Natives."

Just two days after an announcer's profane and racist tirade landed them in the national spotlight, the Norman High School girls basketball team powered through to bring home a state championship on Saturday.

The Norman Tigers beat Bixby 48-37. They finished their season undefeated.

Chantae Embry, a senior forward on the team, told KOCO 5 News' Porsha Riley they did not allow themselves to be distracted.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — As the coronavirus swept across Oklahoma and the nation last spring, Gov. Kevin Stitt’s office was inundated with correspondence from frightened residents seeking stricter lockdowns to control the spread of the virus.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma County’s top prosecutor is suing Gov. Kevin Stitt and the state’s Pardon and Parole Board, alleging the board is not following state law on notifying prosecutors about commutations it is considering.

The lawsuit filed Thursday by District Attorney David Prater also alleges two board members appointed by Stitt, Kelly Doyle and Adam Luck, have a conflict of interest because of their work with released inmates.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported on Friday 422 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 431,366.

Tulsa County had 58 of Friday's cases. Its total now stands at 71,839, second to Oklahoma County's 82,412.

The state's seven-day average of new cases, which shows the trend in infections, fell from 615 to 544. The record of 4,256 was set Jan. 13. It has remained under 1,000 since Feb. 19.

Tulsa County's seven-day average fell from 79 to 73. The record is 647, set Jan. 9. It has remained below 100 since March 4.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum celebrated receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Tulsa County Fairgrounds Friday morning by quoting a notable historical figure in a statement.  

"'If you wanna keep an eye on me don’t look behind you, don’t look to the sides, look straight up, because I’m right on top of ya - Oh yeeeeeaaah!' -Randy 'Macho Man' Savage, OR my immune system to COVID-19 after getting vaccinated this morning!" Bynum wrote on Facebook.  

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — No charges will be filed in connection with a bar fight last month that left a University of Oklahoma football player seriously injured, Norman’s top prosecutor said Thursday.

PAWHUSKA, Okla. (AP) — The husband and nephew of cookbook author Ree Drummond, also known as  "The Pioneer Woman,” were involved in a head-on collision that left the nephew in critical condition, authorities said.

Each of the men was driving a fire truck when the vehicles collided Wednesday, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said. Troopers said high winds on the gravel road caused reduced visibility at the time.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma man’s murder convictions and death sentence have been overturned following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that much of eastern Oklahoma remains an American Indian reservation.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Thursday reversed the decisions against Shaun Bosse, 38, because the crimes occurred on land within the Chickasaw Nation’s historic reservation and the victims were Native American.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported on Thursday 694 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 430,944.

Tulsa County had 55 of Thursday's cases. Its total now stands at 71,781, second to Oklahoma County's 82,321.

The state's seven-day average of new cases, which shows the trend in infections, fell from 643 to 615. The record of 4,256 was set Jan. 13. It has remained under 1,000 since Feb. 19.

Tulsa County's seven-day average fell from 89 to 79. The record is 647, set Jan. 9. It has remained below 100 since March 4.

A coalition of state health care groups and organizations on Wednesday launched a new public service messaging campaign to encourage Oklahomans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it's made available to them.

"Doctors have done their part -- it's time to do ours," a narrator says in the 60-second ad from the Oklahoma Alliance for Healthy Families, which will be appearing on broadcast and digital platforms. The campaign is titled "United for Good – Vax For Good."