Oklahoma Watch Staff
WEBTopics: State government. Paul Monies has been a reporter for more than 20 years and has been with Oklahoma Watch since 2017. Before that, he was an energy reporter and database editor at The Oklahoman newspaper in Oklahoma City.He’s also worked as a data journalist at USA Today and is a past president of Freedom of Information Oklahoma.Paul is a native of Scotland and has degrees from ...
With Its Private Prison Empty, Western Oklahoma Town Faces An …
WEBJul 14, 2021 · But a presidential order has residents fearing the future. (Lionel Ramos/ Oklahoma Watch) HINTON—When the price of crude oil nosedived in the mid-1980s, this rural community halfway between El Reno and Weatherford was in trouble. Oil rig workers, once flush with cash and eager to spend it at downtown shops and cafés, started leaving in …
Tablets and Video Calls Are Coming To Oklahoma Prisons. But at …
WEBFeb 23, 2021 · Securus spokesperson Jade Trombotta said in an email that inmates will receive free tablets this spring and gain access to video calls by the fall. A 20-minute video call will cost $5.95, about $2 more than a 20-minute phone call. The tablets run a modified version of Android and can only access content approved by JPay, a subsidiary of Securus.
Rights of the Condemned: What Oklahoma Death Row Prisoners …
WEBSep 23, 2021 · As Oklahoma prepares to carry out seven executions over a five-month stretch, the U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in a case that could expand civil rights for the condemned.. Convicted of murdering a convenience store worker and sentenced to death in 2008, Texas prisoner John Henry Ramirez was scheduled to be executed on Sept. 8.
Why Are You Running? Oklahoma Candidates Say Why They’re in …
WEBApr 19, 2022 · Nick Archer. Running for: State House District 55 (Elk City, Sayre, Cheyenne) . Party: Republican. Why they’re running: “I’ve been the mayor of Elk City for the last two terms and District 55 has an open seat this year, so it felt like the right time to take that step.I think rural health care is important, especially to our smaller communities in western Oklahoma.
Previewing Oklahoma’s Oklahoma Corporation Commission Race
WEBSep 19, 2022 · A term-limited state senator and law professor are seeking to fill a vacancy on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. The three-member body is tasked with regulating oil and gas drilling, along with utility and telecommunications companies operating in Oklahoma. Commissioners are elected to six-year terms.
Three Days of Mayhem: the McAlester Riot - Oklahoma Watch
WEBJul 25, 2013 · Forty years ago this month, a pent-up rage among inmates at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester erupted in murderous violence. On July 27, 1973, “Big Mac,” as it’s commonly called, became a mini-hell of fire and black smoke, stabbing victims, beatings, hostages and looting. The National Guard and Oklahoma Highway Patrol were ...
Book Ban Disputes Roiled These Oklahoma Communities. Here's …
WEBSep 29, 2022 · Two books were pulled from shelves in Tulsa Public Schools after a right-wing Twitter account’s post went viral. And in Norman, a high school English teacher who posted a link to banned books in her classroom resigned, drawing national attention. In these three Oklahoma communities, a simmering debate …
Oklahoma Domestic Violence Reports Reach Highest Level in 20 …
WEBSep 17, 2021 · That suggests more incidents of violence are responsible for the climbing numbers, advocates said. Nearly 7 out of every 1,000 Oklahomans experienced domestic violence last year. Tulsa County saw the highest rate of abuse with nearly 13 out of every 1,000 residents reporting domestic abuse. 2020 domestic violence rates by county.
How Oklahoma Lawmakers Have Loosened Gun Regulations the …
WEBJun 3, 2022 · As lawmakers moved to loosen gun regulations, Oklahoma’s firearms mortality rate increased 31.8% between 2014 and 2020, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Gun deaths from homicides, suicides and accidental discharges are included in the firearms mortality rate. At 20.7 deaths per 100,000 residents, Oklahoma ...