What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is Thursday, August 28, and there will be football in Stillwater tonight.

Oklahoma State takes on UT-Martin at 6:30 p.m. from Boone Pickens Stadium, and I’ll be watching on ESPN+. I’m not sure what to expect out of this year’s Cowboys’ squad because, well, I don’t really follow them all that closely.

I’m an Oklahoma Sooners fan.

However, if I’m going to run an Oklahoma-centric newsletter, I need to get comfortable with my thumb and index finger in that ‘pistols firing’ formation, right?

I do know that Hauss Hejny will start at QB, and that he was at TCU last year. He’s got a great name, too. I’m not sure how to pronounce the last name, but Hauss?

For a QB who played high school ball in Texas?

Tremendous.

I’m a big fan of The O’Colly, the student newspaper at OSU. I got the chance this spring to visit Stillwater and talk to journalists from multiple schools — and it was the first time I had been on campus since maybe the early 90s.

There’s a smaller-town comfort to the OSU campus that makes you feel at home, especially if you grew up in a small town as I did. Everybody is super friendly, and the visit had me thinking, “This is actually kind of awesome.”

I’m also a big fan of Oklahoma State’s football radio broadcast with Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen. I had the privilege of working with John in my time at Griffin Media, and he’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

But if you’re a regular listener of OSU football broadcasts, here’s something you already know: John Holcomb is low-key hilarious. Super dry wit. Their broadcasts are a treat.

Anyway, Go Pokes! And yay for the return of football season. If you go to the game, send photos. The email address is below.

Message me anytime at [email protected].

Weather Update 🌧️

Looks like the rain might be all day in Tulsa, but mostly just morning in OKC.

🌡️ Thursday's high in OKC 85°
🌡️ Thursday’s high in Tulsa 76°

Oklahoma Highway Patrol must continue to work metro highways, AG decides

By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY – A plan to remove  Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers from metro and urban areas is illegal, according to a legally binding opinion released Wednesday by the state’s top attorney.

The agency cannot make “the arbitrary decision to foist its responsibility” onto the municipal and county law enforcement in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond during a press conference announcing his opinion.

He said state law vests the Oklahoma Highway Patrol with the primary authority to patrol interstates.

The decision by Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton to stop providing law enforcement coverage in the most populous areas of the state is unlawful, Drummond said.

Tipton, who was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt, announced in July that the Oklahoma Highway Patrol would no longer provide law enforcement coverage  in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Edmond, Moore, Norman, Midwest City and Del City beginning Nov. 1. 

Highway Patrol leaders said responsibility for interstates and highways within those jurisdictions would shift to local law enforcement.

Tipton had said the agency needed to focus its resources on areas covered by smaller law enforcement footprints and because of higher call volumes and changing traffic patterns throughout the state. 

“The Stitt administration’s decision to abdicate this responsibility is not only unlawful, but it is bewildering,” Drummond said. “Even aside from its unlawfulness, such a move would have a profound and adverse effect on public safety.”

Drummond said he had no doubt that rural Oklahoma needs more resources along the highways, but the Highway Patrol cannot refuse to respond to serve certain urban and suburban communities. 

Over 1.4 million people — or more than a third of Oklahomans — live in those seven cities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Drummond said the opinion does not dictate how the OHP shall deploy its resources, but draws a “bright line” that the agency can’t abandon Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

If the agency responds by only deploying one trooper to the areas, then “we’ll probably have other issues,” Drummond said.

Tipton did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear if he would reverse course based on the opinion.

Stitt said he was glad Drummond agreed with him that the Department of Public Safety has the authority to allocate the OHP resources as it sees fit.

“Commissioner Tipton is taking a thoughtful, statewide approach to public safety that will make Oklahoma safer, especially in areas that have gone without consistent coverage,” Stitt said.

Drummond’s remarks were made during a press conference at his office. He was flanked by members of law enforcement and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.

Holt said the Oklahomans that live, vote and pay taxes in Oklahoma City and Tulsa “deserve to receive at least some version of the public safety service that has been offered in Oklahoma since the Oklahoma Highway Patrol was created in 1937.”

Holt is also dean of the Oklahoma City University School of Law.

He said he agreed with Drummond’s interpretation of the law and called the opinion “binding.”

Holt said his police department always needs additional officers, but even if they’re short staffed, they cannot refuse to provide law enforcement services to certain areas within Oklahoma City limits. 

Oklahoma City residents support more resources for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Holt said.

Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police President Jeff Downs said the underlying issue is a lack of resources. Oklahoma and the nation are facing a staffing crisis, he said.

Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, who asked for the opinion on the legality of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s plan, praised Drummond’s decision.

“This opinion clarifies that OHP resources should continue to be available for our metropolitan areas,” Mann said.

More than two dozen people are running for statewide office in Oklahoma so far. Here's a list

By Lionel Ramos, KOSU
Click here to read the story.
Donate to KOSU

Even though midterm elections are more than a year away, races for statewide office in Oklahoma are starting to get crowded. Here are the 30 candidates who have filed paperwork so far.

The field includes 25 Republicans, 4 Democrats, and 1 independent.

The races for Governor, Lt. Governor and State Superintendent of Public Instruction are the most packed — mostly with familiar faces, but some political newcomers too.

Top Republican names vying for the governorship include current State Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Former House Speaker Charles McCall. Current House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson is the only Democrat running in that race.

Meanwhile, the current Republican State Superintendent, Ryan Walters, has not filed to run for Governor, despite hinting at such plans this year. And while he has not yet filed to run for re-election either, six others are running to replace him, including one Democrat and one Independent.

As for the Lt. Governor’s spot, current state auditor Cindy Byrd was the first to file her candidacy. She was followed by State Sen. Darrell Weaver from Moore and Victor Flores, the former Chief of Staff and Finance for the Absentee Shawnee tribe.

Click here to get the full list from KOSU

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The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• New audit red flags millions spent by DHS, pandemic relief funds meant for housing aid (Tulsa World)

• Oklahoma Attorney General asks to change execution order (KOSU)

• Oklahoma's top prisons official is resigning. One reform advocate calls it a 'great thing' (The Oklahoman)

• Walters’ record making education a key part of gubernatorial race (Oklahoma Watch)

• Oklahoma State Board of Education cancels monthly meeting amid conflict over general counsel (KOSU)

• 10th Circuit: Wagoner County officers potentially liable in death of Jeffrey Krueger (NonDoc)

• Federal program to get solar panels in disadvantaged areas – including Oklahoma – cut by EPA (KGOU)

• Oklahoma dams at risk: Cushing dam faces critical challenges (KOCO)

• Ardmore officials react as another big employer shuts down (KTEN)

• Tulsa police release sketch of man in Hunter Park attack (2 News Oklahoma)

• Tulsa Wave Park remains closed after teen's drowning (News On 6)

• Tulsa police urge residents to stay alert of AirTag stalking as investigators search for suspect (Fox 23)

• Survey finds strong support as Oklahoma launches sex-ed kickoff (The Black Wall Street Times)

• Oklahoma considers nuclear energy amid past radioactive concerns (KOCO)

• Norman Transcript editor fired following selection as Ward 5 council candidate (OU Daily)

• Councilors temporarily halt proposal to expand Tulsa's human rights ordinances (Tulsa World)

• Tulsans gather to hear immigration stories (Public Radio Tulsa)

• WPX building, one of downtown's newest, sold for $69.25 million (Tulsa World)

• Lawton couple sentenced in federal sex trafficking case (KSWO)

• Pauls Valley man charged with manslaughter three months after wife’s death (KXII)

• Madill police Chief Donny Raley dies at 60 (KTEN)

• North Tulsa resident pushes for traffic calming measures on Mohawk (KTUL)

• Oklahoma County Commission makes donation to combat evictions (KFOR)

• Ponca City Development Authority invests in infrastructure to expand childcare capacity (Kay News Cow)

• The Oklahoma Eagle, Tulsa Local News Initiative celebrate community partners ahead of fall launch (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• Council approves gas line relocation on Country Club (Muskogee Phoenix)

• 'The Boys From Oklahoma' hint, now confirm repeating concert series in Stillwater (The O’Colly)

• City of Duncan payment system to temporarily go offline for upgrade (KSWO)

• Chili, music make up next big Tahlequah festival (Tahlequah Daily Press)

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