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By the end of the week, more than 680,000 Oklahomans could be without their SNAP benefits — and that could mean Oklahomans going hungry. Tulsa Flyer has the story:

By Libby Hobbs, Tulsa Flyer
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Tammy Young was in a bad accident a few years back and has not been able to work since. Bonita James, who took in her niece three years ago, lost her job in June. Ty Cline Sr. was in a car accident in February, putting him out of work for a while.

These three Tulsans didn’t expect to need food stamps, and they aren’t prepared for what it means now that they are losing their benefits next month. 

“I have absolutely zero preparedness, really, for it,” Cline said. “I don’t get enough SNAP benefits to really stock up. What I get is exactly what I need for the month, and I supplement.” 

Last week, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services announced benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, would be suspended Nov. 1 because of the ongoing government shutdown. 

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By Sierra Pfeifer, Robby Korth and Graycen Wheeler, KOSU
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An initiative to clear homeless encampments that began in Tulsa, called Operation SAFE, has now spread to Oklahoma City, Gov. Kevin Stitt said in an announcement Monday afternoon.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation have begun cleanup efforts, this time, in partnership with Key to Home, Oklahoma City’s public-private partnership to address homelessness.

“After the success of Operation SAFE in Tulsa, business leaders and stakeholders quickly requested the state to do the same here in Oklahoma City,” Stitt said in a statement.

When he launched the operation in September, he said people living in encampments would be connected to services or sent to jail.

“Homeless individuals will either be transported to a treatment/housing facility or taken to jail if they refuse help,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

The effort in Tulsa ultimately led to no arrests and one connection to services, though Stitt boasted that nearly 2 million pounds of debris were collected during the clearings.

“This is not about solving homelessness,” Stitt said in an interview with The Frontier. “This is about enforcing the law and making sure you’re setting the culture to allow people to go get the help that they need and make sure that they’re not breaking the law.”

Click here to finish the story.

By Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY — A plan to overhaul statewide testing in Oklahoma public schools is now on hold, with the state’s top education official announcing Monday that spring assessments will continue as usual this year.

State Superintendent Lindel Fields said his administration will consider new approaches to statewide testing, but the process won’t change this year like his predecessor, Ryan Walters, promised. Fields advised school districts to “proceed as normal” with the annual tests, which the state uses to measure student and school performance.

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

• Tulsa Race Massacre graves search: Newly exhumed body contains bullet in rib cage (Tulsa World)*

• Oklahoma County killer to seek clemency (Oklahoma Voice)

• OU Southwest Prevention Center receives $50 million grant to lead national suicide prevention (KOSU)

• Oklahoma attorney general attacks managed Medicaid in letter to OHCA director (KGOU)

• Oklahoma tribal nations prepare to fill food gaps as SNAP benefits could be suspended (KOSU)

• New Oklahoma law expands insurance coverage for breast cancer screenings (KOCO)

• Laws that go into effect in Oklahoma on Nov. 1 (KOCO)

• Mental health experts started taking calls at Tulsa’s 911 center. It’s saving taxpayers money (Tulsa Flyer)

• Oklahoma State University staff member arrested for allegedly soliciting minors online (KFOR)

• Free speech advocacy group condemns UCO for ‘controlling’ student newspaper (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma adds 136 new species to its conservation plan. Many of the newbies are bugs, water dwellers (KGOU)

• Tulsa Farmers’ Market will offer helping hand to SNAP recipients amid cuts (Tulsa Flyer)

• 'Two months is a long time': New neighborhood struggling to get mail (2 News Oklahoma)

• Dobrinski says new ICE detention center in Watonga will benefit community; others disagree (Gaylord News)

• Report: Enrollment up at Oklahoma colleges and universities (Oklahoma Voice)

• Sooner great Adrian Peterson arrested in Texas (KSWO)

• Thunder withstand furious Mavericks rally to win 101-94, improve to 4-0 (AP News)

• Why OU football's Spanish radio team is not getting broadcast location for Tennessee game (The Oklahoman)*

• Turkish food and art festival brings authentic food, handmade art to Tulsa community (Tulsa Flyer)

• 2 teens seriously injured in accidental shooting at Edmond home (News 9)

Rainy, chill Tuesday on tap.

🌡️ Tuesday's high in OKC 61°
🌡️ Tuesday’s high in Tulsa 61°

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