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Thursday, September 17, 2026 • No rain for the fair? 96-97. ☀️
Poll results:
We received 238 votes on the Wednesday poll, “Should Oklahoma schools limit students’ use of technology in the classroom?”
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes, significantly (117)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Yes, somewhat (92)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ No (19)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Not sure (10)
New poll question at the bottom of today’s newsletter. (You can also suggest a poll question by emailing me at [email protected].)
Missing guns, 17 vehicles and a meat slicer: What Oklahoma sheriff turnover audits are finding
Kingfisher County Sheriff Aaron Pitts stands in his office with the gun initially labeled as missing in an audit by the State Auditor's Office. (Jake Ramsey/Oklahoma Watch)
By Brenna Witchey, Oklahoma Watch
👉 Click here to support this newsroom
Bart Perrier began his first term as Osage County sheriff in 2025 in shock. An audit found 796 unaccounted-for items and a mismanaged evidence locker.
The missing items included 17 vehicles, 27 guns of varying sizes, 16 Flock cameras, and 20 Tasers. Auditors deemed the evidence locker uncontrolled because there were multiple master keys.
“The first few months, my mouth was wide open every day,” Perrier said.
The audit wasn’t the first to find a large number of missing items at the Osage County Sheriff’s Office. In 2017, 590 items went unaccounted for under Sheriff Ty Koch. His successor, Eddie Virden, didn’t change much when he took over, including the evidence locker protocol.
“I didn’t even have a key to the evidence locker,” Virden said.
Since 2021, the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector has identified more than 3,000 items unaccounted for in sheriff’s departments statewide. Missing body cameras, Tasers, laptops, printers and radios are common. Dishwashers, cars, refrigerators and meat slicers are some of the stranger lost assets.
Elon's new company is private. These 3 tickers aren't.
The next Apple may already exist. Insider sources say Elon has spent two years building a secret device inside Tesla's facilities — one he claims will be "10x bigger than the largest product in history."
There's just one problem: the company is private, and unless you know Elon personally, you can't buy a single share. That was true until Guardian's research team found three public ticker symbols sitting in the launch supply chain.
Click here to see all 3 tickers, free of charge.
You won't hear these names on CNBC — Wall Street hasn't published a word on the connection. But when the launch hits September 21, that quiet ends.
Some are already calling this the biggest opportunity since AI. For anyone who missed Apple before the iPhone, this may be a second look at that kind of setup.
The Oklahoma Rundown 📰
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
Here’s what’s happening in Oklahoma today:
Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, Stitt respond to Inola moratorium extension (Public Radio Tulsa)
Continental Resources signs deal to develop Venezuela's Orinoco Belt (The Oklahoman)*
El Reno water crisis raises concern over Oklahoma law limiting local regulation of Bitcoin mines (KFOR)
Former Muscogee Nation Principal Chief A.D. Ellis Passes Away at 90 (Mvskoke Media)
Mothers, reproductive rights group sue Oklahoma officials over abortion ban (Oklahoma Voice)
District Attorney disputes Attorney General’s account of Guthrie human trafficking operation (Guthrie News Page)
Oklahoma-led group is calling for more collaboration, better data to combat the MMIP crisis (KOSU)
Former Oklahoma inmate threatens to send fentanyl-laced letters to courthouses (KFOR)
Oklahoma County officials call for state audit after $14 million bookkeeping error (KOCO)
Stillwater man sues Grady County Sheriff's Office over four-wheeler stolen 6 years ago (KOCO)
As Cedar Lake water issues continue, Oklahoma regulators move forward with dam permitting plan (KOSU)
USAO president addresses student concerns at town hall in wake of sweeping policy changes (KOSU)
Berry Tramel: Sooners & Cowboys spending far less than some conference opponents (Tulsa World)*
TCC announces $57 million renovation to Metro Campus (Public Radio Tulsa)
Does Tulsa need an independent police monitor? Councilors are revisiting the years-long debate. (Tulsa Flyer)
City of Tulsa approves 'eviction prevention' program (KJRH)
Oklahoma County deputy fired after protective order filed for alleged stalking (KOCO)
Video of assault at Eisenhower High School surfaces, investigation ongoing (KSWO)
Challenge to required Oklahoma Bar Association membership heads to federal appeals court (Oklahoma Voice)
Drei in a row: Tulsa again voted nation's best Oktoberfest (Tulsa World)*
We tried 31 items at the Oklahoma State Fair. Here are the best bites (The Oklahoman)*
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