✅ For special election results from March 4, click here.

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Here is the Oklahoma journalism I’ve hand-picked for you this Wednesday:

• Preliminary EF-1 tornado causes damage across Ada

• Bartlesville measles diagnosis was for immunity, says OSDH

• Bill to boost rural mental health and diversion programs advances (Oklahoma Watch)

• Sooners baseball drops first of the season, 11-0, to Dallas Baptist

Weather Update 💨

Much cooler today — and windy! Rain chances return this weekend.

🌡️ Wednesday’s high in OKC 53°
🌡️ Tuesday’s high in Tulsa 51°

If you have weather photos you’d like to share with ‘Oklahoma Memo,’ email them to [email protected]!

1️⃣ Preliminary EF-1 tornado causes damage in Ada

A tornado moved through parts of Ada early Tuesday morning, damaging trees, power lines, and buildings.

No serious injuries were reported.

It is believed that the tornado was an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

KTEN reporter Brianna Brown talked to an Ada resident about the storm.

"It was probably the scariest experience of my life," said Katelyn Dorsey. She, her seven-year-old daughter and other residents at the Oxford Square Apartments were awakened by the wail of tornado sirens.

OU Nightly meteorologist Chloe Arroyo reported from Ada on Tuesday afternoon.

Here are details from the National Weather Service:

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Norman OK
1136 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025

...NWS Damage Survey for 3/4/25 Tornado Event...

...Ada Tornado...

• Rating: EF1

• Estimated Peak Wind: 100 to 105 mph

• Path Length /statute/: 3.7 miles

• Path Width /maximum/: To Be Determined

• Fatalities: 0

• Injuries: 0

Start Date: 03/04/2025
Start Time: 06:11 AM CDT
Start Location: 2 WSW Ada / Pontotoc County / OK
Start Lat/Lon: 34.77 / -96.71

End Date: 03/04/2025
End Time: 06:15 AM CDT
End Location: 2 ENE Ada / Pontotoc County / OK
End Lat/Lon: 34.79 / -96.65

Survey Summary:
The Ada tornado developed on the west side of town near State Highway 1 and Barnes Avenue, then moved east-northeast through Ada and dissipated northeast of East Central University and Arlington Center. A few mobile homes, utility poles, and trees were damaged along the path. An apartment complex received roof damage northeast of ECU.

More Coverage 👀

• Ada tornado leaves behind damage Tuesday morning (News 9)

• Drone video shows damage to elementary school after tornado hits Ada (KOCO)

• Ada residents assess damage after EF-1 tornado (KXII)

• Early spring storms roar through area (Ada News)

• Hundreds of college students fill Ada streets to help with tornado damage (KOCO)

• ‘The roof started going’: Woman thankful to be alive after tornado hits Ada apartment (KOCO)

If you took photos of the storms early Tuesday or their aftermath, send them to [email protected].

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2️⃣ OSDH says no measles case in Bartlesville, despite an initial report from the school district

Confusion lingered on Tuesday afternoon after an Oklahoma school district announced that an employee had tested positive for measles.

That message from Bartlesville Public Schools was then refuted by the state Department of Health.

“There is not a case of measles,” an OSDH spokesperson said late Tuesday afternoon.

However, as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, the Bartlesville Public Schools website still has a news story titled “Possible Measles Case at Wayside Elementary.” It acknowledges the state’s position but still maintains that a staff member was diagnosed “with measles by an Oklahoma hospital.”

However, this message from the state health department explains it. It was a positive test for immunity, and not for measles.

The positive test reported today by a Bartlesville school was one of a series needed to confirm a positive measles case. In this instance, the test was positive for immunity rather than measles. Therefore, currently, there are no confirmed cases of measles in Oklahoma.

More Coverage 👀

• Oklahoma health officials say reports of measles in Bartlesville schools an error (Examiner-Enterprise)

• OSDH: Bartlesville measles case false alarm (Public Radio Tulsa)

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3️⃣ Bill to boost rural mental health and diversion programs advances

By Keaton Ross, Oklahoma Watch
Click here to read the story.

Officials in Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties were among the first to apply for a share of $12.5 million deposited into the County Community Safety Investment Fund in 2023. 

The grant opportunity, made possible after lawmakers settled on a formula to calculate the savings from State Question 780 and offer the money to counties as directed in State Question 781, meant more than $2 million to hire new employees and build up programs to keep people out of the criminal justice system. 

(Click the link above to read more about the proposal’s requirements.)

Oklahoma News Headlines 📰

• Voters approve $90 million bond to upgrade Moore Norman Technology Center (News 9)

• Oklahoma City Federal Building could be sold as Trump administration works to cut ‘non-core’ assets (Oklahoma Voice)

• Judge dismisses lawmaker’s lawsuit against Oklahoma governor (Oklahoma Voice)

• Bill targets unpaid Oklahoma turnpike tolls owed by those with tribal tags (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma Supreme Court urged to block Supt. Ryan Walters’ Bible mandate (Black Wall Street Times)

• What happened to Scrambl'd? Black-owned, Tulsa breakfast restaurant suddenly closed (2 News Oklahoma)

• Pet overpopulation: Tulsa’s spay and neuter, abandonment fines to increase (2 News Oklahoma)

• Rock the Oscar blues away in OKC with music movies in March (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• Guthrie firefighter delivers own child on highway (Guthrie News Page)

• Fact-checking what Oklahoma politicians are saying about spending cuts (The Frontier)

• Cherokee Nation and Tahlequah announce sidewalk project spanning 4.4 miles (Cherokee Phoenix)

• Osage Nation approves $5,000 for Woodland championship rings (Osage News)

• ON Congress to convene for 2025 Hun-Kah session starting March 31 (Osage News)

• Jimcy McGirt charged in federal court (Mvskoke Media)

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Sports Headlines 🏀⚾

Sooners baseball falls to Dallas Baptist, 11-0, for first loss of season

DALLAS — No. 17 Dallas Baptist dominated No. 10 Oklahoma with an 11-0 run-rule victory in seven innings Tuesday night at Horner Ballpark.

Chayton Krauss led the Patriots’ offensive surge, blasting two home runs and driving in six runs. Grant Jay and Michael Dattalo also went deep, with Jay scoring three times and knocking in two. DBU (9-3) collected 11 hits while holding the Sooners (11-1) to just two.

Ryan Borberg (1-1) stifled Oklahoma over five shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven. Mason Peters finished the game with two scoreless frames.

The Patriots struck early with two runs in the first, added two more in the third, and broke it open with a five-run fourth. Oklahoma starter Cade Crossland (1-1) took the loss, surrendering six earned runs over 3.2 innings.

Skip Johnson’s club returns home for a weekend series against Sam Houston at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Game times are 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. (Click for box score)

Cowboy baseball wins 3-2 over Winthrop for 3rd straight victory

STILLWATER – Nolan Schubart's go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth propelled Oklahoma State to the win in Game 1 of the midweek series against Winthrop Tuesday as the Cowboys pushed their winning streak to three with a 3-2 victory at O'Brate Stadium. (OKState.com)

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