Friday, July 3, 2026 • Hot, cloudy. Low-to-mid-90s. Stay hydrated and cool! ☁️

• Hot and humid holiday weekend in Oklahoma, National Weather Service projects (Oklahoma Voice)

• What are the fireworks laws in the Oklahoma City metro after passage of Rockets' Red Glare Act? (KOCO)

• Celebrate America 250 with these fireworks displays in Oklahoma City metro (KOCO)

• Independence Day 2026 celebrations across the KGOU listening area (KGOU)

• When and where to watch Fourth of July fireworks shows across Texoma for America’s 250th birthday (KXII)

• Yukon Freedom Fest celebrates America's 250th birthday with fireworks, live music, and an F-16 flyover (KOCO)

• Preview: Fireworks on the 4th at Lake Murray (KTEN)

• 5 ways to spend your weekend in Tulsa July 3-5 (Tulsa Flyer)

• Checotah 4th of July celebration postponed (News On 6)

• Wetumka cancels Fourth of July fireworks after supplier files bankruptcy (Fox 25)

• Fireworks sales explode ahead of America’s 250th birthday. Oklahomans are scrambling to meet demand. (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• America at 250: Oklahoma veterans share hope for where the country is headed (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• Fireworks safety in focus after Tulsa child loses hand in explosion (News On 6)

• Flooded Keystone Lake poses hidden dangers ahead of July 4th (News On 6)

We received 114 votes on the Wednesday poll, “Do you support the continued construction of the East-West Connector turnpike near Norman?”

• 8 said “I live there, and YES.”
• 5 said “I live there, and NO.”
• 80 said “I’m suspicious of continued turnpike expansion in Oklahoma. We never seem to stop paying for them.”
• 21 said “I prefer to have more options for convenient travel. So, the more turnpikes, the better.”

New poll question at the bottom of today’s newsletter. (You can also suggest a poll question by emailing me at [email protected].)

Attorneys for former Swadley's Bar-B-Q owner Brent Swadley filed a motion Thursday seeking an injunction against the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, the Oklahoma County Detention Center and jail phone vendor NCIC, alleging prosecutors improperly accessed dozens of attorney-client phone calls while Swadley has been held in the Oklahoma County jail awaiting sentencing.

The filing alleges Attorney General employees monitored, listened to or downloaded at least 26 attorney-client calls between June 2 and June 9, and potentially as many as 38 calls through late June. Swadley's attorneys argue the alleged conduct violated his Sixth Amendment right to counsel and gave prosecutors access to defense strategy ahead of bond, sentencing and appeal proceedings.

Prosecutors filed their own response denying they reviewed the substance of any attorney-client conversations. The state acknowledged that prosecutors can access jail calls through the jail phone system but argued that when attorneys were identified on calls, prosecutors immediately stopped reviewing them. The filing also argues inmates are warned calls are recorded and monitored and cites court rulings that found such warnings can eliminate an expectation of privacy.

The dispute now appears headed toward a July 14 hearing, where attorneys are expected to argue whether prosecutors improperly accessed privileged communications and whether any constitutional violations occurred.

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