Tornado damage, tariff announcement, and jailed for speech?

What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is April 3, and here are a few quickies:

• 🌪️ Destructive tornadoes moved across central US on Wednesday night, hours after a “high-end EF1” caused damage in Owasso.

• President Trump’s tariff announcement send shock waves across globe.

• Oklahoma goes blue this month to help prevent child abuse.

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Cover photo is from Bernd 📷 Dittrich on Unsplash

Weather Update 🌧️

Rainy today. Much cooler. Heavy rains possible.

🌡️ Thursday's high in OKC 59°
🌡️ Thursday’s high in Tulsa 60°

Allergy Report for April 3 🤧

Tree pollen will be very high today.
Grass pollen will be moderate.
Ragweed pollen won’t be an issue.

For more depth on Wednesday’s allergy news, click here.

Gov. Stitt floats the idea of dissolving Oklahoma Forestry Services

By Graycen Wheeler, KOSU
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Last week, Gov. Kevin Stitt criticized the Oklahoma State Forester’s response to the fires that blazed across Oklahoma in March. This week, the governor is floating the concept of axing the entire Forestry Services division.

Stitt has said he believes the Oklahoma Forestry Service held back resources during the fires. When asked to specify which resources during a press conference, Stitt said he didn’t know.

“The fact that we can't get answers about where their assets were around the state is further proof that this is a deep-seated bureaucracy that are trying to protect their actions,” Stitt said. “We still haven't been able to figure out where they were during that thing.”

Just weeks after the fires, the state's Chief Forester Mark Goeller resigned following criticism from the governor.

In a Facebook post, Goeller defended his actions as firefighters from across the state rallied in his defense.

Click to read the rest of the story.

Free Speech in Crisis: How an Archaic State Law is Landing Oklahomans in Jail for Libel

By JC Hallman, Oklahoma Watch
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Free speech cases in Lawton and Norman reveal how a toxic national discourse trickles down onto local politics.

Despite superficially similar biographies, it would be hard to imagine two Oklahomans more different than Matina Davis and Mike Reynolds. Yet in the span of a year, each was arrested for violating a century-old law that had not been enforced in decades and might be unconstitutional.

Reynolds is a self-described walking trigger-warning with clear sympathies for conservative politics; Davis avoids party labels, despite holding a degree in political science.

Reynolds, 55, is retired law enforcement; Davis, 52, is a disabled veteran.

In recent years, both Reynolds and Davis ardently embraced social media to create or exploit platforms of citizen journalism in order to combat perceived local corruption; both became thorns in the sides of local authorities.

Click to finish the story.

The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

A concise summary of the latest news from across the state.

• OSDH confirms measles case in OKC; exposure site was children’s hospital (News 9)

• Sheriff: Suspect dead, 2 deputies injured in Logan County shooting (KOCO)

• Conservative activist Riley Gaines speaks at the University of Oklahoma, draws protest (Oklahoman)

• WATCH: Conservative political activist Riley Gaines addressed media as she left Dale Hall (OU Daily)

• Apparent tornado damage visible in Owasso early this morning (Tulsa World)

• Owasso family takes stock of destruction after unconfirmed tornado (Tulsa World)

• Tornado damage in Owasso: Homes destroyed, trees down as neighbors help with cleanup (News On 6)

• Trump administration freezes federal family planning money in Oklahoma, provides dollars to OSDH (StateImpact Oklahoma)

• Tulsa’s surveillance gamble (The Frontier)

• Tulsa chefs Lisa Becklund, Cat Cox finalists for coveted national James Beard Awards (Tulsa World)

• 'Failing more than just him': OK medical paroles decrease despite 2021 law (2 News Oklahoma)

• SHOOTING INVESTIGATION: 1 shot at south Tulsa Walmart (2 News Oklahoma)

• Oklahoma excluded from 2025 safest cities for LGBTQ+ travelers (Black Wall Street Times)

• Kyra Carby Wins District 3 Tulsa Public Schools Seat (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• Voters reject Ardmore City Schools bond proposal: District to look at path moving forward (Ardmoreite)

• Construction begins for Ward 7’s Dewey Park (KFOR)

• OBN, Lawton Police seize more than 30 lbs. of meth (KFOR)

• 'His memory is living on': Teddy bears donated to Elk City police honor infant who died 10 years ago (KOCO)

SPORTS HEADLINES 🏀⚾🥎🏈

• Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears entering NBA draft (ESPN)

• Top-10 Matchup Comes to Norman as No. 10 OU Hosts No. 7 LSU (SoonerSports)

• Pitching struggles again as OSU baseball falls short of a comeback in loss to Missouri State (O’Colly)

• Gavin Freeman talks Cowboys' new offense, Iman Oates discusses team leadership at OSU spring practice (News On 6)

🗣️ Story Tips, Ideas, Feedback

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