Weather impacts OKC Marathon weekend, and severe storms might impact your Monday — Plus, Thunder sweep

What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is April 28, and here are a few quickies:

• Man drives SUV into crowd at Filipino festival in Vancouver, killing 11.

• Speaking of Canada, they’re electing a new government on Monday — and “liberals are poised to hold power.”

• Falcons, coach Jeff Ulbrich's son apologize to Shedeur Sanders for NFL draft prank call.

• Stock futures start lower as the business world braces for Q1 earnings reports. Click for live updates.

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Weather Update 🌩️

All varieties of severe weather are possible late Monday across Oklahoma. It is part of a broad area of storms possible across the Southern Plains and the Upper Midwest.

If storms can get going in Oklahoma, they could produce big hail and tornadoes.

🌡️ Monday's high in OKC 82°
🌡️ Monday’s high in Tulsa 80°

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Weather wreaks havoc with Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon weekend; Al Meader wins 2nd men’s marathon

By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo
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OKLAHOMA CITY — For the second consecutive year, the Saturday before the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon was a weather mess. Unlike last year, this year’s April storms impacted the event’s Saturday morning races.

The 5K race was moved to Sunday morning, and the route had to be changed. Officials said the primary reason it wasn’t held on Saturday was lightning and flash flooding that was happening on the course itself. They said events for the senior and kids’ marathons would be scheduled to another date.

Sunday morning, however, was a-ok albeit quite humid for runners — and the charismatic Al Maeder won his second men’s marathon with a time of 2:26:54.

Other winners included:

• Ashley Carreon won the women’s marathon with a finish time of 2:56:33.

• Ryan Schoppe won the first ever men’s quarter marathon with a finish time of 32:52.

• Madalyn Harper won the first ever women’s quarter marathon with a finish time of 41:47.

• Chris Floyd won the men’s half marathon with a time of 1:11:32, a pace of 5:28 per mile.

• Kylee Reed won the women’s half marathon with a time of 1:24:42.

• Steven Scalzo won the hand crank wheelchair race for the third consecutive year!

• Austin McNair won the men’s 5K with a time of 17:05.

• Elliot Coleman won the women’s 5K with a time of 21:32.

More Coverage 👀

• Men's OKC Memorial Marathon winner crosses finish line (News 9)

• Rep. Bice hands out medals at OKC Memorial Marathon, celebrates runners (News 9)

Oklahoma State University removes interim title, names Jim Hess as president

By Anna Pope and Robby Korth, KOSU
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Jim Hess is Oklahoma State University’s new president after having his interim title removed Friday. He is the 20th president in the university's history.

The OSU A&M Regents voted to approve him as permanent president during a regular meeting at Panhandle State in Goodwell.

"I am honored by the board's trust and excited about OSU's future," Hess said following the vote. "We share a commitment to our students, an awareness of our challenges and possibilities, and a bold vision for this institution.”

Regents praised him for his steadying hand in a news release from the university. They appointed him to an initial three-year term.

“While we could have spent an entire year searching for a new president, seeing Jim’s work up close over the past months has provided a level of insight and confidence that no interviews with outside candidates would have yielded,” Regent Rick Walker said.

Click to finish the story.

Oklahoma’s utility regulator criticizes proposed state energy legislation

By Chloe Bennett-Steele, KGOU StateImpact Oklahoma
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The Oklahoma Corporation Commission voted in opposition to two bills they say could increase costs for consumers.

During an April 22 meeting, members of the OCC discussed House Bill 2747, written by Rep. Trey Caldwell (R-Faxon), and Senate Bill 998, authored by Sen. Todd Gollihare (R-Kellyville). The similar legislation would require the Commission to give special rates to companies building natural gas facilities for recovery funds, instead of other fuel sources. The money would be collected before the project becomes operational.

But the commissioners, who oversee the state’s utility and oil and gas industries, said the language of the bill could erode their authority and place project costs on consumers.

“Consumers would be paying for this investment, taking the risk of this investment, years ahead of being able to realize any benefit from it,” Commissioner Todd Hiett said.

The language also allows companies to bypass the standards of the OCC, they said.

“ I just don't believe that going around us and the interveners not having a voice in the whole process is the best way of doing it,” Commissioner Kim David said.

Promoting one fuel source over another is also a contention for the regulators.

“Obviously, in Oklahoma, we are an oil and gas state, and so we want a vibrant oil and gas industry in the state of Oklahoma, but it's not within the Commission's responsibilities and authority to extract dollars from consumers in order to subsidize a single entity or a single industry in our state,” Hiett said.

Click here to finish the story.

See Also: Oklahoma’s Energy Debate Heats Up: Corporation Commission Pushes Back on Controversial Natural Gas Bills (MitchellTalks.com)

The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

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

• Trump administration faces suit over withheld family planning funds in Oklahoma, other states (Oklahoma Voice)

• Tulsa jail sees rise in ICE detainees as federal immigration crackdown intensifies (KTUL)

• OSDH: Oklahoma Walmart Supercenter may have been exposed to measles (News 9)

• 3 arrested in connection with fatal Midwest City shooting (KOCO)

• Greenwood workshop uncovers Tulsa family histories, aids investigations into 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (News On 6)

• Gov. Stitt's Wildfire Response Working Group releases findings (2 News Oklahoma)

• One confirmed tornado and several tornado warnings in Texoma this weekend (KTEN)

• Ukrainian surgeons learn new techniques at OU Health to treat war victims (KFOR)

• Inmate death reported at Oklahoma County Detention Center during welfare check (Fox 25)

• Fall of Saigon, 50 years later: Oklahomans share their stories, memories and feelings (Oklahoman)

• Oklahoma Arts Council scraps 2025 conference, citing state and federal funding uncertainity (Oklahoman)

• Tastes, tariffs threaten newly blossoming OKC wine community (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• Woodside reassessing proposed hydrogen plant: Final investment decision no longer scheduled (Ardmoreite)

• 'Acting like a cop': Harrah woman warns people of driver using red, blue flashing lights (Fox 25)

• Sapulpa man arrested on kidnapping and gun charges after telling victim, “we’re both going to die today” (Sapulpa Times)

• Tulsa resident raising awareness of butane cavern under HF Sinclair (KTUL)

• Oklahoma franchise growth among highest in U.S. for 2025 (The Journal Record)

• Cherokee Nation celebrates Earth Day with executive order (Cherokee Phoenix)

• OHS grants $12,512 for Choctaw Freedmen documentary project (The Journal Record)

• Osage Nation dedicates Captain Richard White Luttrell Park (Osage News)

• Annual Mvskoke Art Market features over 95 artists (Fox 23)

• Daiso opens in Edmond, first store in Oklahoma (KFOR)

Community Notes & Events 🏡

Tulsa Press Club to Host Randy Krehbiel for Talk on New Book About Race Massacre Centennial

TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Press Club, in partnership with the Tulsa World and Fulton Street Books & Coffee, will host a conversation on April 29 (Tuesday) with journalist and author Randy Krehbiel about his new book, Tulsa, 2021: A Massacre’s Centennial and a Nation’s Reckoning.

The book is a follow-up to Krehbiel’s earlier work, Tulsa, 1921: Reporting a Massacre, and examines the legacy of the Tulsa Race Massacre and the national response during its 100th anniversary.

The event is free and open to the public. More details here.

SPORTS 🏀⚾🥎🏈

NBA Playoffs Game 4: Oklahoma City 117, Memphis 115

The Oklahoma City Thunder sweep the Memphis Grizzlies 4-0. Up next for the Thunder will be the winner of the Denver-L.A. Clippers series.

• OKC Thunder sweeps Memphis Grizzlies in NBA Playoffs as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 38 (Oklahoman)

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in winning time, was at his best in Thunder’s sweep of Grizzlies (The New York Times)

• Oklahoma City passes first test with relative ease, sweep Memphis in first round (USA Today)

• Isaiah Hartenstein Says OKC Thunder Focused on ‘Staying Hungry’ (Sports Illustrated)

• OKC Thunder: Chet Holmgren Primed for Second Round (Sports Illustrated)

More sports headlines:

• Sooners softball sweeps Texas in weekend series (SoonerSports)

• Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman Jr. taken in NFL Draft’s 4th round (SoonerSports)

• 49ers take OSU star linebacker Nick Martin in third round (OKState)

• OU baseball drops 2 of 3 to Georgia (SoonerSports)

• In Athens, great game, great series, marred by Sooner miscues (Clay Horning)

• Cowgirl softball drops series finale to Kansas (OKState)

• OSU loses baseball series to Cincinnati, but wins finale (OKState)

• ORU baseball splits Sunday doubleheader with St. Thomas (ORU Athletics)

• Tulsa softball drops series to UTSA (TU Athletics)

• FC Tulsa Falls in Penalty Kicks Against One Knoxville SC To Open USL Jägermeister Cup (FC Tulsa)

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