Oklahoma County’s plan to plug the funding gap for its new jail quietly collapsed last month after commissioners declined to pursue a sales tax increase. Voters already approved a $260 million bond, but the price tag for the new facility has ballooned to more than three times that amount. While Commissioner Brian Maughan helped pump […]
Gazette staff
Posted inNews
OSDE Audit Chaos
Auditor Cindy Byrd gave former Supt. Joy Hofmeister a clean bill of financial health, but the rest of the Oklahoma State Department of Education looks like a wild barnyard. OCAS still runs on the honor system, 23 districts spent outside cost limits, and a $1 million math vendor deal skipped competitive bidding. And Ryan Walters? Let’s just […]
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Weather Woes
As February comes to a close, Oklahomans are bracing for unpredictable weather, with meteorologists suggesting a chance of snow flurries—or sunbathing near the lake. Only in Oklahoma can you experience winter and spring in one week!
Posted inChicken-Fried News
Outlawed: Tito’s or Karens?
After allegations surfaced that some Oklahoma senators were knocking back drinks during late-night debates, Sen. Shane Jett (R-Shawnee) filed a bill aimed at keeping lawmakers from mixing Tito’s with taxpayer business. That didn’t sit well with Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton (R–Tuttle), who fired back by calling Jett a “Karen” during a press conference, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Legendary Comic Book Collection of Late OKC Attorney Eric Groves Heads to Auction
A remarkable comic book collection assembled over a lifetime by late Oklahoma City attorney Eric J. Groves is headed to auction this month. Groves, who died last July at 82, was widely known for his civic leadership, preservation efforts and support of the arts. Less publicly — though no less passionately — he was a […]
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Memorial Museum Marks 25 Years of Remembrance with Free Admission Feb. 19
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum will commemorate the Memorial Museum’s 25th anniversary on February 19, 2026 — marking a quarter century of honoring those killed, those who survived and all who were changed forever by the events of April 19, 1995. For 25 years, the Memorial Museum has preserved the stories and lessons […]
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Robert Duvall, Oscar-winning actor and ‘Godfather’ mainstay, dead at 95
Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor of matchless versatility and dedication whose classic roles included the intrepid consigliere of the first two “Godfather” movies and the over-the-hill country music singer in “Tender Mercies,” has died at age 95. STATEMENT FROM LUCIANA DUVALL Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
LEAD Agency and OFX to screen ‘Silkwood’ with panel discussion on Feb. 10
The Oklahoma Film Exchange and Local Environmental Action Demanded (LEAD) Agency will host a screening of Silkwood followed by a panel discussion at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 701 W. Sheridan Ave. in Oklahoma City. Admission is donation-based with first-come, first-served seating. Doors open at 5:15 p.m., and the panel discussion will follow the […]
Posted inChicken-Fried News
OSDE Opts Out
The OSDE Board quietly scrapped one of former State Superembarrassment Ryan Walters’ proudest legacies: forcing new Oklahoma teachers to pass a written U.S. naturalization test to prove they were “one of us.” The policy confused educators, immigrants, and literally everyone who already passed Oklahoma history in eighth grade. Board members reportedly decided classroom competence mattered […]
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Trickle Down Education
In a not so surprising move for Governor Kevin Stitt’s last year in office, he now wants to repeal the income caps from last year’s educational tax credit. Recent reports show that over 90% of educational tax credit recipients already had their children in private schools, which implies this was not about school choice, but […]