Scott Cooper

A city council member and a former state legislator will face off to see who fills the vacant Oklahoma County Commission board seat. After all precincts reported in tonight, Oklahoma City Councilwoman Willa Johnson held off a crowded field to win the Democratic nomination, while Forrest Claunch easily took the Republican nomination. Claunch, the former member […]

With a pineapple in one hand, and a banana in the other, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services proclaimed America is the best place to eat. “The reality is we have the safest (food) supplies in the United States,” Sec. Michael Leavitt said. “To maintain safety, we have to improve.” Leavitt is […]

Prior to Tuesday’s primary, Oklahoma Gazette asked each Oklahoma County commissioner candidate, “Do you support the reinstitution of the Oklahoma County Budget Board?” The board, comprised of all county elected officials, determines the county’s budget each year. It was eliminated two years and reinstated this summer. RESPONSESBart Bates, Democrat (top left)“I support the Budget Board. That […]

For nearly two years, the Oklahoma County Juvenile Detention Center has been over its capacity for housing unlawful minors. It wouldn’t be too tough of a decision if most of the delinquents were shoplifters or vandals. But that’s not the case. “The severity of the crimes these youthful offenders are coming in with are much […]

 The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the death sentence given to Jimmy Dean Harris for the 1999 murder of Merle Taylor.   Harris killed Taylor on the morning of Sept. 1, 1999, when he went to confront his estranged wife, Pam Harris, who worked at Taylor’s AAMCO transmission shop in Oklahoma City. Pam Harris […]

Despite funding problems and layoffs, Rocketplane Inc. officials continue their reassurance that everything is fine and state officials continue to have confidence in the Oklahoma City-based company. Rocketplane officials failed to meet a funding deadline mandated by a NASA contract to build a reusable rocket, “K-1,” to transport cargo to and from the International Space […]

Failure of Penn Square Bank recalled April 26, 1982: “The American Banker” publishes a story bringing into question some of Penn Square Bank’s loan practices. June 28, 1982: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determines PSB would fail. June 30, 1982: Oklahoma City oilman Robert A. Hefner III withdraws $28 million from his […]

This week marks the 25th anniversary of a jolt that sent the American financial industry into chaos, with the July 5 federal takeover and closing of Penn Square Bank. Timeline of Penn Square Bank’s closing   “It was the first bank closure in decades that was newsworthy,” said Vince Orza, dean of the Meinders School […]