A death row inmate who has been diagnosed as terminally ill will still be executed next week. Jimmy Dale Bland, 49, was convicted of the Nov. 14, 1996, murder of 62-year-old Doyle Windle Rains. Bland’s execution is set for Tuesday. A split Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals today denied a stay of Bland’s […]
Scott Cooper
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Andrew’s appeal denied
Brenda Evers Andrew ” convicted and sentenced to death for the 2001 murder of her husband, Oklahoma City advertising executive Robert Andrew ” had her appeal denied by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. The judges ruled 4-1 in rejecting the appeal. A jury found Brenda Andrew guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to […]
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Oklahoma landmarks placed on historic list
ties brings the total number of listings in the National Register from Oklahomato 1,106. “? Scott Cooper
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Another rocket company ready to do business with state
At this month’s meeting of the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority, Patrick Bahn, the chief executive officer of TGV Rockets, with headquarters in Norman, announced the successful June 9 test of an engine that would form the core of a new rocket system. TGV’s unmanned rocket is intended to be used in place of billion-dollar […]
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Rocketplane beat to rocket-launch punch by Texas company
A rocket-powered vehicle launched from the Oklahoma Spaceport in Burns Flat on June 2. But this was not the rocket from Rocketplane Inc., into which the state of Oklahoma poured $18 million. No, this rocket, built by Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace, actually flies. Burns Flat is home to the state’s only federally licensed spaceport. The state […]
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Roth’s new job marks a state first
When Gov. Brad Henry appointed Jim Roth to fill in the vacant Oklahoma Corporation Commission board seat, both the governor and Roth were making history. For the first time in state history, an openly gay public official is in charge of a statewide office. However, Roth feels that aspect to his appointment is insignificant. “I […]
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Families of wrongly convicted gather at Capitol
It’s time for Oklahomans to take a serious look at the states criminal justice system was the message today at a state Capitol press conference with families who have suffered from wrongful convictions. Led by University of Oklahoma sociology professor Susan Sharp, the group of families called on the Legislature to examine why Oklahoma has […]
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What do Oklahoma politicians drive to work?
In a study of the state Capitol parking lot, nearly half of all legislators prefer a car over a truck or SUV. Chevrolet and Ford are the most common vehicle brands. White is the preferred color, but just by a nose over black. Of the one-fourth of senators and representatives that likes a truck, the […]
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Senate passes abortion ban bill
The state Senate passed a bill today which bans the use of state facilities to perform abortions. Senate Bill 139, originally written to create an umbilical cord blood bank, was approved by a vote of 34-14. The abortion language was inserted by the House, which passed the measure by a wide margin on Monday. […]
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Former death-row inmate calls release ‘a hollow victory’
Compelled by the law and circumstances of the state’s case, Oklahoma County District Judge Twyla Mason Gray dismissed the murder charges against Curtis Edward McCarty and ordered his release on May 11. McCarty had been convicted twice for the 1982 murder of 18-year-old Pamela Kaye Willis:” His first conviction in 1986 was overturned due to […]