State auditor resigns post
State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan ” convicted of federal charges involving campaign finance ” resigned today, according to a spokesman for Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry. “Governor Henry received Jeff McMahan’s resignation letter this morning. The governor will now begin the process of appointing a new state auditor and inspector,” spokesman Paul Sund said. “Governor…
Updates
In a well-publicized story in January, two New York City men were charged with fraud after they rolled a dead friend’s body in a chair from their apartment to a check-cashing store, propping him up to suggest that he was alive and wanted the men to cash his Social Security check for him. In May,…
Recurring Themes
NOTE: As evidence that the weird news keeps repeating itself, this week’s collection consists of recent instances of people doing the same old things that we’ve seen before in News of the Weird. In what would be a new modern record for the lapse of time between a death and its notice, neighbors found the…
Norman couple celebrates their home’s destruction
To paraphrase Shakespeare, you can take arms against a sea of troubles, but what good would that do? Paul and Cindy Updegraff decided it would be dumb to fistfight a flood, so they had a lawn party instead after their house flooded, and said goodbye, according to a recent story in The Oklahoman. Their Norman…
Released murderer dies
A man who confessed to murdering his stepdaughter, Crystal Dittmeyer, died in Kentucky less than three years after being released from Oklahoma in a plea deal. Benjamin Harry Crider II, 49, of Marion, Ky., died in his home in Marion May 28, according to an obituary listed with the Crittendon Free Press. No cause of…
The House That George Built: With a Little Help from Irving, Cole, and a Crew of About Fifty – Wilfrid Sheed
alt=housethatgeorge.jpg src=”/Images/Imported/Book%20review%20thumbnails/housethatgeorge.jpg” width=100 border=0> Random House In today’s single-drive music marketplace, the success of a song is often attributed to its producer “? superstars like Pharrell Williams or Kanye West “? whose touch of studio polish turns it into an instant hit, regardless of whether it’s any good. The name is the game. The practice…
Where’s the logic
The Fates of Three Class of ’08 Students in Durham, N.C.: Two men did not graduate from Duke University in May because they were two of the three lacrosse players accused of rape in March 2006 and were forced to suspend their academic pursuits in order to defend themselves against the charges that were later…
Tulsa man carries cross from Maine to Florida
What do you do after quitting your day job and leaving your fiancée? How about carrying a cross from Fort Kent, Maine, to Key West, Fla.? Sure, it’s a cheaper way to commute than $4-per-gallon gas, but thrifty travelin’ is not the reason Tulsa’s David Valderrama embarked on the symbolic trek. He did it to…
Punk veterans The Queers play OKC show
Veteran punk performers The Queers will play in Oklahoma City June 12 at The Conservatory. Many years and beers have passed since The Queers formed in 1982 in Portsmouth, N.H., a rock ‘n’ roll reaction to that region’s androgynous-bent art community. Yet for singer Joe King, who goes by the moniker Joe Queer, neither time,…
The Coathangers plan to crash an Opolis party
Hailing from Atlanta, all-girl band The Coathangers will play at Norman’s Opolis. To paraphrase “There Will Be Blood,” they’ve built up their hatreds over the years, little by little. But the girls in the hard-charging four-piece band The Coathangers have a good time releasing their hatreds in music before they fester. Take “Buckhead Betty,” a…
Former death-row inmate files amended lawsuit
Both sides in a federal lawsuit over an alleged wrongful conviction case claim the higher ground after recent rulings from the judge. Curtis Edward McCarty is suing Oklahoma City, current Police Chief Bill Citty and former police forensic chemist Joyce Gilchrist for violation of his constitutional rights. McCarty spent more than two decades in prison…
Kung Fu Panda
Reviewer’s grade: C Dreamworks Animation delivers a colorful, cleverly designed but highly predictable flicker for der kinder in which Jack Black voices a panda in ancient China who wants to be the kung fu Dragon Warrior and save his village from the wrath of Tai Lung (Ian McShane), a leopard who’ s escaped after 20…
Fiberworks artists’ exhibition presents blend of traditional methods, unconventional ideas
After three decades, “Fiberworks” has evolved from an open show of fiber crafts to a juried exhibit of art that weaves the contemporary with the traditional. The annual exhibit, organized by Fiber Artists of Oklahoma, opened at the Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery on June 6, which marked “Fiberworks”‘ 30th year of exhibition. “Fiber art…
Oklahoma City gallery hosts two edgy artists
The two Oklahoma-based artists currently exhibiting their work at Istvan Gallery in Oklahoma City choose an urban aesthetic over rural imagery. Both Romy Owens and Michael Joy Wilson incorporate telephone wires, bricks and streetscape details into their art. “We both have a very distinctly urban aspect to our work,” Owens said. “We’re not trying to…
Reinvigorated Plaza District hosts trio of weekend events
The last decade’s redevelopment of the Plaza District transformed blighted buildings into a vibrant performing arts area. This weekend at “Live on the Plaza,” visitors will transform unwanted clothing into recycled art. “Live on the Plaza” starts with the “Re:Fashion Show” on Friday and the “Swap-O-Rama-Rama” swap meet on Saturday, both focusing on repurposing discarded…
Annual Bricktown blues event presents 13th annual festival
Each year, Bricktown plays host to two days of blissful blues ” and barbecue ” to showcase some of the best jazz and blues talent around. The 13th annual Bricktown Blues & BBQ Festival will do so Friday and Saturday, at the corner of Sheridan and Oklahoma avenues. Taking the stage at 2:30 p.m. Saturday,…
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table – Roger Lancelyn Green
yle=”MARGIN: auto 0in”>With a new introduction from admirer David Almond (author of the acclaimed “Clay”), the book contains all the enduring legends “? the sword in the stone, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the quest for the Holy Grail “? alongside Lotte Reiniger’s charming original woodcut illustrations. New bonus material includes a bio of Green,…
You Don’t Mess with the Zohan
Reviewer’s grade: C In Adam Sandler’s latest summer silliness, “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,” the Sandman plays a superheroic Israeli commando who yearns to cut hair and make the world “silky smooth.” To pursue that dream, he fakes his own death in a battle against a Palestinian terrorist (the always-game John Turturro) and seeks…
Tribal leaders, state treasurer express casino concern
The Shawnee Tribe, based in Miami, Okla., has a $400 million entertainment resort with a massive casino on the drafting board. The plans also call for an 18-story, 400-room hotel; a 2,400-seat performance hall; and a bowling alley. The resort would be located just south of the Frontier City amusement park along Interstate 35 between…
Workforce 2.0
In an age when workers no longer live a short walk or train ride from their places of employment; in an age when more and more workers can commute at the click of a mouse; in an age when parents are torn between the pressures of the office and the longing for home, why are…
Lobbyist investigation leads to Istook’s former chief of staff
The year 2003 was a heady one for the group of lobbyists who became known as “Team Abramoff,” and for one Oklahoma congressman. In addition to multiple meetings with then-White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and having a cozy golf-trip relationship with “The Hammer,” former House leader Tom DeLay, the group also had…
Disco Bloodbath plans ‘highbrow’ event
For those who like their blood and guts interspersed with literary references, Disco Bloodbath is going highbrow this year. The fourth-annual gore-themed event takes over The Conservatory on Friday and features some of the choicest cuts from local DJs, as well as an excuse to don ghastly getups months ahead of Halloween. Friday night’s theme…
Actor gives ‘terrific’ performance in ‘I Am My Own Wife’
Dallas native playwright Doug Wright subscribes to the less-is-more principle of organization and penned “I Am My Own Wife” for one actor, who plays more than 30 characters. And thank Thespis that the actor in the Oklahoma City Theatre Company production is the terrific David Mays, who gives a performance that is a theatrical tour…
Federal gaming regulators make surprise announcement
Federal gaming regulators surprised a gaming panel recently by announcing they will abandon some technical proposed regulation changes to Class II gaming machines. The panel discussion was one of the last scheduled at the 21st annual Sovereignty Symposium in the Skirvin Hilton Hotel. Phil Hogen, National Indian Gaming Commission chair, said to a room of…
Son of Rambow
Reviewer’s grade: A Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) is a young boy living in 1982 England under the thumb of a fundamentalist religious group known as the Brethren. By chance he meets his school’s resident hell-raiser Lee Carter, who is living under his own set of repressive life circumstances. Lee is making a short film with…
Big Brown’s performance breaks Remington Park bettors’ hearts
Local horse-racing fans flocked to Remington Park June 8, which bristled with excitement and anticipation of a possible Triple Crown winner for the first time in 30 years. After Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness events, betting lines were lengthy and hopes were running high for the horse to win the Belmont…
JRB Art at The Elms features glass pieces
This month, JRB Art at The Elms will fill its galleries with complementary works of nationally recognized glass art by featured artists and paintings by Oklahoma City-based Mexican artist Ernesto Sanchez. Acquiring a collection of unique glass pieces, Joy Reed Belt, director of JRB Art, opened the exhibit June 4. With glass art from seven…
Oklahoma representative upset by federal judge’s halting decision
Shocked, shocked we are. Apparently, the federal government thinks parts of Oklahoma’s immigration law, the once-titled House Bill 1804, go too far. By now, surely, everyone would know that HB 1804, touted by its “author,” state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, was passed into law last year by both houses and Gov. Brad Henry, purported to…
Okie film industry looks for next catch
If you want to size up an Oklahoma fisherman, you don’t need to look at the size of his rod ” just try to catch a glimpse of his hand. HOMEGROWN HOLLYWOODHOOK, LINE AND SINKERBRING OUT YOUR ‘DEAD’ Fingers have been lost, hands scarred and arms marred. But some state anglers can’t help but reach…
Orr Family Farm hosts Father’s Day event
Adding a toe-wiggling twist to one of Dad’s favorite pastimes, the Orr Family Farm is hosting its fifth “Father’s Day on the Farm” toe-fishing event on Saturday. Tying strings and floats to their toes, fathers, sons and daughters will try to catch as many fish as they can from 1-2 p.m. to win the competition…
Local casting directors, talent agents offer advice to Okie actors
In the ancient lore of show business, talent agents and casting directors have been called everything from necessary evils to, uh, well, maybe we better not go there. REPRESENTINGFLEXIBILITY They’re defined in the public mind not by what they really are and do, but by the way they’re represented via easy caricature. Agents are portrayed…
Nothing new for teachers
When the Oklahoma Legislature declined to give the state’s teachers raises this session, it didn’t seem to make much news. After all, the mantra went, everyone must make sacrifices. Revenues are down, the overall economy is flat and many parts of the country are in recession. So the politicos passed a disingenuously named “maintenance-of-effort” or…
Oklahoma City Zoo’s new handheld GPS devices offer a fact-filled, multimedia tour
The only thing that could make the Oklahoma City Zoo’s well-designed layout and eye-catching exhibits even better would be a completely personalized tour guide. In a perfect world, this guide would take guests behind the scenes with expert knowledge at each exhibit, teach more about how the zoo works and fit in one’s pocket. Enter…
OU religious studies program has new head honcho
Charles Kimball, the former chair of the religious studies department at Wake Forest University and author of “When Religion Becomes Evil,” will assume his new position as director of the religious studies program at the University of Oklahoma effective July 1. Kimball is a native Oklahoman. He was born in Tulsa and did his undergraduate…
Henry signs bill on sex offenders in nursing homes
After years of battling, pleading, arguing and praying, Wes Bledsoe finally saw his dream come true. At a signing ceremony inside the state Capitol, Gov. Brad Henry put into law a measure that will keep sex offenders away from residents in nursing homes. “This is the greatest day of my life,” Bledsoe said, standing next…
