Reaction to iPhone 4S, its new features
Apple Inc. said Monday it has sold more than 4 million models of the iPhone 4S in the first three days.
When Apple launched the iPhone 4 last year, it sold 1.7 million in the first three days.
On Friday, both AT&T and Sprint said the new phone had broken sales records. At Verizon Wireless, a lot of pent-up iPhone demand was satisfied with the February launch of the iPhone 4, the first iPhone for that company.
Haunted house recommendations needed
NewsOK breaking news reporters are responsible for a lot more than just on-spot news. We also contribute to weekend content by writing longer pieces on various issues and events.
Since Halloween is right around the corner, I’m working on a story about haunted houses and what goes into bringing them to life. I’d like to chat with volunteers and workers about the design of houses and costumes and makeup.
But to do this, I need some recommendations of the scariest haunted houses in Oklahoma City. Send me an email at tgibson@opubco.com or comment below. Also, if you know someone who works in a haunted house or attends several every year, let me know. I’d like to talk to them.
Photo by Nate Billings: Jim Bates, co-owner of Ultimate Terrors, talks about preparations inside Ultimate Terrors, a Halloween attraction with three haunted houses at Belle Isle Station in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, September 22, 2009.
Legislators call meeting to discuss DHS problems
Legislators are meeting Monday to discuss ways to halt operations at the Department of Human Services. DHS has come under scrutiny recently after several child and adult deaths occurred in the care of caseworkers.
State Representatives Richard Morrissette (D-Oklahoma City) and Mike Sanders (R-Kingfisher) announced they will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Monday at the state Capitol.
With headlines and statistics telling the tale of failures to provide adequate protection for those children placed in their care and custody, a press conference will be held to discuss a plan to halt business as usual at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and question the DHS commissioners regarding DHS policies and practices,” the legislators said in a statement.
NewsOK reporters Randy Ellis and Nolan Clay have been covering this issue and will continue to have the latest investigative pieces on our ongoing coverage page.
Authorities seek weapon in Weleetka slayings
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agents are asking for the public’s help in finding the gun used to kill two Weleetka girls more than three years ago.
In an alert sent out Thursday, the OSBI said it is confident the gun previously identified as a Glock .40 model 22 was used to murder 11-year-old Skyla Whitaker and 13-year-old Taylor Placker on June 8, 2008, about 100 yards from Placker’s home. The serial number on that gun is EKG463US.
An intense investigation has revealed that gun may have been sold at a gun show in Tulsa this past March. Previous releases on this weapon have produced no viable leads.
OSBI is offering up to $5,000 for this firearm. Agents are confident the person who now owns this weapon is not responsible for the girls’ murders. If you have information about this gun, please call OSBI at 1-800-522-8017.
For more information on the Weleetka slayings, see our ongoing coverage page.
Photo by Michael Wyke
Human remains found in Bethany
Human remains were found inside a duffel bag in a field Thursday morning behind a grocery store in Bethany.
“The first officer on scene unzipped the duffel bag just slightly, and it was obvious right away that it was human remains,” Bethany Police Chief Phil Cole said. “We haven’t disturbed the crime scene at all. We did not make any further inquiry into the duffel bag. We cannot tell whether the deceased is male or female. We have no idea the age of the victim.”
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agents are helping with crime scene analysis, spokeswoman Jessica Brown said. Check back with NewsOK.com for more on this story.
Photo by David McDaniel: Bethany police and OSBI agents search a field behind the Homeland at 23rd and Rockwell where a body was found in a duffel bag, Thursday, October 13, 2011.
Man assaults paramedic, jumps into Oklahoma river
A man accused of assaulting a paramedic in an ambulance and jumping into the Oklahoma river was arrested Thursday morning.
Firefighters, a dive team and law officers tried to find the man after he jumped from the Interstate 40 bridge into the Oklahoma River near Interstate 35 about 10:15 a.m.
Eugene David Overton, 43, was captured about 10:50 a.m. on NE 4 between I-35 and Bryant Avenue, said Capt. Jody Suit, Del City police spokesman.
An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper spotted Overton hiding in a clump of trees on NE 4 and arrested him. Overton appeared to have a broken right arm, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
While en route to OU Medical Center, Overton assaulted paramedic Rick Huston in the back of the ambulance, said Larry Terry, director of Midwest Regional Emergency Medical Services.
Huston was struck several times by Overton as the driver of the ambulance pulled over for safety, Terry said.
NewsOK photographer Paul Southerland was at the scene when authorities caught up with Overton. Watch the video above and see more photos in Friday’s print edition of The Oklahoman.
Photo by Paul Southerland: Eugene David Overton is silhouetted between law enforcement officers after he was caught in high brush along NE 4 Street just west of Bryant Ave. in Oklahoma City Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011.
Students mourn loss of classmates
A group of students from Harrah High School gathered around the flag pole Wednesday to remember a senior classmate killed in a weekend crash.
Grace was a member of the football team. Head Coach Greg Willis said Grace recently moved from Seminole and was ineligible to play this year, but he helped with practice and watching game footage.”He was an outstanding, Christian kid,” Willis said. “You hear this all the time when you have tragedy, but he was a great kid.”
The school is also mourning the loss of a former football player, Jonathan Adams, who died of a sudden illness in Midwest City, Willis said.
“It’s really rocked us, losing two young people like that,” he said.
Grace’s passenger, Gabriel Leonhardt, 16, of Del City, also died from injuries in the crash. He is a sophomore at Midwest City High School. Willis said Grace had recently started a job at Frontier City and was giving Leonhardt a ride home.
“Mid-Del Schools is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Gabriel Leonhardt,” Midwest City-Del City District spokeswoman Stacey Boyer said. “The Mid-Del School District is providing counselors for those in need. Our thoughts are with the Leonhardt family, as well as our Midwest City High School student body and staff at this time.”
Live chat on prison riot in Sayre
We’ve been following a prison riot in Sayre since shortly before 1 p.m. To help with updates, we’ve created a live chat to provide new details in the riot as soon as we get them. Readers can also post on the chat and tell us what they’re seeing or hearing about the incident.
I-44 exit ramps reopen Tuesday
Exit ramps between Classen Boulevard and Interstate 44 were reopened Tuesday afternoon.
The westbound I-44 exit ramp to Classen Boulevard and the eastbound entrance ramp from Classen to I-44 were closed all day Monday, said Cole Hackett, an Oklahoma Department of Transportation spokesman.
“We knew with that rain coming in this weekend that these problems might come up,” Hackett said. “We were doing some inspections in that area about a month ago. Where it is supposed to drain, there is a pipe. We noticed the flow wasn’t very good. Once we looked into it, we realized that pipe had been damaged and was pinched off where no water could get through there.”
Crews were able to pump the water out of the area and clear the ramps.
Photo by Paul Southerland: Westbound off ramp and eastbound on ramp to I-44 closed at Classen Boulevard due to flooding from weekend rains in Oklahoma City Monday, Oct 10, 2011.
Reports of woman found dead after Allen house fire
We’ve received reports of a Pontotoc County woman found dead after a house fire Monday morning. Officials have not released the woman’s identity pending notification of family members.
Rusty Surette, regional director of communications for the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the woman lived in the home alone and officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
See more video of the fire here.
Video courtesy of the American Red Cross.
