OKC homicide update
From The Oklahoman’s Brian Sargent: Oklahoma City police released little new information this morning about a deadly shooting Sunday in a northwest city park.
Master Sgt. Gary Knight said no arrests have been made in the case. The shooter is described as a black female.
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Monday morning has been busy
In BEIJING – A high-speed passenger train jumped its tracks and slammed into
another train in eastern China on Monday, killing at least 70 people and
injuring more than 400. Authorities were quoted as saying human error was to
blame.
A California wildfire near Los Angeles has forced about 1,000 from their
homes.
Turning to today’s front page,
abused and neglected children are taken from parents in Oklahoma County at a
rate more than double that of Tulsa County. This is a story by Randy Ellis
that you’ll only find in today’s Oklahoman and on NewsOK. Ellis reports the
monthly average number of foster care children in Oklahoma County was 2,261
last fiscal year, compared with 843 for Tulsa County. You can search through
the DHS Waivers Database on NewsOK.
The 2008 Festival of the Arts has completed its six-day run in downtown
Oklahoma City. It met organizers’ expectations by attracting about 750,000
visitors. The festival featured live performances by local bands, art
galleries featuring artists from across the nation, food booths and a
children’s area.
About 6,000 music fans crowded Norman’s Main Street for the Norman Music
Festival. Headliners included the Polyphonic Spree, British Sea Power and
the Chainsaw Kittens.
In Sports, Oklahoma had four players picked in this weekend’s NFL Draft.
Reggie Smith, Curtis Lofton, Malcolm Kelly and Allen Patrick were the only
Sooners drafted. For the first time since 2001, Oklahoma State did not have
a player drafted.
Your OKC forecast today, expect clear conditions with highs in the 70s.
Looking ahead this week, expect 70s for much of the week.
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OKC’s NBA team staying in Northwest Division
The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry reports Oklahoma City’s NBA team will
remain in the Northwest Division. Darnell says according to league sources,
the NBA will not realign any divisions or teams to accommodate the
relocation of the Sonics to Oklahoma City. Whenever the team lands in
Oklahoma, either next season or in 2010, it will continue in its current
division, which includes Utah, Portland, Minnesota and Denver.
Elsewhere, crude oil prices surged above $117, setting a new record high
today.
A strong aftershock shook Southern Illinois today, three days after a
magnitude 5.2 quake rattled the region.
The Festival of the Arts begins tomorrow in downtown Oklahoma City. You can
find a complete schedule at NewsOK, including the menu for the food court.
And speaking of the Festival of the Arts, let’s talk weather:
Today in OKC: Highs in the lower 80s. Southerly winds 10 to 15 mph. Tonight,
Twenty percent chance of thunderstorms, some become severe.
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Mayor Mick talks to Downtowners
It’s Friday. Good time at the CARE event last time, will blog more about that later today. Here’s a quick look at headlines this morning:
Downtowners got their shot at quizzing Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett on Thursday, and they learned he advocates a light rail system as part of a MAPS 3, but any vote on such an initiative is at least two years away.
Frontier Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but unlike other airlines filing for bankruptcy in recent weeks, it plans to keep running while it reorganizes.
Sonics owners exchanged e-mails last April suggesting their desire to move the NBA team to Oklahoma City, according to e-mails obtained by lawyers for the city of Seattle.
Four Oklahoma State fraternity members accused of beating a pledge last year have pleaded no contest in to a misdemeanor hazing charge as part of a plea deal.
Today: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid-60s. Northwesterly winds 15 to 25 mph.
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Red Tie Night
Red Tie Night was Saturday night at the Cox Center in downtown Oklahoma City. Escorted by my fiance Melinda, I met up with NewsOK.tv’s Tanner Herriott to capture the splendor of the event and score an interview with Jackie Cooper, the force behind the fundraiser.
Jackie and Barbara Cooper started the first Red Tie Night 16 years ago. Their son Jerry had died of AIDS in 1989. The first Red Tie Night attracted about 200 people and raised around $75,000.
Last night’s event was expected to attract around 850 people, but may have neared 1,000. Over $1 million was raised. Money goes to the Oklahoma Aids Care Fund.
We’ll have a video report from the event posted later this week.
UPDATE: Video has been posted here.
3 Things
Downtown OKC to add bike racks; Rocktown changes hands; how much would you pay for a Radiohead album?
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