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NonDoc •

'Impacted': OK Supreme Court reverses wrongful death decision in COVID-19 immunity case

Invalidating a $7.5 million verdict awarded to an Edmond family more than a year ago, the Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed a wrongful death case involving COVID-19 last week, finding that INTEGRIS Health Edmond Hospital and its providers were immune from liability under state law.
Justices said Oklahoma County District Court Judge Richard Ogden erred by denying the defendants’ motion for a directed verdict granting immunity in the 2020 death of Blake Burgess, a University of Oklahoma student who...
NonDoc •

Uncommon Ground leaders pitch TIF as park progresses toward 2027 opening

As the Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park presses toward its planned opening next year, financial and operational details continue to shift for the massive project, which has garnered substantial funding from public sources.
The park’s official opening date has been bumped about six months and now is slated for Nov. 5, 2027, according to Saundra Naifeh, a former Edmond mayor, who made the announcement during a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting June 18.
Recently, proponents of the project —...
NonDoc •

'Let's just do it': Edmond couple turns bus into dwelling, highlights housing affordability

Cody Woods used to donate plasma twice a week to help keep a roof over his head. Woods has stopped donating, however, because a proof of address is required, which he no longer possesses after moving into a bus with his wife.
Though money from their jobs is tight, the couple recently decided to go all-in on their “pipe dream” and purchase the bus from Facebook Marketplace for $3,000. The couple previously shared an Edmond apartment Woods rented for the last two years.
“It’s gotten to the point w...
NonDoc •

Edmond Police Department makes arrest in Arcadia Lake shooting, 'at least' one other suspect sought

Edmond Police Chief J.D. Younger held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to announce the arrest of a suspect in Sunday night’s Arcadia Lake shooting, though police are still investigating “at least” one other suspect.
Jaylan Davis, 18, faces an initial charge of assault with a deadly weapon and is set to be charged with felony murder after the death of a victim, 18-year-old Avianna Smith-Gray, Tuesday evening. Smith-Gray was one of at least 23 people injured during the shooting and the only...
NonDoc •

Edmond Transfer Station up for 2-year renewal despite past push to review city’s trash contract

A two-year contract extension for the private Edmond Transfer Station to continue its intermediary trash disposal service appears on Monday night’s Edmond City Council’s agenda under general consent, positioning it to be voted on without presentation from staff or public comment.
The council could discuss the item if a member chooses to designate it for deliberation, which might prove lengthy given the extensive history and controversial nature of the agreement.
Since 2007, the City of Edmond ha...
NonDoc •

Edmond City Council to weigh 'bad options' for incoming water rate increases

In the coming weeks, members of the Edmond City Council say they must choose between four “bad options,” all of which would set a multi-year schedule for higher residential water bills to pay for extensive infrastructure projects and provide services to a growing customer base.
Regardless of how much council members choose to increase residential water rates for 2027 and beyond, Edmondites are already projected to see a 6 percent increase in what they pay for wastewater — or sewer — service. Edm...
NonDoc •

Rejected Edmond Walmart Neighborhood Market wins second court battle

The case of a proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market at the intersection of Covell and Coltrane Roads, originally litigated a decade ago, appeared in Oklahoma County District Court again last week after the City of Edmond denied site plans to move the project forward. The court reached the same conclusion it did 10 years ago, once again granting developers the right to build despite the city’s objections.
Attorney David Box, representing plaintiff Coltrane Land Development, LLC, opened his argumen...
NonDoc •

BancFirst attempts foreclosure on The Campbell, developers allege forced default

The threat of foreclosure looms over The Campbell, a new mixed-use commercial and residential development in downtown Edmond’s tax increment financing district. The legal battle could result in the premature termination of a TIF agreement projected to earn the City of Edmond more than $700,000.
In BancFirst’s filing for foreclosure, multiple contractors are listed as defendants in addition to The Campbell 215, LLC, including Rader Building Company; Monster Monster, LLC; Rader Development, LLC; a...
NonDoc •

'Dangerous grounds': Edmond City Council denies Gardenia Apartments, hearing set in Walmart case

The Edmond City Council rejected a site plan for the Gardenia Apartments on Monday after its developer appealed the Edmond Planning Commission’s Dec. 2 denial of the 69-unit, three-story complex proposed just east of the University of Central Oklahoma.
The controversial decision underscores broader concerns about housing needs and property development processes in Edmond, which have spurred legislation that is pending in the Oklahoma State Senate. Meanwhile, the Edmond City Council’s decision la...
NonDoc •

Member resigns as Edmond Community Policing Board continues sex crime discussion

The Edmond Community Policing Board’s ongoing discussions about sex crime response got heated at its Nov. 20 meeting when member Jason “Jay” Alsup suggested the topic was receiving too much attention, a remark that drew audible disgust from the audience.
Alsup, a Ward 3 appointee, resigned from the board Dec. 12 and did not return NonDoc’s request for comment about his departure, which comes amid heightened scrutiny over how the Edmond Police Department handles sexual crime investigations.
“Effe...
NonDoc •

'I'll get it filed': Prosecutor says more charges coming against sex offender whose case has lingered

More criminal charges are coming for registered sex offender Melvin Platt, an Oklahoma County prosecutor said in court Monday, but a long-delayed motion to revoke his bond was postponed again.
Platt was convicted of assault with intent to commit the felony of sexual battery and domestic assault and battery in 2024, for which he served two months in the Oklahoma County Jail with the remainder of his sentence suspended. He was re-arrested three weeks later after leading police on a chase spurred b...
NonDoc •

'Nobody needs to go hungry': Edmond nonprofits try to fill void as shutdown disrupts SNAP benefits

As residents reel amid disruptions to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, local Edmond nonprofits are rising to meet increased demand in the community. Organizations such as Project 66 and Breakfast on Boulevard have been forced to increase food purchases to account for an influx of patrons seeking assistance.
The ongoing government shutdown has already tied the record for the longest in U.S. history, and it may hold that title on its own if a federal funding agreement is not...
NonDoc •

'So complicated': Uncommon Ground art park secures more public funding as Edmond questions remain

While art pieces are being installed and an invite-only grand opening looms for late 2026, details about the public financing components of Edmond’s Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park remain scant, with project leaders declining to release documents about their budget, which is either $50 million or $72 million, depending which numbers are on display.
Under construction at the northwest corner of North Coltrane Road and East 2nd Street, the park carries a $50 million construction price tag, accordin...
NonDoc •

Edmond sales tax renewals set for Nov. 18 election, city sued again over rejected Walmart

Amid a year-to-date dip in collections, the Edmond City Council on Monday night set a Nov. 18 special election date for voters to consider the potential renewal of the current 1 percent General Fund sales tax and the 0.5 percent capital improvement sales tax initially passed in 2017. Council members also voted down a proposed development they said runs contrary to plans for growth in east Edmond, and they gathered in executive session to review a new lawsuit they were told they would face when t...
NonDoc •

SD 15 runoff: Robert Keyes, Lisa Standridge quip about 'suspenders' and 'cheap lawn chair' in tense debate

During a Senate District 15 Republican runoff debate, disagreements over which candidate is most “conservative” led to tense moments, back-handed compliments and contrasting views on the value of negotiation.
Robert Keyes, president and CEO of Associated Environmental Industries, said he is focused on negotiating to move the needle and get things done at the State Capitol. Lisa Standridge, a pharmacist and the term-limited SD 15 senator’s wife of 32 years, said she will stick to her guns, includ...
NonDoc •

As Comanche County tries to end jail overcrowding, Manitou idea irks Tillman County

LAWTON — Despite changes in leadership and new efforts to reduce the jail population, continued overcrowding at the Comanche County Detention Center has forced officials to send some detainees as far as three hours away while conversations about building a new jail inch along.
Chronic overcrowding has caused the jail to violate a series of Oklahoma State Department of Health standards. A recent inspection report found 46 inmates sleeping on the floor of the facility, which was built in 2003.
“Th...
NonDoc •

Despite reelection, charged Pittsburg County Sheriff Chris Morris agrees to resign

Pittsburg County Sheriff Chris Morris, who was recently reelected despite pending charges for felony embezzlement and bribery of a public official, has agreed to remain suspended for the next six months and forego the term in office he just won.
Filed Friday, the order agreement concludes a removal-from-office action requested by the Pittsburg County Board of Commissioners in May, days after Morris was first charged.
Morris, who won 56.68 percent of the vote against opponent Randy Hass in the Ju...
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Most incumbents won Oklahoma sheriff elections — including charged Morris — but others lost

In Tuesday’s primary election, Pittsburg County voters reelected a sheriff facing felony charges, McCurtain County voters ousted their sheriff one year after his racist remarks made national news, and Tillman County voters selected the sheriff candidate backed by a “behind the scenes guy” who remains under criminal investigation.
Voters in nearly half of the state’s 77 counties went to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots for Oklahoma sheriff elections. Other interesting results included the defeat...
NonDoc •

Faithanna Olsson: The story of why I tell stories

When I was little, I could be found hiding behind the couch playing a spy game and dreaming of an exciting future working for a three-letter agency of the United States.

My first solution for satisfying this early curiosity involved obtaining a security clearance to rifle through whatever documents I wanted to see while investigating current criminal cases. The catch with that career choice, however, was that the secrets would remain secret, and I would just be one more person responsible for k
Talon News •

Cafeteria Cuts to Balance Budget

Oklahoma Christian University’s cafeteria is not immune to the budget balancing on campus. Increased theft and decreasing student numbers caused UDining to make changes in their budget.


The most visible change students have seen in The Branch is the absence of styrofoam cups and lids for taking drinks to-go.


“We were spending an average of $1,600 a week on cups. Students had talked with us about sustainability, and we were losing more money with how many pieces of orange chicken that can
Talon News •

Campus Police Monitoring Apartments After Auto Thefts

A series of vehicle thefts have occurred in the apartment parkings lots of Phase 3, 4, 5 and 6. Campus Police are working with Oklahoma City Police and Edmond Police to apprehend the suspect.


Criminal activity began Jan. 14 when a flatbed trailer was stolen from Phase 5. The trailer was then used in the theft of an ATM. Jan. 20, a student’s silver Kia had the black window broken into, but nothing was stolen because the car’s alarm sounded.


On the same morning, at 3:44 am, the suspect who
Talon News •

Faculty and Staff Affected by Budget Cuts

Due to budget cuts, Oklahoma Christian University has laid off several faculty and staff members. The budgeting issues mainly stem from a decline in enrollment and the ending of government COVID relief funding.


Provost Brian Starr discussed how administration planned a reaction to the financial deficit of the university.


“We had to make some painful adjustments because we’ve got to live within our means. The ultimate reason we have to live within our means is because it’s really importan
Talon News •

Oklahoma Christian Welcomes New Provost

This fall, Oklahoma Christian University welcomed a new provost, Brian Starr, to campus. Starr sat down with the Talon to share his story and his new role in carrying out the mission of Oklahoma Christian.


The expertise Starr brings to campus is threefold: he has been a teacher, administrator and minister in various environments.


After getting his undergraduate degree from Abilene Christian University, Starr pursued an MBA at the University of Texas at Austin, which he described as the “
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