Oklahoma
'Unreasonable': $250,000 for Okla. public schools inhaler funds stalled in OSDE
TULSA, Okla. — With thousands of kids headed back to class some state lawmakers are frustrated that every school won’t have emergency inhalers as those funds stalled in the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
The lawmakers said they approved the money to cover the cost of emergency inhalers for all Oklahoma public schools. It was sent to Governor Stitt’s office where he signed it into law.
But since then it’s struggled to actually go anywhere. For one Oklahoma family, it’s personal.
“Brendon was just an overall awesome kid. He grew up in Perry Oklahoma a small town. Loved sports, loved his faith and his family, but he tragically passed away at the age of 16 years old of an asthma attack,” said Brendon McLarty’s aunt Jennifer Blair.
She is also the executive director of the Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation which helped sponsor the legislation.
“The lives and the hearts that have been affected as a result of something that we can fix. That we have funded that we have the ability to make these inhalers available so when these episodes happen,” said State Senator Chuck Hall.
He is one of the Oklahoma lawmakers trying to put inhalers in public schools with the help of the Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation.
But the $250,000 allocated to the foundation stalled in the state Department of Education.
2 News talked to one of the bill’s authors Representative Mickey Dollens (D-Oklahoma City).
“Unreasonable for the Department of Education to hold up this money. Especially now that schools are going back into the classroom and that kids need this medicine without notice it needs to be on hand,” said Dollens.
After the bill was drafted it gained bipartisan support.
That approved the appropriation of a quarter of a million dollars to be given to the Brendon McLarty Foundation through OSDE.
However, that money was never distributed. Blair is not sure why the funds are being held.
“I honestly don’t know. We’ve been doing this for five years now. Providing inhalers, providing education, and out program really works. I mean last school year our inhalers were used 2,800 times in one school year,” said Blair.
In a letter to Attorney General Genter Drummond, State Superintendent Ryan Walters said he wants some clarity on distributing the funds.
Including whether to give the money all at once or in installments.
Walters also questions whether the legislature is favoring the Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation over that of others.
Because he said the state can’t give any vendor preferential treatment.
LETTER TO AG DRUMMOND:
Oklahoma State Department of Education Oklahoma State Department of Education
Representative Dollens wasn’t surprised by the delay.
“They’ve had nine months, but this is a pattern of repeated behavior. Slow-playing elected officials not fulfilling grants. Not appropriating dollars where they should go. And it’s just an ongoing dysfunction that we’ve experienced unfortunately with the department of education,” said Rep. Dollens.
Blair hopes they get everything sorted out quickly and that no family has to lose their kid like they lost Brendon.
“I mean it’s been an honor to carry on Brendon’s legacy and to raise awareness about asthma,” said Blair.
2 News will continue to follow this story as it develops.
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New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
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The Oklahoma baseball team is back in the mix and trending upward.
After a rough few weeks in Southeastern Conference play, the 14th-ranked Sooners have won three of their last four games to get to .500 at just beyond the halfway point of the league slate. Friday’s 9-6 win over Missouri allowed Oklahoma to move to 8-8, tied with three other teams for eighth in the standings.
Friday’s win wasn’t truly that close, even. OU took a 9-3 lead into the ninth before Mizzou made it somewhat interesting with three runs in the frame. Two of them came with two outs, though, and Mason Bixby induced a groundout with the bases empty to hold on.
The large edge came via a home run-happy night. The Sooners popped four over the wall at Kimrey Family Stadium, including three in a four-run seventh inning that gave OU a four-run lead.
Jason Walk, who hit one of the four homers, had the best day at the plate. He went 2 for 5 with the shot, three RBIs and a run. Camden Johnson, who also homered, went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and two runs, and Dasan Harris went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs. Trey Gambill hit the Sooners’ other jack.
Oklahoma jumped out to a four-run lead in the second behind four hits and a walk. Missouri helped the Sooners out with an error that resulted in a bases-loaded situation and three unearned runs registered to Tigers starter Josh McDevitt.
The runs were more than enough for Oklahoma’s LJ Mercurius, who pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Game 2 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday and the finale will be played Sunday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
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