Oklahoma
Put out of office by voters, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice has no regrets • Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yvonne Kauger’s interpretation of the law and the paths she’s blazed outside the courtroom have shaped the foundation of Oklahoma’s justice system for decades.
When the 87-year-old retires Dec. 1, she’ll collectively be the longest serving Oklahoma Supreme Court justice and staff attorney.
She’ll also be the first Oklahoma Supreme Court justice in state history to not be retained by voters following a dark money campaign that targeted her as a liberal judge and as being too old.
But being first isn’t new to Kauger.
She was the first female staff attorney at the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Gov. George Nigh appointed her to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 1984, two years after he appointed the first female justice, the late Alma Wilson.
Kauger has spent 52 years working for the state’s highest court as either a judge or staff attorney.
Cases before the court ranged from the constitutionality of laws, taxes, abortion access and tribal issues, to name a few.
The same year as her appointment to the bench, she was adopted by the Cheyenne Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma on sacred tribal ground in Colony. Her family has deep ties to the tribe.
“It’s more of an honorary position, but I was the first person since statehood to be adopted by the Cheyenne Arapaho,” Kauger said.
Kauger has no Native American blood, but always wanted to be an Indian, she said.
In 1987, she co-founded Red Earth, which features Native American culture, art and dancers.
The following year, she founded the Sovereignty Symposium. The national legal conference held in Oklahoma City educates people about tribal sovereignty and government.
She is known for asking tough and direct questions from those who appeared before the court during oral arguments and not letting attorneys off easy when they can’t answer.
Former Oklahoma Chief Justice Steven Taylor introduced her when she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
“No living Oklahoman has influenced the course of the law in our state more than Justice Yvonne Kauger,” Taylor said.
He said she guards the institutional foundation of the state’s highest court.
Chief Justice M. John Kane IV said he will be sad to lose her as a colleague.
“Her toughness, her kindness, her vision have been an institution in our court for my entire career,” said Kane, who was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2019.
Kauger has vivid and mostly fond memories of her childhood in Colony and young adult years. She played basketball in high school. She still has the faded newspapers showing her modeling the latest fashions when she was younger. She lost her sister in a plane crash as a young adult.
Kauger put herself through the Oklahoma City University School of Law, graduating first in her class in 1969.
She was instrumental in creating the online case tracking system for the state’s courts and transforming the old Wiley Post building that then housed the Oklahoma Historical Society into the Judicial Center.
Not being retained has advantages for Kauger, who plans to write at least two books and start a docent program for the Judicial Center, where she was instrumental in picking out the artwork.
“This is the most wonderful building and has one of the best Indian art collections,” said Kauger, who can see the state’s court building from her nearby home across the street from the Capitol. “We’ve told the history of the state through the art.”
Her Taos Pueblo-style home, including the garage, is filled with art, whether it is paintings or sculptures. She is also an artist.
“I call it a new beginning,” Kauger said. “That iron curtain has dropped. I don’t bear a grudge. Sometimes I think it’s serendipitous because I probably would have never quit.”
Kauger has a tradition.
After every retention ballot, she purchases something for herself.
After one retention election, it was living room furniture. One year it was a car. This year, it was a zero-gravity heat massage chair.
Kauger said she has no regrets about anything she has done. She said the job of the court is to follow the law based on the facts, regardless of what some might believe.
“Do right. Fear not,” is a motto she lives by.
Despite racking up an impressive list of firsts, honors and awards, Kauger said that is not her legacy.
“My legacy is my family,” she said, referring to daughter Jonna Kirschner, two grandchildren and a great grandson.
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Former Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores has committed to Iowa State, via the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. Flores spent three seasons with the Cowboys.
Flores began the 2025 campaign as Oklahoma State’s backup QB, but took over starting responsibilities in Week 2 after Hauss Hejny suffered an injury in the season-opener. Flores made nine appearances this past season.
He completed 59.8% of his pass attempts for 1,490 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing seven interceptions. Additionally, Flores recorded 117 yards and two scores in the ground game.
Zane Flores played high school football at Gretna (NE), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 467 overall player and No. 29 QB in the 2023 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
Flores is the 33rd player who has committed to Iowa State this offseason via the NCAA Transfer Portal. At the time of his commitment to the Cyclones, Flores was the No. 97 QB in On3’s 2026 Transfer Portal Player Rankings.
Iowa State is entering a new after longtime head coach Matt Campbell left the program to take over at Penn State. Campbell had been the head coach at Iowa State since 2016. In his 10 seasons at the helm of the program, he amassed a 72-55 overall record and a 50-40 mark in conference play.
In response to Campbell’s decision, Iowa State hired Jimmy Rogers to be its next head coach. Rogers was Washington State‘s HC in the 2025 campaign. He led the Cougars to a 6-6 overall record.
Prior to his time at the helm of WSU, Rogers was South Dakota State‘s head coach. In just two seasons with the Jackrabbits, he led the program to a 27-3 record and a 15-1 mark in conference play.
Moreover, in 2023, South Dakota State won the FCS National Championship. The team lost in the national semifinals in 2024, but won the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Now, he’ll look to lead Iowa State to similar heights.
“My family and I are excited to be joining the Iowa State University community and the Cyclone football program,” Rogers said. “Iowa State has been one of the nation’s top programs for the last decade and we look forward to building upon its upward trajectory. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Jamie Pollard has given me to lead the Cyclones.”
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) offers support to residents affected by the severe storms that hit central and eastern Oklahoma on Jan. 8.
Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready emphasized the department’s commitment to helping those impacted.
“As we begin recovery after this severe weather, the Oklahoma Insurance Department is here to help,” Mulready said. “We want everyone affected to know that if you have questions about your policy, need assistance with the claims process, or just aren’t sure where to start, our Consumer Assistance Division is ready to support you every step of the way.”
Residents can reach out to OID’s Consumer Assistance division at 800-522-0071 or visit oid.ok.gov for support. Mulready also urged Oklahomans to report damage at damage.ok.gov.
The department provided several post-storm tips for victims, including documenting damage with photos or videos, making necessary temporary repairs, and consulting with trusted roofing contractors. Residents are advised to contact their insurance company after obtaining repair estimates and to save all receipts for any repairs made.
Additionally, the OID warned against contractor fraud, advising residents to get multiple bids, check references, and avoid paying upfront. Suspected fraud should be reported to the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General Consumer Protection Unit at 833-681-1895.
For more information on storm preparation and insurance coverage, visit oid.ok.gov/GetReady.
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8:45 p.m. Tornado Update from NWS Norman:
EF1 (high end) at Purcell
EF0 near Lake Thunderbird (south of Stella/northwest of Little Axe)
EF1 west and near the Shawnee Twin Lakes
EF1 in north Shawnee.
There are other areas of damage that we will continue to investigate.
Original story:
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Storms moved through parts of Oklahoma on Thursday morning, with at least five tornado warnings issued and two tornadoes that touched down in Purcell and Shawnee, leaving behind damage.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved through central and eastern Oklahoma early Thursday that producing tornadoes, damaging winds, and power outages.
Preliminary information from the National Weather Service in Norman shows that at least EF-1 damage was found in Purcell. Survey teams are continuing to assess the damage that was left behind from the morning storms.
Officials also reported that widespread power outages occurred in the city, along with downed trees and powerlines, with nine homes having damaged roofs, and a semi-truck rollover accident on I-35 with one injury.
Shawnee also suffered some damage Thursday morning, which includes downed fences and partial roof loss at the Holiday Inn Express. As of Thursday evening, NWS officials confirm that a tornado did touch down in the northern portion of Shawnee; however, a preliminary rating hasn’t been given at this time.
According to Comanche County Emergency Management, damages related to the storms were reported across the City of Lawton, with roof damage at Sheridan and Lee, along with power pole and power line damage.
Lawton Fire Department responded to a rooftop fire at MacArthur High School on Thursday morning, caused by wind damage to AC units.
Lightning strikes in Edmond were reported to have caused a transformer fire near Covell and Kelly, with another lightning strike having caused a tree to fall on top of a vehicle near Covell and Broadway, resulting in one person being injured.
Straight-line winds were also reported to have destroyed a barn north of Guthrie, while structures were damaged in south Wynona, including a shop building that was devastated and a mobile home that was damaged.
Damage assessments are said to be ongoing at this time. News 4 will provide updates as we learn more.
According to NWS Norman officials, the last time the department issued a tornado warning in January was on January 10, 2020. However, Thursday’s reported tornado was not the earliest for a tornado to occur in Oklahoma. Tornadoes happened in Osage, Mayes, McIntosh, Ottawa, and Sequoyah Counties back on January 2, 2023.
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