Oklahoma
‘We will forever feel this loss’: Victims with Oklahoma ties lost in DC plane crash
Frequent flier reflects from Wichita airport on news of American Airlines tragedy
Jon Anderson said the news affected him deeply as a frequent air traveler, noting he had difficulty falling asleep the night of the crash.
Investigators on Friday forged ahead with search and salvage operations after the collision of a passenger plane and a U.S. Army helicopter that killed 67 people, as families and communities across the U.S. and in other countries mourned the victims in the deadliest aviation disaster in over two decades.
Among the victims were people with ties to Oklahoma State University, Tinker Air Force Base and Oklahoma’s agriculture community.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on Wednesday night, American Airlines flight 5432 plunged into the Potomac River when it collided with an Army UH-60 Black Hawk conducting a “routine” training exercise. All 64 aboard the plane bound from Wichita, Kansas to D.C. are presumed dead, as are the three soldiers who occupied the helicopter.
Wednesday’s collision is the worst crash involving a U.S. airline since February 2009.
Here’s what we know about some of the victims who had ties to Oklahoma:
Lindsey Fields: Dedicated to ‘changing students’ lives every day’
Forgan native Lindsey Fields was headed to Washington, D.C. to advocate for excellence in life science education.
She was president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers, a role she was eager to step into because it was the same position her father Todd Carter held in 2008.
For the past decade, Fields taught biology at Butler Community College in the Wichita area. She was beloved at the school, who praised her energy and dedication to her craft.
“Lindsey was a colleague, friend, and educator who dedicated her wisdom and talents to changing students’ lives every day. We owe her much gratitude for sharing her light with us and we will forever feel this loss. We send much love and support to her family and friends during this most difficult time,” the school said in an announcement Friday morning.
Fields, a graduate of Forgan High School in the Oklahoma Panhandle, earned a master’s degree in zoology from Oklahoma State University. After that, she took an internship with the Oklahoma City Zoo working with big cats. According to an online biography, Fields’ graduate research led her to Kansas where she examined water quality of reservoirs on the central plains.
Oklahoma State Professor Andy Dzialowski was her coursework adviser at the university. He said that Fields took on the rare job of being an undergraduate teaching assistant, which is a role usually reserved for post-graduate students.
“If you asked people in her department who would have been one of the most successful teachers, it would be Lindsey. She was a really good teaching assistant,” he said. “She was a really nice person. A great big smile.”
Dzialowski feels humbled to see that Fields became so successful in her field.
“Students appreciate someone who’s dedicated to teaching them. Even if you don’t become a biologist, it’s important that you understand science,” he said. “Being a biology professor and teaching general biology courses really has a significance in our society.”
Andrew Eaves, a Black Hawk instructor pilot, served at Tinker AFB
One of the pilots on board the U.S. Army Black Hawk was Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, who was serving as an instructor pilot.
Before joining the Army’s warrant officer program to fly helicopters, Eaves was a sailor stationed at Tinker Air Force Base.
Eaves was a native of Brooksville, Mississippi. His wife, Carrie Eaves, shared the news in a post on Facebook.
“We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today,” she wrote.
The Army said the Black Hawk, from the 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was on a training mission when it collided with the American Airlines jet.
Bob and Lori Schrock: Compassionate, eager to help others
Robert “Bob” and Lori Schrock were known in their community as compassionate people.
Bob, 58, and Lori, 56, lived in Kiowa, Kansas, which sits on the border with Oklahoma near Alva. Bob worked there as a farmer, their daughter Ellie told The Washington Post. The Oklahoman, which is part of the USA Today Network, reached out to Ellie, who wasn’t immediately available to speak about her parents.
The couple was flying out of Wichita that week and planned to ride the train to visit their daughter in Philadelphia. It was a typical trip the two took.
Michael Simpson, a longtime family friend, shared that the couple were quick to lend a hand. Bob was one of the few men who encouraged him, Simpson said on social media, and he often sought Bob out for advice throughout his life.
“[They were] always silent in the background and never looking for any appreciation. They had a strong, vocal relationship with the Lord and I look forward to seeing my friends again. One of the last times we talked was about how amazing heaven will be and how excited we were about the hope we have, but until then we have a job to do for the Kingdom,” Simpson wrote on Facebook.
Simpson said while he misses his friends, he is praying for Ellie’s future.
“Biggest heartbreak that we’ve been both praying about is their daughter because I can’t imagine how lonely that is going to feel. For me, for Mark, we’re going to hurt; it’s going to be painful, but we know we’re going to see our friends again,” he told KSN News.
Ellie’s close friend Grace Cantrell shared with reporters that she mourns the moments that the three will no longer be able to share.
“All the things that her parents won’t be there for, her wedding, her first boyfriend, her first kid, she’s planning on going to med school. If she becomes a doctor, they won’t get to see her achieve that,” Cantrell told KSN News.
Lici Beveridge of the Hattiesburg American contributed to this story.
Putnam City West High School will shift to virtual learning on Tuesday after an incident involving two students prompted an investigation by the district and Oklahoma City police, according to Putnam City Schools.
District officials said administrators were alerted near the end of the school day Monday to an altercation involving two students in the school’s arena area.
Officials said the students left campus, and the case was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for investigation.
District officials said no students or staff were harmed and there is no ongoing safety threat related to the incident.
What we know
Putnam City West sent the following email to all families and staff at the school:
All PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st.
Today, an isolated serious incident involving two students occurred on school grounds. Near the end of the school day, administrators were alerted to an altercation between two students in the arena area. The individuals involved quickly left campus, prompting an initial fact-finding response by school administrators before the matter was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for further investigation. Because this is an active investigation involving students, no further information will be released at this time.
We understand this information may be concerning to students, staff, and families. Please know we are committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for all students. At Putnam City Schools, student and staff safety remains our highest priority. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution and to allow for a thorough investigation, all PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st. Students will need to check Google Classroom for updates from teachers.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of PC West.
Putnam City Schools
All students and staff at Putnam City West will transition to virtual learning on Tuesday, April 21, while investigators continue their work, according to the district.
Students were told to check Google Classroom for instructions from teachers.
The district said it is withholding additional details because the case involves students and remains under investigation.
School officials have not said what triggered the incident or whether any arrests have been made.
This is a developing story. Updates will be added as more information becomes available.
TULSA, OKLA (KTUL) — A new program in Oklahoma is giving adults another way to finish high school by allowing them to use past credits and test scores to earn a diploma, an option officials say could help thousands of people and strengthen the state’s workforce.
For years, adults in Oklahoma who did not finish high school largely had one main option: earning a GED. Now, Oklahoma CareerTech is rolling out the Career Readiness Diploma, a pathway designed to build on what students have already completed rather than requiring them to start over.
“So in Oklahoma right now, if you look at the demographics, we have about 279,000 people in our state without a high school diploma. So it’s almost 10% of our population doesn’t have a high school diploma,” said Lance Allee, an adult education and family literacy specialist with Oklahoma CareerTech.
Allee said the program allows adults to apply previously earned high school credit and combine different assessment scores into a single record to qualify for a diploma.
“It allows the student to use previously earned high school credit. So, it’s kind of like a portfolio where you can take multiple assessment scores and put them into one portfolio to get your high school diploma,” Allee said.
The program is open to adults 21 and older. In some cases, officials said, participants can finish in just weeks, depending on how many credits they already have.
CareerTech officials say the program is also aimed at improving job prospects for individuals while helping Oklahoma remain competitive when attracting employers.
“When you’re a company and you’re looking at moving into Oklahoma, you look at the demographics and say, is there a workforce there that we can employ? And you say, well, about 10% of the population doesn’t have a diploma, they may start looking at states that surround us. So, we definitely want to get as many diplomas out there as we can,” Allee said.
The program started issuing diplomas in recent weeks, and officials said dozens more people are already in the process. For more information or to sign up click here.
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NORMAN — Cord Rager’s return comes at a pivotal time for Skip Johnson’s Oklahoma Sooners. Not only do they get their day three starter back in time for big road matchups against Auburn and Arkansas on the horizon, but the Sooners pitching strength, their rotational depth, is primed and ready for the test.
The freshman lefty finished with eight strikeouts and only gave up one hit in only 65 pitches before his day ended in the sixth.
No. 14 Oklahoma earn its first conference sweep of the season, defeating Missouri 8-4. It was OU’s fourth conference series win.
Oklahoma (27-12, 10-8) put their best foot forward as they turn the page to the meat of their schedule where they will do battle against No. 13, No. 20 and No. 16 over the next three weeks — two of those series’ on the road.
Four runs in five hits in the second got things rolling for the Sooners.
Camden Johnson continued his brilliant play of late with a triple in the second. This came after a Brenden Brock solo home run to put OU up 1-0. Deiten LaChance grounded out to short but scored Johnson. Dasan Harris and and Nolan Stevens each found home before the inning ended.
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OU found fortune from the plate again in the fourth. Four runs off of four hits highlighted by a three-run home run by Johnson put Oklahoma up 8-0. It was Johnson’s seventh home run of the season, second on the team behind Brock’s nine.
Trent Collier got the nod in the sixth to relieve Rager.
In the seventh, Missouri finally got on the board for the first time since the ninth inning of Friday night’s Sooner victory. Cam Durnin hit a solo shot — his fourht of the season — to make the score 8-1 in favor of the home team.
The Tigers got their third hit of the game shortly after. From there, Collier’s short day was done. Gavyn Jones came on to relieve
LaChance missed a home run by inches when Tiger center fielder Kaden Peer made a leaping catch, jumping into the fence.
In the eighth, the Tigers continued to chip away. With bases loaded, Blaze Ward hit a basehit to score two Missouri base runners. OU led 8-3 heading into the final inning.
Harris led the Sooners with three hits. His day was accented by an RBI, stolen base and a run.
Oklahoma will travel to Auburn to take on the No. 13 Tigers for a three game series starting on Friday. Before that, they will host Oral Roberts for a midweek game at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman. The Sooners won 4-0 against ORU earlier this season.
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