Oklahoma

Former Oklahoma educators give teachers a voice through new book

Published

10 months ago

August 29, 2023

Former Oklahoma educators give teachers a voice through new book

TULSA, Okla. — Two former Tulsa educators give a voice to teachers across the country with their new book, “Relate, then Educate. The Untold Stories of Teachers, by teachers.”

The book recently launched and gives a unique perspective inside the classroom meant to encourage current and future generations of educators.

Among the quiet corridor of bound pages on shelves at Magic City Books in downtown Tulsa, sits a book making noise with its red decor and the words within.

“Remember that no matter how difficult things get, how futile your efforts appear, or even how incredibly rewarded you feel any given day, this work is worth it,” Andrea Avey, co-author of “Relate, then Educate,” said.

Those words, an excerpt from the book, are ones Avey wrote to encourage readers. It’s a theme found throughout the book, which tells firsthand accounts of heartache and joy in the classroom.

“It’s just so exciting to be able to give educators a voice to kind of uplift them and allow people to see and respect the work that they do, the heart that they have, in ways that are not maybe readily visible,” Avey said.

Avey, along with Rick Holmes, who co-authors the book, are former Oklahoma educators themselves. They’ve felt the raw emotion of a typical school day. The highs and the lows.

They said they found that perspective was worth sharing to shed light on the unsung heroes who mold the minds of future leaders.

“It’s meaningful and it’s necessary to have teachers tell their story, because whenever you talk about education, there are other people’s voices that are defining what education is, what is happening in the classroom, who are these teachers that work with your kids,” Holmes said.

He adds how he realized with all the voices out there, teachers were not included. Because of this, he set out on a mission to interview teachers from all over the country.

“What I felt was necessary was the ability for teachers to listen to teachers,” Holmes said. “So, the teacher in the classroom who feels isolated, who feels alone, especially those in the first three years of education, they don’t feel like they are doing a very good job. They don’t really feel like they know what they are doing.”

He said the book is to give those teachers a perspective of somebody else who can speak to those fears and insecurities, and say, “It’s OK. You’re not alone.”

“I think right now particularly in our state and our city there is a lot of rhetoric about what these people are doing, or what those people are doing,” Avey said. “But in this particular book you are able to hear, ‘I am an educator, and here is what I am doing,’ and I think that is really important.”

The firsthand accounts also show how each educator found their path to the classroom and a unifying theme of love and commitment to students.

It’s a book the authors hope changes a narrative.

“A part of this project has been to encourage teachers to say, ‘You do have something to say of value. You are wise, and you are well equipped in being a good person,’ and we want to hear those stories.”

“Relate, then Educate,” is available for purchase anywhere books are sold. Magic City Books has signed copies.

A podcast stemming from the book is also available, as well as events hosted by organizers of “Relate, then Educate.”

“Teachers Night Out,” is an event to give back to teachers and is coming to Tulsa on November 16. Other cities included are Oklahoma City on Oct. 17, and Fayetteville on Oct. 24.

For more information visit https://relatetheneducate.com/

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma to execute Richard Rojem Jr. for murder of ex-stepdaughter. What to know.

Published

5 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Press Room

Oklahoma to execute Richard Rojem Jr. for murder of ex-stepdaughter. What to know.

Rojem was convicted in 1985 of kidnapping, raping and murdering his former stepdaughter, 7-year-old Layla Cummings. His execution Thursday follows that of Ramiro Gonzales in Texas on Wednesday

Richard Rojem Jr. is set to be executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma on Thursday for the rape and murder of his 7-year-old former stepdaughter. If it goes forward, the execution will be the nation’s second in as many days.

Rojem, 66, was convicted in 1985 of raping and stabbing 7-year-old Layla Dawn Cummings to death. Her brutalized body was left in a field and found by a farmer; she was still wearing her mom’s nightgown.

“Everything she might have been was stolen from her one horrific night,” Layla’s mother, Mindy Cummings, told the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board this month. “She never got to be more than the precious 7-year-old that she was. And so she remains in our hearts − forever 7.”

Rojem has always maintained his innocence, telling the board on June 17: “I did not kidnap Layla. I did not rape Layla. And I did not murder Layla.”

The board rejected his clemency request. His execution will be the state’s second of the year and the nation’s ninth.

Here’s what we know ahead of the execution.

What is Richard Rojem convicted of?

Layla was abducted from an apartment in Elk City, Oklahoma, where she lived with her mother and 9-year-old brother, on July 6, 1984, Oklahoma state court documents say. The children’s mother and Rojem’s ex-wife, Mindy Cummings, had left them alone to work a late shift at a local fast-food restaurant.

The child’s body was found the next morning in a field 15 miles from her home by a farm in Burns Flat. the appellate court records say.

Rojem and Mindy Cummings had only been divorced for two months before Layla’s murder. The two met while Rojem was serving time in a Michigan prison for the rape of two teenage girls; Cummings was the sister of Rojem’s cellmate, according to court records.

The then-26-year-old Rojem knew Cummings’ work schedule and that the lock to her apartment door was broken, according to the court filings.

Rojem was found guilty on May 31, 1985 and sentenced to death.

Has Richard Rojem appealed?

Rojem appealed his death sentence multiple times until he exhausted his attempts in 2017, Oklahoma court records show. He did win two appeals as his initial and second death sentences were thrown out in 2001 and 2006 due to problems with the jury in both instances.

A jury sentenced him to death again in 2007, and he did not win anymore appeals afterward.

Rojem’s final attempt to remain on death row for the rest of his life was on June 17 during a clemency hearing. During the hearing, Rojem maintained that he did not murder Layla and he apologized for his past, which included the rape of two teenage girls.

“I wasn’t a good human being for the first part of my life, and I don’t deny that,” a handcuffed Rojem said during the hearing. “But I went to prison. I learned my lesson and I left all that behind.”

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied Rojem clemency.

When will Richard Rojem be executed?

Rojem is scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. CT at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, 90 miles south of Tulsa.

Oklahoma executions are scheduled 90 days apart due to the “emotional and mental trauma on correctional staff,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a May news release. The execution interval was previously 60 days, he added.

How will Richard Rojem be executed?

Rojem will be executed with a three-drug lethal injection containing midazolam, vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride, according to Oklahoma execution protocols.

Midazolam is a sedative that is normally administered to help patients feel relaxed before surgery, vecuronium bromide is peripherally used as part of general anesthesia and potassium chloride is a medication for low blood potassium. The combination of the drugs the prison is using is fatal.

Who will witness the execution?

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office told USA TODAY that the “witness list is confidential for security reasons.”

While unclear who will be in the execution room, the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester does provide a place to view for people 18 or older who are immediate family of any deceased victim of the defendant, according to state statutes.

Rojem’s attorney, Jack Fisher, told USA TODAY that he would be attending his client’s execution on Thursday.

Among the select members of the news media who will witness the execution is reporter Nolan Clay of The Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network.

What will be Richard Rojem’s final meal?

According to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Rojem’s final meal will consist of:

A small Little Caeser’s pizza – double cheese/double pepperoni
Eight salt packets
Eight crushed red pepper packets.
Vernors Ginger Ale, bottled.
Four ounces of vanilla ice cream cups

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OSU Recruiting: Oklahoma State Gets Commitment From JUCO Transfer LB Chris Robinson

Published

12 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

OSU Recruiting: Oklahoma State Gets Commitment From JUCO Transfer LB Chris Robinson

On Wednesday, Kilgore College (TX) linebacker Chris Robinson announced his commitment to Oklahoma State.

I’M HERE! Gopokes🤠#committed @CoachNardo27 @joebobclements @CoachGundy @CoachJG_ @CowboyFB pic.twitter.com/qH707uTwLR
— 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 (@sayochris5) June 26, 2024

Robinson’s pledge comes 16 days after the Rangers’ standout took a visit to Stillwater and picked up an offer from Bryan Nardo and company. Prior to his trip to Stillwater, Robinson visited the Cougars and new head coach Willie Fritz.

After seeing OSU, however, the the Cowboys were able to get a commitment from Robinson on Wednesday.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Robinson played one season at Kilgore College, tallying 38 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 11 games, helping lead the Rangers to a 9-2 record and a Southwest Junior College Football Conference championship.

Robinson’s efforts resulted in the star freshman earning offers from Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky, Texas Tech, New Mexico, Houston and Oklahoma State.

Before attending Kilgore College, Robinson played at Harker Heights (TX), a high school 55 miles southwest of Waco. Harker Heights is also just five miles from Killeen, TX, the home of Cowboys’ 2025 tight end commit Isaiah Butler-Tanner, who commented on Robinson’s pledge.

Reppin 254 #GoPokes
— Isaiah Butler-Tanner (@Isaiah_Tanner4) June 26, 2024

For Joe Bob Clements, the addition of Robinson gives the Pokes’ linebacker room great depth heading into the 2024 season. With talented linebacker duo Nick Martin and Collin Oliver both back in Stillwater after impressive performances in 2023, inserting Robinson into the rotation will only make the position group better.

In addition to Robinson, Oklahoma State also adds 3-star Melissa (TX) linebacker Gunnar Wilson to its roster ahead of the 2024 season.

Want to join the discussion? Like AllPokes on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

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Oklahoma roasting under heat dome after hurricane-force winds knock out power to thousands

Published

19 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

Oklahoma roasting under heat dome after hurricane-force winds knock out power to thousands

FOX News Multimedia Reporter Joy Addison tells us exactly how hot it will feel across the South and Plains today and how emergency crews and hospitals are getting ready for an influx of heat illnesses.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahomans have been forced to sweat it out Wednesday after hurricane-force winds knocked out power and air conditioning amid a heat dome that is roasting the state.

The National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma, issued an Excessive Heat Warning that doesn’t expire until 9 p.m. Warm temperatures and high humidity will drive the heat index or feels-like temperature as high as 120 degrees.

“Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events,” the NWS warned.

90-MPH WIND GUST LEAVES OMAHA AIRPORT AGAIN TARGET OF SEVERE WEATHER

As of noon Wednesday, almost 80,000 homes and businesses were still without power after overnight and morning storms swept through, according to PowerOutage.US. That means no air conditioning to beat the heat.

Thunderstorms churned up tropical-storm- and hurricane-force wind gusts across Oklahoma City, Tulsa and much of central and eastern Oklahoma. The morning commute was frustrating for many. Downed trees and power poles littered streets. Even a stoplight took a hit in Tulsa.

DIY AIR CONDITIONER: HOW TO MAKE YOURS WITH HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Many in Tulsa had to find an alternate way to work Wednesday morning.

(City of Tulsa / FOX Weather)

Tulsa endured a 71-mph wind gust. Muskogee and Guthrie reported a 68-mph gust while Tinker Air Force Base near Oklahoma City had a 73-mph gust.

“We’ve had multiple 70 mph wind gust reports in OKC!,” said the NWS Norman.

WHAT IS A HEAT DOME?

Trees took out power lines and barely missed the hen house.

(Public Service Co. / FOX Weather)

A falling tree injured one person in Hochatown. Across Logan County, gusts tore shingles off homes and even destroyed a large barn.

Lightning from the storms started a house fire in Oklahoma City. The Fire Department reported they responded to more than 150 storm emergencies.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

(Oklahoma City Fire / FOX Weather)

The lightning was constant in Edmund overnight.

The night in Edmund was hardly dark with all the lightning.

(@LaurieMit via Storyful / FOX Weather)

High temperatures through the rest of the week in Oklahoma City will straddle 100 degrees every day, and don’t expect relief from the heat overnight. Low temperatures will stay in the upper 70s and low 80s.

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