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Housing groups launch new homelessness council after Stitt dissolved the official one

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Housing groups launch new homelessness council after Stitt dissolved the official one


A year after Gov. Kevin Stitt dissolved a statewide council on ending homelessness, providers have launched an independent group to collect data and coordinate services in Oklahoma. 

The Interagency Council on Homelessness of Oklahoma launched this month and will fill the hole left by the former Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness, which was created by an executive order more than two decades ago. 

Stitt cited a need for smaller government last year when he dissolved the council that worked to coordinate funding and services between providers as the number of unsheltered Oklahomans continues to grow. The group was made up primarily of volunteers and state employees and received no recurring funding from the state. 

“Everyone in this room knows we have not solved the problem of homelessness,” said Linda Love, director of planning and development for KI BOIS Community Action Foundation in southeast Oklahoma, during a launch meeting on May 22. “That is why the former executive committee of the (Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness) has worked to put together a private council in Oklahoma to continue the work that needs to be done.” 

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Advisory members of the new Interagency Council on Homelessness of Oklahoma pointed to issues like the state’s high eviction rates, growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness in metro areas and the end of pandemic relief programs.

“The scale, magnitude and reach” of the issue of homelessness requires people from different sectors and locations to work together, said Greg Shinn, an assistant executive director with the Oklahoma City Housing Authority who served on the governor’s former council. 

Volunteers survey people experiencing homelessness during the 2024 Point-in-Time count in Oklahoma City in January. NATHAN POPPE/Curbside Chronicle

The new council will craft a statewide plan to address homelessness, track data to share with the state and federal governments and bring together agencies and providers from across the state to coordinate funding and programs, Shinn said. 

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Interagency councils exist across the country to coordinate services and report data. Without an executive order from the governor or a mandate from the Legislature, the new council won’t be able to require participation from government agencies like the Department of Corrections or the State Department of Education, said Dan Straughan, director of special projects with the Homeless Alliance. 

But the group, which is running as a nonprofit with funding from the nonprofit incubator Give Help, may eventually ask the Legislature to formalize its efforts. 

Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said coordinating around an issue as complex as homelessness should be a core state government function. 

While the state has invested in housing affordability programs, lawmakers are also approving new state laws prohibiting unauthorized camping on state-owned lands and debating how to more quickly remove squatters. Two of Kirt’s bills this session — one to create a state affordable housing commission and another to extend timelines in the eviction process — didn’t get a hearing on the Senate floor.

“There is a lack of interest in real solutions in this area,” Kirt said. “That’s why we need this bigger picture, coordinated thinking.” 

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A spokeswoman for Stitt’s office said the governor would be supportive of Oklahomans “coming together to work towards solutions on homelessness.” 

Several other states also have independent councils to address homelessness. A spokeswoman from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness said the national group will work with Oklahoma’s new council despite it being considered unofficial. 

The new council will decide its voting members by the end of June and have its first meeting in July.





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Oklahoma

Oklahoma high school tennis Classes 6A-4A boys state championship results

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Oklahoma high school tennis Classes 6A-4A boys state championship results


The 2026 Oklahoma high school boys tennis state championships are being played Friday and Saturday at Oklahoma City Tennis Center.

Here are the results:

Order book on Oklahoma HS basketball at ‘The Big House’

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Oklahoma high school boys tennis scoreboard

At Oklahoma City Tennis Center

Class 6A Boys

NO. 1 SINGLES

First Round

Walker Nelson, Bixby, def. Jackson Abner, Piedmont, 6-0, 6-0

Keon Azadi, Norman, def. Finley Stone, Muskogee, 6-1, 6-2

Adolfo Andrade, Tulsa Union, def. Jett Sewell, Deer Creek, 6-0, 6-0

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Krishna Bhadriraju, Jenks, def. Karson Vega, Mustang, 6-0, 6-1

Eli Lemley, Edmond Memorial, def. Pierce Durbin, Broken Arrow, 6-0, 6-0

Brandon Ionescu, Norman North, def. Ben Colburn, Edmond North, 6-3, 6-1

Lincoln Smith, Putnam City, def. Nick Henry, Owasso, 6-4, 6-2

TJ Shanahan, Bishop McGuinness, def. Jonathan Dunn, Edmond Santa Fe, 6-1, 6-0

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NO. 2 SINGLES

First Round

Gavin Davis, Edmond Memorial, def. Kyle Tran, Broken Arrow, 6-1, 6-0

Jose Mendoza, Union, def. Haden Buie, Muskogee, 6-0, 6-2

Tyson Stuart, Owasso, def. Patrick Hopper, Norman, 6-1, 6-2

Braley Griffith, Bishop McGuinness, def. Sam Fair, Mustang, 6-2, 6-4

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Tej Beniwal, Jenks, def. Max menne, Stillwater, 6-0, 6-0

Josh Booze, Norman North, def. Nathan Aller, Piedmont, 6-2, 6-4

Haaris Sattar, Deer Creek, def. Aaron Warmoth, Edmond Santa Fe, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5

Carter Henson, Bixby, def. Javen Sanner, Edmond North, 6-3, 6-3

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NO. 1 DOUBLES

First Round

Bailey-S. Morrison, Edmond Memorial, def. Clink-Harrison, Jenks, 6-2, 6-3

Harkins-Thomas, Edmond North, def. Anderson-Harris, Mustang, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

Amaya-Loeffler, Bishop McGuinness, def. Gonzalez-Lisle, Union, 6-2, 6-2

Torrence-Whitney, Bixby, def. Crawford-Lopez, Moore, 6-1, -2

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Haymore-Yong, Edmond Santa Fe, def. Kistler-Szendrei, Norman, 6-3, 6-4

Dosev-McKee, Stillwater, def. Payne-Warren, Owasso, 6-3, 6-3

Webster-Mathis, Choctaw, def. Goncharov-Kim, Norman North, 4-6, 6-4, 6-5

Corbin-Palmer, Yukon, def. Colmenero-Covington, Bartlesville, 6-1, 6-3

NO. 2 DOUBLES

First Round

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Bowling-D. Morrison, Edmond Memorial, def. Barnes-Lippe, Yukon, 6-1, 6-0

Darby-Nguyen, Union, def. Coleman-Gary, Owasso, 6-1, 6-3

Remy-Stevenson, Bixby, def. O’Neill-Phillips, Ponca City, 6-3, 6-2

Henness-Hua, Broken Arrow, def. Bruce-Li, Stillwater, 6-1, 6-1

V. Beniwal-Schissel, Jenks, def. Hall-Jackson, Norman North, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

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Majors-Phan, Edmond North, def. Hollenbeck-Hollenbeck, Choctaw, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4

Chiang-Cumpton, Edmond Santa Fe, def. Burchett-Proctor, Bartlesville, 6-2, 6-1

Dell-Osso-J. Griffith, Bishop McGuinness, def. Calderwood-Hennessee, Westmoore, 6-0, 6-1

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Class 5A Boys

NO. 1 SINGLES

First Round

Dutch Prather, Tulsa Bishop Kelley, def. Carter Schollenbarger, Shawnee, 6-0, 6-0

Tai Nguyen, Pryor, def. Caleb Whaley, McAlester, 6-0, 6-0

Ethan Luong, Carl Albert, def. Jan Kosik, Grove, 6-0, 6-0

Hayden Shriner, Casady, def. Gaius Sanchez, Durant, 6-2, 6-0

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JP Dillon, Crossings Christian, def. Luke Wickham, Claremore, 6-0, 6-0

River Tate, Duncan, def. Rawley Winsett, Altus, 6-0, 6-0

Christian Huntley, Metro Christian, def. Roshan Kunapuli, Tulsa BTW, 6-1, 6-2

Benjamin Kendrick, Cascia Hall, def. Eli Mooney, Classen, 6-0, 6-1

NO. 2 SINGLES

First Round

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Ashton Haynes, Metro Christian, def. Jesse Gonzales, Midwest City, 6-0, 6-0

Grant Alexander, Grove, def. William Downey, Lawton, 6-1, 6-3

Liam Allen, Bishop Kelley, def. Will Cooper, McAlester, 6-0, 6-0

Gavin Cobble, Duncan, def. Deacon Fannin, Pryor, 6-3, 6-2

Joel Lauw, Crossings Christian, def. Brandon Rogers, Carl Albert, 6-4, 6-2

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Caleb Strickland, Altus, def. Mackinle Sisovsky, Claremore, 6-4, 6-3

Aryan Singh, Casady, def. Samuel Frederick, Lawton MacArthur, 6-0, 6-0

Gavin Warren, Cascia Hall, def. Truman White, Tulsa BTW, 6-1, 6-0

NO. 1 DOUBLES

First Round

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G. Dillon-Shapard, Crossings Christian, def. Blackbird-Havens, Tahlequah, 6-0, 6-1

Koehn-Ollison, Classen, def. Cole-Comstock, Shawnee, 6-1, 6-4

Neal-T. Prather, Bishop Kelley, def. Johnstone-Landis, Casady, 6-4, 6-0

Hardy-McCann, Metro Christian, def. Hall-Hester, McAlester, 6-1, 6-0

Reineke-Zeiders, Heritage Hall, def. Schartz-Karleskint, Grove, 6-1, 6-4

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Mayer-Olmstead, Guthrie, def. Rodgers-Stallings, Cascia Hall, 6-1, 6-4

Crimmins-Davis, Duncan, def. Hays-Martin, Pryor, 6-2, 6-0

Reese-Sparks, Carl Albert, def. Arnold-Miller, Durant, 6-1, 6-0

NO. 2 DOUBLES

First Round

Baker-Hays, Crossings Christian, def. Bowman-Jones, Classen, 6-1, 6-1

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Harms-Jones, Altus, def. Hurst-Joice, Pryor, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5

Brooks-DeWitt, Bishop Kelley, def. Edberg-Shelton, Guthrie, 6-3, 6-2

Blasdel-Smith, Heritage Hall, def. Baker-Brinkley, Tahlequah, 6-1, 6-2

Gilliam-Oudit, Carl Albert, def. Garcia-Preston, Durant, 6-1, 6-0

Hood-McCoy, Cascia Hall, def. Farr-Mitchell, Tulsa BTW, 6-4, 6-3

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Mois-Pitale, Casady, def. Lander-Snedegar, Metro Christian, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4)

Churchman-Mitchell, Duncan, Newsom-Timmons, Shawnee, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

Class 4A Boys

NO. 1 SINGLES

First Round

Max Beard, Regent Prep, def. Jacob Holloway, Byng, 6-0, 6-0

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Quinn Brewer, Elk City, def. Waylon Smith, Ardmore, 6-2, 6-4

Quinn Steenson, Riverfield, def. Jayden Ashton, Wagoner, 6-0, 6-2

Ian Ward, Harding Charter, def. Gus Byrd, Ada, 6-1, 6-1

Henry Corbin, The Academy, def. Truman Adams, Oklahoma Christian Aca., 6-0, 6-0

Cruz Palomino, Holland Hall, def. Landon Brown, Woodward, 6-0, 6-0

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William Berry, Douglass, def. Ethan Ryder, Lincoln Christian, 6-0, 6-1

Trendon Ayers, Oklahoma Christian School, def. Jeff Webster, Henryetta, 6-0, 6-0

NO. 2 SINGLES

First Round

Joe Dvorak, Ardmore, def. CJ Trevino, Rejoice Christian, 6-0, 6-0

Cedar Thomas, Ada, def. Caleb Darr, Mount St. Mary, 6-3, 6-1

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Brayden Tyrrell, OCS, def. Andreas Markey, Harding Charter, 6-4, 6-2

Andy Robbins, The Academy, def. Carter Lillie, Oklahoma Bibble, 6-1, 6-0

Joel Ferguson, OCA, def. Cade Johnson, Regent Prep, 6-2, 6-0

Cole Patterson, Riverfield, def. Chase Jobe, Lincoln Christian, 6-3, 6-2

Brady Henry, Holland Hall, def. Kael Humphries, Wagoner, 6-1, 6-0

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Kade Duncan, Elk City, def. Adam Hensley, Byng, 6-2, 7-5

NO. 1 DOUBLES

First Round

Harrison-Ware, Byng, def. Allen-Ward, Mount St. Mary, 6-0, 6-1

Lemonds-Moore, Wagoner, def. Bevans-Smith, Ardmore, 6-3, 6-3

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Nelson-Wagner, Lincoln Christian, def. Schneidau-Watson, Regent Prep, 6-3, 6-1

Brewer-Coslow, Elk City, def. Hobbs-Holbrook, OCS, 6-3, 6-1

Aaronson-Vaidya, Holland Hall, def. Chesher-Martin, Riverfield, 6-2, 6-2

Corbin-Morris, The Academy, def. Kommer-Mullins, Tecumseh, 6-2, 6-0

Green-Maness, Pauls Valley, def. Marguier-Matlock, Henryetta, 7-5, 6-3

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Jacobs-Moon, Ada, def. Redman-Smith, OCA, 6-1, 6-0

NO. 2 DOUBLES

First Round

Bristow-Herman, Holland Hall, def. Mason-McCullough, Tecumseh, 6-1, 6-0

Corbin-Gund, Riverfield, def. Paine-Lopez, Victory Christian, 6-3, 6-2

Gridley-Morris, The Academy, def. Braun-Kolker, Mount St. Mary, 6-2, 6-2

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Anderson-Cody, Ada, def. Ferguson-Milner, OCA, 6-4, 6-0

Johnston-Thompson, Lincoln Christian, def. Burnett-Duncan, OCS, 6-2, 7-5

Good-Seger, Wagoner, def. Clayton-Hill, Henryetta, 6-1, 6-4

Leslie-Mornhinweg, Byng, def. Luna-Walter, Elk City, 6-4, 7-5

Fields-Odom, Ardmore, def. Alvarado-Hicks, Pauls Valley, 6-1, 6-1

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Oklahoma becomes latest state to sue Roblox over child safety concerns

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Oklahoma becomes latest state to sue Roblox over child safety concerns


Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against Roblox on Thursday, becoming the latest state to take legal action against the popular gaming platform over child safety concerns.

“Roblox marketed itself as a safe place for children but turned a blind eye as predators targeted and exploited minors on its platform,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a press release on Thursday.

In the 51-page lawsuit filed in Cleveland County District Court, Drummond claims that Roblox failed to implement basic safety controls, prioritizing user growth over child safety, and that the platform “facilitated the systemic sexual exploitation and abuse of children across Oklahoma and elsewhere in the United States.” 

The platform’s design, the suit alleges, prevents parents from being aware of their child’s activity, resulting in exposure to “dangerous adults” and to encounters involving violence and sexual content.

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In September, according to the lawsuit, an Oklahoma mother sued Roblox after her then-12-year-old daughter was coerced into sending explicit photos and videos to a man in his forties posing as a teenager on the platform. 

Over the last year, a swath of lawsuits have sprung up across the country alleging an online environment within Roblox that facilitates child exploitation.

A CBS News investigation last year found at least a dozen instances of hate speech on Roblox targeting minority groups and dozens of swastikas in one game where users were able to bypass safety moderations.

Oklahoma’s suit alleges violations under the state’s Consumer Protection Act, claiming that Roblox made misrepresentations to consumers by not disclosing “the true nature of the risks of harm posed to children.” Oklahoma is seeking civil penalties for each violation of the act and permanent injunctions prohibiting deceptive practices and requiring the implementation of “meaningful and lasting” safeguards.

The platform hosts over 150 million active daily users, according to Roblox, and as many as two-thirds of U.S. children between 9 and 12 years old have accounts, Oklahoma’s lawsuit claims. 

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Roblox says on its website that the company applies “rigorous build-in protections and tools” and leverages partnerships with child safety experts. It announced last month that it will launch expanded parental controls for users under 16 in June.

In a statement to CBS News, Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said the company has built a multilayered safety system for user protection that deploys AI-powered detection, human moderation and filters designed to prevent the exchange of personal information.

“We share Attorney General Drummond’s commitment to child online safety,” Kaufman said. “With that said, we are disappointed that he has filed a lawsuit that both fundamentally misrepresents how Roblox works and fails to take into account the extensive, industry-leading proactive measures the company is taking to set a new standard in online safety.”

The company said it is the first online gaming platform to require age checks for all users accessing chat features, and noted that it does not allow the exchange of images or videos in chats.

Kaufman said Roblox works closely with law enforcement when it identifies violations and that “while no system can be perfect,” the company is constantly strengthening user protections. “We look forward to working constructively with Attorney General Drummond to help keep kids safe online,” he said.

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At least nine states including Oklahoma have sued Roblox and at least three others have reached settlements with the platform.



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Oklahoma judge allows former death row prisoner to be released on bond while awaiting retrial

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Oklahoma judge allows former death row prisoner to be released on bond while awaiting retrial


An Oklahoma judge on Thursday allowed former death row prisoner Richard Glossip to be released on bond while awaiting retrial over a 1997 killing that put him on the brink of execution three separate times.

The decision clears the way for Glossip, 63, to leave a lockup for the first time since his arrest nearly 30 years ago. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out his conviction, and his longstanding claims of innocence have drawn support from Kim Kardashian and other prominent figures.

READ MORE: Supreme Court throws out Oklahoma man Richard Glossip’s murder conviction and death sentence

Judge Natalie Mai issued an order setting bond at $500,000. Glossip must wear an electronic monitoring device and will not be allowed to travel outside Oklahoma. He also must not contact any witnesses in the case, or consume any drugs or alcohol.

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It was unclear Thursday when Glossip would be released. He will have to post only 10%, or $50,000, and the process could take two or three days, said his attorney Donald Knight.

Knight also suggested Glossip is counting on contributions to raise the money.

“Mr. Glossip has many supporters and we are hopeful those supporters can afford the bail,” Knight said.

Protestors and family members embrace after hearing the news of Governor Mary Fallin issuing a stay for death row inmate Richard Glossip outside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma, September 30, 2015. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin on Wednesday granted inmate Richard Glossip a 37-day stay of execution to give the state time to address whether its execution protocols comply with procedures approved by the federal court. Glossip, 52, was found guilty of arranging the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese, the owner of an Oklahoma City motel that Glossip was managing. Photo by Nick Oxford/Reuters.

Glossip had been sentenced to death over the 1997 killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme.

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The Supreme Court ruled last year that prosecutors’ decision to allow a key witness to give testimony they knew to be false violated Glossip’s constitutional right to a fair trial.

Glossip has remained behind bars after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced the state would seek to retry him on a murder charge but not pursue the death penalty again.

“The court fully expects that the state will rigorously prosecute its case going forward and the defense will provide robust representation for Glossip,” the judge wrote in the order. “The court hopes that a new trial, free of error, will provided all interested parties and the citizens of Oklahoma, the closure they deserve.”

During his time on death row, courts in Oklahoma set nine different execution dates for Glossip, and he came so close to being put to death that he ate three separate last meals. In 2015, he was even held in a cell next to Oklahoma’s execution chamber, waiting to be strapped to a gurney and die by lethal injection.

But the scheduled time for his execution came and went. Behind the walls of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, prison officials were scrambling after learning one of the lethal drugs they received to carry out the procedure didn’t match the execution protocols. The drug mix-up ultimately led to a nearly seven-year moratorium on executions in Oklahoma.

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“Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States Supreme Court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors,” Knight said.

Glossip’s case attracted international attention after actress Susan Sarandon — who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of death penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean’s fight to save a man on Louisiana’s death row in the 1995 movie “Dead Man Walking” — took up his cause in real life. Glossip’s case also was featured in the 2017 documentary film titled “Killing Richard Glossip.”

“Both Richard and I are grateful for the court’s decision,” Glossip’s wife, Lea, said in a text to The Associated Press. “We have been praying for this day.”

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