TULSA, Okla — Tulsa has seen a boost in its food industry, thanks in part to a growing population.

The Hispanic and Latino population has also contributed to the Oklahoma economy through restaurants, catering businesses, and food trucks.

According to a study conducted by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, the number of Hispanic and Latino individuals who have gone into the state’s food service industry has grown by more than 12,000 between 2001 and 2021.

To help continue this growth, the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation is starting up its “Lanzamiento Program” for Spanish speakers who are interested in pursuing a career in the culinary industry.

The classes are held in partnership with Mother Road Market for 12 weeks.

Wendy Henriquez is the owner of Sugar Crave and completed the program back in 2024.

She said it was a huge help when it came to learning the ins and outs of the industry.

It also helped her that it was all in Spanish, the language she prefers.

“All of the classes were focused on the regulations here in the United States and Oklahoma needing to be met,” she said. “In every class, we had experts talk to us about things like taking out loans, insurance, credit.”

“Wow, I mean it isn’t easy, but it’s possible,” she said. “Perseverance is important.”

Abel Aguilar is the Program Manager in charge of the Lanzamiento course.

“We believe it’s important because not only do we have a strong population of both Hispanic and Latin entrepreneurs here in Tulsa, they may not know the resources that they have available to them,” he said.

While tuition doesn’t start off as being free of charge, there are financial assistance options to help.

We Street Credit Union has also pitched in to offer funds for financial assistance so some weight can be taken off of the participant.

Aguilar also said Lobeck Taylor will work something out if finances are the only obstacle to applying.

For others interested in other resources to help kickstart their business, Avanzando Juntos is also a non-profit organization that can help.

Primarily for Spanish speakers, Avanzando Juntos helps connect business owners with grants and funding that can help eliminate some of the costs that come with starting a business.

For those interested in applying to the “Lanzamiento” Program, you can visit the Kitchen 66 website for the application.

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1. Death of inmate at Oklahoma County Detention Center under investigation

• 33-year-old Dancing Feathers Whitecrow found unresponsive
• Taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead
• Active investigation ongoing

Officials are investigating the death of an inmate at the Oklahoma County Detention Center.

Officers found 33-year-old Dancing Feathers Whitecrow unresponsive just before 7 p.m. Sunday. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Whitecrow had been booked into the jail in April.

This remains an active investigation.

The Oklahoma County Criminal Investigations Division is investigating after Dancing Feathers Whitecrow, 33, died in custody.

July 7, 2026 11:23 PM

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2. Deadly hit-and-run in southwest Oklahoma City

• Pedestrian struck and killed near Southwest 61st and May
• Crash happened just before midnight
• No description of the vehicle yet

Oklahoma City Police are investigating a deadly hit-and-run that happened late Tuesday in southwest Oklahoma City.

One person was struck and killed by a vehicle near Southwest 61st and May just before midnight on Wednesday.

Police say they currently have no description of the vehicle involved.

3. Elderly Moore woman mauled to death by dog

• 86-year-old Beatrice Carruth found dead July 2nd
• Dog belonged to her son, who was previously arrested in a related incident
• Dog has been euthanized

An 86-year-old Moore woman was mauled to death in her home by her son’s dog.

Beatrice Carruth was found dead on July 2nd. Family members say the dog, a Labrador and American Pit Bull Terrier mix, had previously attacked her in May.

The dog was euthanized Monday.

The Moore Police Department arrived at the scene near Northeast 27th Street and Highland Drive to find a woman with severe injuries.

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July 7, 2026 11:11 PM

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4. Cattle rescue after semi overturns on I-40 near Tinker

News 9

• Mayberry family from Oklahoma City Stockyards helped clear the scene
• 109 head of cattle in trailer; more than 80 survived
• Similar crashes have happened in recent years

A family of ranchers helped rescue cattle after a semi overturned on I-40 near Tinker Air Force Base.

The Mayberry family responded to the scene and worked to safely remove the animals. They say they’ve assisted with several similar crashes over the past four years.

A trailer carrying 62 head of cattle overturned Tuesday morning, leaving only a single westbound lane of I-40 open for hours as crews rescued trapped animals.

July 7, 2026 07:28 AM

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5. Attorney General Drummond sues Allstate over insurance practices

• Lawsuit accuses company of denying or underpaying wind and hail claims
• Alleges use of undisclosed restrictive standards
• Similar lawsuit previously filed against State Farm

Attorney General Gentner Drummond is suing Allstate, accusing the insurance company of running a scheme to deny or underpay wind and hail claims.

The lawsuit alleges Allstate used undisclosed restrictive standards to limit coverage for Oklahomans. Drummond says the company is putting profits ahead of policyholders.

A similar lawsuit was previously filed against State Farm.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Cleveland County District Court and alleges violations of state consumer protection and anti-racketeering laws.

July 7, 2026 01:28 PM

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Editor’s note: We used AI tools to help with editing and formatting this story. A human journalist reviewed everything before publication.

The NCAA is not done with Oklahoma State Guard Kashie Natt and his eligibility case, based on the organization’s statement on Tuesday.

On Monday, Natt received an ex parte ruling that kept the NCAA from enforcing its decision to cancel Natt’s waiver request to play in 2026-27. That ruling, from District Judge John Canavan, allows Natt to practice with the team, participate in all team activities and participate in any athletics-related benefits.

It also bars the NCAA from punishing Natt or Oklahoma State while the case is working its way through the court.

By its nature, an ex parte ruling is made after only hearing one side of the case. The NCAA posted a statement disagreeing with the ruling, including an explanation for why they canceled the waiver and will continue to pursue the case in court.

The NCAA’s Statement on Kashie Natt

The NCAA posted the statement to social media and was signed by the organization’s chief legal officer, Scott Bearby.

“The order in the Natt case, issued without the NCAA having any opportunity to respond and by a judge not even assigned to hear the case, is demonstrably flawed and the latest instance of an environment where litigation has become a tool to avoid playing by the rules that everyone has agreed to follow.  The student-athlete at issue already benefited from the ‘Pavia waiver,’ which provided him the opportunity to play for a fifth season, and nobody, including the institution where he seeks to compete next year, has ever expressed any doubt that his collegiate career ended when the Pavia waiver expired. We will pursue all remedies to seek reversal of this decision, which contributes to the instability in college sports that only Congress can solve.”

The Pavia case, which was a suit called Pavia v. NCAA, was brought on behalf of Vanderbilt quarterback Deigo Pavia, who started his career in junior college. He received a preliminary injunction in 2025 after he challenged the NCAA’s system for junior college and NCAA eligibility, saying that his juco years counting toward his NCAA eligibility irreparably harmed his ability to leverage NIL.

The NCAA ultimately conceded and granted a blanket waiver that extended an extra year of eligibility to similar athletes. The NCAA believes that bucket includes Natt. He started his career five schools year ago at Southern University-Shreveport, a junior college. He followed that with three years at NAIA LSU-Alexandria and then one more year at Sam Houston.

Natt’s attorney, Darren Heitner, contends that Natt’s NCAA clock should have started when he began his career at LSU-Alexandria and therefore has one more year to play.

The case is still pending. A new court date has not been set yet.  

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