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How to avoid contractor scams amid Oklahoma’s severe weather season

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How to avoid contractor scams amid Oklahoma’s severe weather season


The loss of property from storms can allow scammers to take advantage. The Better Business Bureau of Central Oklahoma offered some advice to protect people’s money. 

The BBB keeps track of vetted Oklahoma contractors. One expert said it’s important for people to take their time before agreeing to work with any business. 

Storms make communities vulnerable to scammers  

A natural disaster’s damage to homes can create an unnatural storm of con artists. 

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“Bad actors kind of come out of the woodwork, if you will,” said Casey Farmer, vice president of marketing at the Better Business Bureau of Central Oklahoma. “Unfortunately, storm season is the time that we see a lot of fly-by-night contractors into our state.”  

Farmer’s organization helps identify fraudulent businesses to warn consumers. 

“They’re using these really high-pressure sales tactics to get your attention,” Farmer said. 

Homeowners should use caution when offered repair services 

Farmer encouraged caution for homeowners who are approached by anyone with one-time offers with deadlines with their services, and their addresses often appear as a P.O. Box. Fraudulent contractors will also demand a lot of money upfront. 

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“That is a big red flag. Be careful there,” Farmer said. “An honest, ethical, trustworthy contractor isn’t going to ask you to do that.” 

BBB’s database tracks trusted contractors  

The BBB has a database so people can search for businesses and learn about the company and its track record for services. 

“There are a lot of awesome roofers here in Oklahoma,” Farmers said. 

Farmer said it’s easy to fall victim to fraud because scammers prey on people’s emotions during vulnerable moments. 

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“Our homes are personal to us, right? When that’s affected, it can be tough,” Farmer said. “It affects our everyday lives and how we run through the reality of life.” 

No one is alone with fraud issues 

Data from the Federal Trade Commission in 2023 showed Oklahomans reported nearly $59 million in fraud losses. 

“It happens to the best of us.” Farmer said. 

Reporting scams to the BBB or FTC helps warn others 

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However, Farmer said those stories of mistakes can save communities from more harm. Reporting scams gives the BBB data to issues alerts and warnings. 

“With your story, you’re able to hopefully warn other people. There’s no shame in that,” Farmer said. 

Get multiple estimates to help identify scams 

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s office said homeowners should get multiple estimates in writing from different contractors. That allows people to compare if an offer is too high or too low. 

For more information 

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The BBB has a downtown OKC office people can call at 405-239-6081 or visit at 17 S Dewey Ave. Click here to search for credible contractors in Oklahoma. 





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Capture of Nicolas Maduro: What it could mean for Oklahoma

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Capture of Nicolas Maduro: What it could mean for Oklahoma


Elite Delta Force captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife about 2 a.m. Saturday morning.

It happened in the Caracas, the capitol of Venezuela.

Social media posts how strikes ordered by President Trump into Venezuela and its military bases.

News 9 political analyst Scott Mitchell said the relationship between the U.S. and Latin America has not always been smooth and adds so many dominos will fall as a result.

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“Venezuela is the beachhead for our adversaries that’s Cuba and Russia and China and Iran and it looks as if this latest situation where that they were assembling Iran swift attack boats that was sort of the last straw,” said Mitchell.

Retired war correspondent Mike Boettcher said the planning on capturing Maduro began in mid-December.

He adds Venezuela is a massive oil supplier whose oil has been taken off the market for years because of sanctions.

He has concerns about what comes next.

“That disrupts a lot of things.It even has an effect on the war in Ukraine, as Russia, you know, has used higher oil revenue because Venezuela’s oil was off the market.Oil prices went up.It helps fund the war in Ukraine,” said Boettcher.

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The ramifications could even reach Oklahoma.

“China gets a 30 percent discount on the oil.If Venezuela goes for a more legitimate government and the sanctions are lifting, then they’re flooding the oil markets and that means bad news for the Oklahoma economy,” added Mitchell.

Following the capture of Maduro, President Trump said the U.S. will take control of the oil reserves in Venezuela.

Sources also say there are plans from the current administration to recruit American companies to invest billions of dollars in their oil industry.

A verified video shows the current state of Venezuela after the military operation.

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Oklahoma State expected to lose talented EDGE to transfer portal

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Oklahoma State expected to lose talented EDGE to transfer portal


Oklahoma State EDGE Kyran Duhon plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. Duhon was a member of the 2024 recruiting class.

Duhon spent one year at Oklahoma State, logged 16 total tackles (eight solo) across nine games. He began his career at UTEP, where he had a productive true freshman season, Duhon finished 2024 with 43 total tackles, including seven sacks and two PBUs.

At UTEP, his one season there resulted in second team All-Conference USA honors. He was also named to the On3 True Freshman All-America Team as well as the the Conference USA All-Freshman team.

However, Duhon’s stay in Stillwater didn’t go as expected. Oklahoma State finished the season with a 1-11 record, which included the Cowboys firing longtime head coach Mike Gundy after a 1-2 start. Doug Meacham was named interim head coach but ended the year 0-9.

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Eric Morris has since been named as the program’s next head coach. He comes from North Texas, which finished with an 11-2 record and a trip to the American Conference championship game this past season. However, it doesn’t appear that Duhon will be sticking around during the changing of the guard at Oklahoma State this offseason.

Before college, Duhon was the No. 1,706 overall player in the class, and was recruited as the the No. 165 linebacker during the cycle, per the Rivals Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was ranked as the No. 242 overall player out of Texas.

Once the NCAA transfer portal opens on Jan. 2, players can officially enter their names in the NCAA transfer portal and go on to initiate contact with their preferred schools. The portal will be open for 15 days and close on Jan. 16.

Notably, players who are on teams competing in the national championship game are allowed five extra days to make their portal decision. The College Football Playoff championship game will be played on Jan. 19, so the players on those teams will be allowed until Jan. 24 to enter the portal and choose their next school.

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.

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Oklahoma man doing target practice in back yard charged in fatal shooting of neighbor

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Oklahoma man doing target practice in back yard charged in fatal shooting of neighbor


A man in Oklahoma is facing a manslaughter charge after he allegedly shot a woman several blocks from his home while firing a gun he got himself for Christmas at an energy drink can in his back yard.

As told in court documents reviewed by NBC News, the death of Sandra Phelps at the hands of Cody Wayne Adams illustrates how deadly the consequences can be when those engaging in the US’s prevalent gun culture do so unsafely. Adams’s back yard was not equipped to stop bullets from leaving the property and striking unsuspecting people in the surrounding area, according to authorities.

Phelps was sitting under a covered porch with family on Christmas and holding a child in her arms when they heard gunshots north of the house, said an affidavit laying out the circumstances of Adams’s arrest.

“Sandra commented that someone got a new gun for Christmas and then shortly after Sandra said ‘ouch’ and collapsed,” the affidavit said. It said there were no more gunshots after that.

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Emergency personnel were dispatched to Phelps’s address at about 3.15pm Thursday, the Stephens county sheriff’s office said in a statement.

“We later received a call stating an individual had just received a gun for Christmas and was target practicing in his backyard and that they believed it would be pointing in the direction of the scene,” the sheriff’s office statement added.

“Investigators went to the reported address and spoke with an individual [who] confirmed he was shooting a target in his back yard and that he had heard that someone has died from a gunshot wound a couple of roads over.”

That individual was Adams, 33, who showed deputies a Red Bull can in his back yard that he had been shooting with his handgun, according to the affidavit justifying his arrest.

Authorities allegedly concluded that the vantage point from where Adams was shooting aligned with the angle of the bullet that killed Phelps. They also determined the home lacked a suitable shooting backstop meant to protect those in the surrounding area from being struck by stray bullets.

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“Adams became visibly upset and began to cry” when he learned of Phelps, the affidavit added. He was arrested on a count of first-degree manslaughter and later released on a $100,000 bond.

In the US, unintentional deaths from firearms are a small percentage of gun deaths in the country. But they occur four times more often in the US than in comparable countries – and most involve a handgun.



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