Oklahoma
Interim study held over misuse of ALPR cameras
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — An Oklahoma Representative says the state’s Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) are being misused by law enforcement.
When News 4 spoke with Rep. Tom Gann (R-Inola) in August, he claimed law enforcement was abusing the purpose of ALPRs, which is used to make sure Oklahoma drivers are insured.
Gann and others presented how ALPR cameras are infringing on peoples 4th Amendment right.
He says if action isn’t taken soon on governing how law enforcement is using these cameras, the citizens of Oklahoma will end up paying for it.
“These are serious violations of people’s rights and this comes from a lack of internal controls,” Gann said. “We have feds using local cops passwords to do immigration surveillance with flock cameras. It is the fact that he can pass his password around to anybody he wants to, to get onto this system is a problem. We need internal controls otherwise we create more victims with these flock cameras.”
License plate readers have been legal in Oklahoma since 2018.
The cameras intention was to enforce the Compulsory Insurance Law, making sure drivers aren’t on the road without insurance.
“Under the appropriate use, this is a good thing,” Shena Burgess, Attorney said. “We want people to have insurance. If people have insurance, then our insurance rates go down. I was all for that part.”
Oklahoma’s Uninsured Vehicle Enforcement Diversion (UVED) Program says these cameras have helped greatly, drastically reduced the number of uninsured drivers on the road.
Over the past seven years, we’ve realized a significant reduction in uninsured vehicles operating on Oklahoma roadways. UVED offers Oklahomans a chance to achieve compliance without law enforcement interaction, without criminal charges, without court costs, and without time
lost from work, school, or home.Spokesperson for Uninsured Vehicle Enforcement Diversion (UVED)
However, Burgess says those cameras are being used for much more.
“The Tulsa County Sheriffs Office testified in a federal court that they use the Automated License Plate Readers all the time, for purposes that have nothing to do with whether or not the vehicles have insurance,” Burgess said.
Gann says this has led to instances where law enforcement have pulled over the wrong person thinking they were a suspect in a crime.
“We have victims of mass surveillance out there already,” Gann said. “When tag numbers are misread, you have people like this, where her and her 12 year-old sister were held at gunpoint because of a misread on a tag.”
He also mentions that this is a violation of your 4th Amendment right.
“The 4th Amendment offers security to a person when they place themselves in a constitutionally protected area albeit home, office, hotel room or automobile,” Gann said.
Burgess says this is a major concern for her, and what this could mean for future court cases.
“Once challenges start happening, civil lawsuits are going to follow,” Burgess said. “It is going to be our citizens who end up paying for this.”
The meeting was supposed to be a joint study between Gann and Rep. Tim Turner (R-Kinta), but Gann told Turner he would be taking up the allotted time, so Turner decided to withdraw his study.
They say they will continue to work toward a solution over the misuse of ALPR cameras.
Former Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores has committed to Iowa State, via the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. Flores spent three seasons with the Cowboys.
Flores began the 2025 campaign as Oklahoma State’s backup QB, but took over starting responsibilities in Week 2 after Hauss Hejny suffered an injury in the season-opener. Flores made nine appearances this past season.
He completed 59.8% of his pass attempts for 1,490 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing seven interceptions. Additionally, Flores recorded 117 yards and two scores in the ground game.
Zane Flores played high school football at Gretna (NE), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 467 overall player and No. 29 QB in the 2023 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
Flores is the 33rd player who has committed to Iowa State this offseason via the NCAA Transfer Portal. At the time of his commitment to the Cyclones, Flores was the No. 97 QB in On3’s 2026 Transfer Portal Player Rankings.
Iowa State is entering a new after longtime head coach Matt Campbell left the program to take over at Penn State. Campbell had been the head coach at Iowa State since 2016. In his 10 seasons at the helm of the program, he amassed a 72-55 overall record and a 50-40 mark in conference play.
In response to Campbell’s decision, Iowa State hired Jimmy Rogers to be its next head coach. Rogers was Washington State‘s HC in the 2025 campaign. He led the Cougars to a 6-6 overall record.
Prior to his time at the helm of WSU, Rogers was South Dakota State‘s head coach. In just two seasons with the Jackrabbits, he led the program to a 27-3 record and a 15-1 mark in conference play.
Moreover, in 2023, South Dakota State won the FCS National Championship. The team lost in the national semifinals in 2024, but won the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Now, he’ll look to lead Iowa State to similar heights.
“My family and I are excited to be joining the Iowa State University community and the Cyclone football program,” Rogers said. “Iowa State has been one of the nation’s top programs for the last decade and we look forward to building upon its upward trajectory. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Jamie Pollard has given me to lead the Cyclones.”
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.
The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) offers support to residents affected by the severe storms that hit central and eastern Oklahoma on Jan. 8.
Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready emphasized the department’s commitment to helping those impacted.
“As we begin recovery after this severe weather, the Oklahoma Insurance Department is here to help,” Mulready said. “We want everyone affected to know that if you have questions about your policy, need assistance with the claims process, or just aren’t sure where to start, our Consumer Assistance Division is ready to support you every step of the way.”
Residents can reach out to OID’s Consumer Assistance division at 800-522-0071 or visit oid.ok.gov for support. Mulready also urged Oklahomans to report damage at damage.ok.gov.
The department provided several post-storm tips for victims, including documenting damage with photos or videos, making necessary temporary repairs, and consulting with trusted roofing contractors. Residents are advised to contact their insurance company after obtaining repair estimates and to save all receipts for any repairs made.
Additionally, the OID warned against contractor fraud, advising residents to get multiple bids, check references, and avoid paying upfront. Suspected fraud should be reported to the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General Consumer Protection Unit at 833-681-1895.
For more information on storm preparation and insurance coverage, visit oid.ok.gov/GetReady.
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8:45 p.m. Tornado Update from NWS Norman:
EF1 (high end) at Purcell
EF0 near Lake Thunderbird (south of Stella/northwest of Little Axe)
EF1 west and near the Shawnee Twin Lakes
EF1 in north Shawnee.
There are other areas of damage that we will continue to investigate.
Original story:
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Storms moved through parts of Oklahoma on Thursday morning, with at least five tornado warnings issued and two tornadoes that touched down in Purcell and Shawnee, leaving behind damage.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved through central and eastern Oklahoma early Thursday that producing tornadoes, damaging winds, and power outages.
Preliminary information from the National Weather Service in Norman shows that at least EF-1 damage was found in Purcell. Survey teams are continuing to assess the damage that was left behind from the morning storms.
Officials also reported that widespread power outages occurred in the city, along with downed trees and powerlines, with nine homes having damaged roofs, and a semi-truck rollover accident on I-35 with one injury.
Shawnee also suffered some damage Thursday morning, which includes downed fences and partial roof loss at the Holiday Inn Express. As of Thursday evening, NWS officials confirm that a tornado did touch down in the northern portion of Shawnee; however, a preliminary rating hasn’t been given at this time.
According to Comanche County Emergency Management, damages related to the storms were reported across the City of Lawton, with roof damage at Sheridan and Lee, along with power pole and power line damage.
Lawton Fire Department responded to a rooftop fire at MacArthur High School on Thursday morning, caused by wind damage to AC units.
Lightning strikes in Edmond were reported to have caused a transformer fire near Covell and Kelly, with another lightning strike having caused a tree to fall on top of a vehicle near Covell and Broadway, resulting in one person being injured.
Straight-line winds were also reported to have destroyed a barn north of Guthrie, while structures were damaged in south Wynona, including a shop building that was devastated and a mobile home that was damaged.
Damage assessments are said to be ongoing at this time. News 4 will provide updates as we learn more.
According to NWS Norman officials, the last time the department issued a tornado warning in January was on January 10, 2020. However, Thursday’s reported tornado was not the earliest for a tornado to occur in Oklahoma. Tornadoes happened in Osage, Mayes, McIntosh, Ottawa, and Sequoyah Counties back on January 2, 2023.
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