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.
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
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The Oklahoma baseball team is back in the mix and trending upward.
After a rough few weeks in Southeastern Conference play, the 14th-ranked Sooners have won three of their last four games to get to .500 at just beyond the halfway point of the league slate. Friday’s 9-6 win over Missouri allowed Oklahoma to move to 8-8, tied with three other teams for eighth in the standings.
Friday’s win wasn’t truly that close, even. OU took a 9-3 lead into the ninth before Mizzou made it somewhat interesting with three runs in the frame. Two of them came with two outs, though, and Mason Bixby induced a groundout with the bases empty to hold on.
The large edge came via a home run-happy night. The Sooners popped four over the wall at Kimrey Family Stadium, including three in a four-run seventh inning that gave OU a four-run lead.
Jason Walk, who hit one of the four homers, had the best day at the plate. He went 2 for 5 with the shot, three RBIs and a run. Camden Johnson, who also homered, went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and two runs, and Dasan Harris went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs. Trey Gambill hit the Sooners’ other jack.
Oklahoma jumped out to a four-run lead in the second behind four hits and a walk. Missouri helped the Sooners out with an error that resulted in a bases-loaded situation and three unearned runs registered to Tigers starter Josh McDevitt.
The runs were more than enough for Oklahoma’s LJ Mercurius, who pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Game 2 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday and the finale will be played Sunday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
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