Oklahoma baseball fans can breathe a sigh of relief. 

OU head coach Skip Johnson is set to stay in Norman despite interest from Texas A&M, D1Baseball managing editor Kendall Rogers reported on Saturday. 

Johnson had a pair of high-level meetings yesterday with Oklahoma’s administration, a source close to the situation confirmed with Sooners on SI, helping both sides reach the conclusion that Johnson will continue to lead the program into the Southeastern Conference. 

Rogers also reported Johnson is expected to ink a new contract with the Sooners. 

Keeping Johnson in place is crucial as Oklahoma takes on the rigor of the SEC, as his last season in the Big 12 went as well as anyone could have hoped for. 

The Sooners won the Big 12 Regular Season Title for the first time in program history, and hosted an NCAA Regional at L. Dale Mitchell Park for the first time in over a decade. 

Though the Sooners were ousted by UConn in the regional final, OU finished the year 40-21 overall. 

In seven seasons at Oklahoma, Johnson is now 229-153 overall including four trips to the NCAA Tournament which is headlined by the Sooners’ magical run to the College World Series Championship Series in 2022.

Johnson also had his team 14-4 in 2020 before the season was canceled due to the pandemic, which would have likely resulted in another trip to the postseason. 

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma County Jail has failed another health inspection, now totaling eight straight inspections the jail has failed dating back to 2019.

During the latest inspection, the jail staff wouldn’t even let inspectors through the doors and told them it is unsafe, due to not having enough staff to accommodate them around the jail, which has many in the community worried.

“They said, we don’t have enough people, that’s what it said there on the official report,” Christopher Johnston, Member of People’s Council for Justice Reform said. “That is terrifying.”

It has been five years since the Oklahoma County Jail has passed a state health inspection.

The listed issues range from bed bugs, unsanitary areas, staffing issues, and mold amongst many other things.

“Hygiene; a building doesn’t clean itself,” Johnston said. “It doesn’t grab a bar of soap and start scrubbing itself. A building doesn’t not conduct site checks. A building doesn’t keep people from coming into it. That is management, that is the staff running it.”

Johnston says the district attorney and attorney general need to step in.

“He’s got to step in,” Johnston said. “He knows what’s going on. It’s happening near his office. So, the attorney general needs to to really evaluate.”

The Oklahoma State Department of Health agrees, telling us in a statement that when a jail fails an inspection:

We are actively communicating with the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office.

For enforcement following an inspection or follow-up inspection of a facility determined to be not in compliance with the applicable statutory and regulatory standards, OSDH will evaluate and assess appropriate next steps based on all available tools and statutory authority. Such next steps may include a complaint filed with the Attorney General, a complaint filed with the local District Attorney, the assessment of administrative penalties, or any combination thereof.

Oklahoma State Department of Health

We reached out to both offices; the AG’s office said because it is not a state facility, they are not involved unless brought in by the State Department of Health.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna sent News 4 this letter, written by Assistant District Attorney Aaron Etherington.

In the letter, Etherington tells the Department of Health it “exceeded its lawful authority” in attempting to inspect the jail this week, and called the notice of non-compliance “void.”

News 4 asked how the DA’s office came to that conclusion, but never heard back.

Johnston says if action isn’t taken soon, things will only get worse.

“It’s a ticking time bomb,” Johnston said. “There is a high probability that something horrible will happen.”

Of course, all of this comes as Oklahoma County tries to build a new jail.

Those efforts are still up in the air after the City of Oklahoma City voted no on the proposed jail location.

The Board of County Commissioners for Oklahoma County has since filed a lawsuit against the City of Oklahoma city over sovereignty of the land.

For many Oklahoma City families, buying a home is not an option. 

One lawmaker wants to study creative 3D technology to reduce construction costs. Some state leaders are optimistic about its possibilities. 

They hope to use the technology to solve Oklahoma’s lack of affordable housing. Greg Shinn with the Oklahoma City Housing Authority pointed to the data. 

“There’s a huge gap,” said Shinn, talking about the demand for affordable homes. “It feels like it’s overwhelming.” 

The OKC waitlist for public and Section 8 housing lists more than 29,000 families. “They’re considered severely cost-burdened,” Shinn said. 

He said many Oklahoma families face imminent chances of homelessness.  

“It takes one medical bill; your car breaks down,” Shinn said. 

Shinn’s office assists people with affordable housing – but it can’t keep up. “It’s just not enough when you look at these numbers,” Shinn said. 

Rep. Mickey Dollens, (D-Oklahoma City), is exploring private-sector solutions. “There’s an innovative technology that shows a lot of promise,” Dollens said. 

Dollens proposed an interim study to study the laws, regulations, and repairs needed to allow 3D-printed homes to be built at affordable prices. “Consider all the different ways that we could go about building these,” Dollens said. “This is gonna prove very beneficial for smaller houses.”  

Safety is on Dollens’s mind. He said the goal is to build quality homes without the high price tag. “We don’t wanna cut any corners,” Dollens said. 

 Dollens said limiting corporate control is also important. “A prohibition on any corporate ownership on these homes going forward,” Dollens said. 

Shinn said housing investment saves taxpayers’ money and creates jobs. “Those are lasting jobs because the housing will be sustainable,” Shinn said. “Things we never dreamed of are possible now.” 

However, Shinn believes the financial security of its people measures the health of a community. “We all benefit from that,” Shinn said. 

Dollens said the results of this study will direct them on their legislative priorities next session. Dollens said a company out of Austin, Texas called Icon is leading the way for 3D-printed homes.