Oklahoma

Neighbors sift debris, help each other after suspected Purcell tornado

Published

4 weeks ago

January 8, 2026

Neighbors sift debris, help each other after suspected Purcell tornado

PURCELL — Jennifer Fox had just fed the pigs behind her house early in the morning Thursday, Jan. 8, and began getting ready for work before she and her two sons heard something hit her bedroom window.

“I said, ‘Is it hailing?” she said. “My oldest looked out the window and he saw our awning across the back. He said, ‘Mom, the awning’s gone.”

Fox looked out the window and saw debris everywhere. She said she didn’t hear tornado sirens, but she and her sons immediately took shelter in a closet. By that time, the suspected tornado had already passed through her neighborhood off of Johnson Avenue in Purcell.

At first, Fox didn’t think there was a tornado and attributed the damage and debris to strong winds.

But just one street over, the roof of one house had been destroyed. When she looked at the house behind hers, Fox said she knew a tornado had hit her neighborhood.

“I was thankful at the time,” she said. “I told my kids, I said, ‘It could’ve been a lot worse.’ We weren’t prepared, obviously. I really felt like it just barely missed us.”

Severe weather passed through central Oklahoma early Thursday morning, bringing reports of damage from a possible tornado in Purcell. The National Weather Service in Norman reported on social media that survey teams have found at least EF1 tornado damage in the Purcell area.

The Purcell Fire Department reported a tornado touched down in the city, causing roof damage to nine homes, a semi truck rollover accident on Interstate 35 with one injury and widespread power outages, downed trees and powerlines.

On Norte Street in Purcell, the suspected tornado wiped out the roof of a newly-built home, throwing debris onto the road, including a Christmas tree and blue ornaments. The houses across the street and next door were untouched.

Community members and local high school students gathered pieces of trash, plywood, insulation and other debris and hauled them off.

Next door to Fox, a man and a woman removed debris from their yard that appeared to have blown over from Fox’s house. Like a puppy, a tall brown horse followed the man as he picked up each piece of trash. Across the street, cattle laid in the middle of a field and watched as one person after another drove into the neighborhood to lend a hand.

About five miles northeast of Fox’s house, the suspected tornado knocked over a few powerlines near Purcell’s football stadium. A tree fell onto a small white house and took the tin roof off a large warehouse.

Ron Musgrave, the warehouse’s owner, lives six miles north of Purcell. He said he learned his property was damaged through a local news broadcast.

“They had the people out front and they had the helicopters, so I could see it,” Musgrave said. “They were flying over here. There’s a football field, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh. If that’s the football field, that’s my warehouse.”

The retired home builder and property owner said he keeps building supplies in his warehouse and a black and white cat who’s in charge of exterminating any trespassing mice.

The cat was happy to see Musgrave as he surveyed the water damage inside of the warehouse. Though there was some wet spots, the roof took most of the impact.

“It’s a project,” Musgrave said with a smile. “I am down for it.”

Severe weather damage reported in Shawnee, Norman

Tree damage was reported in Cleveland County at 156th Street and East Tecumseh Avenue, according to Alyse Moore, Cleveland County communications director, along with damage to a car port and barn at 800 Moffatt Road north of Lexington.

Storm damage was also reported in Shawnee. Social media posts show damage to the Holiday Inn Express and Walmart Supercenter off of Interstate 40.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma Opens 2026 With Four Big 12 Battles in Arizona

Published

8 hours ago

February 5, 2026

Press Room

Oklahoma Opens 2026 With Four Big 12 Battles in Arizona

The Sooners are ready to tackle the 2026 season.

At least Patty Gasso thinks so.

No. 3 Oklahoma opens the season with a four-game swing through Arizona that will feature one contest against Arizona State and three bouts with No. 17 Arizona.

Seven new Sooners, five freshmen and two transfers, will have an opportunity to make their OU debuts over the weekend, but Gasso’s team returns a majority of their production at the plate.

Over 80 percent of Oklahoma’s hits, total bases, RBIs and home runs are back in 2026, and everyone is expected to take a step forward this season.

“Our team is strong,” Gasso said last Saturday. “… It’s a game-changer. Again, the strength of this team and their swings—I would not want to be an OU pitcher having to face this lineup over and over, like daily. There’s just, what can you do?

“The swings are good, and they’re powerful, and they’re smart. I think, again, our experience last year has really helped us learn about being better hitters.”

How to Watch OU Softball in Arizona

Thursday vs. Arizona State: 7:15 p.m., ESPN+
Friday vs. Arizona: 5 p.m., ESPN+
Saturday vs. Arizona: 6 p.m., ESPN+
Sunday vs. Arizona: 12 p.m., ESPN+

Oklahoma’s physical gains should be paired with mental strides.

The Sooners relied on numerous players last year, either in their first year with the program after transferring in — Abby Dayton, Ailana Agbayani and Isabela Emerling — or who were playing college softball for the first time — Gabbie Garcia, Sydney Barker, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, Audrey Lowry, Tia Milloy and Chaney Helton — as freshmen.

Comfort brings more confidence, as does the addition of this year’s highly-rated freshman class.

“I’m super excited coming into my sophomore year,” Garcia said. “We’ve got a great incoming freshman class, which I’m excited to experience and play along with. But I mean, how can I not be confident with the team I have behind me?”

Freshman Kendall Wells will likely make her debut behind the plate at some point during the weekend, as will outfielder Kai Minor.

True freshman catcher Kendall Wells wowed Oklahoma fans with plenty of power during the Sooners’ fall scrimmages. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

OU’s new-look pitching staff will be on full display as well.

Kierston Deal returns alongside Lowry, but the Sooners added LSU transfer Sydney Berzon and Ole Miss transfer Miali Guachino, who both bring SEC experience.

Freshmen pitchers Allyssa Parker and Berkley Zache also hope to make their regular-season debuts this weekend.

Oklahoma Common Cents Act would round public cash payments to nearest nickel

Published

20 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Press Room

Oklahoma Common Cents Act would round public cash payments to nearest nickel

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Legislation that would allow and later require certain public cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest nickel is moving forward at the Oklahoma Capitol.

House Bill 3075, the Oklahoma Common Cents Act, passed out of the House General Government Policy Committee and now heads to the Government Oversight Committee.

The bill authored by Representative Derrick Hildebrant would apply only to public-sector cash payments, or the cash portion of a payment, made to political subdivisions such as counties and municipalities. It would not affect private businesses and would not apply to checks, debit cards, credit cards, or other digital transactions.

“What this bill does is it addresses this problem in the public sector by providing clear statutory authority to all political subdivisions by rounding cash transactions using a standard mathematical rounding to the nearest nickel,” District 23 Representative Derrick Hildebrant said.

Under the bill, totals ending in one or two cents would be rounded down to zero. Totals ending in three or four cents would be rounded up to five cents. Amounts ending in six or seven cents would be rounded down to five cents, while totals ending in eight or nine cents would be rounded up to 10 cents.

Hildebrant said the bill was requested by one of his constituents, Rogers County Treasurer Jason Carini, who raised concerns about a growing shortage of pennies and the difficulty of providing exact change at public payment counters.

Rogers County analyzed the potential impact of rounding, reviewing cash transaction data from 2023, 2024, and 2025. The analysis showed that rounding would have a minimal financial impact overall.

In 2023, the county recorded 1,517 cash transactions, resulting in a net gain of $0.21 if rounding had been applied. In 2024, the county recorded 1,555 cash transactions with a net gain of $0.75. In 2025, 1,542 cash transactions would have resulted in a net gain of $0.86.

“5 percent of those transactions were cash and so in 2023 I think around 15-hundred cash transactions and the overage and underage ended up being a 22 cent overage, so less than a dollar,” Representative Hildebrant said.

Hildebrant emphasized that the bill includes statutory language outlining how political subdivisions may account for overages or shortages resulting from rounding.

“We’ve put in statute that any political subdivision of the state may account for over/underage payments from the funds under its control to determine the governing body of the political subdivision,” he said.

The Oklahoma Common Cents Act mirrors similar legislation being considered at the federal level. The federal Common Cents Act would direct the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury to stop minting pennies and require cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents nationwide.

Hildebrant said House Bill 3075 does not eliminate the penny in Oklahoma but provides guidance for public entities if pennies move out of circulation.

“What it does is give statutory language to counties, and counties cannot operate without statutory language,” Hildebrant said. “If it’s signed into law by the governor, it would be effective in July.”

Under the bill, political subdivisions could choose to implement rounding from the effective date through July 1, 2027. Beginning July 1, 2027, rounding would become mandatory for applicable public cash transactions unless Congress directs otherwise.

Carini said Rogers County plans to notify residents of any changes through signage at the courthouse and at mobile payment sites in the community. Hildebrant said broader public communication would include press releases, signage at cash registers and coordination with media outlets to ensure consistency statewide.

The Oklahoma Municipal League has endorsed the bill, and Hildebrant said he has worked closely with the organization.

If HB3075 clears the Government Oversight Committee, it will move to the full House for consideration before heading to the Senate. If approved by both chambers, the bill would then be sent to the governor for final approval.

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Oklahoma

Oklahomans need more education about cannabis’ risks | Opinion

Published

1 day ago

February 4, 2026

Press Room

Oklahomans need more education about cannabis’ risks | Opinion

Tessa Manning
| Guest columnist

Since the passage of State Question 788 legalized medical marijuana, Oklahoma has seen dramatic increases in marijuana use. In its first two years, the state issued more than 178,000 medical marijuana patient licenses. Today, nearly one in eight Oklahomans, or 320,000, holds an active medical marijuana license.

Despite its rapid expansion, the state’s medical marijuana program has been lacking two very important components: physician education and public information on the side effects of cannabis.

New findings about cannabis use and how it can create other health concerns are still emerging, including how marijuana can interact with commonly prescribed drugs such as cholesterol and heart medications, antidepressants and blood thinners. Cannabis use can even affect how a person’s body responds to anesthesia during surgery, often altering the type and amount of medicine a physician uses.

Unlike other states, Oklahoma does not have a limit on THC content, which can result in widely varying potencies depending on the product and increased potential risks to patients. The average THC content found in local dispensaries is 14-25% in dried plant products and up to 90% in concentrates. Psychiatric hospitals have seen an increase in admissions due to psychosis, a well-known side effect of high-potency marijuana.

Additional well-documented issues from the passage of SQ 788 include an increase in motor vehicle accidents, increased emergency room visits for edible poisoning of children and increases in hospital admissions for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, a condition that causes nausea and vomiting in long-term users. Most concerning is the 73% increase in adolescent marijuana use, with Oklahoma youths reporting 44% higher use than the national average.

Several laws passed last legislative session aim to improve medical marijuana education for physicians, employees of marijuana businesses and the public. As of Jan. 1, any physician who issues such licenses must first register with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) and complete mandatory yearly continuing medical education requirements. Similarly, all employees of medical marijuana businesses must complete yearly training as directed by the authority. Law now mandates marijuana packaging includes warnings about the dangers of impaired driving and the risk of birth defects when used during pregnancy.

While these are positive steps, these laws fall short in providing comprehensive public education for patients about all the potential risks of marijuana use. More needs to be done to address the health concerns of those who are using marijuana in a safe and informed way. As a physician, I believe access to clear, unbiased resources is key to helping guide physician-patient conversations.

By educating physicians and the public about marijuana use, both if used medically and recreationally, more Oklahomans will better understand the risks it poses to physical and mental health, including addiction, cardiovascular disease, lung disease and pregnancy complications. As a state, we need to do more to help people understand the risks and prevent harm from cannabis use.

Some physician-led organizations like the Oklahoma State Medical Association have already developed educational materials for doctors and patients, reflecting a growing recognition within the medical community that cannabis education must keep pace with growing access. Such resources should be widely available in clinical settings, schools and online. Expanding and supporting these efforts will be essential to ensuring that long-term patient outcomes remain at the center of the state’s evolving medical marijuana program.

Dr. Tessa Manning is a practicing psychiatrist and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the OU-TU School of Community Medicine. She is a member of the Oklahoma State Medical Association.

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