Oklahoma

OK lawmaker calls LGBTQ people ‘filth’ following beating death of bullied nonbinary teen

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2024

OK lawmaker calls LGBTQ people ‘filth’ following beating death of bullied nonbinary teen

An Oklahoma state Senator is facing criticism after he reportedly referred to LGBTQ people “filth” following the unexpected death of a 16-year-old nonbinary student a day after being beaten up at school.

“I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma,” Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville, can be heard saying during a legislative forum, according to audio recorded by the Tahlequah Daily Press.

Audience member Cathy Cott asked Woods and other lawmakers questions related to Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ policy on LGBTQ issues in schools. She also claimed lawmakers have “an obsession with the LGBTQ citizens of Oklahoma.”

Woods answered by saying: “We are a Republican state – supermajority – in the House and Senate. I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma.”

A smattering of applause can be heard following Woods’ comments.

After the panelists answered only the first part of Cott’s question, she demanded they address “the 50 bills targeting the LGBTQ community in the state of Oklahoma” and pointed to the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict.

Benedict — who identified as nonbinary, according to family members — died on Feb. 8, a day after getting into a fight that might have been sparked by bullying about their gender identity, their mother said.

The cause of Benedict’s death has not been established, though police said a preliminary report indicated their death was not a result of injuries from the assault.

Woods later said that while his “heart goes out” following the teen’s death.

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Oklahoma

Kansas State women’s basketball stuns Oklahoma State, moves on to Big 12 semis

Published

3 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Kansas State women’s basketball stuns Oklahoma State, moves on to Big 12 semis

Kansas State women’s basketball’s fairytale run will continue.

A day after rallying to keep their Big 12 Tournament run alive, the 12th-seeded Wildcats got hot in the fourth quarter to upset fifth-seeded Oklahoma State in a 74-73 quarterfinal win on Friday, March 6, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

After Oklahoma State made a game-tying 3-pointer with five seconds left, it accidentally fouled Tess Heal with 1.3 seconds remaining, sending her to the line. She split her free throws, missing the backend, leading to a Cowboys miss on a desperation heave.

The Wildcats will play in Saturday’s 3 p.m. semifinal against the winner of Friday afternoon’s matchup between league-champion TCU and ninth-seeded BYU.

Kansas State got a special shooting performance from freshman Jordan Spieser, who showed why she was considered a five-star prospect, as she finished with 21 points and five made triples. After Oklahoma State cut the Wildats’ lead to two with 46 seconds left, Speiser made her final 3-pointer with 17 seconds left.

This came after the Wildcats went on a 9-0 run to overcome a four-point deficit with 4:41 left in the fourth. Taryn Sides’ layup with 1:48 left put the Wildcats up by five. Kansas State’s largest deficit was 13 points early in the third quarter.

With the win, Kansas State became the first 12-seed to beat a four-seed since 2008. It came a day after the Wildcats scored the final 21 points to overcome a 14-point deficit against No. 21 Texas Tech.

Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com

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Oklahoma

5-seed Oklahoma knocks off Florida 82-64 to advance to the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament quarterfinals

Published

15 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

5-seed Oklahoma knocks off Florida 82-64 to advance to the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament quarterfinals

GREENVILLE, South Carolina –

The 5-seed Sooners used a 10-0 run to start the third quarter to pull away and beat the 12-seed Gators 82-64 in the second round of the SEC Tournament.

Massive Third Quarter

OU outscored Florida 27-7 in the third quarter to build a big lead before winning by 18. The Sooners started the quarter on a 10-oh run that was highlighted by an epic fast break bucket.

Beers Joins Elite Company

Oklahoma center Raegan Beers reached a historic milestone Thursday night in her 100th career start. The All-SEC standout became the third player in Oklahoma history—and the only active Division I player—to surpass 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.

With the achievement, Beers joins legendary Sooners Courtney Paris (2,731 points, 2,032 rebounds) and Molly McGuire (2,147 points, 1,071 rebounds) in the exclusive club.

Beers now totals 2,003 points and 1,207 rebounds in a remarkable college career that includes two seasons at Oregon State and two at Oklahoma.

In the win over Florida, Beers had 18 points and seven rebounds.

Super Freshman

Freshman Aaliyah Chavez continued her impressive debut season on Thursday. The only freshman named to an All-SEC team this week, Chavez finished with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists.

She has now scored in double figures in 24 straight games, showcasing remarkable consistency in her first college season.

Chavez also went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, extending her SEC record for consecutive made free throws to 57. She now sits just two shy of the Oklahoma program record, currently held by Taylor Robertson.

Next Up

Oklahoma will face No. 6 LSU on Friday at approximately 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The matchup marks a chance for the Sooners to respond after the Tigers handed them their largest loss of the season earlier this year. On Jan. 18, LSU defeated Oklahoma 91–72 in Norman, making Friday’s game a highly anticipated rematch.

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Oklahoma

PSO shares safety, preparedness tips for Oklahoma Severe Weather Awareness Week

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

PSO shares safety, preparedness tips for Oklahoma Severe Weather Awareness Week

As Oklahoma Severe Weather Awareness Week continues, Public Service Company of Oklahoma is urging customers to take steps now to stay safe and prepared as the threat of spring storms returns.

In a news release dated March 5, 2026, PSO said it is monitoring the potential for severe weather across its service area this week.

The company said severe thunderstorms, large hail, high winds and isolated tornadoes could cause power outages.

PSO said crews are ready to restore power “safely and quickly” if outages occur.

The utility encouraged customers to review storm preparedness tips, including what to do if the lights go out; download the company’s mobile app to stay connected and report outages; sign up for outage alerts and email updates; and review power line safety.

“We’re always monitoring weather conditions and preparing our system to handle whatever Oklahoma’s spring might bring,” said Dwayne Apple, PSO vice president of distribution operations. “Now is a great time to review your emergency plans, check your supplies, and make sure your loved ones and neighbors are ready too.”

PSO said it prepares for severe weather year-round by trimming trees near power lines, upgrading equipment and installing smart technology intended to help reduce outages and improve response times.

The company also said it recently held a comprehensive storm drill to prepare employees for the unique challenges of Oklahoma’s weather.

PSO said the exercise included real-time response activities such as weather forecasting, resource management and restoration planning, aimed at ensuring the company can respond safely and quickly when storms strike.

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