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Oklahoma opens applications for winter heating assistance

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Oklahoma opens applications for winter heating assistance


Oklahomans who need help paying their heating bills can now apply for winter energy assistance through Oklahoma Human Services.

State officials announced Tuesday that online applications are open for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

The federally funded program helps qualifying households cover the cost of their primary heating source during the winter months.

Applications can be submitted online at OKDHSlive.org.

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LIHEAP is offered twice each year — once during the winter for heating costs and again in the summer to help with cooling expenses.

Oklahoma Human Services also operates the Energy Crisis Assistance Program, which opens in the spring, along with year-round help for life-threatening energy emergencies.

Some households already receiving benefits through Oklahoma Human Services may be automatically approved for winter assistance and do not need to apply.

Those households have already been notified. Others who receive state assistance but are not pre-approved are encouraged to apply online.

Eligible households may receive one LIHEAP payment per year for winter heating, which is applied directly to their main energy source.

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A household is defined as anyone sharing the same utility meter or energy supply.

Native American households may apply through Oklahoma Human Services or their tribal nation, but not both for the same program during the same federal fiscal year.

Income limits vary by household size. For example, a single-person household may earn up to $1,696 per month, while a family of four may earn up to $3,483 per month.

Larger households have higher income thresholds.

Applicants will need their most recent heating bill, a photo ID, Social Security number and proof of income.

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Officials stress that utility information must be entered exactly as it appears on the bill.

Oklahoma Human Services expects high demand during the enrollment period and encourages applicants to apply online for faster processing.

Households with shutoff notices are not given priority and are urged to continue making payments or work with their utility providers to avoid service interruptions.

Funding for the winter heating program is limited, and applications will close once funds are exhausted.

The state has also announced tentative enrollment dates for other energy assistance programs in 2026:

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  • Energy Crisis Assistance Program: April 14
  • Summer Cooling Assistance: July 14



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Oklahoma City artist returns with Thunder-themed window art for NBA playoffs

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Oklahoma City artist returns with Thunder-themed window art for NBA playoffs


Melissa Griggs-Hendricks and her team are back to paint Thunder-inspired designs on windows across Oklahoma City, spreading excitement for the NBA playoffs

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Oklahoma City artist returns with Thunder-themed window art for NBA playoffs

Melissa Griggs-Hendricks and her team are back to paint Thunder-inspired designs on windows across Oklahoma City, spreading excitement for the NBA playoffs

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WELL, OKLAHOMA CITY, IT IS ALMOST TIME FOR THE NBA PLAYOFFS AND WE ARE READY TO THUNDER UP. I’LL TELL YOU WHAT, OUR CITY SURE KNOWS HOW TO SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT. FROM WATCH PARTIES TO HOUSE DECORATIONS, OKC HAS GOT IT GOING ON AND THAT INCLUDES A LOCAL PAINTER. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER FROM LAST SEASON. OUR KOCO EVAN ONSTOT JOINING US LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM. WE HAVE THIS IN OUR NEWSROOM. EVAN, WE’RE ABOUT TO SEE BLUE AND ORANGE ALL OVER OKC. RIGHT. AND A LOT OF IT IS GOING TO BE THANKS TO ARTIST MELISSA GRIGGS HENDRICKS. WE WATCHED MELISSA AND HER TEAM CREATE THUNDER MAGIC ALL OVER OKLAHOMA LAST YEAR, AND NOW SHE IS BACK. AND MAYBE EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE. MELISSA AND HER ASSISTANT CANDACE PAINT THUNDER IMAGES ON WINDOWS. ABBY, YOU MENTIONED WE HAD ONE RIGHT HERE IN THE KOCO NEWSROOM. AND SO THIS YEAR, THESE LADIES ARE BACK TO SPREAD SOME THUNDER EXCITEMENT. THEY SAY THEY’VE GOT EVEN MORE DESIGNS THIS YEAR AND THEY BELIEVE THEY CAN DOUBLE THE ART THIS SEASON. THEY JUST CAN’T WAIT FOR THE PLAYOFFS TO START. LAST YEAR FOR THE PLAYOFFS, WITHIN A TWO AND A HALF MONTH SPAN, WE PAINTED 157 LOCATIONS. SOME OF THOSE WERE HUGE AND SOME WERE SMALL. AS ONE WINDOW, WE HAVE A GUESS OF ABOUT 25 GALLONS. WE MAY HAVE MISSED A FEW. IT DOESN’T TAKE A TON OF PAPER FOR DESIGN TYPICALLY, BUT YEAH, ABOUT 25 GALLONS LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR I THINK WE’RE GOING TO DO A WHOLE LOT MORE. IT FEELS AMAZING TO BE BACK. I’M SO EXCITED. WE JUST HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME LAST YEAR AND I’VE REALLY MISSED THIS COMMUNITY OF JUST GETTING TO SEE EVERYBODY AND JUST BE A HUGE PART OF ALL THE EXCITEMENT FOR THE PLAYOFFS. YEAH, THEY DO INCREDIBLE WORK. NOW. MELISSA SAYS THAT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING ANY OF YOUR WINDOWS PAINTED, YOU JUST GOT TO CONTACT HER THROUGH EMAIL. WE’RE GOING TO POST A

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Oklahoma City artist returns with Thunder-themed window art for NBA playoffs

Melissa Griggs-Hendricks and her team are back to paint Thunder-inspired designs on windows across Oklahoma City, spreading excitement for the NBA playoffs

Updated: 7:52 PM CDT Apr 10, 2026

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Oklahoma City is preparing for the NBA playoffs, and artist Melissa Griggs-Hendricks is bringing Thunder spirit to life with her signature window art. >> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning NewsletterGriggs-Hendricks, along with her assistant Candace, is painting Thunder-themed images on windows throughout the city, including one at the KOCO newsroom. “Last year for the playoffs, within a two-and-a-half-month span, we painted 157 locations. Some of those were huge and some were small as one window,” Griggs-Hendricks said. “We have a guess of about 25 gallons. We may have missed it. It doesn’t take a ton of paint for a design. Typically, they get about 25 this year. I think we’re going to do a whole lot more.” She expressed her enthusiasm for returning this season. “It feels amazing to be back. I’m so excited. We just had such a great time last year, and I really miss this community of just getting to see everybody and just be a huge part of all the excitement for the playoffs,” Griggs-Hendricks said. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.Griggs-Hendricks and her team say they have even more designs planned this year and believe they can double their output from last season. Top HeadlinesWoman dies after being hit by a train in Pauls Valley, OHP saysOut-of-this-world playlist: Here’s what the Artemis II astronauts have been listening in spaceOHP releases details of deadly crash involving Oklahoma State softball team’s busRollover crash involving multiple vehicles causes significant traffic on SB I-35 near GoldsbyPennsylvania woman’s Ring camera captures machete-wielding neighbor

Oklahoma City is preparing for the NBA playoffs, and artist Melissa Griggs-Hendricks is bringing Thunder spirit to life with her signature window art.

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>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter

Griggs-Hendricks, along with her assistant Candace, is painting Thunder-themed images on windows throughout the city, including one at the KOCO newsroom.

“Last year for the playoffs, within a two-and-a-half-month span, we painted 157 locations. Some of those were huge and some were small as one window,” Griggs-Hendricks said. “We have a guess of about 25 gallons. We may have missed it. It doesn’t take a ton of paint for a design. Typically, they get about 25 this year. I think we’re going to do a whole lot more.”

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She expressed her enthusiasm for returning this season.

“It feels amazing to be back. I’m so excited. We just had such a great time last year, and I really miss this community of just getting to see everybody and just be a huge part of all the excitement for the playoffs,” Griggs-Hendricks said.

Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.

Griggs-Hendricks and her team say they have even more designs planned this year and believe they can double their output from last season.


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Oklahoma City man claiming to be financial investor charged with fraud

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Oklahoma City man claiming to be financial investor charged with fraud


A federal grand jury has charged an Oklahoma City man with dozens of counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.

From June 2021 through December 2025, officials say 36-year-old Matthew Mclain Veazey presented himself as a successful financial investment professional. Public records indicate that Veazey encouraged friend and family to send him money by claiming he had special access to favorable investment opportunities due to his connections.

However, authorities say Veazey kept the money for himself and used it for personal expenses.

Court records allege that investors gave Veazey $2.38 million, but those funds were never repaid. Authorities say Veazey fabricated text messages and email communications from real people to convince victims that his investment activities were real.

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This week, a federal grand jury returned a 30-count indictment charging Veazey with 21 counts of wire fraud, five counts of money laundering, and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

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If convicted, Veazey faces up to 20 years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000 for each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000 for each count of money laundering.



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PORTAL TARGET BREAKDOWN: Oklahoma State guard Amari Whiting

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PORTAL TARGET BREAKDOWN: Oklahoma State guard Amari Whiting


Portal season is just getting underway. The Iowa Women’s Basketball team suffered five losses to the transfer portal, leaving them, at this moment, with six players on next year’s roster, including just two guards. For the first time since the portal became commonplace in college sports, the Hawkeyes, led by head coach Jan Jensen are […]



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