Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Own In Focus: How OKC is working to prevent homelessness
Oklahoma City has shifted its focus on homelessness toward efforts to prevent it. News 9 has followed the city’s efforts over the past year as case management teams connect with people in need.
OKC’s Key to Home partnership
One of those solutions is OKC’s Key to Home partnership made up of more than 50 non-profits. Through their Encampment Rehousing Initiative, case managers go directly into camps and work to house everyone within four to six weeks.
So far, 97% of the people in this program have stayed in housing. Leaders at the Homeless Alliance want to keep people from losing their housing options.
Homeless Alliance’s new diversion program
They launched a new program diversion program this year to tackle that issue. Homeless Alliance chief shelter officer Ian Apfelbaum said they want to stay ahead of problems.
“In the longer term, we’re spending less money,” Apfelbaum said. “We’re getting more people housed.”
Apfelbaum understands that life can take many complicated turns. He helps coordinate the diversion program to help people who experience homelessness for the first time.
“Help them through it and have a solution for them,” Apfelbaum said. “Connect to people quicker. “We can work through creative budgeting strategies and help out with small things like groceries so that they can save up enough money to be able to pay for a deposit.”
Apfelbaum said people struggle to navigate this crisis alone.
“It can be a lot, and that can be really crippling and debilitating to have to be like start everything all over again,” Apfelbaum said. “Just that little extra helping hand and nudge in the right direction has been super successful.”
Basic life changes can lead to homelessness
Apfelbaum said the path to homelessness doesn’t take much for some people.
“A lot of us are living paycheck to paycheck and all it takes is the loss of your job for a couple weeks,” Apfelbaum said.
How diversion supports people with immediate needs
Apfelbaum remembered a man this new program helped after his truck broke down on a cross-country road trip.
“He had housing in another state but couldn’t afford to fix his truck,” Apfelbaum said. “We were able to pay for transportation to get him back up there.”
Apfelbaum said their aid can keep a person on the right path and save money from long-term services.
“Everyone deserves a home over their head,” Apfelbaum said.
If this program continues its success the Homeless Alliance will make it a permanent tool. They could expand the program citywide after this year’s test period.
Affordable housing investment in OKC
Oklahoma has one of the highest eviction rates in the country. Experts said the lack of affordable housing drives up homelessness rates.
The city is investing $55 million into affordable housing through MAPS 4. One of those projects is renovating the Bricktown Motel 6 building into housing. The OKC Housing Authority said it wants to create 3,000 housing units through those funds.
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.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
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.”
Follow
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.
-
Fitness2 minutes agoHow the 3-3-3 Rule Helped Me Stick to an Exercise Routine
-
Movie Reviews14 minutes agoFILM REVIEW: ROSE OF NEVADA – Joyzine
-
World26 minutes ago
Oil prices rise anew after a US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz strands tankers
-
News32 minutes agoVideo: 8 Children Killed in Louisiana Shooting, Police Say
-
Culture1 hour agoPoetry Challenge: Memorize “The More Loving One” by W.H. Auden
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoPhotos: How overfishing in Southeast Asia is an ecological and human crisis
-
Technology1 hour agoBlue Origin successfully reused its New Glenn rocket
-
World2 hours agoDistress call captures tanker under fire, Iran shuts Hormuz trapping thousands of sailors
