Oklahoma
'Unreasonable': $250,000 for Okla. public schools inhaler funds stalled in OSDE
TULSA, Okla. — With thousands of kids headed back to class some state lawmakers are frustrated that every school won’t have emergency inhalers as those funds stalled in the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
The lawmakers said they approved the money to cover the cost of emergency inhalers for all Oklahoma public schools. It was sent to Governor Stitt’s office where he signed it into law.
But since then it’s struggled to actually go anywhere. For one Oklahoma family, it’s personal.
“Brendon was just an overall awesome kid. He grew up in Perry Oklahoma a small town. Loved sports, loved his faith and his family, but he tragically passed away at the age of 16 years old of an asthma attack,” said Brendon McLarty’s aunt Jennifer Blair.
She is also the executive director of the Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation which helped sponsor the legislation.
“The lives and the hearts that have been affected as a result of something that we can fix. That we have funded that we have the ability to make these inhalers available so when these episodes happen,” said State Senator Chuck Hall.
He is one of the Oklahoma lawmakers trying to put inhalers in public schools with the help of the Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation.
But the $250,000 allocated to the foundation stalled in the state Department of Education.
2 News talked to one of the bill’s authors Representative Mickey Dollens (D-Oklahoma City).
“Unreasonable for the Department of Education to hold up this money. Especially now that schools are going back into the classroom and that kids need this medicine without notice it needs to be on hand,” said Dollens.
After the bill was drafted it gained bipartisan support.
That approved the appropriation of a quarter of a million dollars to be given to the Brendon McLarty Foundation through OSDE.
However, that money was never distributed. Blair is not sure why the funds are being held.
“I honestly don’t know. We’ve been doing this for five years now. Providing inhalers, providing education, and out program really works. I mean last school year our inhalers were used 2,800 times in one school year,” said Blair.
In a letter to Attorney General Genter Drummond, State Superintendent Ryan Walters said he wants some clarity on distributing the funds.
Including whether to give the money all at once or in installments.
Walters also questions whether the legislature is favoring the Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation over that of others.
Because he said the state can’t give any vendor preferential treatment.
LETTER TO AG DRUMMOND:
Oklahoma State Department of Education Oklahoma State Department of Education
Representative Dollens wasn’t surprised by the delay.
“They’ve had nine months, but this is a pattern of repeated behavior. Slow-playing elected officials not fulfilling grants. Not appropriating dollars where they should go. And it’s just an ongoing dysfunction that we’ve experienced unfortunately with the department of education,” said Rep. Dollens.
Blair hopes they get everything sorted out quickly and that no family has to lose their kid like they lost Brendon.
“I mean it’s been an honor to carry on Brendon’s legacy and to raise awareness about asthma,” said Blair.
2 News will continue to follow this story as it develops.
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NORMAN — Oklahoma softball’s transfer portal activity may have been fairly slow developing.
But now, as the portal window nears its end, the Sooners have started having success.
Oklahoma added outfielder Adi Hansen, a standout at the College of Southern Idaho for the last two seasons on Thursday.
Hansen’s announcement, made on Instagram, followed shortly after Middle Tennessee outfielder Macie Harter announced her commitment to the Sooners.
Hansen led the Golden Eagles with a .457 batting average in 186 at bats in 2026, with an eye-popping 82 runs scored and a school-record 62 stolen bases on 67 attempts.
Hansen had 17 games with two or more stolen bases this season and twice had four stolen bases in a game.
Hansen had four triples and 21 RBIs, drawing 23 walks.
She earned NJCAA first-team All-America honors, helping her team finish 43-13 with a NJCAA Division I Juco World Series appearance.
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In 2025, as a freshman, Hansen hit .401 with 36 stolen bases and 62 ruyns scored.
Hansen is a Logan, Utah, product.
Hansen and Harter join a group of outfielders that includes Kai Minor in centerfield and Ella Parker in right field.
The Sooners lost Abby Dayton to graduation and Kasidi Pickering to transfer after the season. Pickering will reportedly transfer to Texas Tech.
Oklahoma finished 52-10 last season, missing the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2015 after falling to Mississippi State in three games in the Norman Super Regional.
The Sooners have a strong incoming recruiting class and return a trio of pitchers — Audrey Lowry, Miali Guachino and Allyssa Parker — as well as experienced hitters Kendall Wells, Gabbie Garcia, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas plus Minor and Ella Parker.
In addition to the departures of Dayton and Pickering, the Sooners also lost pitchers Sydney Berzon and Kierston Deal, first baseman Isabela Emerling, and second baseman Ailana Agbayani to graduation. Outfielder Tia Milloy, pitcher Berkley Zache and utility player Riley Zache also entered the transfer portal.
Oklahoma’s incoming class includes Edmond Santa Fe pitcher Keegan Baker, Lakewood, Calif., infielder Ki’ele Ho-Ching, Mililani, Hawaii, infielder Ori Mailo, Fullerton, Calif., pitcher Malaya Majam-Finch, Katy, Texas, pitcher EK Smith, and Mesa, Ariz., outfilder Payton Westra.
Mailo was with the Sooners this season, redshirting after joining the program a year early.
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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Oklahoma City police are investigating an early morning shooting that left one man injured in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 3 a.m. on Thursday, emergency crews were called to a reported shooting near Kelley and Wilshire Blvd.
Investigators say the shooting occurred between a couple inside the home, adding that the woman shot the man.
However, police say they are trying to determine if the shooting was accidental.
The victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
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The woman has been taken into custody for questioning, but it is unknown if she will face charges just yet.
Oklahoma is just three outs away from steamrolling through the right side of the bracket and knocking out Georgia to reach the championship finals.
To prepare, let’s take a look at what arms we should expect for the Sooners just like we did for the North Carolina earlier.
The Sooners have leaned heavily on their freshmen pitching trio in Cord Rager, Xander Mercurius and Nick Wesloski throughout Omaha. The first two went at least seven innings, while Wesloski tossed 5.2 innings on Wednesday. Even though they used relievers LJ Mercurius and Jackson Cleveland in the first two games, neither pitched more than two innings nor allowed a run.
If LJ, who entered for Wesloski on Wednesday, finishes the game, he will have gone 3.1 innings.
That sets up Oklahoma very well to matchup with UNC, which went 3-0 and also hasn’t used many arms up to this point.
If OU does win, expect Rager, Xander Mercurius and Cleveland to be ready to go. Rager, who hasn’t pitched since their first round game against Alabama on Saturday, June 13, would have a full week of rest.
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