Home About Articles Work Experience Contact

My Articles

Norman Transcript •

Standridge’s homeless shelter bill stalled in House committee

An Oklahoma House committee on Wednesday “laid over,” or postponed until next year a bill that would effectively limit the construction of homeless shelters in all Oklahoma towns but Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

The House Committee on County and Municipal Government let die Sen. Lisa Standridge’s homeless shelter bill for this session, which will postpone it to next year’s session before it can be voted on, according to the bill’s house sponsor.
Norman Transcript •

Lawmakers address concerns at town hall

Democratic state legislators representing Norman districts fielded questions on issues ranging from the hyperlocal to the federal before a packed house at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Saturday morning.

Over 200 people showed up for the hour-long town hall, which featured Sen. Mary Boren, Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, Rep. Annie Menz and Rep. Jared Deck. Three present and future Norman City Council members were in attendance — David Gandesbery, Ward 1; Bree Montoya, Ward 3; and Kim Blodgett, Ward 7. Gandesbery and Blodgett are set to take office in July.
Norman Transcript •

Norman Regional Hospital votes to stay independent

Short on time and low in finances, the Norman Regional Hospital Authority Board voted this week to fight to stay independent, retaining a consulting firm in its attempt to achieve financial equilibrium.

The board also voted to accept the resignation of co-CEO Rick Wagner, who simultaneously operated as the hospital’s chief financial officer. During a special meeting held earlier this month, Wagner revealed the hospital is set to “run out of cash” in FY 2026, which starts in July.
Norman Transcript •

Student protesters disrupt OU Board of Regents meeting

About 12 minutes into the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents meeting on Monday, a small group of student protesters interrupted, demanding the university divest from companies doing business in Israel.

The spectator seating area in the meeting room was full, so a handful of protesters affiliated with OU Students for Justice in Palestine stood in the back holding “Divest from Death” signs. Both those in the meeting and the 50 or so standing in the hallway outside remained silent for a time, but when Regent Rick Nagel, a 1994 OU graduate and Norman local, was giving a committee report concerning academic student affairs and research, one protest organizer raised her voice.
Norman Transcript •

Student protesters disrupt OU regents meeting

About 12 minutes into the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents meeting on Monday, a small group of student protesters interrupted to demand the university “divest from death.”

The protesters were affiliated with OU Students for Justice in Palestine, previously known as the Student Coalition for Palestinian Liberation, which formed in April 2022. The group has held several protests, rallies and teach-ins before and after Hamas and its allies launched an attack on Israel, killing an estimated 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.
Norman Transcript •

Literary festival honors Mexican author

The 2025 Puterbaugh Literary Festival concluded this week after two days of events celebrating the work of Guadalupe Nettel, an award-winning Mexican novelist, short-story writer and essayist.

World Literature Today, the University of Oklahoma’s renowned magazine of international literature and culture, recognized Nettel as the 2025 Puterbaugh fellow, the third to hail from Mexico, the eighth woman and the 30th in total since the festivals began in 1968.
Norman Transcript •

Local Mexican diplomat criticizes Trump’s tariffs

After President Donald Trump launched a trade war Tuesday against Canada and Mexico, a representative of the Mexican Consulate admonished the president during a luncheon at the University of Oklahoma.

Attempting to pressure Canada and Mexico to tighten borders and stop the flow of illicit drugs, Trump announced Monday that Canadian and Mexican imports would be subject to a 25% tax, which went into effect early Tuesday morning. The move effectively negated the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the North American Free Trade Agreement replacement that Trump himself renegotiated in 2020.
Norman Transcript •

Standridge’s homeless shelter bill to head to Senate floor

Norman Sen. Lisa Standridge’s homeless shelter bill is set to proceed to the Senate floor after passing through committee 6-3 on Tuesday, but the nature of the bill has changed.

The new version of Senate Bill 484 mandates proposed homeless shelters in municipalities with populations less than 300,000 be located at least 3,000 feet away from “places where children congregate.” However, the bill does include a grandfather clause, allowing pre-existing shelters to remain open despite their proximity to schools, libraries, parks, etc.
Norman Transcript •

Norman election results cause City Council shakeup

Norman’s Ward 7 City Council member Stephen Tyler Holman came out on top in Tuesday’s election, winning his mayoral bid against incumbent Mayor Larry Heikkila and leaving attorney Riley Mulinix a distant third.

In a landslide victory, Holman received 61.09% (11,273 votes), while Heikkila received 35.05% (6,467 votes) and Mulinix received 3.86% (712 votes). Over 65% of absentee and early ballots cast voted in favor of Holman.
The Norman Transcript •

Ward 7 councilmember leans on experience in mayoral bid

To Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman, being mayor is about accountability, accessibility and transparency, he said in his opening remarks during a recent mayoral debate.

“I want everyone to know that they have a mayor that they can meet with, that they can talk with, who's going to be responsive to their concerns and who's going to work with everybody, no matter where they come from,” Holman said.
The Norman Transcript •

Norman mayoral candidates debate TIF, homelessness and more

Ahead of the Feb. 11 Norman mayoral election, candidates debated a slew of issues in the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord Hall auditorium on Thursday evening.

More than 100 people showed up to watch as six-term Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman, incumbent Mayor Larry Heikkila, and Riley Mulinix, a local attorney, spoke on a variety of issues, such as Norman Public Library, homelessness, the potential entertainment district and its tax-increment financing model.
The Norman Transcript •

Cleveland County Courthouse to receive major tech overhaul

The courtrooms at the Cleveland County Courthouse are set to receive “state-of-the-art” audiovisual upgrades after county commissioners approved a contract this week for up to $1.15 million.

Approving the contract Monday was the final step required to meet the American Rescue Plan Act deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday as the commissioners are financing the courthouse improvements using ARPA funds obligated for the project.
Load More