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Sheriff to Bill for Tulsa Inmates
Starting this month, there's going to be a little something extra in the mail for the city of Tulsa. Sheriff Stanley Glanz says along with the other area communities that are billed for keeping inmates in the Moss Center, he'll start charging Tulsa. It's the latest move in the on-going battle between Tulsa and the county over paying for housing municipal inmates. City attorneys have already said Tulsa won't pay, and filed a lawsuit against the Sheriff and the county over the matter. The Sheriff says he'll charge the city of Tulsa $54.13 a day per inmate.
State Congressional Power Weakens
The perceived power carried by the Oklahoma congressional delegation is rated just 45th among the 50 states. The rating is posted on congress.org. With a Democrat being elected president and both the House and Senate firmly controlled by Democrats Oklahoma has just one Democrat among its five representatives and two senators. Rep. Frank Lucas and Sen. Jim Inhofe have the most seniority and both hold positions on key committees. Lucas is the top Republican on the House Agriculture Committee while Inhofe is the senior Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee. But only Rep. Dan Boren is a member of the majority party and he has just four years in Congress.
Preliminary hearing delayed in double homicide, assault case
A preliminary hearing scheduled for a man accused of killing with his car is postponed. Andrew Mathis is charged with murdering Carlos Lopez Junior and Dennis Cox by running them down with his car in the early-morning hours of November 1st in a Brookside parking lot. David Lopez, the brother of victim Carlos Lopez says, " It's tragic that two, young family men, individuals, had to lose their lives in this case." The preliminary hearing originally set for this morning has been continued until January 16th, as attorneys wait for a medical examiner's report.
Hard economic times hit veterans, too
State officials say the number of veterans seeking emergency financial assistance has doubled in recent weeks in the midst of the nation's economic struggles. Veterans who have at least 90 days of wartime service are qualified to request help in Oklahoma in certain emergencies, including the loss of a job because of illness or injury, or a disaster such as a loss of home due to fire, flood or storm. Margaret Woodford of the state Department of Veterans Affairs says about 10 veterans apply for aid each week, and a qualified applicant receives between $500 and $700 on average. The maximum is $1,000.
Ex-wife of Santa shooter formerly lived in Oklahoma
The ex-wife of man who went on a killing spree at a California home on Christmas Eve formerly lived in Oklahoma. Records show that 43-year-old Sylvia Pardo owned a home with George M. Orza between 1997 and 2003, while the couple were married. Sylvia Pardo is believed to be among the nine people killed when her ex-husband, Bruce Pardo, opened fire at a family party this week. Police listed the victims as unaccounted for because coroner's officials said the nine bodies were too badly charred for immediate identification. Bruce Pardo killed himself at his brother's house after the shootings.
Cleanup of zinc smelter to cost $6.6-million
A former zinc smelter site near Collinsville in northeastern Oklahoma will be cleaned up through a $6.6 million program chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency. The former Tulsa Fuel and Manufacturing site north of Tulsa has been closed since 1925, but about 200,000 cubic yards of smelter waste still remain on the property. The state Department of Environmental Quality has said the site is contaminated by arsenic, cadmium, lead and zinc. The DEQ says entertainment giant Viacom International is expected to fund the cleanup. Viacom's predecessor corporations operated zinc-smelter facilities.
Construction of forensics building to begin in spring
Forensic scientists from the Tulsa Police Department and Oklahoma State University will share a new $38.7 million building that's scheduled for construction in the spring. The five-story building will be built on the southwest corner of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences campus in Tulsa and be completed in 2010. The police department is expected to occupy the bottom two floors of the building with its property and evidence room and a forensic science laboratory. Sales tax dollars and a general obligation bond will cover the city's share of the cost of just under $16.7 million. Oklahoma State will pick up the rest of the tab and occupy the top three floors with classrooms, research labs and faculty offices.
SUV Plows Into House, Injures Woman
Tulsa Police say an out-of-control SUV rammed into a house in the 700 block of South Memorial Friday morning, injuring a woman who was asleep in her bedroom. The woman's boyfriend says her bed was against the wall that was hit by the SUV and knocked three or four feet across the bedroom. She was conscious and able to walk but was being treated for some kind of neck injury. Police say the 19-year-old driver of the SUV was also injured. They say the license plate on the SUV does not match records and believe the vehicle might be stolen. They're not sure what caused him to lose control of the SUV.
High-Speed Chase Ends Just Before Dangerous Drop
A man trying to escape Tulsa Police is probably more fortunate to be in custody. With police on his tail, he was driving northbound on 129th East Avenue, when he crossed 49th Street North. Police say he apparently didn't realize the road ends there and a 30-foot-deep rock quarry lies just beyond. His car crashed into some boulders that line the entrance, preventing his car from plunging into the void. He was taken into custody. Police say he appeared to be drunk. They're also fairly sure the car is stolen.
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