Five years after voters approved landmark criminal justice reforms, counties are still waiting for mental health funding

The Legislature has never sent any money to the fund and no rules have been written for how it can be spent.

View this email in your browser THIS WEEK AT THE FRONTIER Have ideas for other stories you'd like to see in The Frontier or want to give us feedback? Please email us. Your financial support for our investigative journalism is now tax deductible. To become a Friend of The Frontier, click here. This newsletter is edited by Brianna Bailey. Contact her at brianna@readfrontier.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  Five years after voters approved landmark criminal justice reforms, counties are still waiting for mental health funding The money Oklahoma saved from sending fewer people to prison was supposed to finance county mental health programs. But the Legislature has never sent any money to the fund and no rules have been written for how it can be spent. Investigation by Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommends Julius Jones not be executed Oklahoma’s Attorney General is seeking to put Jones to death in October, a move that has placed Jones’ upcoming commutation hearing into question. Governor largely silent on the pandemic as COVID cases surge in Oklahoma Outside of a few swipes at cities and states that shut down during the pandemic last year, Gov. Stitt skirted the topic of COVID-19 in remarks to business leaders, instead focusing on economic growth and his social media war with the animal rights group PETA. School-age children make up Oklahoma’s largest increase in COVID-19 cases With schools legally barred from enacting mask mandates, data shows cases in school-age children are driving Oklahoma’s surging COVID-19 case load.   More than 1,600 people in Oklahoma are hospitalized with COVID-19 as new cases spike The three-day average for hospitalizations was at 1,602 patients on Friday.   Oklahoma City will mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for police and fire recruits Oklahoma’s largest city has not yet mandated vaccination for existing police officers and firefighters, which would require negotiations with their unions. Oklahomans We’ve Lost: A family man who served his country and community “People would gravitate toward him.” The Frontier is documenting the stories of Oklahomans who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about other Oklahomans here. Have you lost a loved one to COVID-19? Help us tell their story.    Tell us what you think about The Frontier As The Frontier continues to grow, we’d like to know more about what our readers like and how we can do better. Fill out our 2021 reader survey and tell us how we’re doing. Bruce's World  Bruce’s World is a weekly look into Oklahoma’s hottest topics, filtered through the brain of Bruce Plante. Copyright © 2020 The Frontier, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive our weekly newsletter. Our mailing address is: The Frontier 302 Reconciliation Way Tulsa, OK, 74120 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Donate

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‘Stretched beyond our limits,’ hospital leaders appeal for public’s help

With less than half of all Oklahomans fully vaccinated against COVID, hospitals are dealing with a number of patients not seen since January.

View this email in your browser THIS WEEK AT THE FRONTIER Have ideas for other stories you'd like to see in The Frontier or want to give us feedback? Please email us. Your financial support for our investigative journalism is now tax deductible. To become a Friend of The Frontier, click here. This newsletter is edited by Brianna Bailey. Contact her at brianna@readfrontier.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  ‘Stretched beyond our limits’: Amid governor’s silence on COVID-19 surge, hospital leaders appeal for public’s help With less than half of all Oklahomans fully vaccinated against COVID, hospitals are dealing with a number of patients not seen since January. Oklahoma COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased by over 270% in the last month The three-day average for hospitalizations was at 1,487 patients on Friday. After she lost her job, Oklahoma cut off her pandemic unemployment benefits early Gov. Kevin Stitt’s decision to end the expanded benefits more than two months early has not helped Valerie Killman find a job and has only made things tougher for her family and thousands of other Oklahomans, she said. Oklahomans We’ve Lost: A grandmother who built warplanes, treated prisoners of war and served as mayor “She was a Rosie the Riveter. You don’t see a lot of African American women as Rosie the Riveter, at least when you’re looking at the television.” The Frontier is documenting the stories of Oklahomans who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about other Oklahomans here. Have you lost a loved one to COVID-19? Help us tell their story.    Tell us what you think about The Frontier As The Frontier continues to grow, we’d like to know more about what our readers like and how we can do better. Fill out our 2021 reader survey and tell us how we’re doing. Bruce's World  Bruce’s World is a weekly look into Oklahoma’s hottest topics, filtered through the brain of Bruce Plante. Copyright © 2020 The Frontier, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive our weekly newsletter. Our mailing address is: The Frontier 302 Reconciliation Way Tulsa, OK, 74120 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Donate

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Oklahoma’s largest school district will defy state law and mandate masks

“It has taken away our choices,” says one mother.

View this email in your browser THIS WEEK AT THE FRONTIER Have ideas for other stories you'd like to see in The Frontier or want to give us feedback? Please email us. Your financial support for our investigative journalism is now tax deductible. To become a Friend of The Frontier, click here. This newsletter is edited by Brianna Bailey. Contact her at brianna@readfrontier.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  With no mask mandates in Oklahoma schools, some parents feel forgotten “It has taken away our choices,” says one mother. Oklahoma’s largest school district will defy state law and mandate masks Oklahoma City Public Schools will announce mandatory face coverings for students and staff. An Oklahoma school system defies law against mask mandate as other districts discuss legal action Santa Fe South Schools in Oklahoma City will require face coverings for students and staff, despite a state ban on mandatory masking. Vaccinations are on the rise in Oklahoma as hospital beds fill up with new cases Vaccination rates in Oklahoma have been on an upswing in recent weeks, and state health officials hope the numbers reflect a growing willingness among the unvaccinated to get their shots and stave off an oncoming surge of new cases. Oklahoma COVID-19 hospitalizations at highest level since January The three-day average for hospitalizations was at 1,326 patients on Friday. Oklahomans We’ve Lost: A grandmother who built warplanes, treated prisoners of war and served as mayor “She was a Rosie the Riveter. You don’t see a lot of African American women as Rosie the Riveter, at least when you’re looking at the television.” The Frontier is documenting the stories of Oklahomans who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about other Oklahomans here. Have you lost a loved one to COVID-19? Help us tell their story.    Tell us what you think about The Frontier As The Frontier continues to grow, we’d like to know more about what our readers like and how we can do better. Fill out our 2021 reader survey and tell us how we’re doing. Bruce's World  Bruce’s World is a weekly look into Oklahoma’s hottest topics, filtered through the brain of Bruce Plante. Copyright © 2020 The Frontier, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive our weekly newsletter. Our mailing address is: The Frontier 302 Reconciliation Way Tulsa, OK, 74120 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Donate

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