Local & Regional

By Associated Press

Tulsa, Okla. – TULSA, Okla. (AP) Police in Tulsa say they've arrested a man for falsely reporting his 6-year-old daughter was inside his stolen pickup truck.

Police say Michael Hankins reported his truck stolen about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and that he said his daughter was inside to get a faster response from officers.

By Associated Press

Tulsa, Okla. – TULSA, Okla. (AP) Fifty-one Tulsa police officers who were among 124 laid off because of budget cuts in February are to be rehired this week.

Capt. Jonathan Brooks says the officers will be sworn in Friday and start working this weekend. Brooks says another 30 laid off officers are to be rehired at the start of August.

By Associated Press

Oklahoma City – OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) State and federal officials have begun touring homes that were damaged by flooding in south Oklahoma City last week.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management visited about two-dozen homes Wednesday to find out what kind of insurance homeowners and business owners have and the overall damage to their property.

By KWGS News

Tulsa, OK – Students at several of TPS' highest-need schools will be spending significantly more time in the classroom, thanks to millions of dollars in support from the federal government.

"This announcement could not have come at a better time," said Dr. Keith Ballard, the superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools. "After months of cuts to our budget, we now have significant funding to implement innovative programs that ensure our mission of providing quality learning experiences for every student, every day, without exception."

By KWGS News

Tulsa, OK –
All nine Tulsa City Councilors are named in a lawsuit filed by a trio of Tulsans. The group claims the council violated the Oklahoma Open Meetings Law when it went into a June 17th executive session to review an investigation of the Mayor's Chief of Staff. In that session, the council voted to exclude the Mayor from the meeting, if so, such a vote could be a violation.

By KWGS News

Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa City Council takes up several ordinances tomorrow night dealing with blighted vacant property. Mayor Bartlett held a news conference this afternoon in waist high-weeds to urge the council to pass the rules.

The regulations would tighten controls on owners and stiffen fines.

By KWGS News

Tulsa, OK – A man is shot and killed in a North Tulsa Home Invasion. Police say 30-year-old Cory Johnson was shielding his infant daughter when he was shot by a trio of mask men who broke into the home early this morning.

Johnson's girl friend, the baby's mother, was also in the house at the time. Police are looking for three men.

The incident happened at 628 E. 27th Pl. North, just before 3AM this morning.

By Associated Press

Oklahoma City – OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A man who was paroled in 2009 after being convicted of second-degree murder has been charged with a deadly truck stop shooting in Oklahoma City.

Thirty-six-year-old Richard McFall was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the June 22 shooting death of 31-year-old Billy Gene Cooks Jr. of Moore at JRS Truck Center. No motive for the shooting was released.

By Associated Press

Norman, Okla. – NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Some University of Oklahoma students are upset that officials waited two weeks to tell them of a virus found on a computer containing student information.

The OU information technology department found the Zeus of Zbod virus June 10 on an OU laptop computer with stored files of student names and Social Security numbers.

By Associated Press

McAlester, OK – Okla prison inmate recaptured

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) Jackie Brannon Correctional Center officials say an inmate has been recaptured.

Deputy Ward Rick Moham says an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper picked up Stephen G. Thomas without incident just before 1 p.m. Tuesday on the Indian Nations Turnpike (U.S. 75) south of McAlester.

Officials began looking for Stephens after he was discovered missing during the 8:30 a.m. head count Monday at the minimum-security prison.