Oklahoma County jail fails inspection over sanitation, safety and security issues
Oklahoma County jail fails inspection over sanitation, safety and security issues

Oklahoma County jail fails inspection over sanitation, safety and security issues

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Diverging Reports Breakdown

Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter once lived in Oklahoma. Here’s what we know

Vance Luther Boelter lived in Oklahoma in the early 2000s with his family. He was arrested Sunday night after an intense manhunt. He faces both state and federal murder charges, including multiple counts of murder and stalking. He is accused of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, in addition to shooting and injuring another lawmaker and his wife. The couple owed $104.05 in delinquent taxes in 2006, according to real estate records in Muldrow, Oklahoma, about a 15-minute drive west of Fort Smith, Arkansas.. He appeared in federal court on Monday, June 16, where he told the judge he couldn’t afford an attorney. He could face the death penalty as a result of the federal charges brought against him, Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul reports. The charges could be amended to first-degree murder if indicted by a grand jury in the killings of the Hortmans.

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A Minnesota man who has been charged with stalking and murdering a lawmaker and her husband, in addition to shooting and injuring another lawmaker and his wife, previously lived in Oklahoma, records show.

According to property, voting and birth records, Vance Luther Boelter lived in Oklahoma in the early 2000s with his family.

Boelter, 57, was arrested Sunday night after an intense manhunt and faces both state and federal murder charges, including multiple counts of murder and stalking.

Here’s what we know.

When did Vance Boelter live in Oklahoma?

Boelter lived in Oklahoma for at least five years. Voting records show that Boelter was registered to vote as a Republican in Oklahoma in 2004, and last voted in the state on Nov. 2, 2004.

Sequoyah County real estate records show that from 2002 to 2007, Boelter and his wife, Jenny Boelter, owned a home in Muldrow, Oklahoma. Muldrow is a town of roughly 3,300 in far eastern Oklahoma, about a 15-minute drive west of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Boelter’s time in Oklahoma was first reported by The Independent and Oklahoma Watch.

A Springdale, Arkansas, pastor told KFSM-TV that Boelter was his supervisor for a short time at the Gerber baby food plant in Fort Smith, around 20 years ago.

And birth announcements from the Muldrow Times Star, the Vian Tenkiller News and the Roland Register show one of the Boelters’ daughters was born Jan. 28, 2004, at a Fort Smith hospital. A 2002 birth announcement showed the birth of another daughter at the same hospital.

The Sequoyah County Times reported on May 25, 2006, that the Boelters owed $104.05 in delinquent taxes.

What happened during the Minnesota shootings?

Early Saturday, Boelter went to the home of Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman, shooting him and his wife, Yvette, disguised as a law enforcement officer and wearing a silicone mask covering his head and face, prosecutors said. The Hoffmans were seriously injured but are expected to recover.

He then traveled to two other unnamed lawmakers’ homes. Finally, he entered the home of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and killed her and her husband, Mark, a federal affidavit said.

Authorities said Boelter used the law enforcement ruse to manipulate his way into the homes, and had a list of dozens of Minnesota lawmakers and federal officials and their addresses, “mostly or all Democrats,” according to the affidavit.

“Boelter’s unthinkable actions ended the life of someone who shaped the core of who we are as a state,” Gov. Tim Walz said. “We must now move forward in Melissa’s honor with understanding, service, and above all, a sense of one another’s humanity.”

What’s next in the Vance Boelter case? Could he face the death penalty?

Federal prosecutors charged him with two counts of murder, two counts of stalking and two counts of shooting in the killing of the Hortmans and the shootings of the Hoffmans, according to Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Boelter also faces four state charges of second-degree murder, two of which could be amended to first-degree murder if indicted by a grand jury in the killings of the Hortmans. The other two charges would be amended to attempted murder based on the Hoffmans recovery statuses, Fox 9 reported.

Although Minnesota abolished the death penalty more than a hundred years ago, Boelter could face the death penalty as a result of the federal murder charges brought against him.

Investigators say Boelter “extensively researched” and planned the June 14 attack. He compiled a list of mostly Democratic state lawmakers and their addresses; fitted his SUV with lights and a fake license plate to resemble a police squad car; and he purchased a silicone mask and a cache of weapons, according to a 20-page affidavit filed in federal court.

Boelter appeared in federal court on Monday, June 16, where he told the judge he couldn’t afford an attorney, CNN reported. Manvir Atwal of the Office of the Federal Defender has been appointed to represent Boelter, according to CNN.

Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY

Source: Oklahoman.com | View original article

Thunder vs Pacers grades: Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams step up in NBA Finals Game 2

The Thunder beat the Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points and had eight assists. Aaron Wiggins and Alex Caruso both scored 20 points for the Thunder. The series moves to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Wednesday. The Thunder lead the series 2-1.. The NBA Finals presentation was a little too online. The logos were as a Microsoft Paint drawing! The script was replaced by more “NBA Finals” “decal’s” and “ NBA Finals’“ decal” on the court would be ideal, but hey, hey, it was a small step in the right direction for the league office and/or ABC to try to make things a little more fun. The logo was replaced with a pair of little Larry O’Brien trophies instead of the traditional “Larry the Larry” logo. The font was also changed to “Crisp” instead of “Lavar”

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The Thunder evened the NBA Finals on Sunday night thanks to a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander masterclass and big-time bench performances from Aaron Wiggins and Alex Caruso.

OKC beat Indiana 123-107. Now the series heads to Indianapolis.

Let’s get to the grades:

The guy keeps making history amid an already-illustrious season.

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Gilgeous-Alexander’s 72 points through the first two games of the Finals are the most ever by a player in his first two NBA Finals games.

The previous high was Allen Iverson, who scored 71 points in his first two Finals games in 2001.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 34 points and eight assists — both game highs — to go with five rebounds and four steals with only two turnovers.

Gilgeous-Alexander crossed the 3,000-point threshold Sunday (regular-season and playoffs combined). He’s the 12th player to ever reach that mark in a single season, joining Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Bob McAdoo and Shaquille O’Neal.

— Joe Mussatto

After a meh performance in the series opener, the Thunder got solid performances from the two of its Big Three not named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Williams scored 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting, a much more efficient night than what we saw in the opener. Even though he still missed a couple of shots in the restricted zone and a couple more from within 8 feet, he stayed aggressive. Williams got to the free-throw line nine times, making eight of his free shots.

Holmgren scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting. He also added six rebounds and a blocked shot.

Williams had five rebounds, five assists and a steal.

All-around better performances for the two emerging stars.

—Jenni Carlson

Double-big lineup: C

Mark Daigneault stuck with the same starting lineup from Game 1, going small with Cason Wallace in place of Isaiah Hartenstein.

Daigneault did give the double-big lineup of Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren a look, though, after completely shelving it in Game 1.

The two bigs played 3:36 minutes to end the first quarter and a minute to close the third quarter. OKC outscored Indiana 9-6 in the double-big minutes to close the first quarter.

It still doesn’t seem like the series to play Holmgren and Hartenstein together, but having one of them on the floor at all times is preferable.

— Joe Mussatto

Rebounding: A

Another area of concern in the opener that the Thunder took care of in Game 2.

After being outrebounded 56-39 in Game 1, the Thunder turned the tables on Sunday and outrebounded the Pacers 43-35.

The usual suspects led the way on the boards for the Thunder; Isaiah Hartenstein had eight rebounds while Chet Holmgren had six. But it wasn’t just the OKC bigs who were going after missed shots. Six other players had three or more rebounds.

Easily the best rebounding sequence of the night came early in the fourth quarter when the Thunder had three offensive rebounds on one possession, and all of them came from different players. Jalen Williams had the first, then Hartenstein, then Aaron Wiggins.

It spoke to the overall team effort to get on the glass.

—Jenni Carlson

NBA Finals presentation: C

The NBA league office and/or ABC might be a little too online.

On one hand, good for them for trying to juice up the presentation after it was panned in Game 1 — including here — for lacking a Finals feel. On the other hand, addressing that criticism by projecting a pair of little Larry O’Brien trophies onto the court was not the answer. The logos were as sharp as a Microsoft Paint drawing.

With more online backlash came another change! The trophies were replaced by cursive “NBA Finals” script. And that, my friends, was the answer. An actual “NBA Finals” decal on the court would be ideal, but hey, small steps.

— Joe Mussatto

Reserves: A-

Everyone knows about Aaron Wiggins — perhaps you’ve heard; he saved basketball — but he wasn’t the only Thunder reserve to make a significant contribution Sunday.

Alex Caruso actually outscored Wiggins, going for 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including hitting 4 of 8 from behind the arc. And of course, he played suffocating defense on whatever Pacer stepped in his path.

Isaiah Hartenstein came off the bench, and even though he scored just three points, he grabbed eight rebounds and dished four assists. He was plus-17, second only to Wiggins’ plus-24.

Kenrich Williams didn’t score any points but had four rebounds, two assists and one block; he was plus-15.

—Jenni Carlson

Shooting efficiency: A-

The Thunder almost went 50/40/90.

OKC shot 49% from the field (40 of 82), 39% from 3-point range (14 of 36) and 88% from the foul line (29 of 33).

The Pacers had shooting splits of 45%/35%/73%.

The Thunder was a plus-10 in free-throw margin, which was huge in a 17-point game.

SGA went 11 of 12 from the foul line. Jalen Williams was 8 of 9.

Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins were mighty efficient off the bench. They both shot 6 of 11 from the floor, combining for 38 points.

— Joe Mussatto

Response: A+

Forty-eight hours after taking a gut punch, the Thunder showed no ill effects of that devastating Game 1 loss. Instead, it showed it learned some valuable lessons.

Oklahoma City never took its foot off the gas. It didn’t have a careless stretch that allowed the Pacers to stick around and build hope. Not early on. Not at the end of quarters. Not in crunch time.

Maybe most impressive was the fourth-quarter closeout. The Thunder didn’t relax. It stayed in kill mode.

—Jenni Carlson

Source: Oklahoman.com | View original article

What time is Thunder vs Pacers NBA Finals Game 6? Date, TV schedule for OKC-Indiana

The Oklahoma City Thunder holds a 3-2 series lead over the Indiana Pacers. Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals is set for 7:30 p.m. CT Thursday in Indianapolis (ABC) Here’s how to watch the Thunder vs. Pacers in Game 6, including time, TV schedule and streaming information: television channel, live stream.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder can secure their first championship in Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.

Game 6 is set for 7:30 p.m. CT Thursday in Indianapolis (ABC). The Thunder holds a 3-2 series lead following its 120-109 home win in Game 5 on Monday.

Here’s how to watch the Thunder vs. Pacers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:

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What time is Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers NBA Finals Game 6?

Date: Thursday, June 19

Thursday, June 19 Time: 7:30 p.m. CT

The Thunder vs. Pacers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals starts at 7:30 p.m. CT Thursday from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

What channel is Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers in NBA Playoffs

TV: ABC

ABC Livestream: Fubo (here’s how to stream it live)

The Thunder vs. Pacers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals will be broadcast on ABC on Thursday, June 19.

NBA Finals schedule: Thunder vs. Pacers

All times are Central

Latest OKC Thunder news in NBA Finals

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Source: Oklahoman.com | View original article

Oklahoma’s loophole: How Tyson Foods’ water usage for chicken farms has gone unchecked

Jill Trapp and her husband built their home about 20 years ago in Oklahoma. They were drawn to the area’s remoteness and lush landscape. Five years after settling in, a man knocked on their door and asked them not to overuse their waters. “I try not to dwell on it. I pretend they’re not here,” Trapp said. � “The terms of each NMP include requirements for storage and disposition, as required under the Oklahoma Registered Poultry Feeding Act.” “Each contract grower is required to comply with federal, state, and local laws, including the Oklahoma law to have a farm-specific Nutrient Management Plan (NMP),” a Tyson Foods spokesperson said in a statement.“This initial disappointment didn’t compare to what happened in the last 15 years,’ said Trapp at a community meeting in Idabel, Oklahoma. ‘I’m concerned that we’ll overuse our waters and not have sustainability for the future.’

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Juan Vassallo

Investigate Midwest

As Jill Trapp steered her pickup down the red dirt roads of southeast Oklahoma, she raised a hand to greet a passing neighbor — a calf roper who once made it to the National Finals Rodeo.

She drove on, passing a modest cowboy church where Sunday sermons share space with country music and the smell of brisket.

Then, rising among the cedar and elm trees, came a familiar and unwelcome sight: a row of long, gray, windowless chicken houses, each longer than two football fields.

“I try not to dwell on it. I pretend they’re not here,” Trapp said.

But soon her truck jolted as it rolled through a pothole — one of many left behind by the constant flow of tractor-trailers hauling hundreds of thousands of chickens through the area.

In this corner of the state, the poultry industry is hard to ignore.

Within a roughly 25-mile radius of the southeast Oklahoma town of Idabel, there are 59 industrial poultry farms — more than half built in the last 15 years, typically larger than older operations. Together, they raise nearly 7.4 million birds at maximum capacity. All but six grow chickens for Tyson Foods, the largest meat company in the country; the other six farms supply Pilgrim’s Pride, a Colorado-based, multinational food company.

Beyond the usual concerns these farms raise — pollution and odors from the massive amounts of waste they generate, problems that have sparked lawsuits in Oklahoma and other states — residents in McCurtain County have another worry: the aquifer.

The region’s rapid growth — driven by poultry farms, marijuana farming and a tourism boom in Hochatown — is putting mounting pressure on local water supplies. And locals are starting to wonder just how much strain the aquifer water can take.

Industry-friendly laws and nominal penalties have allowed companies like Tyson to operate with little accountability. Minimal oversight from state agencies often means residents have little information about whether the industrial poultry farms are polluting or depleting the region’s groundwater.

“I’m concerned that we’re going to overuse our waters and not have sustainability for the future,” said Charlette Hearne, a prominent water rights advocate based in Broken Bow.

Dust, flies and trucks thundering through the night

When Trapp and her husband built their home about 20 years ago, they were drawn to the area’s remoteness and lush landscape — the perfect place, they thought, to start a family and raise cattle and backyard chickens.

But five years after settling in, a man knocked on their door.

He told them he had purchased the property next door and planned to build six large chicken houses. He also asked them not to raise any chickens, warning they could infect his flock and jeopardize his business.

“This initial disappointment didn’t compare to what happened in the last 15 years,” Trapp said last month at a community meeting in Idabel, attended by more than 150 people, including officials from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

She went on to describe the overpowering smells that fill her backyard whenever one of the farm’s chicken houses is cleaned out, the swarms of flies and layers of dust that settle on the walls of her house, and the noise from trucks hauling birds throughout the night.

“Each contract grower is required to comply with federal, state, and local laws, including the Oklahoma law to have a farm-specific Nutrient Management Plan (NMP),” a Tyson Foods spokesperson said in a statement. “The terms of each NMP include requirements for storage and disposition of poultry litter, as required under the Oklahoma Registered Poultry Feeding Operations Act. The NMPs are developed with measures designed to prevent discharge.”

The May 1 meeting primarily focused on a proposed 12-building chicken farm, which, if built, would become the second-largest poultry operation in the area.

The farm’s owners requested a permit from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to use about 86 million gallons of water per year, equivalent to the average water usage of 785 four-person households.

Unlike most other chicken farms in Oklahoma, the cluster of farms in McCurtain County sits atop a regulated aquifer, the Antlers. These farms use water from the aquifer for bird consumption, sanitation and cooling the chicken houses.

The current limit for permitted water withdrawals from the Antlers aquifer is 2.1 acre-feet per acre, or more than 680,000 gallons of water for each acre of land — the highest allocation of any groundwater basin in the state. State officials set that limit in 1995 by dividing the aquifer’s estimated total volume by the acreage above it.

“Our law is designed to deplete the aquifer. It is designed to mine the water for economic purposes,” Sara Gibson, general counsel for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, said during the meeting.

For Hearne, this admission makes one thing clear: Oklahoma’s water laws need to be updated to reflect the state’s growth and protect its natural resources.

She points to the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer — adjacent to the Antlers — as a success story.

In the 1980s, local advocates pushed for federal recognition of the aquifer as the region’s only viable drinking water source — a designation that later helped residents push for a comprehensive hydrological study and block a plan to export water.

That study led to a significant change: The aquifer’s withdrawal limit dropped from 2.0 acre-feet to just 0.2 — the lowest in the state.

To Hearne, it’s a straightforward lesson of how science should guide water policy.

“You’ve got to know your monthly, daily, seasonal variations before you can issue permits properly,” she said.

But perhaps the biggest shock for those at the meeting came with the revelation that most poultry operations typically don’t apply for water permits at all.

The ‘domestic use’ loophole lets industrial farms pump water without permits — and without limits

Lobbying by the poultry industry in the 1990s led to a loophole where a permit isn’t required if a property owner claims the water is for “domestic use” rather than a business.

“If the farm is doing business as Bob and Mary Jo Smith, they don’t need a permit. If they’re doing business as Smith Poultry LLC, they do,” Gibson explained.

While the 63 industrial poultry farms in McCurtain County are owned by individual farmers, they raise chickens under contract with corporations like Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride, which tightly control their operations. Only four currently have water permits, with a fifth pending for the planned 12-house chicken facility.

Not only does “domestic use” allow a farm to operate without a water permit, but the operation can pull more than twice the amount of water from the aquifer compared to what is allowed under an agricultural use permit.

In practice, the situation is even murkier. Many farms registered as LLCs — which should have permits — also lack them, a gap that Gibson says she is working with Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) to address. The few farms that have applied for permits have likely done so to exceed the limits allowed under domestic use.

Meanwhile, water usage is essentially unlimited: the OWRB relies on an honor system for water reporting — the four poultry farms in McCurtain County with water permits reported zero use in 2024 — and the agency has never revoked a permit or penalized anyone for exceeding their allowed water usage.

“The water used on farms is required to be obtained from lawfully acquired sources,” a Tyson Foods spokesperson said.

Last year, Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed a bill that would have required metering devices on all groundwater wells across the state — a move praised by the agriculture industry and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

The Republican governor rejected the bill despite concerns over intensifying droughts and the agriculture industry’s heavy water use, particularly in northwest Oklahoma. The region recently experienced its second-driest period in over a century. And its main water source, the Ogallala Aquifer, has been significantly depleted by Seaboard Foods.

Even if there were stricter rules and required metering, there may not be enough money for enforcement or aquifer studies, Gibson said.

The OWRB’s annual budget — excluding supplemental funds for water and wastewater infrastructure and other programs — has ranged from $5 million to over $8 million in recent years. The agency said it has fewer than 20 staff members to review an average of 250 permit applications and amendments each year, investigate issues and conduct fieldwork.

“We used to have field offices around the state. We don’t have those anymore,” Gibson said.

E. coli in the well — who’s accountable?

Many attendees at the meeting expressed concerns not only about water quantity but also water quality.

OWRB does not evaluate water quality before issuing a permit — it does not test for drinking water contaminants or assess the potential impact of runoff. And if an aquifer is suspected of being contaminated by a poultry farm, oversight falls to ODAFF.

Following the May 1 meeting in Idabel, Trapp decided to test her well water. The results came back positive for E. coli.

The lab notified her that the presence of the bacteria posed a “primary health concern,” though it could not determine the source of the contamination.

Asked whether proximity to a poultry farm could be the cause, Teena Gunter, general counsel at ODAFF, responded:

“[E. coli] is not common in well water near poultry farms,” she said. “Poultry farms are considered no-discharge facilities. So for anything to run off from that process would be a major violation.”

But Jayme Cannon, an environmental scientist with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, says well owners living near poultry farms should be concerned about bacteria like E. coli.

“If E. coli is consistently present in the well, yes, that is a cause for concern.” Cannon said. “E. coli is an acute health risk, and if it is present in water, the water should not be used for drinking or consumption.”

Last year, an Oklahoma conservation group found elevated levels of E. coli and enterococcus in parts of eastern Oklahoma with a high concentration of poultry farms — an indication of animal feces contamination.

Trapp plans to retest her water to rule out contamination caused by recent storms. But even if the bacteria returns, proving it came from the Tyson farm next door would be difficult — and past violations by poultry farms have rarely led to serious penalties.

In 2023, ODAFF fined 14 poultry farms between $100 and $300 each for failing to submit or submitting late their litter management reports. The highest fine, $600, was issued to a farm that failed to renew its license or file any reports for three years. It was the only enforcement action taken by the agency.

“Agencies are limited in what they can do because of the authorities they’ve been granted by the legislature,” said Shanon Phillips, director of the water quality division at the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.

A bill passed last year increased the fines ODAFF can impose to $1,000 and gave the agency more authority to act when poultry farms break the rules.

But the same bill also granted poultry companies legal protection, shielding them from lawsuits as long as they comply with regulations.

That’s troubling, critics say, because even when farms follow the rules, pollution continues to be a problem.

In 2005, then-Attorney General Drew Edmondson sued a group of poultry companies over elevated phosphorus levels in the Illinois River watershed caused by chicken litter used as fertilizer. Rainfall and irrigation washed phosphorus from the litter into nearby streams and rivers, fueling algae blooms and degrading water quality.

After 18 years of litigation, a U.S. District Judge ruled in favor of Oklahoma, holding poultry companies — including Tyson Foods — responsible for polluting the watershed.

The companies pushed back, citing improvements since 2005. But at a hearing last year, six scientific experts testified that chicken litter pollution remains a serious problem. They presented data showing rising phosphorus levels, with some arguing that a ban on the use of chicken litter as fertilizer may be the only solution.

The same system that broke previous farmers now recruits new ones

During this year’s state legislative session, Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard, introduced two bills aimed at stopping the growth of the poultry industry in his district after hearing from his constituents.

One bill proposed a moratorium on all new poultry farm applications, while the other would have required poultry farm owners to provide proof of residency.

“These people are from Vietnam. They are getting 1% loans. They come in here and put these mega operations all over southeast Oklahoma — and they are illegal,” Burns said during a February Agriculture Committee hearing. He later referred to the farms as “filthy operations.”

But the senator did not present any evidence that the poultry farms were operating illegally or that their owners were undocumented residents. Both bills ultimately failed in committee.

The bills, even if passed, would not have addressed the water concerns voiced by residents of McCurtain County.

Brad Phillips, who has lived on his land in McCurtain County since he was 10 years old, challenged the groundwater permit for the planned mega chicken farm next to his property. He and one of the applicants, Duc Minh Tran, appeared at a hearing at the Oklahoma Water Resources Board offices in Oklahoma City.

“We’re always about three weeks from a drought… it seems like in these more recent times my stock ponds go drier quicker,” Phillips said during his testimony.

Tran, who speaks limited English, gave brief responses during questioning. But after the hearing, his attorney, Bryan Nowlin, said Tran is an American citizen, is following the law, and wants to pursue the American dream by building a successful business.

Across the country, a growing share of poultry farmers are Asian immigrants, particularly Vietnamese and Laotian. Sen. Burns’ remarks reflect the suspicions of some McCurtain County residents, many of whom have either filed for bankruptcy as poultry farmers or know others who have. They question why a new wave of growers is willing to take on millions in debt to build farms for the same companies that drove others into financial ruin.

These tensions have been exacerbated by reports of undocumented workers and labor exploitation at marijuana farms, many operated by Asian immigrants.

Investigate Midwest could not independently verify whether immigrant farmers receive low-interest loans, special bonuses or subsidies. But many appear to operate under the same contract system that has long exploited chicken farmers.

Amanda Hitt, a lawyer who has spent more than a decade representing whistleblowers in the food system, urged the USDA to collect updated demographic data on poultry contract growers after working with clients who speak little or no English and have been subjected to exploitative, and often misleading contracts.

“They’re asked to just sign documents, and they just go ahead. They don’t know what they’re signing. They don’t know why they’re signing. They just sign it,” Hitt said. “They’re very willing to take orders and directives and do more than their White counterparts.”

Jack Brown, who lives near the town of Valliant, has been a poultry farmer for Tyson since 1995. Last year, the company told him that his chicken houses were too old and they were ending his contract.

He said the early years were profitable. But then the company started penalizing him, withholding chickens for six months at a time for two consecutive years, without explanation. They kept demanding upgrades, which he made — spending $200,000 — until he could no longer afford to keep up.

“When I built my (chicken) house, it cost $250,000,” Brown said. “Now it costs nearly $1 million. So I couldn’t keep up with the technology and production.”

With his main source of income gone, Brown, a retired electrician, has returned to work refurbishing turbines.

Brown knows some of the newer Asian poultry farmers in the area and maintains friendly relationships with them — as does Jill Trapp, despite her frustrations with the Tyson farm next door.

Trapp, whose neighboring poultry farm is owned by a Vietnamese man, describes a warm relationship with her neighbor. They exchange Christmas gifts, and she chats with his son when he visits, since he speaks fluent English. Her issue isn’t with the farmers themselves — it’s with the companies behind them.

“Corporations just have this individual to make it look like they’re a little chicken farmer, but they’re not,” Trapp said. “Big corporations, the big chicken houses and marijuana farms come in, and they all dig wells. … Now, that’s not a very untypical thing in agriculture. But they’re not individuals anymore.”

Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public interest by exposing dangerous and costly practices of influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism. Visit us online at www.investigatemidwest.org

Source: Oklahoman.com | View original article

NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan: Starting lineup, TV schedule for today’s race

Chase Briscoe secured his third consecutive pole position for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. His pole-winning lap time was 36.826, with Kyle Busch starting alongside him on the front row. Kyle Larson is the first driver since Kyle Larson to win three consecutive pole awards since April 2024 (Richmond, Martinsville and Texas) The race starts at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 8 at the 2-mile oval in Brooklyn, Michigan. The starting lineup and qualifying results for the NASCAR Michigan race can be found here. The race will be broadcast on NASCAR.com, SiriusXM Channel 90 and MRN Radio (subscription required) and on Amazon Prime Video (streaming free with a free trial with a Prime membership). The race is scheduled for 200 laps, 400 miles, and will take place on the 400-mile St. Louis-area oval. The winner will be crowned the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series championship on July 1.

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Chase Briscoe secured his third consecutive pole position for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Briscoe’s pole-winning lap time was 36.826, with Kyle Busch starting alongside him on the front row.

Chase Briscoe is on the pole again for the FireKeepers Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on June 8 at Michigan International Speedway.

Briscoe ran a lap of 36.826 to secure his third consecutive pole award dating back to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Kyle Busch is on the outside of the front row to start the Michigan race.

Briscoe is the first driver since Kyle Larson to win three consecutive pole awards since Kyle Larson did so in April 2024 (Richmond, Martinsville and Texas).

Here’s the starting lineup and qualifying results for the NASCAR Michigan race.

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NASCAR Michigan qualifying results, starting lineup

Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (36.826) Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (36.853) Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (36.861) William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (36.878) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (36.908) Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (36.889) Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (36.920) Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (36.927) Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (36.937) Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (36.937) Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (36.938) Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota (36.954) Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford (36.961) Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (36.973) Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (36.975) Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (36.977) Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (36.997) Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (37.000) AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (37.013) Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (37.031) John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (37.031) Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (37.934) Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford (37.052) Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford (37.052) Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (37.061) Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (37.075) Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (37.081) Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (37.124) Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford (37.125) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet (37.137) Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (37.149) Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (37.151) Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (37.160) Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota (37.183) Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (37.230) Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford (37.406)

NASCAR Michigan TV schedule, start time for FireKeepers Casino 400

Green Flag Time: Approx. 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 8

Approx. 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 8 Track: Michigan International Speedway (2-mile oval) in Brooklyn, Michigan

Michigan International Speedway (2-mile oval) in Brooklyn, Michigan Length: 200 laps, 400 miles

200 laps, 400 miles Stages: 45 laps, 75 laps, 80 laps

45 laps, 75 laps, 80 laps TV coverage: Amazon Prime Video (streaming) ( Watch Amazon Prime with a free trial )

Amazon Prime Video (streaming) ( ) Radio: MRN

MRN Streaming: Amazon Prime Video (subscription required); MAX app for in-car cameras (subscription required); NASCAR.com and SiriusXM on Channel 90 for audio (subscription required)

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be broadcast nationally via streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Other streaming options for the race include MAX for in-car cameras for each driver.

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Source: Oklahoman.com | View original article

Source: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/politics/county/2025/06/18/oklahoma-county-jail-failed-another-health-department-inspection/84244127007/

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