(Washington D.C.) -- Congressman Dan Boren remains behind the bailout package. The state's lone Democrat on Capitol Hill knows it's not popular be considers the situation to serious to ignore.  Calls to his office are running 400 to one against the plan but Boren says it would be worth losing an election over the issue.

(Oklahoma City, OK) -- The Oklahoma Air National Guard is activating a new unit. The 60 members of the 146th Air Support Operations Squadron will be trained to help coordinate airstrikes.

(Muskogee, OK) -- From ponzi to prison. Phillip Lavaughn Raglin has been sentenced to ten years in a federal lockup for scamming investors out of nearly $1 million dollars. The 23 year old Wagoner man pleaded guilty to one of 18 counts in an indictment accusing him of masterminding the scheme.

To cut through the ups and downs of the stock market, we enroll in Investment 101.  We used $1,000 as an example to see what would have happened to the money in the past year.  If we had invested the $1,000 a year ago into the S&P, we wanted to know the value today.  Investment Advisor Jake Dollarhide helps us understand the numbers.  He says our money would have lost a quarter of its value.  Dollarhide says just 6 months into the S&P, our $1,000 would be worth $875 at the end of March 2008.  Then this week, just 6 months later, our initial $1,000 would be worth $740.  Dollarhide compared the S&P and the bond market.  He says if we had invested the same $1,000 in bonds one year ago, the value would $1,049 today.

Dollarhide says the heavy losses in the stock market had some people running to other safer options like the bond market this week.  He says the exodus helped drive down the stock market.  He adds with the recent market volatility, there are some investments that are now back to 2005 levels.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A federal judge has denied Oklahoma's motion for a preliminary injunction to stop 13 Arkansas poultry companies from disposing of bird waste in the Illinois River watershed.

Judge Gregory K. Frizzell ruled yesterday that the state ``has not yet met its burden of proving that bacteria in the waters of the IRW are caused by the application of poultry litter rather than by other sources, including cattle manure and human septic systems.''

The state sued the companies in 2005, saying litter pollution rendered Lake Tenkiller in northeastern Oklahoma 70 percent oxygen dead and accused the companies of treating Oklahoma's rivers like open sewers.

COLLINSVILLE, Okla. (AP) - Two men killed in the crash of a small airplane in a rural agricultural area north of Tulsa were friends on the ground as well as in the air.

Aubrey Pollock, a mutual friend of crash victims Harvey Hazelwood and Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. Larry Jackson, says they were like brothers.

Hazelwood and Jackson lived in a cluster of about 20 homes at Airman Acres, a 2,650-foot airstrip just southwest of Collinsville. They were killed on Sunday when the twin-engine plane they were in crashed in a pasture.

Leah Yeager, a senior air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, says the Cessna 320 went down about a mile from the airstrip where it took off.

A spokesman with the state Medical Examiner's Office says the victims died of blunt force trauma.

(Tulsa, OK) -- Injunction denied. A federal judge is refusing the state's request to stop 13 companies from spreading chicken waste in the Illinois River watershed.Judge Gregory K. Frizzell wrote that the state "has not yet met its burden of proving that bacteria in the waters of the IRW are caused by the application of poultry litter rather than by other sources, including cattle manure and human septic systems." The state is suing the companies with the claim that the spreading of manure in the watershed is causing harm to the environment.

The historic Trail of Tears could be doubling in size.  A bill is working through Congress that would add to what has been designated as a National Historic Trail.  The House passed a version last week.  Researchers have uncovered 1,500 miles of previously undocumented routes the Cherokee Indians took when they were forceably removed from their homes. They relocated to Indian Terrirtory and what is now Oklahoma.  Dr. Duane King has done his own research on the Cherokee Tribe and says it was research that discovered more detailed information.  "It was only through the research in the National Archives of military payment vouchers, of diaries of people who made the trip and of journal of occurances written by military officers that it was possible to understand the routes that were taken," says Dr. King.  Besides research, Dr. King has also authored books about the Cherokee Tribe and is the Gilcrease Museum Director.  King says despite the volumes of material written about the forced removal of Native Americans, the actual trails taken by the men, women and children were not very well known until recently.

(Tulsa, OK) -- Get a corny dog and what's coming to you at the Tulsa State Fair. The state Treasurer's Office has set up its unclaimed property booth again. Treasurer Scott Meacham says they've already had success this year at the state fair in Oklahoma City.  Meacham says they've done well at the fair here, reuniting 1,700 patrons with nearly $1 million over the past three years.

(Tulsa, OK) -- EMSA is on the job at the Tulsa State Fair. EMSA's Tina Wells says last year they provided care to over 200 patients at the fair.  Wells says for ten days every year, the fair has one of the five largest ambulance services in the state. She says because it is so crowded, they have to be creative and put their people on golf carts, bicycles and Segways to get to those in need.

(Muskogee, OK) -- A murder for hire scheme draws federal charges. Tonia Mullins and Regina Hercules of Ada and Michael Crawford are accused of trying to have Crawford's wife killed. Crawford is currently on active duty in Korea.

(Tulsa, Ok) -- It's important that lawmakers produce a solution to the nation's financial crisis. But Tulsa investment advisor Jake Dollarhide says it's even more important that they come up with the right solution.  He says choosing the WRONG bailout would be more damaging than coming up with NO bailout.  Dollarhide says investors are looking for a 'reason to believe.'  He says they are looking for a sign...any sign...that progress is being made on an economic rescue plan. 

Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn gets credit from Democratic Presidential Candidate Barak Obama to try and get politics out of the bailout plan. Coburn says he called both John McCain and Barack Obama Tuesday evening and left messages.  He says both candidates returned his call and he told them they needed to talk to their party caucuses and get politics out of this important issue.  Coburn says the Senate will pass the bailout plan but it is the House holding up the issue.  "The problem is the U.S. House is divided, one side is afraid the other side will take advantage of them politically on this," says Coburn.  Coburn blames Congress for not creating more oversight for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He says 6 years ago the companies lowered the credit standard and the government started guaranteeing loans they knew would not be re-paid.

HENRYETTA, Okla. (AP) - The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation plans to erect a billboard to spread the word about a $30,000 reward offered in the case surrounding the deaths of two Weleetka girls.

Oklahoma Crime Stoppers, the OSBI and Lamar Outdoor Advertising have teamed to spread the word about a reward in the case surrounding the deaths of Taylor Placker and Skyla Whitaker.

Lamar employees plan to begin posting the billboard this morning near the Henryetta exit on Interstate 40, one mile west of U.S. 75 on the north side of the highway, facing east. OSBI spokeswoman Jessica Brown says a second billboard on the opposite side of the road will be added later.

Brown says someone in the community who likely drives the I-40 route knows something about the deaths.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa County prosecutors have alleged that a state Department of Human Services employee stole thousands of dollars from a vulnerable adult.

Debra Maxine Roberts, a DHS Adult Protective Services specialist, is accused of abusing, exploiting or neglecting Claude Spencer, a 74-year-old mentally disabled Sand Springs man.

According to a DHS special agent's affidavit, Roberts received a court order assigning her as a temporary guardian for Spencer from June 28 to Nov. 27, 2007. During that time, she had the authority to use Spencer's money to pay for his residential care and daily expenses.

But bank records show that Roberts made five cash withdrawals from Spencer's accounts after her guardianship ended. They totaled about $3,965.

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) - Convicted killer Jessie James Cummings Jr. has been executed for the 1991 stabbing death of his 11-year-old niece.

Department of Corrections spokesman Jerry Massie says Cummings was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. yesterday after receiving a lethal injection inside the death chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

Cummings also was convicted and sentenced to death for killing his sister, Judy Mayo, but that conviction was overturned by an appeals court.

Cummings has maintained his innocence and says his two ex-wives were responsible for the killings.

The two women - Juanita and Sherry Cummings - both were sentenced to prison for their roles in the killing of Mayo.

(Tulsa, OK) -- A new report finds chicken waste really could be foul for us. The U.S. Government Accountability Office says the 471,000 tons of manure produced by poultry operations in just two counties along the Oklahoma-Arkansas border may pose a health hazard for humans and the environment.

(Tulsa, Ok) -- Police probe an overnight home invasion. It happened at an apartment complext at 3rd and Mingo. Officer Leland Ashley says the victim and a friend were approached by two guys looking for drugs. They replied they had no drugs and went inside their apartment. 10 minutes later -- a knock on the door - the crooks force their way inside and they ransacked the place. The victims were uninjured. The suspects made their getaway in an older model, light blue Mercury Cougar.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok. - Oklahomans will not get healthier if we don't address heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke. State Health Commissioner Dr. Mike Crutcher also says we need to incentivize good habits like health club memberships. He says, "We try to balance on the issue of the social good versus individual freedoms and I understand that and deal with it every day but sometimes hard decisions have to be made to get the outcomes that you want." Crutcher helped unveil the statewide health plan yesterday calling for healthier eating and more physical activity.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Family members of a Tulsa businessman and father of six who has been missing for two weeks are concerned he may be the victim of foul play.

Thirty-four-year-old Ray Nathaniel Johnson Jr. was last seen on September 11th. His wife, Adriene Wherry, says she last talked with him by phone about 11 p.m. that day, when he said he would be home soon.

The condition of his car, which was found at his workplace, and the fact that he was not the type of person who would disappear are the main reasons police have classified Johnson as an endangered missing person.

Johnson owns an auto dealership, and Wherry described him as a workaholic. He had been at work the day he disappeared and called her that night to say he was going to tow a vehicle with his wrecker and then go home.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Sanctions created by the University of Tulsa will punish fraternities for underage drinking by restricting their ability to recruit instead of banning their social gatherings.

The new sanctions were imposed in response to several underage drinking incidents since classes began at the private university last month. TU officials say the incidents were mostly reported by campus security, and none included any reports of hazing.

All fraternity houses at TU except Sigma Chi were put on social probation because of the alcohol policy violations, meaning they were not allowed any social gatherings outside of their philanthropy week activities.

Sigma Chi was put on a restriction that limited its social gatherings and banned serving alcohol at them.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - This year's Tulsa State Fair kicks off with two new buildings, new lighting in the midway and new midway pavement for the first time in anyone's memory.

Fair manager Paul Crain says the new facilities are the big difference at this year's event, which opens this afternoon at Expo Square.

Mark Andrus, interim president of Expo Square, says the new buildings and midway reconstruction completed an eight-year, $120 million program financed through several sales tax initiatives.

Officials say the 22 acres of midway required 50,000 tons of asphalt and 38,000 tons of rock.

The first Tulsa State Fair was held in 1903. Attendance for this year's fair is expected to be about the same as a year ago -- 987,000, depending upon the weather.

Ride inspectors hit the ground for the Tulsa State Fair.  The team of seven inspectors is not just checking the mechanics of the ride but also checking the human element-- the ride operators.  The Labor Department's Lloyd Fields says it is a new process to prevent dangerous mistakes seen last year by ride operators.

Each ride is inspected after it is set-up and inspectors flag problems.  A second inspection is done once the ride is powered-up to see the ride in motion and to check for repairs made. In some cases, state inspectors will examine a ride three or four times to keep checking on repairs.

There are changes at this year's Tulsa State Fair when it comes to rides. The roller coaster that caused a number of problems last year is not at the fair.  Jerry Murphy, owner of Murphy Brothers that operates the rides at the fair, says there are more than 50 other rides.  He says his company has operated the rides at the Tulsa State Fair since 1970.

You may remember, the Labor Department shut down the large roller coaster last year because of two incidents where people were injured.  Fields says mistakes by the ride operators contributed to the problems.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A Tulsa police officer has been suspended after allegations of on-the-job sexual misconduct were made against him.

Tulsa Police Chief Ron Palmer says he suspended officer Benjamin Lalli with pay on Monday night. Lalli has been a Tulsa officer since July 2001.

Palmer says a woman reported the allegations against Lalli earlier Monday. Palmer says the decision to suspend Lalli came after interviews with the woman and the officer.

Palmer says the woman has alleged that Lalli inappropriately touched her and exposed herself to her.

Palmer says detectives are investigating the allegations as a possible crime and their information will be sent to the Tulsa County District Attorney's office. An internal police department investigation also will be conducted.

HOUSTON (AP) - The family of a Rice football player who died during practice filed a lawsuit today against the school, former coach Todd Graham, the NCAA and others.

Dale Lloyd II died one day after he collapsed during a conditioning workout in 2006.

The 19-year-old freshman's death was linked to sickle-cell trait and created the basis for the lawsuit filed by Houston attorney Mark Lanier in state district court in Harris County.

Graham, the coach at Rice when Lloyd died, left for Tulsa after one season.

Graham declined to comment through a Tulsa spokesman.

Rice assistant coaches and team doctors were named in the lawsuit along with two companies that make nutritional supplements, including a shake Lloyd drank during the workout.

Rice officials say the school in Houston acted responsibly when Lloyd was stricken and that it will defend itself.

The lawsuit seeks punitive damages through a claim of negligence. The suit also seeks damages for loss of Lloyd's future earnings and medical and funeral bills.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett is the latest government official to endorse the so-called ``Pickens Plan.''

Native Oklahoman and billionaire energy magnate T. Boone Pickens is funding the multimedia campaign, which is designed to bring more focus to solving the nation's energy crisis.

Pickens has proposed increasing the use of wind power for electricity, thus freeing up natural gas to be used more commonly as a vehicle fuel.

Cornett says he's endorsing the Pickens Plan because he believes it's clear that Americans need to explore alternative energies on their own soil. He says Oklahoma City should be a leader in that effort.

Cornett's endorsement of the Pickens Plan comes one day after Gov. Brad Henry did the same.

(Tulsa, OK) -- The Metropolitan Environmental Trust has a slick trick. They're collecting old cooking oil and grease and having it turned into biodiesel. The Met's Kasey Frost says it also keeps it from going down the drain where it can cause clogs in the sewer system.  Collection is this Saturday until two in the afternoon on the north side of the Wal-Mart at 81st and Lewis.

A bus full of prisoners from the Tulsa County Jail breaks down on the Turner Turnpike.  Corporal Virgil Collett says the bus was heading to the state facility near Lexington when it broke down on near mile marker 203 between Bristow and Kellyville.  Tulsa County Sheriff's Office responded with a number of vans to off-load the prisoners and continue the trip.  Collett says law enforcement remained in control of the situation and there was no risk to the citizens following the bus problems.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok. - Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas hopes Congress will vote on a rescue bill by the end of the week. Lucas says the crisis facing the financial industry is epic. He says, "The markets believe that Congress is going to take action. That's why they've calmed down some. If we don't take action, then I think we'll go back to a roller coaster." Lucas is a member of the House Financial Services Committee. He says anyone who has a credit card, a mortgage, a home equity loan or a car payment has a stake in the financial bailout.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon has announced the death of a Oklahoma soldier based at Fort Hood in Texas.

Military officials say 30-year-old Army Staff Sgt. Brandon W. Farley of Haworth, Okla., died Thursday at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Farley died from wounds sustained the day before when his mounted patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades in Able Monti, Afghanistan.

Farley was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Hood.

SAND SPRINGS, Okla. (AP) - A Sand Springs teenager has been taken to a Tulsa-area hospital in serious condition after being run over by a school bus.

Sand Springs Police Officer Kevin O'Keefe says the boy is 13 or 14 years old. O'Keefe says the boy's leg was broken about 3:15 p.m. yesterday during the accident but that he is expected to recover.

O'Keefe says the boy rode past a corner and into a bus lane at the Sixth Grade Center, where he crashed his bike into the bus. The officer says the bus's rear wheels ran over the boy while the vehicle was traveling at about 15 mph.

O'Keefe says the bus driver was not at fault.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - New federal filings show SemGroup Energy Partners LP will get a reprieve from creditors until at least early December.

The Securities and Exchange Commission filings released yesterday show the Tulsa-based energy company's lenders have revised certain loan terms and opted not to take advantage of the company's credit default until Dec. 11.

Wachovia Bank, Bank of America and other unnamed lenders signed off on the ``forbearance agreement,'' which took effect last Thursday.

SemGroup Energy Partners is the public subsidiary of its bankrupt parent company, SemGroup LP.

The subsidiary stores and distributes oil and asphalt through its pipeline, terminal and transport services.

(Oklahoma City, OK) -- Governor Henry jumps on board the Pickens' Plan. Governor's aide Paul Sund says the governor has been interested since T. Boone Pickens first unveiled his proposal alternative energy and natural gas to reduce the need for foreign oil.  Sund points out the state's abundance of natural gas and burgeoning wind farm industry puts Oklahoma in a perfect posistion to help implement

(Tulsa, Ok) -- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is opening a fugitive operations team office in Tulsa. And a local hispanic leader says 'bravo.' American Dream Coalition President Reverend Victor Orta applauds the idea of going after sex offenders, gang bangers and other violent criminals.  Orta says he takes Congressman John Sullivan at his word when he said federal agents won't be rounding up guys framing houses and washing dishes.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - U.S. Rep. John Sullivan (pictured) says the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency will open a fugitive operations team office in Tulsa.

The Republican has worked for years to have federal immigration agents assigned to Tulsa.

Sullivan says the federal agents in the office are not, quote, ``going to be rounding up guys framing houses and washing dishes.''

Instead, he says they will focus on national security, community safety, street gang members, child sex offenders and those with prior convictions for violent crimes.

ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok says the team of agents assigned to Tulsa could be fully operational by next month. He says ICE now has 95 such teams across the country, with most of those teams containing seven members.

Oklahoma City has both an ICE field office and a fugitive operations team.

LOCUST GROVE, Okla. (AP) - Locust Grove is used to dealing with heartache, thanks in part to the murder of three Girl Scouts at a nearby camp 30 years ago and the recent unsolved murder of an elderly couple found shot to death south of town.

Now the blue-collar Mayes County community of 1,500 is dealing with another tragedy that may never be solved. An E. coli outbreak killed one man and sickened more than 300 adults and children between Aug. 15 and Sept. 6.

Twenty-six-year-old Chad Ingle, a bank teller and newlywed in the nearby town of Pryor, died. Several young children needed dialysis after the outbreak, and some patients are still in intensive care.

The spread of the rare E. coli strain O111 became the largest in the nation's history.

Medical experts say that since laboratory tests are geared more toward detecting illness caused by E. coli O157, it is difficult to tell how widespread O111 infections have been nationally.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahomans who lived through the 1980s oil bust find themselves feeling a bit of deja vu as they are bombarded by headlines about the failure of Wall Street financial institutions, plummeting housing values in large urban areas and families losing their homes.

The financial meltdown attributed to the sub-prime mortgage market crisis has barely been felt in Oklahoma, where a strong energy industry has helped keep the state's economy humming.

But it was a different story 25 years ago, when oil prices collapsed and speculative bank loans based upon energy values turned sour.

Oklahoma bankers and those involved in the state's banking industry say the two bear striking similarities in their root cause.

And they say the fallout from the Wall Street mess will probably also closely resemble what happened in Oklahoma, where regulations were tightened and banks came under more scrutiny.

(Tulsa)--  A second man is arrested in connection with a bloody scene in West Tulsa.  Police arrested 47-year-old James Dewayne Melton on Friday.  He is being held on first degree murder complaint for the stabbing death of 68-year-old Charles Reeves. Reeves was found lying in a west Tulsa street before midnight Wednesday.  Reeves had reportedly been stabbed eight times and died at the hospital.  A second suspect, identified by police as Kuna Lowe, was arrested Thursday.  Police say Lowe was the victim's step-son.  Two witnesses told Tulsa Police the men were arguing over money when Lowe and Melton stabbed Reeves several times.

(Okmulgee)-- A deadly drive-by shooting is under investigation this morning. Okmulgee Police say a man was shot just before 7pm Friday night.  The victim was found in the 1300 block of East Lafayette and was taken to Okmulgee Memorial Hospital where he died.  Okmulgee investigators say possible suspects are two men last seen in a dark blue mid-size two-door vehicle.  If you have information you are asked to contact the Okmulgee Police Department at 918-756-3511.

When asked about possible features in the new facility, Lamson says he wants it to be unique to Tulsa.  "We are going to be looking at some additional features things like a dug-out suite- and obviously a child's play area and a tiki bar in the outfield and all kinds of neat things that will create an uniqueness at the ballpark."  He hopes you will see some progress in the next two to three months with dirt moving and a ground breaking for the new home of the Tulsa Drillers.

TULSA, Ok. - State road and bridge projects get back on track today. They were put on hold last week by the State Transportation Commission. Oklahoma Department of Transportation spokeswoman Terry Angier says the special meeting will take action on the projects that had to be deferred because of a lack of money in the federal highway trust fund. Congress voted to put $8-billion into the fund but Angier says there's still a danger of the fund running out of money by the end of the year.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa police have arrested a man on a first-degree murder complaint for the fatal stabbing of his stepfather.

According to a preliminary report, Kuni Gi Lowe is accused in the death of 68-year-old Charles Eugene Reeves.

Reeves was found with multiple stab wounds lying in a west Tulsa road shortly before midnight Wednesday. He was taken to St. John Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police questioned Beverly Ann Moore _ Reeves' wife and Lowe's mother _ and released her Thursday.

Officers are searching for a person named Dwayne, who is described as a Native American with a long ponytail who was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with a wolf on the back.

Moore's other son, 20-year-old Nacoma Lowe, surrendered to police after hearing he was being sought by detectives.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa County prosecutors charge two teenagers with first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon in connection with a deadly drive-by shooting.

Nineteen-year-old Rashad Romone Easley and 18-year-old Antonio J. Wells were arrested September 11th for the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Donivan Crutcher.

Donivan, his 16-year-old brother and two relatives were in a car September 7th when someone peppered the vehicle with gunshots. The other three were wounded.

Prosecutors charged Vincent ``Venom'' Berry last week with first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting. He was arrested on Tuesday.

Bail has been set at 1.75 million dollars for Easley. Berry's bail totals 1.1 million dollars.

Arrest reports state that Easley admitted to police that he was the driver of the car and that Wells admitted to being in the car.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The stepfather of an Oklahoma National Guard member who was killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq says the family wants more answers about what happened.

According to media reports, Corporal Michael Thompson of Kingston and two other Oklahomans were aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter when it went down yesterday of west Basra (BAHZ'-ruh), killing seven in all. Warrant Officer Brady Rudolf's wife, Jennifer, also confirmed he was on board.

The three Oklahomans, along with four soldiers from Texas, were members of Detachment 1, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation based in Lexington. Oklahoma National Guard officials say the unit mobilized in June and left in late August.

Thompson's stepfather, Richard Perry, told the Oklahoman the family isn't questioning the military, but wants more information about what happened to Thompson, who was 23.

Military officials say the chopper was flying in formation from Kuwait to Balad and none of the other helicopters reported an attack. A malfunction on the Chinook is suspected.

Jennifer Rudolf says her husband was a pilot in the Guard but she didn't know if the 20-year veteran was flying the helicopter that crashed.

She says she is proud of him.

(Tulsa)--  A vote appears to flip when it comes to the Ballpark Trust Authority.  Councilor John Eagleton voiced concerns as recently as Tuesday about the trust authority.  Eagleton believes the problems about the trust from earlier this week have been changed.  "I have been told that the changes to the current draft will accomodate my concerns.  Given the chance to review the final draft, I anticipate being fully supportive."  Before the changes, Eagleton says he was concerned about the power associated with the mayor's position on the trust.  He explained why, You had the mayor ratifying the acts of the trust that the mayor sat on-- it basically made the mayor a super trustee."  Eagleton tells KRMG news he still has to review the new draft of the ballpark authority and the proposed revisions but as of now he is on board.

(Baghdad) -- A helicopter crash in southern Iraq Thursday morning takes the lives of seven soldiers including three from Oklahoma.  The chopper went down early this morning but hostile fire is being ruled out. The Chinook helicopter was in a formation with three other helicopters in southern Iraq and none of those sustained any damage. The military suspects mechanical problems. It's the worst helicopter accident in Iraq for the American military in a year. Last August 14 soldiers died in a crash.

TULSA, Ok. - Tulsa police say they are now wanting to talk to a third person described as a person of interest in an overnight homicide investigation.  Police received a call about 11:55 p.m. Wednesday reporting a man down in the street at 4915 West 3rd Street. The man, identified as 68-year-old Charles Reeves, was pronounced dead at a hospital at 12:10 a.m. Thursday. Reeves apparently had been stabbed eight times. Police say he lived in the area and he was trying to reach home when he collapsed on the roadway. Apparently, there were no witnesses and no motive. Police say Nacoma Lowe turned himself into police and is being interviewed by detectives in connection with the investigation.  Police say they are still looking for Kuni G. Lowe (seen below) and now have released information about a third person they would like to talk to about the case.  Authorities identified her as Beverly Ann Moore.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union says misinformation about the voting rights of former felons may be depriving them of their right to vote.

Officials at the ACLU of Oklahoma said yesterday state law allows discharged former felons to register to vote. To qualify, a former felon must not be incarcerated and must have completed any probation or parole requirements.

But an ACLU survey of election boards in all 77 Oklahoma counties found that 17 counties provided the wrong information about when a former felon becomes re-eligible to register. One county said a convicted felon was never eligible to vote again.

Oklahoma City state Representative Mike Shelton says he plans to file a notification bill next year to require the state to inform discharged felons of their rights.

SALLISAW, Okla. (AP) - Authorities say a Vian man has died after his all-terrain vehicle rolled several times near Sallisaw.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says 55-year-old Johnny Williams was riding the ATV in a field near a Sequoyah County road about 6:40 p.m. yesterday when it flipped for some reason. Troopers say the ATV was on top of Williams when emergency crews arrived.

Williams was transported by ambulance to Sequoyah Memorial Hospital in Sallisaw, where he died of internal injuries upon arriving.

The patrol says he wasn't wearing a helmet.

MUSKOGEE, Okla. - (AP) Muskogee police say a man who was shot in front of a convenience store on August 24th remains in an induced coma in a Tulsa hospital.

Sergeant Mark Ridley said today no suspect has been named in the shooting of Timmy Coleman.

He says the incident happened about 4 p.m. near Express Fuels on the northeast corner of the intersection of 10th Street and West Okmulgee Avenue.

(Tulsa, OK) -- Tulsa could be railroaded once again. Kansas lawmakers are starting a joint feasibility study to extend passenger rail service from Oklahoma City to Newton, Kansas, bypassing the northeastern part of Oklahoma. State Representative Lucky Lamons calls that disheartening.  He says Tulsa area legislators are watching the situation.  Oklahoma transportation officials aren't abandoning the idea of connecting Tulsa to Oklahoma City by rail. If that happens, the option of having it run by the state instead of Amtrak is being considered.

The witches of the broadway show 'Wicked' fly into Tulsa.  They were in town for a special preview performance.  Hundreds of people showed up after getting a special invitation in the mail.  The event including a behind-the-scenes look plus two songs from the show was held at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel.  Dakota came to the event with her mom decked out in a black 'Wicked' t-shirt she got when she saw most of the show in NYC.  She says she missed a critical part of the show when she had to go to the bathroom.  She is looking forward to seeing the witches fly when the show stops in Tulsa next summer.  Tickets for groups of 20 or more are on sale now.

The director of the Oklahoma lottery says a proposed lottery in Arkansas would have an advantage over Oklahoma and could take money out of Oklahoma.  Arkansas voters will decide on November 4th whether to approve a lottery in their state.  Oklahoma lottery director Jim Scroggins says the proposal does not require a fixed percentage of revenue be given to the state.  Oklahoma requires 35 percent of lottery revenue go to the state and Scroggins says that reduces the size of jackpots which hurts sales and ultimately means less money for the state.  Scroggins says if Arkansas creates a lottery Oklahomans likely would buy lottery tickets in that state to try and win the bigger prizes.

TULSA, Ok. - The alleged gunman in a fatal drive-by shooting was taken into custody Tuesday night. 19-year old Vincent Delmarco "Venom" Berry was arrested about 8:30 p.m. after police dogs rousted him from behind a house near 200 East Zion Street. Tulsa Police Sergeant Sean Larkin with the TPD Gangs Unit says police had spoken to Berry on the phone before Berry ran out of the house and tried to get away. Police canine were used to track him down. 16-year old Donivan Crutcher died as a result of the shooting on September 7th. The other victims are identified as 16-year old Adrion Crutcher, Donivan Crutcher's brother, 17-year old Jahmal Bryant and 18-year old Jeremy Williams. They were hospitalized and are recovering from their wounds. Police have two others in jail in connection with the September 7, 2008, shooting near Independence Street and Cincinnati Avenue. They are identified as 19-year old Rashad Easley and 18-year old Antonio Wells.

MIAMI, Okla. (AP) - Oklahoma's new secretary of the environment vows to keep the state's commitment to relocate residents living in the Tar Creek Superfund Site.

J.D. Strong - who succeeded Miles Tolbert August 20th - spoke at the 10th National Tar Creek Conference in Miami yesterday.

Strong has been Oklahoma's lead man for a 60 million dollar federal buyout of Tar Creek homes and businesses located in Cardin, Hockerville and Picher.

Many structures sit atop deteriorating caverns created by lead and zinc mining that ended in 1971. Other homes are threatened by piles of chat, or the gravel-like remains of lead mining.

Residents being bought out are receiving a fair-market value for their devalued homes.

The buyout was announced in May 2006, but has been hindered by funding shortfalls of about 30 million dollars.

Eight million dollars was made available in May for the project and another 9.5 million came through earlier this month.

Strong says all appraisals could be done in 12 months.

PRYOR, Okla. (AP) - Mayes County prosecutors charge a Locust Grove man for allegedly dropping a chunk of tombstone from a Cherokee Turnpike overpass, critically injuring a truck driver.

An arrest warrant has been issued for 20-year-old Jeremy Colt McGirt, who was charged on Monday.

Assistant District Attorney Chuck Ramsey says McGirt allegedly acted in concert with two juveniles in the June 12th incident near Locust Grove.

According to court records, McGirt told authorities he was intoxicated when he placed a granite tombstone vase on a guard rail and it rocked forward and fell.

The estimated 110-pound stone crashed through the windshield of a 2006 International tractor-trailer rig driven by Gerald Richard Webb of Porum.

Ramsey says the 66-year-old Webb was comatose for several days and almost died before being released from Saint John Medical Center in Tulsa. He's presently undergoing physical therapy.

If convicted, McGirt could face a maximum of 10 years in prison or a $10,000 fine.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahomans have been slow to complain to state officials about the spike in gasoline prices that occurred as Hurricane Ike approached.

Attorney General Drew Edmondson said yesterday his office has received only eight telephone complaints about gas price increases and no formal complaints had been filed.

Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesman Matt Skinner says his office received some complaints and referred them to Edmondson's office. Triple-A spokesman Chuck Mai (May) says he hadn't gotten complaints about prices.

In Arkansas, attorney General Dustin McDaniel said he received more than 1,450 telephone complaints and more than 2,400 people either e-mailed or sent text messages.

McDaniel has issued more than 30 subpoenas to gasoline retailers in Arkansas, where prices were bumped to $4.50 at some stations as Ike moved toward the Gulf Coast.

Mai says the average price for regular gas in the state has been hovering around $3.70 the past couple of days.

Edmondson says for his office to take official action under the state's Emergency Stabilization Act, an individual has to file a formal complaint.

(Oklahoma City, OK) -- Oklahoma is somewhat immune to the upheaval in the stock market. State Treasurer Scott Meacham Credits oil, gas and agriculture. Meacham says the current financial crisis rivals some of the worst ever seen.  He says because our economy is based on commodities, we can weather the storm better than most.

(Oklahoma City, OK) -- The E. coli outbreak is over. The Oklahoma State Department of Health says the number of people made sick is at least 316.  The last known case to be reported happened on September 6th.  State Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley says they're confident the outbreak is tied to the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove but doubts they'll ever pinpoint the exact source.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Officials say Oklahoma banks are in good shape and will not be significantly affected by the credit crisis that led to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.

Oklahoma Banking Commissioner Mick Thompson says state banks are diversified and were not heavily involved in the subprime mortgage market, which led to problems in other states.

Officials say the state's economy is strong, fueled by high oil and natural gas prices. They point to higher tax collections and high employment as evidence that Oklahoma is escaping problems that have hit the national economy.

Widespread bank failures are expected in some states, stemming from bad loans and declines in the housing market.

Housing prices are still climbing in Oklahoma, which had its share of bank failures in the 1980s after the collapse of oil prices.

CHANDLER, Okla. (AP) - Lincoln County authorities say an inmate who escaped while visiting with his attorney.

Sheriff's deputies and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers are searching for 28-year-old Michael Washburn after he escaped yesterday afternoon.

Authorities say Washburn was being held on charges of shooting with intent to kill and was meeting with his attorney when he ran from the jail.

WAGONER, Okla. (AP) - Several people testify in the sentencing phase of the first-degree murder trial for a man accused of killing his teenage stepdaughter 11 years ago.

A young woman wept as she described how Oscar Patterson the Third sexually abused her twice a day for months after her relative, Tiffiany Beverly, disappeared.

A Wagoner County jury convicted Patterson September 5th of first-degree murder in Tiffiany's death. A Tulsa County jury did the same thing and recommended death in 2000, but the case was overturned on appeal, because Tiffiany was killed in Wagoner County.

Tulsa County jurors in June 2003 found Patterson guilty of four counts of sexually abusing the woman who testified and sentenced him to 100 years in prison.

Assistant District Attorney John David Luton said because of the sex abuse case, prosecutors see Patterson as a continuing threat to society.

Patterson's wife, Beatrice, testified that she wasn't aware of the abuse that prosecutors say occurred in her home.

Closing arguments and jury deliberations are scheduled for today.

(Oklahoma City, OK) -- Don't let back taxes give you the blues. If you still owe the state, a new amnesty program will pay them without penalties or interest. Paula Ross with the Oklahoma Tax Commission says they're working to get the word out to people.  If you do still owe, don't procrastinate. The program ends November 14th.

(Bethany, OK) -- Bethany police shoot and kill a man after he opens fire on them. It happened Monday near Wiley Post Airport. The suspect started firing at officers during a traffic stop. Police Chief Phil Cole says they were warned he was armed.  Cole says no officers were injured but they were shaken up a bit.  Three weapons were found with the suspect.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) A 19-year-old man has been arrested in the shooting deaths of his mother and his cousin.

Tulsa police on Sunday identified the suspect as Brandon Johnson. He was arrested in connection with the deaths of his mother, 36-year-old Tracy Lynn Johnson, and her 19-year-old niece, Jessica Lewallen Johnson.

Police say officers were called to the scene of a shooting and found the two victims inside a residence. They had been shot with a small caliber weapon.

Detectives questioned one of the victim's sons and found his story inconsistent. Detectives determined that the son was responsible for the victims' deaths.

Brandon Johnson was booked on two counts of first-degree murder and is being held in the Tulsa County Jail.

BLACKWELL, Okla. (AP) - Hundreds of homes have been flooded in Blackwell after heavy rains that inundated northwestern Oklahoma communities for more than two days forced a river from its banks.

Authorities say it's the worst flooding in a decade in the Kay County city.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management says flooding from the Chikaskia River has forced an estimated 800 residents to seek shelter. Many others are stranded in their homes as rising water surrounds them.

Jim Inmon, emergency management director in Blackwell, says firefighters rescued six people from two separate locations in rural Kay County as floodwaters began spilling from the river's banks on Saturday. No injuries have been reported.

Inmon says emergency management officials hope to assess the flooded areas today.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Police officers in Tulsa say they're frequently stonewalled by a ``no snitch'' culture in which victims of crime - even seriously wounded victims - refuse to tell investigators what they know.

Detectives faced the challenges of that culture head-on while investigating last week's drive-by shootings of four teens that left one victim dead and three others hospitalized.

Officials say the investigation revealed that some people knew what had happened but failed to tell investigators.

The teens who were shot last week after church services were victims of mistaken identity.

Believing he was firing at rival gang members, a shooter armed with an assault rifle unleashed a torrent of bullets at their vehicle. Their car then went out of control and hit a concrete street divider.

WAGONER, Okla. (AP) - A teenager has drowned at a church camp in Wagoner County.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says the body of 18-year-old Jordon Lee Coble of Wagoner was pulled from a cove in Lake Fort Gibson yesterday.

The patrol says Coble disappeared about 7:15 p.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Toppers Church Camp about two miles east of Wagoner.

Coble walked away from his residence to take a walk about 5 p.m. When he did not return, others began to search for him.

Coble's clothing and keys were found at the edge of a small point in a cove on the south side of the church camp.

The victim's body was recovered about 10 a.m. yesterday in about 6 feet of water.

(Tulsa, OK) -- More money is on the way for low water dams in Tulsa County. A $500,000 dollar grant from the U-S Economic Development Administration is being given to the Indian Nations Council of Governmets. The funding will be used for engineering design and permiting for proposed dams in the Arkansas River at Sand Springs and Jenks as well as a retrofit of Zink Dam.

(Oklahoma City, OK) -- The Thunder won't be rolling to empty seats. Oklahoma City's new NBA team has sold out it's 13-thousand season tickets. About 4,000 seats remain for single games, groups and partial season tickets.

(Stillwater, OK) -- One step closer. The Oklahoma State University/A&M Board of Regents gives university President Burns Hargis authority to put together the final deal with the St. Francis Health System to move the osteopathic teaching school to the hospital.  OSU spokesman Gary Shutt points out the program provides a lot of the doctors that practice in rural parts of the state. If all goes as expected, the teaching school start operations at St. Francis in July of 2009.

The investigation into an E. coli outbreak in Green Country expands to a Broken Arrow church. The state health department says the Country Cottage, the same restaurant pinpointed at the center of the outbreak, catered an event at Bethany Free Will Baptist Church.  The Country Cottage restaurant did a Ladies Tea on August 16th with about 230 people in attendance. Leslea Bennett-Webb says that is the same weekend tracked to the origin of the E. coli outbreak.

"We are looking at the menu items to see if any of those menu items were similar to what was offered in at the restaurant on that weekend when so many people became ill," says Bennett-Webb.  She says about 30 people interviewed so far report having mild diarrhea or instentinal problems following the church event.  Bennett- Webb says, "We are looking to see if the employees who helped cater the event worked at the restaurant that weekend also just to compare what are the similarities, are there any common elements and what can we learn from it."

So far, the Oklahoma state health department says close to 300 cases have been reported related to the outbreak of E. coli.

(Tulsa, Ok) -- Hurricane Ike batters the Texas gulf coast. In green country it's not a question of whether we will get rain this weekend. The question is...how much? Steve Peltz is Director of the National Weather Service in Tulsa.  He predicts several inches across northeast Oklahoma Saturday afternoon.  But he cautions 5 to ten inches of rain is not out of the question.  Peltz says it's likely Ike will be a tropical storm when it crosses over extreme southeast Oklahoma Saturday night.

TULSA, Ok. - An arrest is made in connection with last Sunday's drive-by shootings. Tulsa Police Captain Bret Bailey says 19-year old Rashad Easley was arrested yesterday evening. Easley faces three counts of shooting with intent to kill. He also is charged with one count of homicide in the shooting death of 16-year old Donivan LaRon Crutcher. Crutcher, 16-year old Adrion Crutcher, 17-year old Jahmal Bryant and 18-year old Jeremy Williams were shot near the intersection of Independence Street and Cincinnati Avenue. Bailey says police are "looking at other suspects as far as persons of interest on this as well." It's believed a dispute over a girl may have led to the shootings.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - President Bush makes a whirlwind visit to Oklahoma today to discuss health care intiatives, honor volunteers and raise money for the Republican Party.

Bush will honor the founders of projects that aid soldiers and their families at a ceremony at Tinker Air Force Base.

Dan Rooney will be recognized for raising money to go toward educating the children and spouses of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Karen Stark will be honored for the Hugs Project, which provides handmade cooling ties for troops.

The president will then attend a roundtable discussion on health care with a women's business group at the Presbyterian Health Foundation Conference Center near downtown Oklahoma City.

His final stop will be a fundraising reception at a private Oklahoma City residence for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and the Republican National Committee.

A group opposed to the war in Iraq plans to protest during Bush's visit.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma Corporation Commission issues an order that will allow a Kansas-based company to build transmission lines in the state.

Another order issued by the commission will permit Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company to recover the costs of a planned wind-power transmission line that will be built between Woodward and Oklahoma City.

Commissioner Bob Anthony says the orders represent an important step in creating infrastructure needed to make wind power available for the future electric needs of Oklahoma.

Under the first order, Topeka-based ITC Great Plains will be allowed to operate as a transmission utility in Oklahoma.

Commission Chairman Jeff Cloud says the second order will result in OG&E customers soon seeing renewable energy credits on their bills.

He says that will allow customers to receive benefits of the transmission line before its planned completion in 2010.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa police issued a citation to a teenager who had to be rescued after crawling into a 4-foot storm drain.

Nineteen-year-old Darrell Markham was searching for scrap metal to sell to recyclers in the underground pipe when a cigarette lighter he'd been using for illumination broke after about two hours yesterday.

Markham's screams for help were heard by a passerby who called 911 about 3:10 p.m.

Firefighters arrived and cut through a rebar grate to pull Markham about 10 feet to the surface. Fire Captain Michael Baker says Markham wasn't hurt and was lucky to leave the tunnel safely.

It was the second time in about a week that firefighters rescued a teenager from a storm drain in Tulsa. On September 3rd, a 14-year-old girl was sucked into an underground pipe and swept seven blocks before she emerged with minor injuries.

Officers issued Markham a public nuisance citation.

SAPULPA, Ok. - A man was shot several times early Thursday in Sapulpa. Two men who apparently knew each other were arguing before the shots were fired near Hickory and Main Street. Sapulpa Police Captain Pete Sellers says the victim then drove to another house to call police. The victim was taken to a Tulsa hospital. Sellers says the victim should recover. He says police are interviewing a person of interest in the case.

BROKEN ARROW, Ok. - One man is in custody after allegedly assaulting a Broken Arrow police officer. It happened around midnight Thursday morning near Greeley Street and Elm Street in Broken Arrow. The officer says he was on routine patrol when he saw a man in the street.The man saw him and threw his shirt at the officer's police car. The man became aggressive when the officer approached him. The man fought that officer and other officers before being brought under control with pepper spray. He faces a felony charge of throwing an obstacle at a moving vehicle and also a charge for assault on police officers. Apparently the man earlier had an altercation with the residents of a home and thought the officer had been called to arrest him.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - President Bush will present the President's Volunteer Service award to an Oklahoma City woman before he attends a round-table discussion on small businesses and health care tomorrow.

Bush also will take part in a private fundraising event for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and the Republican National Committee.

After arriving at Tinker Air Force Base, Bush is scheduled to honor Karen Stark, founder of The Hugs Project.

The Hugs Project began providing handmade cooling ties, nicknamed hugs, to military troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2004.

The reusable ties are filled with polymer crystals that are hydrated, helping reduce body temperatures in the summer months. Volunteers also knit helmet liners, neck warmers and fingerless gloves for use by troops during the winter.

The Hugs Project has grown to more than 1,800 volunteers in every state and 41 countries.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A Tulsa County judge has sentenced a man facing deportation to six years in prison for a fatal stabbing.

District Judge William Kellough yesterday accepted a plea agreement Christian Antonio-Hernandez entered with prosecutors for the December 3rd, 2006, death of Angel Fuentes-Hernandez, who isn't related.

Fuentes-Hernandez was found dead in a garage apartment in east Tulsa. Prosecutors say Antonio-Hernandez was the last person to see Fuentes-Hernandez before he was killed, but Antonio-Hernandez denies involvement in the stabbing.

Antonio-Hernandez pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of first-degree manslaughter.

He must serve at least 85 percent of his prison term before he is eligible for release. He will receive credit for the more than 20 months he has spent in jail.

Jail records indicate a hold has been placed on the defendant for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Prosecutors believe Antonio-Hernandez will be deported back to El Salvador after he serves his prison term.

SNYDER, Texas (AP) - As the number of people working in oil and gas fields rises so does the number of people being killed in those fields.

Inexperienced workers are being blamed for much of the increase after experienced workers left the industry during the oil bust of the 1980s.

The Associated Press has found at least 598 workers died on the job in oilfields or gas fields between 2002 and 2007.

The numbers have risen from 72 deaths in 2002 to 125 in 2006 and a preliminary of 120 more deaths last year.

Mark Altom of Oklahoma-based Energy Training Council says many rig crews are made up of people who were virtually working the day before at a Wal-Mart.

Drug use also gets some blame but no one knows how many deaths and injuries have resulted from drug use by rig crews.

Altom says in some places methamphetamine use is so prevalent it is difficult to keep crews together.

There are more students with books at Tulsa Community College.  For the first time ever, TCC surpasses the mark of 10-thousand full-time students-- 1,000 more students than Fall 2007.  Casey Reeves noticed a difference on the first day of class because she had trouble finding a parking space on the Northeast campus.  "It just seems like TCC, especially the northeast campus, has just exploded.  There are so many people."  Reeves is a full-time student but took classes before she graduated high school. She says it is a great experience and believes T-C-C's growth makes it more appealing for students.  "The professors are awesome. They work hard to see you succeed and if you are showing yourself that you are succeeding then they will help you out as much as they can.  I just think it is a great school to start out at if a college or univeristy is not what you want to do."  TCC says it's entire population is near 18,000 total students and says that is a 7% increase in students attending TCC for Fall 2008.

Kenny Chesney led Wednesday morning's nominees for the Country Music Association Awards.  Tonight he performs at the BOK Center as the second act for the new downtown arena.  Chesney was nominated for seven CMA awards including entertainer of the year, an award he has won the past two years.  LeAnn Rimes was set to the opening act for Wednesday night's concert but the BOK Center website says she is ill and has been replaced with Miranda Lambert.  Lambert also was nominated this morning by the CMA as female vocalist.

It might be officially opened, but there is still work to do on the new BOK Center.  Project Director Bart Boatright says crews are going through a final 'punch list' and there are fix-ups left.  He promises none of the work will interfere with scheduled events.  "You know if we have to work around something--work at night. We have people who drop in at night and take care of items and we work hand in hand with security at the building to get it all taken care of," says Boatright.

A polish here, a dent there.  Some damaged panels on the building's outer skin have been pointed out to Project Director Bart Boatright.  He says those will be fixed, "The dented panels will be repaired and replaced. They were caused during construction and we plan to turn the building over to the city fully as it was intended and that goes along with that."  Boatright says a final 'punch list' of nearly 9,000 items is down to just a few hundred.  Boatright says it may take through October to get all the way through the 'to-do' list and turn the building over to the city.

(Capitol Hill) --  The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is keeping an eye on Capitol Hill. Transportation Director Gary Ridley tells a Senate committee that unless Congress acts soon to put money in the federal highway trust fund, more highway work will be delayed in Oklahoma.  Some work is still going forward on the I-44 widening project here in Tulsa but there are portions that have been delayed until ODOT knows how Congress will act.

(Tulsa, Ok) -- Be there or be square. That sums up Union Schools' "Be There" campaign. It's a national multimedia program designed to get parents to find opportunities to connect with or be there for their kids. Superintendent Dr. Cathy Burden says research indicates the parent's involvement at home has the greatest impact on student achievement.  Union becomes the first Oklahoma school district to launch the "Be There" campaign.

TULSA, Ok. - Preventing stoppage of highway construction projects. Oklahoma U-S Senator Jim Inhofe says the root of the problem happened ten years ago. He says that's when the fund was raided to balance the federal budget. Inhofe says, "In other words, replenish back to the highway trust fund $8-billion that was taken out in '98. Now, that's what we're trying to do. We tried to do this last night." Inhofe says a long-term fix to the fuel tax collection problem needs to be developed.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok. - The federal highway trust fund is running out of money unless Congress acts before the end of the month to put more money into the coffers. Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry says election year politics should not enter into the discussion. The Governor says, "Truth of the matter is the State of Oklahoma is a donor state, we send more of our dollars to Washington D.C. than we get back, so I'm gonna fight for every federal dollar back that I can get my hands on." Governor Henry says Oklahoma doesn't have millions of dollars to make up for the federal shortage. He says it's important to get the problem resolved soon.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - President Bush will visit Oklahoma City on Friday to attend a roundtable discussion with small businesses and to campaign with Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

White House spokesman Blair Jones said Tuesday that the president will arrive sometime Friday morning but a specific timetable for Bush's visit hasn't been set.

Jones says Bush will join a discussion on how business owners can meet their employees' health insurance needs through health accounts at the Presbyterian Health Foundation Conference Center. The event is hosted by the Small Business Administration and the Oklahoma City Women<s Business Center.

Jones says Bush is then scheduled to go to a private residence for a ``victory reception'' for McCain and the Republican National Committee.

It's not clear if McCain will be attending.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A man facing eviction from a veterans colony in southeast Oklahoma says he's in too poor of health to fight to stay on his land.

Vietnam veteran Paul Skaggs had until Monday to leave the United Spanish War Veterans Colony in Wilburton.

In recent weeks he's threatened to make a last stand on his property and Friday he said he'd go to court for an injunction allowing him to remain on the land.

But yesterday he asked colony leaders for more time to pack up and leave and they are considering the request.

Colony leaders say Skaggs must leave because he doesn't have the proper military discharge paperwork -- a claim Skaggs denies.

He's among several residents of the colony who have accused its leaders of mismanagement in recent months.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A woman accused of engaging in sexual acts with dogs enters a no-contest plea in Tulsa County District Court.

Fifty-five-year-old Diane Sue Whalen waived her right to a trial and pleaded no contest yesterday to one felony count of committing a crime against nature. Sentencing is set for October 17th.

Whalen's co-defendant, 55-year-old Donald Roy Siegfried, pleaded not guilty and his case was set for an October 13th trial docket.

Whalen and Siegfried both are free on bond. The face up to 10 years in prison.

Two of Whalen's dogs -- a Labrador and a Weimaraner -- previously were ordered forfeited to the sheriff in civil court proceedings, and have been sent to a rehabilitation center in Utah.

Riders at risk!  Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields makes that claim after Governor Brad Henry rejects new rules for ride inspections.  The new program would license ride operators.  Fields says a number of accidents last year were due to operator error.  "In 31 incidents last year, 10 of those were operator error.  We had an incident in Tulsa at the State Fair, I shut down the roller coaster there because two different operators in two different incidents on the same ride couldn't operate the machine safely so we shut it down," says Fields.  Today we reached him by phone as he was on site at the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City inspecting rides.  Had Governor Henry signed the emergency clause, Fields says the new license program would have been used this fall and tested.  He says the license program will be a reality since the law, without the emergency clause, takes affect next summer.

A family tries to wake up a young man Tuesday morning but he is dead.  The family reportedly told police the man got into a fight Monday night after he had quite a bit to drink.  "I believe there was some pushing and shoving also there was a punch thrown and the individual was knocked down. Friends and relatives figured the individual would be okay so that is why they initially picked him up and laid him on the couch," says Tulsa Police Officer Leland Ashley.  He says police found the 25-year-old man on the couch in the home at 502. S. Victor after the family called 911.  Ashley says the man may not have been responsive after the fight Monday night.  The medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death.

TULSA, Ok. - A drug-related shooting is under investigation. A 21-year old man was shot in the chest around 10:30 Monday night near 6300 North Main. Tulsa Police Captain Shawn King says the victim was hospitalized but his condition was unknown. The shooter was taken to jail. King says both the shooter and the victim are suspects in a drug deal. King says police are "still trying to determine who shot first and who stole whose dope." He says the shooting "is definitely drug-related and not gang-related."

CLAREMORE, Okla. (AP) - An apparently intoxicated mother accused of rolling over on her 7-week-old infant while the two were sleeping has been arrested on a manslaughter complaint.

Claremore police Lieutenant Chuck Goad says 21-year-old Kristi Nicole Hiser was arrested after her daughter, Trinity Hiser, was discovered unresponsive and not breathing early Saturday.

Goad says the infant was transported to Claremore Regional Hospital, where she died a short time later.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa police have arrested a man in connection with a fatal hit-and-run accident on July 28th.

Detectives arrested 37-year-old Pedro Urquta Contreras yesterday on a felony warrant that includes counts of leaving the scene of a fatality accident, driving without a license and failure to stop at a red light.

Police allege Contreras was driving a vehicle in east Tulsa that morning that turned in front of a motorcycle driven by Anna Shouse.

Officers allege that after the accident Contreras didn't stop and render aid, but left the scene.

The 46-year-old Shouse was transported to Saint John Hospital, were she later died as a result of her injuries.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins is urging coaches and teachers to take part in a free online program on dealing with children who have asthma.

Askins notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under 15 years old.

She said the ``Winning with Asthma'' program was created so coaches could learn about asthma, how it affects an athlete's ability to compete, and how they could help athletes manage their symptoms.

(Tulsa, OK) -- Federal road funds are drying up. The federal highway trust fund will run out of money by the end of the month. That has the State Department of Transportation getting ready to halt a number of projects including the wideninng of I-44 from Yale to the river.  State Transportation Director Gary Ridley says some current construction will have to stop and new construction won't begin until congress puts money back into the trust fund.

Tulsa police say Sunday's drive-by shooting near downtown Tulsa could be a random act of violence.  Four teens were shot near Cincinnati and Independence.  One of them, 16 year old Donovan Crutcher died late Monday morning.  For now,  Officer Leland Ashley says talk on the street could help police find their next lead.  "We are just hoping someone has talked about this already and maybe bragged about committing this crime and someone else who overheard this will come forward and help us solve this case."

Police have identified the other victims as 17-year-old Jahmal Bryant, 16-year-old Adrion Crutcher and 18-year-old Jeremy Williams.  In light of the shooting, the school day at a handful of Tulsa's schools started with extra security.  Officer Leland Ashley says one of the few leads came from a witness who described a gray four door vehicle at the scene of the shooting.  Ashley says at least two of the teenagers remain hospitalized but there is no word on their conditions because of the nature of this crime.

TULSA, Ok. - The 44-year old highway over Keystone Dam is closed. Workers are doing routine maintenance on State Highway 151 for the next couple of weeks. Lake Operations Manager Kent Dunlap says crews closed the highway Sunday. He says they will be checking the dam for any problems and will be drilling into the dam's core to check soil samples.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa police say a woman shot two people after accusing them of stealing her pet Chihuahua.

Saturday night's gunfire left two victims hospitalized. Tulsa Police Sgt. Mike McMeen says their injuries were not life-threatening.

Witnesses told police a woman was walking a dog near Latimer Park in Tulsa when she approached a group of people and asked if they had seen her pet. McMeen says that when they said they hadn't, the woman left.

But the woman returned and fired a revolver several times. Two people _ a man and a woman _ were taken to a hospital with leg wounds.

McMeen says police searched the park but were unable to find the suspect. She was described as a Hispanic or Indian woman in her 30s wearing dark clothing.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A drive-by shooting in Tulsa has left 4 people in critical condition.

Tulsa police officer Leland Ashley says at least one gunman fired several shots into a red car near an intersection in north Tulsa shortly before 2 p.m. yesterday.

Many details, including the victims' names, were not unavailable. Gang investigators and other detectives are still searching the scene for clues.

Witnesses say a gray car chased the red vehicle for about two blocks before opening fire on four young men inside. The red car then crashed into a concrete divider in the roadway.

All four were taken to area hospitals.

A large crowd of onlookers, many dressed in Sunday church attire, gathered after the slaying.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - State Treasurer Scott Meacham is calling on the Creek Nation to halt the sale of ``illegal'' cigarettes at numerous Creek-affiliated stores in the Tulsa area.

Meacham tells the Tulsa World the cigarettes are contraband because they are not on the state's list of approved cigarettes and thus do not bear a state tax stamp.

The state's approved list comes from the Master Settlement Agreement, which requires that tobacco manufacturers and their brand families be listed on the Directory of Compliant Tobacco Manufacturers maintained by the attorney general's office.

The cigarettes are discount cigarettes with brand names such as Seneca, Skydancer and King Mountain. The sale of alleged contraband cigarettes is part of the state's ongoing dispute with the Creek Nation over tobacco taxes.

You might not be sick but you could still help pinpoint the source of the E. coli outbreak in Northeastern Oklahoma.  The Oklahoma state health department wants to talk with people who ate at the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove during the weekend of August 15th-17th.  Dr. Kristy Bradley says they need more information from those who did not get sick after eating at the restaurant, "It is through that comparison analysis that we are able to pinpoint what food item or what particular activity might have been significantly associated with those people who are getting sick."  She says the investigation will continue through the weekend.  Bradley says the health department has talked with 80 people who ate at the Country Cottage restaurant on those specific dates and did not get ill.  She says the state health department has identified more than 300 people who ate at the restaurant on the specific dates in question and health officials want to interview those individuals to see if they became ill and what food items they ate.

(Catoosa)--  A crumbling Oklahoma bridge-- crumbles again.  A hole more than a foot in diameter is found in a bridge on state highway 66 just north of Catoosa in Rogers County.  Crews closed one of the southbound lanes to make repairs Friday morning.  The hole was found in the bridge across Bird Creek as crews were reportedly doing maintenance work on the bridge deck.

(Tulsa, Ok) -- There's nothing like a new pair shoes. International shoe charity "Soles4Souls" along with Shoe Carnival and the Community Action Project of Tulsa County collaborate to distribute a couple-hundred pairs of shoes to children from low income Tulsa families. The giveaway took place Friday morning at the Skelly Early Childhood Education Center.

TULSA, Ok. - An accident-prone spot on I-44 awaits drivers at the Darlington overpass. An eastbound driver Thursday night hit an overpass barrier wall and overturned, sliding on its top for over 200 feet. Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Darrick Eades says another driver stopped as he approached the overturned vehicle. That's when two more cars slammed into the second driver's car. Eades says Troopers have investigated several crashes involving the same bridge on I-44 between Yale and Sheridan.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Congresswoman Mary Fallin recalls the courage Oklahomans had to muster following the Oklahoma City bombing and says Senator John McCain embodies those strengths.

Fallin was one of several GOP officials who took the stage in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in a buildup to McCain's speech last night to accept his party's nomination.

Her focus was on terrorism, namely the April 19th, 1995, bombing, that killed 168 people. Her talk was followed by a video showing scenes from the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Fallin recalled instances of heroism and kindness by Oklahoma residents that came to be known as ``The Oklahoma Standard.'' She said it was really ``The American Standard'' because Americans showed the same support six years later.

Fallin also took a swipe at Barack Obama, saying the nation can't afford a president, quote, ``who thinks you can negotiate with evil.''

Fallin was referring to comments the Democratic presidential nominee has made about being willing to negotiate with leaders of rogue nations like Iran.

She says McCain knows, quote, ``that evil must be confronted if free societies are to remain free.''

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A Tulsa businessman is in critical condition after he was shot in the head by a gunman at his establishment.

Police say 63-year-old Neal Richard Sweeney was wounded yesterday morning at Retail Fuels Marketing in east Tulsa. The gunman remains at large.

Witnesses told police the man walked into the business and past a receptionist then shot Sweeney in an office.

Officer Leland Ashley says it's too soon in the investigation to determine what the motive may be.

Sweeney was a star wingback for the University of Tulsa football team in 1965 and 1966 and played one season with the Denver Broncos.

Vance McSpadden of the Oklahoma Petroleum Marketers Association says Sweeney went into surgery yesterday afternoon to remove a bullet from his brain.

Maribeth Goben works next door at a wine spirits broker. Goben says she heard two gunshots, followed by a woman's screams and then saw a man run downstair to a van.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A former Jennings school teacher's aide must register as a sex offender after admitting to an intimate encounter with a 15-year-old boy.

A Tulsa County judge this week gave 35-year-old Lori June Canady eight years of probation for a second-degree rape count she pleaded guilty to in July.

District Judge William Kellough's punishment doesn't require Canady to serve time in prison but does give her a felony conviction. As a result, she must register as a sex offender.

Police say Canady and the boy admitted they had sex February 18th in a room at a Sand Springs motel.

According to reports, Canady said she picked the boy up at his home and took him to a Tulsa shopping mall before they went to the motel. By law, the boy was too young to consent to having sex with the defendant.

(Tulsa) -- Neighbors notice a great deal of activity this morning in a South Tulsa neighborhood as Tulsa Police officers converge on a home near 81st and Harvard.  Tulsa police say a suspect in an overnight shooting was in a home at 8110 S. Jamestown.  Officer Jason Willingham says the man eventually turned himself but not before the tactical team was called to the scene.  Willingham says the name of the suspect has not been released but he is accused of shooting another man during a domestic dispute at the Springs Apartments at 61st and Memorial early Thursday morning.

TULSA, Ok. - A man was shot during a trio's domestic dispute. The victim was shot by another man about 1:20 a.m. Thursday after he spoke to his ex-girlfriend at the Springs Apartments at 6112 S. 87th E. Ave. Tulsa Police Corporal R.W. Solomon says the victim was taken to a hospital for treatment to a gunshot wound to the leg. Police are looking for the shooter who drove away in a black Cadillac.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A published report says three men who have come under suspicion in the fatal shootings of two Weleetka girls testified before the multicounty grand jury.

The Oklahoman reported in a copyright story that 30-year-old Tony Kelough, 19-year-old Mike Gaddy and 18-year-old Dustyn Dailey appeared yesterday before the secret panel.

The newspaper spoke to Kelough, who said he had nothing to do with the June 8th fatal shootings of 11-year-old Skyla Whitaker and 13-year-old Taylor Paschal-Placker.

Their bullet-riddled bodies were found on an isolated Okfuskee County road not far from where one of the girls lived.

The paper also spoke with the parents of Gaddy, who say their son was at a friend's house and heard the fatal shooting but didn't witness it. They also said their son has been the victim of vigilanteism.

Dailey declined to speak to The Oklahoman after two hours of testimony. The newspaper said he is jailed in Okmulgee County and appeared before jurors in jail clothes and shackles.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent Ben Rosser also appeared, but he declined to confirm what he said because grand jury proceedings are secret.

LOCUST GROVE, Okla. (AP) Concern over an E. coli outbreak in this northeastern Oklahoma town caused the football team from nearby Wagoner to refuse a scrimmage with Locust Grove High School.

Wagoner head football coach Dale Condict confirmed the scrimmage scheduled for last Thursday in Locust Grove was canceled, but declined to elaborate.

Locust Grove football coach and athletic director Scott Martin says Wagoner called off the scrimmage because players or coaches there assumed the town was unclean and unhealthy.

Health department spokeswoman Leslea Bennett-Webb called the situation ``unfortunate'' and says concern about the town is unfair.

The Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove is the focus of a state investigation into an E. coli outbreak that has killed one person and made at least 206 people sick.

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) - A Payne County judge has sentenced a Perkins woman to five years of probation for trying to set fire to her mobile home while her granddaughter was inside.

Special Judge Phillip Corley yesterday also ordered Jonna Rae Murrell to undergo mental-health and substance-abuse evaluations and anger management treatment.

The 37-year-old Murrell was accused of placing a 5-gallon gasoline can under the mobile home on February 2nd and lighting it while it was occupied by her 8-month-old granddaughter. The fire didn't occur and the baby wasn't hurt.

According to court records, Murrell had been drinking and doesn't remember what happened.

She pleaded guilty to a reduced fourth-degree arson count as part of a plea deal.

Besides other requirements, she also must perform 50 hours of community service within six months and pay a $250 fine.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A trial date has been set for a Tulsa man charged with the murder of a 13-year-old girl whose body was missing for more than four months.

Tulsa County District Judge Clancy Smith said yesterday that 19-year-old Marquis Bullock's first-degree murder trial will begin March 9th.

Bullock is accused of killing Cori Baker, who disappeared in November after last being seen leaving school with Bullock (pictured). Baker's skeletal remains were found March 21st at a paintball course in Creek County.

During yesterday's arraignment, Smith entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Bullock.

State medical examiners haven't been able to determine Baker's cause of death and have indicated the manner of death is unknown.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Tulsa County prosecutors have charged a Broken Arrow man with first-degree murder in the shooting death of his son-in-law.

Jerry Carl Noel was accused yesterday of killing 47-year-old Tulsan Bobby Reed on August 22nd at Noel's home.

According to a police affidavit, the 62-year-old Noel and Reed began arguing after Reed went to Noel's residence.

The affidavit says Noel pulled out a .22-caliber revolver and shot Reed twice in the chest. Noel then called 911 and told authorities that he was defending himself.

Paramedics were unable to revive Reed, whom police said was carrying a small firearm in his back pocket.

An arrest report states that relatives told authorities that Noel had threatened violence against most of the family at one time or another.

Reed is survived by four children and his wife, who is Noel's stepdaughter.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Officials overseeing the relocation of residents living in the Tar Creek Superfund site may be close to getting all the funding that's needed to complete the project.

Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren and Senator Jim Inhofe announced yesterday that an additional 9.5 million dollars is available for the ongoing relocation effort.

Three-point-five million dollars of the funding is part of money Inhofe earmarked recently, and the rest is being provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through a change in the law.

An Inhofe aide told the Tulsa World's Washington bureau more money will be needed but the end is in sight.

Tar Creek -- in Oklahoma's northeastern tip -- is a former lead and zinc mining hub that's been on the Superfund list for two decades.

Its 40 square miles have been plagued by mine collapses, open mine shafts, acid mine water that stains Tar Creek orange and mountains of lead-contaminated mine waste.

(Oklahoma City, OK) -- Compressed natural gas stations can be hard to come by in Oklahoma. State House Speaker Chris Benge wants to change that. Benge would like to see government agencies like school districts be allowed to sell CNG to the public.  He says he's hoping to see the number of stations double over the next five years and wants to offer incentives to help that happen.

(Locust Grove, OK) -- The E. coli outbreak gets larger. The Oklahoma State Department of Health now says at least 206 people have become sick as a result. They say this appears to be the largest outbreak ever in the U.S. associated with this particular strain of E. coli. They have narrowed the investigation down to the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove but have not been able to pinpoint an exact source.

(Broken Arrow, OK) -- A one year old boy drowns in Broken Arrow. Broken Arrow Police Major Mark Irwin says it happened late Tuesday morning in the 500 block of West Toledo Place. He says they're not sure if the child fell into a pool or jumped in. The boy was taken to St. Francis and died later in the afternoon.

(Muskogee, Ok) -- A new tradition comes to Muskogee, 7 years after 9-11. Officials have organized a Freedom Walk one week from Thursday to reflect on the lives lost that fateful day....paying tribute to the heroes of 9-11. Jonita Mullins is the Executive Director of Downtown Muskogee Incorporated.  She says "we thought the Freedom Walk was especially appropriate for Muskogee.  We lost a hometown hero in Ron Milam in the Pentagon attack.  We are also a community that supports our troops.  The Freedom Walk will give us an opportunity to reflect and remember." Last year 225 communites across the nation held freedom walks.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Hundreds of people from Louisiana have taken up temporary residence at a hastily prepared shelter after evacuating from homes in the path of Hurricane Gustav.

Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Paco Balderrama says about 1,800 evacuees are staying at the old Lucent Technologies plant. They began arriving shortly before midnight Sunday.

Telephones and computers were provided to them. Cots are set up on the sprawling floor of the center and there was a separate area for the thousands of meals being served by the Salvation Army and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.

Balderrama says local emergency officials were at first told to expect eight buses with 400 evacuees. By yesterday afternoon, 35 buses had arrived.

The shelter initally did not have enough cots. Balderrama says more were ordered and arrived yesterdayafternoon, along with portable showers.

The Emergency Medical Services Authority transported 32 of the evacuees to area hospitals for various complaints and there have been six arrests, including three for outstanding warrants.

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) - Authorities are investigating the weekend death of a man in rural eastern Pittsburg County as a homicide.

Pittsburg County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Webb says the body of 31-year-old James Allen Nester was found Saturday morning by a person doing yard work at a residence south of Bache.

Webb says Nester did not live at the residence and was from the Hartshorne area. Webb says Nester was last seen walking on a rural road near State Highway 63 late Friday.

Webb says the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is looking into Nester's death, along with local authorities.

MEDFORD, Okla. (AP) - A man who was badly burned when a locomotive train hit his propane truck has died.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Dennis Wayne Etherton of Tahlequah, died Sunday at a hospital in Kansas.

Union Pacific train conductor Larry Benny Williams of Oklahoma City and engineer Richard Pendarvis of Anadarko died in the crash. The train had two engines and 76 cars.

Etherton was airlifted to a hospital with third-degree burns over at least 50 percent of his body.

The accident occurred at 9:20 a.m. Friday on U.S. Highway 81 three miles south of Medford in Grant County, about 20 miles south of the Kansas border.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Dozens of Oklahomans have prepared a welcome mat for hundreds of evacuees from Louisiana who fled Hurricane Gustav.

They're some of an estimated 2 million people who left their flood-prone homes along the Gulf Coast in advance of a dangerous storm already blamed for the deaths of 94 people in the Caribbean.

As many as 400 evacuees boarded eight buses yesterday and left low-lying New Orleans before noon. Sgt. Paco Balderrama, spokesman for the Oklahoma City Police Department, says they're bound for an evacuation shelter housed at the old Lucent Technology Center in far western Oklahoma City.

They were expected to arrive sometime late last night or today.

Meanwhile, officials say the first 15 patients arrived aboard military aircraft late this afternoon and were transported to local hospitals by ambulance. As many as 200 patients are expected.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa County authorities say a suspect in the deaths of two men whose bodies were found in a house near Sperry has been arrested in Miami.

Officials say the bodies were discovered about 6:15 a.m. yesterday by a passer-by who saw smoke coming from the home.

When the fire department responded, firefighters found a male in a back bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head. Tulsa Sheriff's Capt. John Bowman says that in a second bedroom they found a man who he says was ``incredibly burned.''

Bowman says Travis Danley was tracked to Missouri after he allegedly killed the men, raided a gun safe, stole a pickup truck and drove it to Joplin, Mo.

Bowman also said that Danley discussed the homicides with his family, and that Danley's mother persuaded him to surrender to police in Miami.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The Oklahoma State Department of Health says well water likely is NOT to blame for an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 146 people in northeastern Oklahoma.

The Health Department says one man has died in the outbreak. Of those sickened, 104 are adults and 42 are children.

Although the source has not been identified, health officials continue to focus on Country Cottage, a restaurant in Locust Grove.

Lab analysis of water samples taken from a private well on the restaurant's property is continuing. But health officials believe it is unlikely that any well water contamination is the source of the outbreak.

Country Cottage will be closed while the investigation continues.