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Update on Tornado fatalities, injuries, missing persons

Updated fatalities/deaths/missing persons

The May 20 tornado has lead to:

377 injuries

24 deaths

All people thought missing have been accounted for at this time

Secretary of State John Steen reminds voters early voting begins today

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Secretary of State John Steen reminders voters that early voting by personal appearance begins today, April 29, and runs through May 7 for the May 11 Uniform Election.

“Early voting is a convenient way to cast a ballot without having to wait for Election Day,” said Secretary Steen. “It provides greater access and opportunities for Texans to participate in the election process.”

Many cities, school districts and local entities across Texas will hold elections May 11. There are no statewide propositions on the ballot.

Any registered voter may vote in person at an early voting location established by the local authority conducting the election. For information on early voting locations, citizens should contact the local authority holding the election.

Joseph Randle Drafted By Dallas Cowboys

Oklahoma State running back was the 18th pick of the fifth round.

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 18th pick of the fifth round in the 2013 NFL Draft. He was the 151 overall pick in the draft and joins fellow OSU products Dez Bryant and Dan Bailey with the Dallas Cowboys.

Randle was a two-time first-team All-Big 12 performer, earning the honor in both 2011 and 2012, and was a key figure in the Cowboys having one of the most feared offenses in America both seasons. With Randle starting at running back, the Cowboys were the only team in the nation to average more than seven yards per play in each of the past two seasons.

A semifinalist for the 2012 Doak Walker Award presented to the nation's top running back, Randle finished his career eighth in OSU history in career rushing yards with 3,085, fourth in career rushing touchdowns (40) and 10th in career scoring with 258 points. That point total is fourth all-time among OSU running backs.

“We’re happy that Joseph is getting the chance to live his dream by playing in the NFL and we’re excited about what the future holds for him,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “He was a very productive player on our team and now he has the opportunity to continue the NFL running back tradition that we have established here at Oklahoma State over a number of years.”

Randle is the latest running back to come from the same Oklahoma State program that produced NFL Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas and current San Francisco 49ers back Kendall Hunter, among numerous others.

“I love Oklahoma State and the three years I spent here were the best time of my life,” Randle said. “I thank my teammates, my coaches, the fans and really everyone involved who make it a great place. I’m excited for my new opportunity and I’m ready to go after it, but I’ll always be an Oklahoma State Cowboy at heart.”

Country Super Star Ronnie Dunn reflects on the passing of George Jones Click here to Listen

GEORGE JONES DEAD AT 81

Nashville, Tenn. (April 26, 2013) – Country Music Hall of Famer, Grand Ole Opry member, and Kennedy Center Honoree George Glenn Jones died Friday, April 26, 2013 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He was hospitalized April 18 with fever and irregular blood pressure.

Born September 12, 1931, Jones is regarded among the most important and influential singers in American popular music history. He was the singer of enduring country music hits including “She Thinks I Still Care,” “The Grand Tour,” “Walk Through This World With Me,” “Tender Years” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” the latter of which is often at the top of industry lists of the greatest country music singles of all time.

“A singer who can soar from a deep growl to dizzying heights, he is the undisputed successor of earlier natural geniuses such as Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell,” wrote Bob Allen in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s “Encyclopedia of Country Music.”

Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas, and he played on the streets of Beaumont for tips as a teenager. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before returning to Texas and recording for the Starday label in Houston, Texas. In 1955, his “Why Baby Why” became his first Top 10 country single, peaking at number four and beginning a remarkable commercial string: Jones would ultimately record more than 160 charting singles, more than any other artist in any format in the history of popular music.

Jones’ first number one hit came in 1959 with “White Lightning,” a Mercury Records single that topped Billboard country charts for five weeks. He moved on to United Artists and then to Musicor, notching hits including “She Thinks I Still Care,” “The Race Is On,” “A Good Year for the Roses” and “Walk Through This World With Me.”

Jones signed with Epic Records in 1971 and worked with producer Billy Sherrill to craft a sound at once elegant and rooted, scoring with “The Grand Tour,” “Bartenders Blues” and many more. Sherrill also produced duets between Jones and his then-wife Tammy Wynette, and in the 1970s they scored top-charting hits including “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Golden Ring” and “Near You.”

By the time “Golden Ring” and “Near You” hit in 1976, Jones and Wynette were divorced, and Jones was battling personal demons. His solo career cooled until 1980, when he recorded “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” a ballad penned by Curly Putman and Bobby Braddock that helped Jones win Country Music Association prizes for best male vocal and top single. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” revived a flagging career, and Jones won the CMA’s top male vocalist award in 1980 and 1981. He also earned a Grammy for best male country vocal performance.

In 1983, Jones married the former Nancy Ford Sepulvado. The union, he repeatedly said, began his rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol and prolonged his life. He signed with MCA Records in 1990 and began a successful run, and he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992. His guest vocal on Patty Loveless’ “You Don’t Seem To Miss Me” won a CMA award for top vocal event in 1998, and it became his final Top 20 country hit.

In 1999, Jones nearly died in a car wreck, but he recovered and resumed touring and recording. He remained a force in music until his death, playing hundreds of shows in the new century and collecting the nation’s highest arts award, the Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement, in 2008. In late 2012, Jones announced his farewell tour, which was to conclude with a sold-out, star-packed show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 22, 2013. Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Charlie Daniels, Kenny Rogers, Sam Moore, The Oak Ridge Boys and many others were set to perform at Jones’ Bridgestone show.

Jones is survived by his loving wife of 30 years Nancy Jones, his sister Helen Scroggins, and by his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Trio of Cowboys Returning to Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. — Markel Brown, Le'Bryan Nash and Marcus Smart all announced their intentions to return to Oklahoma State for the 2013-14 basketball season today at the Student Union Atrium on the OSU campus. All three had been considering the opportunity to enter the National Basketball Association draft in June.

"This is an exciting time for Cowboy Basketball," said head coach Travis Ford. "All three of these guys will have an opportunity to compete at the next level. They realize and understand that the individual awards they received come from great team chemistry, playing well together as a team and winning basketball games. Staying in school also provides them with an opportunity to continue their education, which is very important to them and their families."

Nash, a two-time All-Big 12 selection, averaged 14 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season. He was named All-Big 12 Third Team by the league coaches and honorable mention All-Big 12 by the Associated Press. A prolific scorer, he has 44 double-figure scoring games in his two-year career.

Brown, a unanimous second-team All-Big 12 honoree and an All-District VI selection as a junior in 2012-13, averaged 15.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He improved his shooting averages during the offseason, shooting 36.4 percent from beyond the three-point arc. He became the second player in school history to record 200 assists, 100 steals and 75 blocked shots in a career, joining Byron Houston.

Smart, a consensus second-team All-American, led the Cowboys, averaging 15.4 points and 4.2 assists per game as a freshman. He was named both the Big 12 Conference's Player and Freshman of the Year. He received the Integris Wayman Tisdale Award as the national freshman of the year from the United States Basketball Writers Association and was a first-team All-American according to Sporting News.

As you may know, AT&T recently launched Project Velocity IP (VIP), a three-year investment initiative to expand and enhance its wireless and wireline IP broadband networks. As part of Project VIP, AT&T plans to increase the density of its wireless network by deploying more than 10,000 macro sites, more than 1,000 distributed antenna systems, and more than 40,000 small cells. Through this initiative, we also plan to:

Expand the AT&T wired IP network to 57 million customer locations, covering 75 percent of customer locations in its wired service area by year-end 2015

Expand the AT&T fiber network to reach 1 million additional business locations by year-end 2015

For more information about AT&Tâ€™s coverage in Oklahoma or anywhere in the U.S., consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer. Using the online tool, AT&T customers can measure coverage quality of coverage from a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark. For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.

(note: links do not work, we have sent follow up questions and link corrections)

TICKET INFO: Available online at www.bokcenter.com, Box Office, all Tickets.com outlets, or by calling 1-866-7-BOKCTR.

(Tulsa, OK) January 17, 2013 – CMA Entertainer of the Year and Grammy nominee, Blake Shelton will embark on a headlining tour of the U.S. beginning July 19 in Virginia Beach, VA. The Ten Times Crazier Tour, which features special guest Mercury Recording artist, Easton Corbin, and ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year nominee, Jana Kramer, will criss-cross the country this summer. Pre-sale information, contesting, and meet & greet opportunities will be available soon to Blake’s BS’er Fan Club members via www.blakeshelton.com/bsers. BS’ers is free to join. For all the up-to-date tour information, stay tuned to www.blakeshelton.com.

Confirmed tour dates, including the stop October 4, 2013 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, are listed below.

This is Blake’s second headlining tour following last year’s sold out Well Lit & Amplified Tour. The CMA's Entertainer of the Year and three-peat Male Vocalist of the Year is coming off seven consecutive No.1 singles, 12 overall, back-to-back wins on NBC's hit show The Voice and is already celebrating his Top 20 new single, “Sure Be Cool If You Did,” which Entertainment Weekly calls “ludicrously catchy” with an A- rating. “Sure Be Cool If You Did” is Blake’s fastest rising single to date and is the first new single off his yet to be announced new album being released this spring. His recent Christmas album, Cheers, It’s Christmas received 4 ½ of 5 stars in People Magazine and The New York Times has said “…he’s becoming the most important and visible ambassador from Nashville to the American mainstream.”

“My fans, country radio, friends, family, you name it - they know I love to perform. With The Voice schedule, I was not able to go out and perform as much as I wanted last year but I plan to make up for it this year,” Blake said with a devilish smirk. “This summer is going to be a blast. I want everyone at my shows to leave feeling like they got every penny’s worth of their ticket. I am going to give them every ounce of me on that stage because they deserve it. My fans are die hard country fans, they love to laugh and have a good time and I’m going to join them in what truly will be the Ten Times Crazier Tour.”

GRAMMY nominated Blake Shelton is CMA Awards’ Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year for his third consecutive year. Blake is one of the "most versatile of contemporary country singers" (The New York Times). He has been nominated for five GRAMMY® Awards, including a nod for Red River Blue, the Associated Press calling the album “the best album of his career” as Country Album of the Year, won ACM’s Male Vocalist of the Year for a second time, celebrated his seventh consecutive No. 1 single (his twelfth overall), and then made history by winning three consecutive CMA Male Vocalist of the Year awards and Song of the Year with his wife and Grammy winner, Miranda Lambert. Blake’s current album, Cheers It’s Christmas, features several duet performances with multiple GRAMMY Award winning artists such as Michael Bublé, long-time friend, Reba, Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson and a very special duet with his mother, Dorothy Shackleford, which they wrote together. Blake’s infectious multi-week No.1 hit, “Honey Bee" holds the record for the fastest-selling digital Platinum single for a male country solo artist.

Governor Fallin, Verizon Officials Announce Company Bringing 500 New Jobs to Tulsa Facility

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin joined with officials from Verizon in Tulsa today to announce that the company is adding up to 500 new jobs at its North Lakewood facility in Tulsa. The jobs will be finance and accounting positions. The company currently employs more than 900 at the Tulsa facility. “Today’s announcement is great news for Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma. These positions represent the kind of high-quality, good paying jobs we are working to bring to the state,” Fallin said. “We appreciate Verizon’s investment in Oklahoma and are excited about the 500 new jobs coming to Tulsa. Today’s announcement is another great example that our pro-growth, pro-business policies are working and are making Oklahoma an even better place to do business.”Verizon serves local, long distance, wireless and data customers in Oklahoma and has 50 retail stores and authorized agents throughout the state. The company has nearly 1,200 employees statewide and has an annual payroll of approximately $85.3 million in Oklahoma. Verizon officials said the decision to create a financial services hub by adding up to 500 new positions in Tulsa comes after an extensive review of numerous locations across the nation. Many factors were considered as part of the company’s search, including the quality and availability of financial services talent, quality of life considerations, the cost of living and more. At the end of the evaluation process, Tulsa emerged as an ideal location. “Verizon has a long-standing relationship with the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma. With a significant presence in Tulsa, we know from first-hand experience that Oklahoma has a business-friendly environment that encourages investment,’’ said Michelle Robinson, Verizon vice president of state government affairs. “Selecting Tulsa as a new financial services hub for Verizon allows us to take advantage of the financial services talent throughout Oklahoma. We look forward to extending our commitment to the Tulsa metropolitan area and the great of state of Oklahoma for future growth.”

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy has announced that defensive coordinator Bill Young will not return next season. OSU linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer will be elevated to defensive coordinator. “We are appreciative of everything Coach Young has done for us over the past four years,” Gundy said, “but we are also excited about heading in a new direction with our defense.” Spencer just completed his fifth season at OSU. He is a 1987 Georgia Tech graduate and came to OSU after spending the 2004-2006 seasons at Duke, where he served as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and secondary coach.

Governor Fallin Statement on Selection of Nico Gomez to Lead Oklahoma Health Care Authority

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today released the following statement on the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) board’s selection of Nico Gomez as the new OHCA chief executive officer: “Having worked at different levels of the agency, Nico Gomez will bring valuable experience and knowledge as the new chief executive officer of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority,” Fallin said. “I look forward to working with Nico and the OHCA on Oklahoma-based solutions to expand and improve access to quality health care for low-income Oklahomans, children, the elderly and the disabled.”

Sportsmen have until Jan. 11 to voice their thoughts online on a list of hunting and fishing-related rule change proposals. Already officials with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation say high numbers of comments have been submitted through the online public comment page at wildlifedepartment.com Most notable among the proposed changes is one that would change the structure of the combined season deer harvest limit to include no more than two antlered deer, with only one antlered deer allowed during deer muzzleloader and gun seasons combined. Another proposal would prohibit transporting live bait from one body of water to another in the state.

"There is still time to go online and leave a comment on items that could lead to changes in our hunting and fishing regulations," said Wade Free, assistant director of the Wildlife Department. "We feel strongly that our constituents should have every chance to provide their comments, and if you have not already done so, then you'll need to log on to wildlifedepartment.com soon to do so." To view a complete listing of proposed rule changes or to complete an online comment form, log on to wildlifedepartment.com. The online comment period will remain open until 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 11. If comments cannot be made online, written comments will be accepted by mail until Jan. 11, 2013, at the Wildlife Department's main office in Oklahoma City (P.O. Box 53465, OKC, OK 73152).

Hefner: January 7. Elevation below normal and dropping, water 45-47 and clear. Largemouth bass slow. Smallmouth bass slow. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on grubs at 18-25 ft. along the dam. Channel and blue catfish fair on cut bait at 30 ft. around the dam. Crappie slow on minnows and jigs at 20 ft. along the dam. Walleye slow. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle.

NORTHEAST

Ft Gibson: January 7. Elevation 1 ft. below normal, and clear. Catfish excellent on jug lines and rod and reel on whole live shad and sunfish in 10-20 ft. on the flats. White bass good on silver spoons around piers under Taylor's Ferry bridge. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around docks at 15-25 ft. Special caution to be taken due to low water levels and submerges obstructions. Report submitted by Rick Stafford of Wagoner.

Hudson: January 7. Elevation normal. Striped bass fair to good on crank baits and plastic baits. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around boat docks and brush piles. Report submitted by Steve Loveland, game warden stationed in Rogers and Mayes counties.

Kaw: January 7. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 10-12 ft. Report submitted by Emily Long, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.

Keystone: January 8. Elevation 4 1/2 ft. below normal, water 47. Catfish fair on cut bait. Crappie fair on minnows around docks and brush piles. Black bass fair on spinner baits. Report submitted by Karlin Bailey, game warden stationed in Creek County.

Lower Illinois: January 7. Elevation normal, water 43 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on stick baits at 1-3 ft. White bass slow on jigs and spinnerbaits at 1-3 ft. all along the river. Striped bass slow on trout and shad at 1-4 ft. at the mouth of the river. Channel catfish good on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Crappie slow on jigs and spinnerbaits at 1-4 ft. all along the river. Trout excellent fly fishing the surface, on rooster tails at 1-2 ft. and on Power Bait on bottom from the dam to Gore Landing. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.

Oologah: January 6. Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water lower 40s and clear. Crappie fair at 10-15 ft. around brush piles. Blue catfish fair on worms and shad at 10-15 ft. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.

Pawhuska: January 8. Trout good on small spinners, Super Dupers and Power Bait. Report submitted by David Clay, game warden stationed in Osage County.

Sooner: January 7. Sand bass and hybrid bass good on ghost minnows, top water lures and sassy shad at the discharge in the evening and morning. Catfish fair on cut and line bait around points. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.

Tenkiller: January 7. Elevation 9 1/3 ft. below normal, water 50-52, clear and steady. Crappie fair on minors or tube jigs around docks at 20-25 ft. Sunfish fair on worm-tipped jigs at 10-15 ft. around docks. Report by Monte Brooks, Cookson.

NORTHWEST

Watonga: January 4. Stocked 710 lbs. of trout on January 3. Report submitted by Jody Laubhan, Byron State Fish Hatchery/Northwest Region.

Arbuckle: January 6. Elevation 5 1/2 ft. below normal, water 46 and clear in the lake and stained in upper creek arms. Crappie fair on minnows and white/chartreuse jigs at 25 ft. around brush piles and slow around docks. White bass good on CC spoons along mid-lake knolls and creek channel bends out from the dam. Bass fair on jerk baits, crank baits and drop-shot rigs and fair on Alabama rigs. Report submitted by Jack Melton.

Blue River: January 8. Elevation normal, water 41 and clear. Trout excellent on orange and garlic scented Power Bait, in-line spinners with hook dressing, and power worms. Fly fishing excellent on soft hackle pheasant tails, woolly buggers, San Juan worms, and caddis flies. Smallmouth and spotted bass slow. Channel catfish fair on blood bait in deeper pools around current. Report submitted by Matt Gamble, biologist at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.

Blue River: January 8. Approximately 2,405 rainbow trout were stocked on January 2 and approximately 4,000 rainbow trout were stocked on January 8. Report submitted by Matt Gamble, biologist at the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.

Broken Bow: January 6. Elevation below normal. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass good on crank baits and black #11 jig-and-pigs, in deeper water around points. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around structure. Jug and trot lines baited with cut bait fair. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.

Eufaula: January 6. Elevation 5 ft. below normal, water clear. White bass and black bass slow. Blue catfish fair on fresh shad drifting the flats. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around boat docks with brush and along riprap areas. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.

Hugo: January 6. Elevation 8 ft. below normal. Boating extremely hazardous. Catfish fair on trotlines baited with cut bait. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties.

Konawa: January 5. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water 44 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on crank baits at 8-10 ft. around points and road beds. White bass and hybrid bass fair on minnows and jigs in the discharge canal at 15 ft. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.

Lower Mountain Fork River:

January 6. Try mayfly nymphs in sizes 16, 18 and 20. Size 20 soft hackles in yellow, olive and orange are working in all three zones as well as pink and yellow egg patterns. Report submitted by Jesse King, Three Rivers Fly Shop.

McGee Creek: January 6. Elevation 9 3/4 ft. below normal, water 49 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastics and jig-and-pig combinations at 10-25 ft. Crappie fair on minnows at 12-28 ft. over brush piles in creek channels. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.

Pine Creek: January 6. All public boat ramps have been closed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. No fishing activity to report due to extremely low water levels. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.

Robert S. Kerr: January 8. Bass fair on crank baits and stick baits off points, along creek channels and up river in coves. Spotted bass excellent up Canadian River, look for concentrations of gulls. Crappie good up Big Sanbio Creek around deeper submerged brush. White bass and striped bass fair on minnows and shad crank baits up river in deeper holes and around rock ledges. Channel and blue catfish excellent on trotlines and juglines baited with cut bait at 12-20 ft. close to creek and river channels. Report submitted by Allen Couch, game warden stationed in Haskell County.

Texoma: January 6. Elevation 5 1/4 ft. below normal, water 58 and clear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fair to good on deep diving crank baits and plastic worms at 15-30 ft. around drop-offs. Striped and white bass fair to good on live bait, sassy shad and slabs at 15-30 ft. in river channels. Channel and blue catfish fair on live bait, stinkbait and worms at 10-20 ft. from Platter Flats to the Washita River. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 10-20 ft. around underwater brush. Sunfish fair on worms and small tube jigs at 5-10 ft. around underwater brush. Sunfish fair on small tube jigs and worms at 5-10 ft. around fish attractors. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.

Wister: January 6. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on black plastic worms and silver crank baits. Crappie fair to good on white tail grubs at 15-20 ft. Catfish fair on jug lines and trotlines baited with cut bait and liver. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.

Altus-Lugert: January 6. Elevation 27 ft. below normal. Catfish, crappie, walleye and hybrid bass fair. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by J. D. Stauffer, game warden stationed in Harmon County.

Ellsworth: January 6. Elevation 12 ft. below normal, water murky. Blue catfish fair on cut bait off rocky points. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.

Foss: January 7. Elevation 12 ft. below normal with gates closed, water 50s and clear. Hybrid bass good on slabs in deep water. Walleye good around docks on jigs. Catfish fair. Crappie slow. Cold and damp weather has been good for fishing. The main ramp is the only one open at this time. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.

Lawtonka: January 6. Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water clear. Crappie fair on minnows off the dam. All other fishing slow. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.

Medicine Creek Park: January 7. Trout fair on Power Bait and spinners. 760 pounds of trout stocks last week.

To check current Oklahoma lake conditions across the state go to the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department's website at http://www.travelok.com/checkmyoklake/. This website provides information on blue-green algae, lake updates, water safety tips, etc.