OKLAHOMA CITY — State park officials are adjusting their expectations after their new state parking pass program generated nearly 78 percent less than expected in the first year.

MOORELAND, Okla. — Two Woodward youth were injured in a two-vehicle accident Wednesday near Mooreland.

TULSA - Few may realize how a lack of connection affects daily behaviors, especially for older adults. A survey from Home Instead, Inc. found that older adults who eat most meals alone are more than twice as likely to be lonely, leading to a poorer diet compared to those who enjoy meals in the company of others.

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma State Department of Health will host a virtual career fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29 in an effort to hire approximately 70 nurses statewide.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021, including six schools in Oklahoma. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Secretary Cardona made the announcement during his Return to School Road Trip, while visiting an awardee school, Walter R. Sundling Jr. High School, in Palatine, Illinois.The Oklahoma schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools were:Chickasha – Pioneer School, Pioneer Public School District.Enid – Chisholm Middle School, Chisholm School District.Enid – Hoover Elementary School, Enid School District.Laverne – Laverne Elementary School, Laverne School District.McAlester – Edmond Doyle Elementary School, McAlester Public School District.Oklahoma City – Brink Junior High School, Moore School District.“This year’s cohort of honorees demonstrates what is possible when committed educators and school leaders create vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school cultures where rich teaching and learning can flourish,” said Secretary Cardona. “I commend all our Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. In the face of unprecedented circumstances, you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have so much to offer and can serve as a model for other schools and communities so that we can truly build back better.”The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites National Blue Ribbon Schools nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Dec. 1 in a case that threatens to overturn decades of abortion protections established under the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — With several months to go before state lawmakers return for the 2022 legislative session, Republicans are promising to once again push to require photo identification to vote.

At least 10 students have been identified in connection with vandalism of three restrooms at the new 8th & 9th Grade Academy at Alice Robertson.

WASHINGTON — More than 20 Republican state attorneys general, including Missouri’s Eric Schmitt, are threatening to sue the Biden administration over its mandate that large employers require their employees to either be vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo weekly testing.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals said the court “had no choice” when it ruled Thursday the state of Oklahoma cannot prosecute non-Native Americans who commit crimes against Native Americans on a reservation.

WASHINGTON -- A former University of Oklahoma gymnast on Wednesday told a key Senate panel that she was directed not to say anything that could compromise an FBI investigation into sexual abuse by the national team doctor.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Amid fears that Oklahomans could be facing a severe winter, regulators called together some of the state’s top utility officials Tuesday to discuss whether the state will have adequate access to natural gas supplies.

September has been designated as National Preparedness Month. Oklahoma residents are aware of the importance of being prepared for both natural and manmade disasters. Nationally, the damage from Hurricane Ida, torrential flooding and other weather-related emergencies have recently been front page news. More locally, long-term care facilities in the area also have faced severe challenges in trying to keep long-term care residents safe.

INDIANAPOLIS — A federal report analyzing the dearth of thorough oversight at nursing homes nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic found the list of facilities that have operated for more than a year without a recertification inspection continues to grow.

DONALDSONVILLE, Louisiana – Soldiers and Airmen with the Oklahoma National Guard helped Louisiana by supplying citizens affected by Hurricane Ida with much needed items at points of distribution on Sept. 4 and are glad to do their part in helping those who were impacted.

OKLAHOMA CITY — In a little more than a week, Markwayne Mullin said he went from a little-known Oklahoma Congressman to an international figure after, he said, federal officials leaked information about his team’s attempts to rescue Americans from Afghanistan.