The Frontier

Tulsa County DA race pits experience against calls for change

Incumbent Steve Kunzweiler is running on a decade of high-profile prosecutions and stability. Challenger Colleen McCarty ...
The Frontier

Oklahoma County cuts jail monitoring staff to close a budget gap, meaning fewer eyes on detainees

It will be up to detention officers at the understaffed jail to monitor detainees as county officials look to cut costs. The ...
The Frontier

Toxic Pressure: A documentary screening on oilfield wastewater threatening Oklahoma communities

Join The Frontier and ProPublica for a reception and public screening of this documentary film, which features a local ...
The Frontier

Disability rights watchdog opens probe into Tulsa city jail after Frontier investigation

A federally designated watchdog is examining conditions at the municipal jail, citing concerns over medical care and ...
The Frontier

She was charged with manslaughter after a miscarriage. Cases like hers are becoming more common in Oklahoma.

A growing number of women are facing criminal charges for substance use during pregnancy in Oklahoma. Experts and health care providers say that’s bad for moms and babies. Brittney Poolaw brushed away ...
The Frontier

People with mental illness are more likely to die in jail. A new Oklahoma County program puts them in treatment instead

There have been nine suicides at the Oklahoma County jail in three years. Another six people with documented mental health issues died of other causes. One woman’s death has helped jumpstart a ...
The Frontier

Salty, oily drinking water left sores in their mouths. Oklahoma refused to find out why.

State regulators discovered strong signs of oil pollution, including high levels of salt and toxic metals, in one family’s drinking water. But for two years, they repeatedly delayed basic tests to ...
The Frontier

Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen sometimes charged extra fees as part of a costly restaurant overhaul at state parks

A state oversight board once had the power to approve Tourism contracts, but legislation in 2018 stripped its powers. A Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Restaurant at Robbers Cave State Park near Wilburton ...
The Frontier

Seeking to boost the image of state parks, Oklahoma tourism officials sank millions into a private restaurant venture

Since 2020, the state has paid an Oklahoma restaurant company more than $13.6 million to cover management fees, renovations and financial losses. Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Restaurant at Sequoyah State ...
The Frontier

Criminal networks continue to thrive in Oklahoma’s marijuana industry as lawmakers weigh new measures

A sprawling Pawnee County marijuana farm with alleged ties to organized crime still operates with a state-issued cultivation license. GARRETT YALCH/The Frontier Pawnee County Sheriff Darrin Varnell ...
The Frontier

Under Ryan Walters, Oklahoma lost federal funding to help schools respond to tragedies

State education grant writers said they quit in frustration after a lack of support. Walters has vowed in the past not to pursue grants that don’t align with “Oklahoma values.” Oklahoma State ...
The Frontier

Lawmakers target Oklahoma’s initiative petition process after uptick in successful state questions

After five years of sweeping policy changes led primarily by voters in the state’s metropolitan areas, the Republican-controlled Legislature is poised to make substantial revisions to the initiative ...