Dr. David Ralph Announces Retirement After 47 Years at SWOSU

Sayre, OK – Beckham County deputies are responding to a growing number of crash alerts triggered by smartphones, and in many cases, the emergencies turn out to be something far less serious. According to Beckham County Sheriff

Sayre, OK – The Beckham County Jail has once again received a perfect inspection, marking its third consecutive 100 percent score, according to Sheriff Derek Manning. “We just had our annual inspection again and another 100 percent.

McLean, TX – Two people were killed Sunday afternoon in a head-on crash on Interstate 40 west of McLean, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The crash occurred at 1:56 p.m. in Gray County under

Western OK — Candidate filings have wrapped up across western Oklahoma, setting the stage for several contested races while leaving many positions decided due to a lack of opposition. Across the region, a mix of contested and

Canadian County, OK — A Clinton man was injured Thursday night in a motorcycle crash on an Interstate 40 on-ramp in Canadian County, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The collision occurred at approximately 9:34 p.m. at

Western Oklahoma – Voters across western Oklahoma will head to the polls Tuesday to decide several local school board races, with multiple districts featuring contested elections. In Mangum Public Schools, Anna Rogers and Billy Peterson are seeking

Weatherford, OK – Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) recognized students from across its academic colleges during the 2026 Distinguished Student Award Ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 22, at the Fine Arts Center in Weatherford. The annual ceremony honors

Weatherford, OK – The Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences at Southwestern Oklahoma State University will host a plant sale on Saturday, April 18, in the Old Science Building on the Weatherford campus. The sale will run

Weatherford, OK – Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) has named Dr. Denise Landrum-Geyer as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She will begin her role on May 1. Landrum-Geyer currently serves as chair of the

Oklahoma City, OK – Oklahoma could see changes to how oil and gas operations are taxed as State Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, works to address what he calls inconsistent and unfair practices across the state. Moore, who

Oklahoma City, OK — A measure aimed at expanding industrial use of oil and gas wastewater for mineral development advanced this week in the Oklahoma House Energy Committee. Senate Bill 1930, known as the Oklahoma Brine Development

Oklahoma City, OK — The Oklahoma Legislature is moving closer to approving a measure aimed at shielding oil and gas companies from climate-related lawsuits. House Bill 1439, authored by Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, and Sen. Julie Daniels,

Cheyenne, OK – Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7th, for the Reydon School District Board of Education General Election. Roger Mills County Election Board Secretary Kelly Tice offers these important

Elk City, OK — State Rep. Nick Archer says he is continuing efforts to bring federal investment back to Oklahoma, focusing on energy research and advanced computing as key opportunities for the region. Speaking recently, Archer emphasized

Elk City, OK – The busy week continues for local firefighters as crews responded to an overnight house fire in Elk City early Wednesday morning. According to reports, firefighters were dispatched to the 600 block of West

Elk City, OK — Residents in the Elk City area are being urged to stay weather aware today as conditions set up for another round of potentially severe storms. According to local officials, the area faces a

Burns Flat, OK – The South Western Oklahoma Development Authority has been awarded $2.6 million to expand access to wellness services for rural residents. The funding comes through the Oklahoma Rural Health Transformation Program, which focuses on

Wheeler County, TX — A coordinated effort between the Beckham County Sheriff’s Office and the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office led to the safe location of a woman Sunday after concerns for her wellbeing were reported. According to

Elk City, OK — It was a busy weekend for the Elk City Fire Department, as crews responded to multiple fires and a high volume of emergency calls across the area. Firefighters first responded Friday night to

Arapaho, OK — Custer County Commissioners enacted a countywide burn ban Monday morning amid dangerous fire conditions across western Oklahoma. The ban will remain in effect for the next 14 days. Under its terms, only limited activities

Weatherford, OK — The annual Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) Interscholastic Meet (SWIM), one of the longest-running academic competitions in Oklahoma, was held March 26, 2026, on the SWOSU campus in Weatherford. The first SWIM contest was

Custer County, OK — A Custer City man has been charged with multiple felony counts after authorities say he set a series of grass fires across two western Oklahoma counties over several weeks. Skyler Dean Terrell, 31,

Elk City, OK – Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond brought his campaign for governor to western Oklahoma Friday night, speaking at the Elk City Golf and Country Club. Addressing a local crowd, Drummond leaned on his rural

Oklahoma City, OK – Homeland Stores has announced a series of changes across Oklahoma, including closures and consolidations, as part of an effort to strengthen the company and refocus on its core operations. In western Oklahoma, the

Oklahoma City, OK – JOSE CARLOS MORALES-GUTIERREZ, 31, a Mexican national who is in the country illegally, has been charged with possession of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Robert

Butler, OK – A fast-moving wildfire north of Foss Lake near Butler kept firefighters and emergency crews busy Wednesday afternoon, prompting evacuations and drawing a large multi-agency response. According to local officials, the fire was first reported

Oklahoma City, OK — Rising Medicaid costs are becoming one of the biggest challenges facing Oklahoma lawmakers as they work to finalize the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Senator Brent Howard of Altus, who represents

Cheyenne, OK – With the April 7th Election approaching, County Election Board officials are reminding voters of Election Day laws. PERSONS ALLOWED INSIDE ELECTION ENCLOSURE It is a crime for any person other than voters and election

Western Oklahoma – A Fire Weather Watch remains in effect from Thursday morning through Thursday evening across much of western Oklahoma, including Roger Mills, Dewey, Custer, Beckham, Washita, Caddo, Greer, Kiowa, Jackson, and Harmon counties, as dangerous

Del Valle, TX – Emergency management officials across Texas will participate in a coordinated statewide emergency alert system test Thursday, April 2, 2026, as part of a preparedness exercise led by the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

Clinton, OK — A 64-year-old Elk City man is facing a felony charge after authorities say he led officers on a high-speed pursuit exceeding 110 mph through Custer and Washita counties. Jimmy Lee Davis, also known as

Burns Flat, OK – Western Technology Center has announced Jay Edelen as its next superintendent, set to begin July 1, 2026. Edelen will become the seventh superintendent in the organization’s history, which dates back to 1970 and

Sayre, OK — Local law enforcement officers recently took part in a specialized DUI training exercise designed to sharpen their ability to detect impaired drivers in the field. According to Derek Manning, the training, known as a

Clinton, OK – Statewide election activity officially begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 1, 2026, when the candidate filing period opens, according to the Secretary of the Custer County Election Board. Candidates for state offices must file

Oklahoma City, OK – A proposal focused on turning thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Oklahoma into usable energy assets is moving to the State Senate after gaining strong support in the House. House Bill

Weatherford, OK – Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) will soon be able to admit more nursing students each year after adding a spring admission option to its Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program for the

Weatherford, OK – Robyn Randol, instructor in the Department of Education and Director of the Registered Apprenticeship Program at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), has been selected as a 2026 DaVinci Fellow through the DaVinci Institute’s DaVinci

Canute, OK — A piece of Route 66 history came back to life Saturday night as a large crowd gathered in Canute to witness the relighting of the historic Cotton Boll Motel sign. The neon sign, dark

Camargo, OK — Dangerous fire conditions across western Oklahoma led to multiple wildfire responses Sunday, including a major blaze in Dewey County known as the Jumping Juniper Fire. According to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, roughly

Sayre, OK – Early voting begins Thursday, April 2nd for voters in Beckham County. Voters who will not be able to make it to the polls on Election Day, have the option of voting early at their

Weatherford, OK – Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) will host SWOSU Palooza presented by Qdoba on Friday, March 27, 2026, in the Pioneer Events Center on the SWOSU campus in Weatherford. Doors will open at 7 p.m.,

Beckham County, OK — A large illegal marijuana grow operation north of Interstate 40 between Elk City and Sayre was shut down last week following a joint effort between the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Beckham

Sayre, OK – OBN’s Marijuana Enforcement Teams (MET) served a Search Warrant at YE Oriental Green 8866 in Sayre, Oklahoma as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal marijuana cultivation. “The investigation showed this business has been

Elk City, OK – Great Plains Regional Medical Center (GPRMC) has received a Performance Leadership Award from The Chartis Center for Rural Health. The Elk City hospital received the award for excellence in patient outcomes for 2025.

Elk City, OK — Fiscal discipline has allowed the City of Elk City to pay off nearly $20 million in outstanding debt since the end of the 2020 fiscal year. Doing this has saved almost $3 million

Elk City, OK – An arrest has been made in connection to a recent storage facility break-in in Beckham County, according to Sheriff Derek Manning. The case, which was first reported last week, involved multiple break-ins at

Weatherford, OK – Southwestern Oklahoma State University honored Dr. Trevor Ellis with the 2026 Bernhardt Academic Excellence Award during the Academic Excellence Banquet on Thursday, March 12. Ellis is professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry

Jackson County, OK — Fire crews continue to make progress on the Salt Fork Fire burning near the town of Martha, northwest of Altus. The Oklahoma Forestry Service reported Wednesday morning the fire is now about 80%