Local Archives - Ponca City Now

As officials disparage Pretti and Good, families of Black people killed by police have déjà vu

Sunday, February 1

By AARON MORRISON Associated Press (AP) — The shooting deaths of white protesters Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis followed a playbook that is painfully familiar to Black Americans: Authorities quickly moved to disparage the victims, only to be contradicted as more evidence emerged. Black families who... Read More.

Mackie Planetarium to Host February Sky Show at NOC Enid

Friday, January 30

The Mackie Planetarium at Northern Oklahoma College Enid will present its February show on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 6 p.m. The program will feature the night sky over Enid during February and is titled “3,000 Years of Astronomy.” Planetarium Director Fritz Osell will guide attendees through the history of astronomy,... Read More.

Emergency certifications for educators grow amid Oklahoma teacher shortage

Friday, January 30

OKLAHOMA CITY -Due to ongoing teacher shortages, Oklahoma has employed more than 20,000 emergency certified teachers in the past five years alone. These instructors do not have a full teaching license, but programs are available to put them on a fast track to the classroom. To become an emergency certified... Read More.

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Melania Trump’s documentary premieres at the Kennedy Center ahead of global release

Friday, January 30

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump is capping her first year back as first lady with the global release of a documentary she produced about the 20 days leading up to husband Donald Trump’s return to the White House. “Melania” will premiered Thursday at the Kennedy Center, where the... Read More.

Partial shutdown avoided, Democrats and White House reach deal to temporarily fund DHS

Friday, January 30

WASHINGTON, D.C. - With six of the FY 2026 12 appropriations bills already signed into law, and the U.S. House having just passed the remaining six, it appeared, heading into last weekend, that Congress would beat the January 30 deadline to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal... Read More.

Democrats threaten to trigger partial government shutdown over ICE reform

Thursday, January 29

Senate Democrats are threatening to block legislation that would fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies Thursday, potentially bringing the government a step closer to a partial shutdown if Republicans and the White House do not agree to new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s... Read More.

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Pittman pleads guilty after investigation by Drummond’s office

Thursday, January 29

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Ayshia “Ajay” Pittman pleaded guilty today to felony charges related to submitting a forged check to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission following an investigation by Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office. As part of her sentence, Pittman will resign from her elected position in the Oklahoma... Read More.

Twin sisters make rodeo history at Tulsa bull riding finals

Thursday, January 29

TULSA, Okla. -Twin sisters from Locust Grove are making rodeo history this weekend in Tulsa. Dayna and Madison Eilert, both 21, are the first women ever to qualify for the American Cowboys Rodeo Association Finals. Bull riding is one of rodeo’s most dangerous and male-dominated events. The Eilerts say their... Read More.

Norwood files bill to create 988 Trust Fund as federal support set to expire

Thursday, January 29

OKLAHOMA CITY — Freshman lawmaker Rep. Kevin Norwood, R-Owasso, has filed legislation to create the 988 Trust Fund to help ensure Oklahoma’s mental health crisis hotline remains available to those in need as federal funding is set to expire later this year. "Oklahomans need to know that when they make... Read More.

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Felony charges filed against former Rep. Ajay Pittman, legislative assistant

Thursday, January 29

State Rep. Ayshia “Ajay” Pittman announced her resignation from the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Wednesday, just hours after the Oklahoma Attorney General filed felony charges against her and an executive assistant in the Oklahoma State Senate, Trena Byas. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the... Read More.

Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs in the latest round of layoffs

Thursday, January 29

Amazon is cutting about 16,000 jobs in the latest round of mass layoffs for the tech industry. Beth Galetti, a senior vice president at the e-commerce company, made the announcement Wednesday in a blog post. The latest reductions follow a round of job cuts in October, when Amazon... Read More.

US sending ICE unit to Winter Olympics for security, prompting concern and confusion in Italy

Thursday, January 29

MILAN (AP) — News that a unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be present during the upcoming Winter Games has set off concern and confusion in Italy, where people have expressed outrage at the inclusion of an agency that has dominated headlines for leading the... Read More.