Kayla Branch
The Oklahoman
Moore, OK, United States
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Past articles by Kayla:
Cherokee Nation to distribute COVID-19 vaccine to tribal members next week
The Cherokee Nation expects to receive and begin distributing 975 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine starting next week. Tribal officials released a phased priority plan for allocating the vaccine, with frontline health care workers, emergency responders, Cherokee speakers, Cherokee National Treasures and those over the age of 65 receiving the first doses in Phase 1. Phase 2 includes Cherokee… → Read More
Kim Kardashian West visits Oklahoma death row inmate Julius Jones
Kim Kardashian West visited death row inmate Julius Jones at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester on Tuesday. → Read More
State Question 805 results: Oklahoma votes against changing sentence enhancements
Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly rejected State Question 805 Tuesday, dealing a blow to the latest large-scale criminal justice reform effort in the state. Opposition stayed strong throughout the night with roughly 60% of voters rejecting the measure, according to unofficial results from the Oklahoma State Election Board. “I think the truth prevailed,” said former Gov. Frank Keating, a… → Read More
Oklahoma County Jail Trust sued over pandemic aid
Two activists and a business owner are asking a judge to rule that the Oklahoma County Jail Trust has been operating illegally. The lawsuit, which was filed Monday, alleges the trust was created unlawfully, and it also slams the way Commissioner Kevin Calvey handled the county’s roughly $47 million in federal coronavirus relief funds, known as CARES Act funding. An email between Calvey and trust… → Read More
Triple X Road to be restored after years of safety concerns
SEP 24, 2020 - Oklahoma County commissioners accepted a federal grant this week that will fund riverbank repairs and restore Triple X Road, which has been closed for years due to safety concerns. The portion of the road between NE 36 and NE 50 is in Commissioner Brian Maughan’s district, and Maughan said this funding has been “long awaited.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency previously… → Read More
Group opposes State Question 805, says changes will increase crime
A group opposing State Question 805 officially launched a campaign Wednesday to discourage voters from supporting the measure in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 general election. State Question 805 is a criminal justice reform measure that would prohibit enhanced sentences based on prior felony convictions for repeat nonviolent offenders. The group Oklahomans United Against 805 is concerned… → Read More
Public comment officially reinstated at Oklahoma County meetings
Oklahoma County commissioners on Friday unanimously approved reinstating public comment at future meetings. The public will be able to attend meetings in person and sign up to speak, and there will also be a virtual option with a link to speak online at county meetings attached to meeting agendas. “I think it’s (a) fairly stable… and safe platform,” said Joe Blough, Commissioner Carrie Blumert’s… → Read More
Candidate plans to challenge commissioner after week of chaos in Oklahoma County government
After several protests and multiple days of chaos within Oklahoma County government politics, a local community member has officially announced her intentions to challenge District 3 Commissioner Kevin Calvey in 2022. Cacky Poarch, a longtime Oklahoman who is involved in the local film industry and sits on the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office Community Advisory Board, said Friday she decided to… → Read More
Oklahoma County commissioners give jail $36 million despite protests
AUG 19, 2020 - Oklahoma County commissioners pushed through final approval to provide $36 million in CARES Act funding to the county jail for COVID-19 expenses despite protests during an unusually quick and tense meeting Wednesday.Commissioner Kevin Calvey began the meeting, and in just over one minute he had pushed through the controversial vote, which has been protested heavily over the last… → Read More
Oklahoma County commissioners approve bonuses for county law enforcement, corrections officers
AUG 14, 2020 - Oklahoma County commissioners approved roughly $8 million of CARES Act funding Friday to be used for maintenance problems at the county jail and bonuses for some jail staff, sheriff’s deputies and juvenile bureau workers. The requests were somewhat controversial since Commissioner Kevin Calvey initially did not present them through the approved oversight process for CARES Act… → Read More
County commissioners to vote on $1.5 million eviction mitigation program
Oklahoma County Budget Board members voted to recommend the county use $1.5 million of its CARES Act funding for an eviction mitigation program during a tense meeting Thursday morning. The funding must now be approved by the Board of County Commissioners before it is officially sent through an existing county trust and then to the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, the same organization doling… → Read More
Oklahoma County jail inmate dies after testing positive for COVID-19
An Oklahoma County jail inmate who tested positive for COVID-19 has died, The Oklahoma has learned. Officials said inmate Clarence Merrell died around 7 a.m. Tuesday after struggling with multiple underlying health issues and spending more than a week at a local hospital where he tested positive for COVID-19, according to an email obtained by The Oklahoman. This makes him the first COVID-19… → Read More
Nearly $300K available to Black-led organizations in the metro to advance racial equity
The OKC Black Justice Fund announced Friday it has raised $290,000 and is ready to process grant applications from Black-led organizations and groups working to advance racial equity in Oklahoma City. A 12-member evaluation committee has also been announced, which includes members of the Black community, donors and nonprofit leaders, according to a press release. “Our city is filled with several… → Read More
State Question 805 qualifies for 2020 ballot
State Question 805 has qualified for placement on a 2020 ballot, the Yes on 805 campaign announced Wednesday. State Question 805 is a criminal justice reform measure that would end the use of sentence enhancements for repeat nonviolent offenders. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled nearly 250,000 of the campaign’s signatures were sufficient to place the state question on an upcoming ballot. And the… → Read More
Oklahoma County commissioners deny mask mandate for a second time
JUL 17, 2020 - Oklahoma County commissioners denied a recommendation that masks be required inside all county facilities for a second time this week during a special meeting Friday. Emergency Management Director David Barnes, who first recommended the mask mandate Wednesday, asked commissioners to reconsider and presented updated statistics on COVID-19 cases, noting that local cases are still… → Read More
Kim Kardashian West tweets at Oklahoma governor in support of Julius Jones
JUL 14, 2020 - Ahead of a new episode of ABC's "20/20" TV show focusing on Oklahoma death row inmate Julius Jones, Kim Kardashian West tweeted at Gov. Kevin Stitt to urge him to watch the show. → Read More
Former Oklahoma commissioner of mental health to lead Tulsa nonprofit
JUL 2, 2020 - Terri White, former commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health, will be the new CEO of Mental Health Association Oklahoma, the group announced Thursday. White, who left her post with the state department this February after 13 years, said becoming CEO of the association is “the culmination of … my life’s work.” Mental Health Association Oklahoma, based in Tulsa, is a… → Read More
Oklahoma City's homeless population increases 24%, largest uptick since 2007
JUL 1, 2020 - Over 1,500 people were experiencing homelessness during Oklahoma City’s yearly count of its homeless population in January, a 24% increase over last year’s numbers. The 2020 Point-In-Time count, a report released Wednesday by city officials and the Homeless Alliance, shows the largest uptick in the city’s homeless population since 2007. During the Jan. 23 count, 1,573 individuals… → Read More
Masks now required on elevators in Oklahoma County facilities
Those who want to ride elevators in Oklahoma County facilities will now be required to wear a mask unless they are medically unable. Oklahoma County commissioners voted 2-1 Wednesday to approve a recommendation from the county’s emergency management director that masks be required on elevators throughout county buildings to slow the spread of COVID-19. “It’s obvious why,” said emergency… → Read More
Death row inmates eligible for commutation hearings, AG Hunter says
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said Tuesday death row inmates are eligible for commutation hearings through the state’s Pardon and Parole Board. In a letter to the board, Hunter said former Attorney General Scott Pruitt previously issued an opinion that would allow the board to hear proceedings and recommend any inmate for commutation through the governor. In early June, the board… → Read More