OKMULGEE COUNTY (KTUL) — The Okmulgee County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) needs help identifying the suspect shown in the photos the suspect entered a dollar store near 231st and Hwy 75 and left with seven cases of unpaid beer Police said the suspect threatened to "put his gun" on a worker when confronted The suspect reportedly left the scene in a small silver or gray sedan SIGN UP FOR THE CHANNEL 8 NEWSLETTER Okmulgee County officials have declared a disaster emergency due to widespread flooding and infrastructure damage caused by recent heavy rains All county district crews are working to make emergency repairs to damaged roadways and infrastructure according to Okmulgee County Emergency Management Officials say damage assessments have already exceeded the county’s disaster threshold The declaration is the first step in requesting state and federal assistance for recovery efforts related to the flooding Emergency Management officials thanked residents for their patience and for reporting washed-out roads and high water saying the reports help guide response and damage assessments The emergency meeting is set to begin at 8 a.m the county said they sent a water trailer to Hominy where residents are without water following a major water line break that disrupted the city’s water treatment facility ➡️Hominy remains without water as crews work to repair damaged line ➡️Hominy State of Emergency: Public urged to conserve water after line damage Brooke Cox is a Digital Producer at News On 6 where she has been part of the team since August 2024 ➡️Hominy remains without water as crews work to repair damaged line ➡️Hominy State of Emergency: Public urged to conserve water after line damage and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox A truck fell 30 feet off a bridge into a creek during a crash in Okmulgee County on Wednesday The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the driver sustained serious injuries but was alert at the scene The Okmulgee Fire Department responded to help extricate the driver The driver admitted to authorities he has used meth earlier in the day and that he looked down at his phone right before the crash will be filed Okmulgee County District Attorney's Office at least 15 road blockages had been reported throughout the county due to floodwaters caused by torrential rains like Gun Club Road north of downtown Okmulgee already come equipped with flood warning signs Even elevated trucks found themselves in dangerously high waters during the day "I asked the dude that came through earlier 'Oh'," Okmulgee resident Brent Crump told 2 News Due to flow from Tulsa and out west, rivers bode the most danger heading into May 1, according to emergency management director Jeff Moore "Deep Fork River still continues to rise on our last check," Moore told 2 News "It was right at 18 feet which is flood stage up near Beggs in the Dentonville (Road) bridge area So it's gonna continue to rise to at least 21.5 feet We're gonna continue to have some water coming into Okmulgee County from the north all the way to the south." Moore said while no homes have been damaged in the highest rain total event of the year for the county so far first responders are challenged by some drivers taking their chances on flooded roads "There was actually a truck that had gone around the barricades and went all the way down to where the water was just so he could say 'I'm just out looking around,'" Moore added We (also) had a water rescue in Okmulgee." Okmulgee Lake at The Spillway also remains a concern Water had gotten within a few feet from Highway 56 just before 5 p.m A sign that says “Prescribed Burn Ahead.” (Shutter Stock) Okla.- The Oklahoma State University Okmulgee County and the College of the Muscogee Nation extension programs have made a call-out to landowners interested in learning about prescribed burns There is currently no set date for the workshop however they are looking for landowners that are willing to do a prescribed burn on their property landowner property needs to be within MCN Reservation The property needs to be up to 10 acres of burnable land such as brush or similar vegetation and a property area that can be burned safely regardless of wind direction Selected landowners will receive a free demonstration with trained professionals the Oklahoma State University Senior Extension Specialist in Natural Resource Ecology and Management Shelby Lofton (Cherokee) works as the Agriculture and 4H Federally-Recognized Tribe Extension Program (FRTEP) extension educator for OSU Okmulgee County and CMN Lofton is partnering with CMN Extension Coordinator Chris Azbell on the workshop event “Prescribed burning is a valuable land management tool that significantly improves wildlife habitats and enhances soil and forage quality,” Lofton said “It’s a really beneficial natural tool that we can use to improve our landscapes.” The selection process begins after the May 15 deadline and the partners are hoping to select 3-5 landowners “We’ll select those people and we’ll conduct land visits to go see them We’ll double check that the property is what we’re looking for and would be safe to conduct an educational workshop on and burn Then we’ll make our official selection after we’ve done our land visits from that list Lofton’s goal by the end of this workshop is to bring information to the Tribe and to people within the MCN Reservation She also hopes that it will inspire people to want to learn more about prescribed fire our goal is to educate landowners on the benefits of prescribed fire and to inspire and encourage them to learn more about how they can conduct their own prescribed burns on their own properties in the future,” Lofton explained “Many people do not know how to safely perform a prescribed burn they do not have enough training/experience and depending on the size of the land they are trying to burn they may not have enough people or equipment to help them conduct the burn safely.” Another goal of the workshop is to help build a network of knowledge on prescribed burns for landowners “We want to encourage people to form their own Prescribed Burn Association which is a partnership between a group of landowners and other local citizens to conduct prescribed fires within their community so that that they can share resources and create a network of trained individuals who can support one another in safely and effectively implementing prescribed burns on private lands.” For information contact Lofton through email at shelby.lofton@okstate.edu or 918-756-1958 Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "aed8a1b9203e85e3d880df04b313577c" );document.getElementById("f79d2c0fd6").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox The Okmulgee Public Schools superintendent said his voluntary resignation was based on philosophical disagreements with another leader, and completely unrelated to a coinciding investigation into the district by the state's education agency Superintendent Clay Vinyard said his resignation agreement with Okmulgee Public Schools came on Jan. 30,  just seven months after he became the district’s leader. The district's board of education voted on the agreement the same day state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters announced an investigation into the school district The Oklahoma State Department of Education's investigation and Vinyard’s decision to leave the district are two completely separate events More: Oklahoma City public schools announce finalists for 2025 Teacher of the Year award Walters announced that his agency is opening an investigation into the Okmulgee school district amid a series of "complaints that include teacher misconduct and a lack of appropriate disciplinary action." Vinyard said he’s already contacted law enforcement and investigators about sexual assault reports that he was made aware of along with the suspected financial irregularities “When that report came out about (the state Education Department's) full investigation Okmulgee schools sent a statement to parents regarding the recent reporting: "You may be aware of some media accounts regarding Okmulgee High School the safety and well being of our students is of utmost importance and we are committed to providing a safe and productive learning environment,'" the statement read "Let us assure you that the administration and staff have and will continue to follow all procedures and policies when investigating any situation or accusation brought to our attention please contact the Okmulgee Board of Education" Vinyard said it was his decision to resign and discussions regarding his resignation had already begun a week before Walters announced the investigation It was made because I had a board president who really was meddling in day-to-day operations really blurring the lines of authority within our district and I just couldn't operate in that fashion,” Vinyard said Okmulgee School Board President Larnson Leroy Parker did not respond to The Oklahoman's request for comment by the time of publication Be the first to know: Sign up for breaking news email alerts The district will pay out the remaining two years of its three-year contract with Vinyard He’s on administrative leave through June 30 and will be paid the rest of his $150,000 annual salary Vinyard will also receive $161,538 for a second year’s salary and the sum of 20 days paid vacation including time at Edison Preparatory School in Tulsa Putnam City High School and Enid High School Vinyard is looking for his next opportunity and hopes his resignation from Okmulgee schools “I really got into education because people in education changed my life and I do believe it's a very worthy cause for society,” Vinyard said “I loved the kids of Okmulgee and the staff in Okmulgee and the community,” he said because I really think we were doing good work The district will also start the recovery and repair process for roadways that have been washed out the following roads were closed or had been flooded: The Deep Fork River is expected to rise over the next several days — The Oklahoma State Department of Education is investigating Okmulgee High School after receiving multiple allegations of abuse OSDE said the complaints were received via the department's reporting system State Superintendent Ryan Walters also tweeted the allegations include "teacher misconduct Okmulgee Public Schools' school board narrowly voted to accept the resignation of Superintendent Clay Vinyard on Jan So many people - mostly teachers supporting Vinyard - filled the usual school board meeting room on 8th Street that the district abruptly moved the meeting across town to Dunbar Elementary School's cafeteria just ten minutes before its scheduled start time Vinyard said his decision to resign came from "irreconcilable differences" with the board and its president "I think mainly it was a difference in philosophy and administration," Vinyard said to local media members after the meeting "I don't want to get too far into it because it doesn't matter at this point But I am thankful that they allowed me to be part of their team." the former Thomas Edison High School principal told 2 News his resignation has nothing to do with the allegations that led to the state's investigating of the district "I do believe that anything that was reported from this year has been handled correctly (by the district)," Vinyard added "I met with the lead investigator this morning I truly believe that during my administration we handled everything correctly There were some improprieties that I found from the previous year the superintendent said one piece of allegations had to do with "a personnel matter," and the other piece was discovered in "recent weeks" and will be followed up on with his full cooperation with the OSDE After an executive session to discuss accepting the resignation lasted about an hour and 45 minutes two board members - including Parker - voted to accept The tie-breaking vote came from Heather Kimbley who paused for a few moments then tearfully voted "Aye."Supporters of Vinyard let out a visible groan and immediately walked out of the cafeteria in response A couple of people booed the board for its decision The board later confirmed Assistant Superintendent LuVona Copeland to assume the role of Interim Superintendent effective immediately Vinyard said he will stay on "administrative leave" until his resignation takes effect on June 30 (KTUL) — Okmulgee County Emergency Management declares a state of emergency following flooding from rainfall earlier this week “We’re now declaring a state of emergency for Okmulgee County due to the flooding The next step is the county commissioners will come together We’re gonna have to spend a lot of money to start repairing all this," said Okmulgee County Emergency Management Director Okmulgee County is still dealing with flooded roadways and damaged infrastructure “We’re probably looking at approximately 10 to 15 roads that are impassable or washed out," Moore explained maybe upwards to 70 tin horns that go across roads that have washed out I know one of our largest one is going to cost about $10,000 to replace.” As the county keeps roads closed and works to secure funding for repairs Moore says most of the flooding had little to no impact on homes in the area and I have no reports of homes being flooded and we also got Henryetta and Morris that we need to reach out to also to see if they have any damage What I’ve heard so far is it’s all out in the county," Moore said Moore added that since more rain is expected later this week the county is keeping a close eye on the roads OKLA (KTUL) — County agencies south of Tulsa have been hard at work addressing floods caused by the intense rainfall we saw last night and today Okmulgee County Emergency Management tells NewsChannel 8 they’ve had two separate incidents today where they’ve had to rescue people from their cars we've only had a couple of water rescues out of vehicles where people have driven into the flood water No one has been injured at this time," said Jeffrey Moore Moore is reminding drivers to be safe and to turn around Advice some drivers took when they approached the large puddle on West 6th Street in Okmulgee "He flooded a filter going through that big puddle of water," said Mitchell Jack Jack showed up to help his stranded brother who was able to drive his Chevy Malibu through the puddle but then his car stopped working as soon as he cleared it "It started shaking and he had to pull over We spoke with the brothers as they worked on the car in front of B&C Electrical and Mechanical Heating and Cooling where one of their workers says that’s the second car to get stranded in front of their office because of the puddle "Don't you think we've got enough an Okmulgee resident who we spoke with at the Okmulgee spillway We're going to get a few heavy storms we're not going to have any good crops We also reached out to neighboring Muskogee County EMS who says they’ve responded to multiple traffic accidents today because of the weather If you don't have to drive in inclement weather be aware that just because one part of the highway is fine you get into transitions from a road that has a crown in it versus something that's flat where water may pool could create situations," said Laurel Havens "We rotate our tires out pretty quick because of that Hydroplaning is the act of a tire floating And what happens or what causes that is improper inflation you put a penny in the center of the tire in the tread depth you are too low on tread and that should be rotated out," said Havens He says what causes the accident a lot of times is when people overreact as they're hydroplaning You don't want to do any erratic change in direction And so the number one thing for when you do have hydroplaning is not to stomp the brake One of the leading issues that hydroplaning or that precipitates hydroplaning and makes it worse is the fact that you're in cruise control and the car continues to drive forward while it's hydroplaning methodical and meaningful steps and not erratic behavior once you notice you are hydroplaning," said Havens A 45-year-old Okmulgee man has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison for fatally shooting his cousin in November 2023 officers responding to a report of gunfire found 31-year-old Jonathon Pigeon lying dead in the street in front of his mother’s home in Okmulgee He had suffered gunshot wounds to the back Brett Pigeon was later identified as a suspect and admitted to shooting the victim multiple times with a 12-gauge shotgun Pigeon was sentenced to 126 months for voluntary manslaughter in Indian Country and 120 months for using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in prison without the possibility of parole OKLA (KTUL) — A gruesome discovery in Okmulgee Human remains were found near a busy highway This all started earlier today when an Okmulgee resident called our station saying he had found a human skull I received a call from a reporter with NewsChannel 8 informing me that they had received information from a citizen that that citizen had found a human skull," said Joe Prentice an investigator for the District Attorney's office An anonymous news tip about a human skull found along Highway 62 in Okmulgee The caller let us know that law enforcement wasn’t yet aware of it we passed on the information to the local District Attorney’s office and it was one of their investigators who found the human remains about an hour later he confirmed that there were skeletal human remains here and we initiated an investigation," said Prentice "There is a forensic anthropologist here from the Medical Examiner's Office collecting the remains and they will transport those remains to the Medical Examiner's Office for examination," said Prentice an investigator with the District 25 District Attorney’s Office says the priority of the Medical Examiner’s Office right now is to identify those remains "If they can get that person identified then that will give us some other places to go with the investigation," said Prentice to reach out to the Okmulgee Police Department at (918)756-3511 or the District Attorney’s Office at (918)756-0794 Official Okmulgee County Emergency Management announcement: Crews are still out working and will continue to assess as the afternoon continues 🔗Severe weather safety: what you need to know to prepare 🔗Tornado Watch vs. Tornado Warning: what they mean and what to do 🔗Severe weather safety: what to do before, during, and after a storm 🔗Why registering your storm shelter in Oklahoma could save your life Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives many of which have overlapping areas of coverage Follow the News On 6 Meteorologists on Facebook 🔗Severe weather safety: what you need to know to prepare 🔗Tornado Watch vs. Tornado Warning: what they mean and what to do 🔗Severe weather safety: what to do before, during, and after a storm 🔗Why registering your storm shelter in Oklahoma could save your life Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives, many of which have overlapping areas of coverage. Below is a link to various outage maps. Follow the News On 6 Meteorologists on Facebook! Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox! Okmulgee police say a 3-year-old child drowned in Okmulgee Lake. Police say the child was staying with family in a camper and wandered off Tuesday night. They say at this point, they are not sure how the child entered the water. Officers say fishermen found the child in the water, and they were taken to the hospital but died shortly after arrival. Investigators say this appears to be a tragic accident. The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-0 tornado happened in Okmulgee, just after midnight Sunday. Officials say the tornado lasted for 3 minutes. The tornado developed south of Liberty Road and West of North 300 Road. The series of storms Saturday night and early Sunday caused widespread damage, including downed power lines, road closures, and a motor vehicle accident involving a vehicle that struck two telephone poles, power lines, and a barn roof that had been blown off onto the road. Several local and state agencies were quick to respond. Steven Ward Sr., Ernie Ferreira, and their crews were praised for their swift action in placing road closure signs and assessing other areas for damage. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol responded to the motor vehicle accident, while the Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police and Morris Police provided assistance with traffic control and checking other areas. Okmulgee County Emergency Management also played a role, with their team monitoring the storm and coordinating efforts to set up traffic detours and assist with damage assessments. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and the National Weather Service kept officials updated on the storm’s progress. East Central Electric Cooperative and Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) have been working diligently to restore power after multiple lines were brought down. Roadways remain closed due to the damage, but power restoration efforts are expected to continue throughout the day. Graham joined the News 9 team in February of 2025. He is dedicated to sharing the diverse stories that have shaped his country and his community. The Muscogee Nation Health Complex in Okmulgee was placed on lockdown Thursday due to a credible threat to the hospital. The suspect, Morgan Freeman, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon. Police say that Freeman made threats to both the health complex and law enforcement. Tulsa Police say they helped apprehend him. Freeman was booked into the Okmulgee County jail for a felony warrant for Planned Attempt to Conspire to Perform an Act of Violence. Muscogee Nation Health Department said that they canceled all appointments for the remainder of Thursday out of an abundance of caution for patients and staff. The lockdown was lifted just before 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. David Prock is a digital content producer for Griffin Media and is a regular contributor to both News9.com and NewsOn6.com. READ MOREWeather forces closure of US-75 between Okmulgee and Tulsa by DeAngelo Marquise Vaxter OKMULGEE COUNTY (KTUL) — Due to weather conditions US-75 southbound just south of OK-16 as well as southbound just north of US-266 in Okmulgee County has been shut down The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says drivers should avoid US 75 between Okmulgee and Tulsa because both directions are shut down due to the number of stuck vehicles and semis — The National Weather Service reports a "brief tornado" developed in Okmulgee County during the storms that moved through the county overnight March 29 and into the early morning hours on March 30 Crews and people in Okmulgee County got a better sense of storm damage after the sun came up 2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff asked authorities where cleanup efforts stand and listened to residents about the damage and we had some damage and debris going there,” Jeffrey Moore the Okmulgee County Emergency Management director Those high winds knocked down power lines north of Morris early Sunday morning He said most of those power lines were fixed or replaced by midday But Moore noted the storm left quite the path “It extends all the way up north to Bald Hill Road where we have two more power lines down a roof came off a barn and there’s damage for about a good damage path up there for about a mile to 2 miles and maybe a half-mile wide.” Phillips manages a farm along Bald Hill Road The wind blew away the back half of his barn “Some of it’s 100 yards that way over the hill.” While a handful of horses saw minor injuries he said only the barn was damaged and that it’s not a total loss He spent his Sunday clearing pieces of tin roof When asked if it’s going to take much to clean up take a couple days probably to get everything cleaned up and get somebody to repair the barn.” — The old Okmulgee Colored Hospital is arguably one of the most important yet often-ignored symbols of Oklahoma Black history outside of Tulsa Okmulgee-based non-profit Landmark for All Generations, Inc. owns the building and still wants to renovate its dilapidated interior The organization hosted several men and women on Feb it was their first time visiting since being born there in the 1950s Janice Williams Gray celebrated her 72nd birthday by seeing her birthplace for the first time "You can tell I'm at a loss for words," Gray told 2 News To be able to revisit places that I was not able to come to." From the maternity ward to the surgery section the 18-room two story hospital served as a beacon of health and hope for Okmulgee County's Black population during segregation Integration brought new tenants to the building, including a nursing home, a youth shelter, and a chapter of the Red Cross. It's been in the National Registry of Historic Places for a generation There's a plan to change that with the decade-long work of Landmark for All Generations. Okmulgee mayor Mickey Baldwin and Julie Roberds are on the group's board windows that are brand new," Mayor Baldwin said "1.5 million dollars probably is what we would need to do the whole (restoration project)," Roberds said they'll have to lobby donors and the community to lend a helping hand "We're not preserving a building," the mayor said "We're preserving the idea and the history behind it "I think if we just get the word out to the right people it's a such a great project (that) I know that eventually this is going to happen," Roberds added Preserving the hospital for establishing a clinic and community center would also be a good long-term birthday present for Mrs to see her mother and visit the building."And to restore some of the rooms to where they were (would) mean a lot to the African American community here," Gray said Landmark for All Generations continues to fundraise for the efforts Its next community event for the cause is a spaghetti dinner at the Okmulgee Elks Lodge at 701 S Mission Ln Roberds said all proceeds will go toward the restoration of the building's interior A federal jury has found an Okmulgee County man not guilty of sexually assaulting a child his attorney says the accusations will have lasting effects on his life Justin Melton was accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl related to him in 2023 says there was a lack of evidence and that the trial itself caused significant harm "Justin was devastated with the allegations and the process he had to go through to establish he was innocent," Adams said "Based on an ankle monitor he was forced to wear by probation," Adams explained Adams says Melton will still face public scrutiny "He's going to continue to be looked at through shady eyes but that's life and he's moved on," Adams said indicating they were convinced by the evidence presented "After intently listening to all the facts so they didn't have to deliberate quite long," Adams said Adams believes investigators should take a more thorough approach before pursuing charges to prevent undue trauma turning a blind eye to the obvious facts led to an awful consequence," Adams said He declined to appear on camera but expressed gratitude for the jury’s decision \"Justin was devastated with the allegations and the process he had to go through to establish he was innocent,\" Adams said \"Based on an ankle monitor he was forced to wear by probation,\" Adams explained \"He's going to continue to be looked at through shady eyes but that's life and he's moved on,\" Adams said \"After intently listening to all the facts so they didn't have to deliberate quite long,\" Adams said turning a blind eye to the obvious facts led to an awful consequence,\" Adams said — Okmulgee police said human skeletal remains were found on Jan 20 about a quarter mile west of Mission Lane on the north side of Highway 62 in Okmulgee Okmulgee County's District Attorney’s Office staff said a passerby contacted local media and found a human skull Investigators found it along with other bones This sent a wave of fear into the community Bennie Colbert lives in the Okmulgee area and spoke with us about the discovery We should look at him like it could've been us," said Colbert District Attorney staff said they took the remains to the Tulsa medical examiner's office where they're trying to determine who they belong to the discovery and lack of information left people with many questions and what he might have died of," said Colbert 2 News contacted the investigator working on the case way too early to speculate on what happened There's no way to know when you find skeletonized remains," said Prentice Prentice said that because the remains are skeletonized it could take days or weeks to understand what happened and you will be updated when more information is released — Parts of Okmulgee County were flooded after the county's emergency manager said that a reservoir at Okmulgee Creek was not draining quickly enough due to heavy rainfall on April 19 He said a lack of state and federal funding has prevented the proper maintenance The flooding caused Jodale Gipson's home in Okmulgee to be surrounded by water Gipson said dealing with the aftermath of the rainfall has been difficult "Very stressful because really can't get the dogs out you can't do anything like your normal life," said Gipson Gipson added that she lost her home in a similar flooding situation in 2022 She said going through this again was like reliving a nightmare very scared it's going to be another year like that year," said Gipson Moore said the county conservation district owns the reservoir Gipson said she's been worried about the area flooding for years I'm not a real person to get mad and say things but this has really driven me to my limit," said Gipson 2 News asked Moore if there were any plans to repair the reservoir to prevent further issues "I explained to myself and Commissioner Ward this morning They are working on agreements with the Creek Nation to come in and help them," said Moore Gipson said she can't wait for that help to arrive so she can return to her everyday life in Okmulgee The Okmulgee Public Schools Board has approved a resignation agreement for Superintendent Clay Vinyard Vinyard will be on administrative leave until that date Assistant Superintendent LuVona Copeland will act as interim Superintendent until the end of Vinyard's administrative leave The board held a special meeting Thursday night to discuss the resignation of Vinyard The meeting followed an announcement from the Oklahoma State Department of Education that it is investigating reports of abuse at Okmulgee High School While the department has not provided details on the allegations State Superintendent Ryan Walters posted on social media that complaints include "teacher misconduct Vinyard was hired by the school board less than a year ago and officially started the position in June 2024 he served as principal at Edison Middle and High School in Tulsa for several years Copeland released the following statement: A native Oklahoman and Emmy-award-winning reporter Day grew up in Owasso and graduated from the University of Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters posted on social media that complaints include \"teacher misconduct Law enforcement authorities in Okmulgee say the District 25 Violent Crimes task force and Medical Examiner are on the scene investigating human remains found within the city limits They say the remains were found on Monday afternoon about a quarter mile west of Mission Lane on the north side of Highway 62 OK—The Muscogee Nation Department of Health is proud to announce the opening of its newly expanded Emergency Department at the Muscogee Nation Medical Center marking a significant step forward in delivering high-quality efficient emergency care to the Okmulgee community The expansion increases the Emergency Department’s capacity from 7 to 12 treatment rooms addressing the growing demand for emergency services is part of a strategic effort to reduce patient wait times and ensure that critical care is delivered more efficiently The 13,000-square-foot Emergency Department now features a redesigned layout with a central nurses’ station improving communication among medical staff and enhancing patient monitoring The facility also includes dedicated spaces for isolation ensuring comprehensive emergency care in one location MCN Health remains committed to its strategic plan of enhancing healthcare access and improving quality of life by prioritizing both the patient and employee experience About Muscogee Nation Department of Health the Muscogee Nation is the fourth largest federally recognized tribe in the United States with more than 100,000 citizens The Muscogee Nation Department of Health operates community hospitals To ensure healthy generations of Native people the Nation also operates Indian health clinics and provides dedicated services for citizens of federally recognized tribes Okmulgee ER Expansion CreekHealth.org… All lanes of Highway 75 in Okmulgee County are back open after icy conditions led to multiple crashes and overturned semis shutting down the highway for nearly four hours Tuesday The freezing rain created dangerous road conditions causing wrecks that left several people injured traffic was backed up for about eight miles in both directions Jeffrey Moore with Okmulgee County Emergency Management urged people to avoid travel altogether "I would prefer no one be out on the road at all," Moore said you're not going to make it coming into Okmulgee from Tulsa Tow trucks have been busy responding to wrecks throughout the day and officials warn road conditions are expected to deteriorate further as temperatures continue to drop Authorities advise drivers to use extreme caution if travel is necessary US-75 is back open after it was previously shut down near Preston in Okmulgee County due to multiple crashes in this morning's very icy conditions including overturned semi trucks and highway closures "We're having some semis that have rolled over around the 235-mile marker," Moore said Highway 75 north and southbound are shut down at the Preston exit." The road closures are affecting both northbound and southbound traffic on Highway 75 are struggling to get up the hills in the area Moore also pointed to a troubling incident involving an Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) truck "We also had an ODOT van truck that overturned at Highway 56 and 120 Road on the west side of the county Emergency crews are working hard to clear the wreckage and respond to the widespread issues but Moore stressed that the situation remains dire Moore urged drivers to exercise extreme caution or With weather conditions continuing to worsen "We still have several motorists out on the roadway and they’re the ones that are sliding off the roadway," Moore said OHP says westbound lanes of I-40 are closed right now due to two semis involved in a crash with one partially hanging off the side of the bridge Eden Jones started as a Multimedia Journalist for News On 6 in June 2023 where she covers everything from breaking news to local features She loves connecting with the community and sharing the stories of Green Country \"I would prefer no one be out on the road at all,\" Moore said \"We're having some semis that have rolled over around the 235-mile marker,\" Moore said Highway 75 north and southbound are shut down at the Preston exit.\" \"We also had an ODOT van truck that overturned at Highway 56 and 120 Road on the west side of the county \"We still have several motorists out on the roadway and they’re the ones that are sliding off the roadway,\" Moore said The Okmulgee Public Schools Board of Education will consider a resignation agreement with its superintendent Thursday as the Oklahoma State Department of Education opens an investigation into the district State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters announced Thursday that his agency is opening an investigation into the Okmulgee school district amid a series of "complaints that include teacher misconduct The state agency received complaints regarding Okmulgee High School through its Awareity reporting system Awareity was deployed by former state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister for community members to report concerns about school safety The board was to consider approving a resignation agreement with its superintendent the district's assistant superintendent of instruction and curriculum will be considered to replace Vinyard as acting superintendent has previously served as interim principal at Edison Preparatory School in Tulsa Putnam City High School principal and Enid High School principal Okmulgee Public Schools administrators did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication Okmulgee is about 105 miles east of Oklahoma City and about 40 miles south of Tulsa The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down in Okmulgee County Okmulgee County Emergency Management says no injuries or deaths have been reported from this storm Some property owners in Okmulgee County are cleaning up after Sunday’s tornado the Director of Okmulgee County Emergency Management says his team spent all night looking for damage and checking in on neighbors there was a bunch of trees that were down,” said Moore We did have one motor vehicle accident that occurred during it." Crews spent the day repairing power lines that were damaged and getting power back to the county "When we showed up there indeed was six or seven poles blown down,” said Moore so they coordinated together because one fell on the other's line so they had to work together." as we head into tornado season that people stay aware of the weather We were fortunate there were only nine that were lost this time." Moore says this is the fifth tornado to hit Okmulgee County in 2025 He says that makes nine tornadoes to hit the county since April 26 I'm really hopeful that we're getting ours that way early in the storm season and we have a nice calm season here out,” said Moore Moore also wanted to thank the County Commissioners and anyone who responded to make sure people were okay and the damage was cleaned up The National Weather Service preliminary report says the estimated peak wind speed of the storm was 80 to 85 mph It says the tornado traveled northeast for 2.3 miles Kaitlyn Deggs came to Tulsa after graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Broadcast Journalism Kaitlyn Deggs started as a Multimedia Journalist for News On 6 in January 2022 We did have one motor vehicle accident that occurred during it.\" \"When we showed up there indeed was six or seven poles blown down,” said Moore so they coordinated together because one fell on the other's line so they had to work together.\" We were fortunate there were only nine that were lost this time.\" — Some morning windstorms swept through Okmulgee County on March 4 leaving damage in pockets around Henryetta and Morris 2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff was on the ground listening to locals who experienced damage and asked emergency officials where recovery efforts stand A couple of cars sat on mud at one family’s farm they would’ve been inside somebody’s haybarn But now that’s on the other side of that fence probably some of the worst we've ever heard,” Melissa Leggett told 2 News That’s what Leggett and her family heard while holed up inside the cellar on their farm located north of Morris she told us the haybarn was beyond repair — reduced to a pile of scrap metal and wood The wind also knocked some debris against some of their cars “I was just shocked because we've been through several storms and tornadoes in the area and this had never happened,” she said The windstorm didn’t just hit the Morris area Henryretta also saw properties damaged and objects flung far distances 15-year-old Peyton Sweet told 2 News her family’s trampoline was blown past a neighboring field and into a further forest This Henryetta family’s tin awning completely collapsed smashing their home’s front windows in the process crews were quick to clear fallen trees and fix electrical poles when asked if this was a taste of what’s to come After last spring we've had enough of all damage.” Moore is the Okmulgee County Emergency Services Director 2 News asked him about evaluating the damage “This isn't near as bad as it could have been,” he observed we're not believing that this was an actual touchdown of a tornado Moore told us there were no deaths reported in the county on Tuesday but that there were two people with minor injuries We just started meteorological spring,” he pointed out more severe weather — hopefully no more tornadoes (KTUL) — With the future of the Okmulgee superintendent on the line interest was so high that the normal meeting room of the school board was packed so much so that officials decided to move the meeting to the cafeteria of a middle school about a mile away I want answers as a grandfather," said State Rep hoping to get some insight into the upheaval at hand "I started getting calls yesterday afternoon about situations and everything was third party rumor at that point," he said another state official also received calls "We’ve got multiple complaints that were sent to us that were very troubling," said State Superintendent Ryan Walters announcing that his office is launching an investigation into the district "Some deal with teacher misbehavior and a lack of action around that teacher misbehavior another one deals with the finances and who knew what and how money was used," he said The school board came out executive session after nearly two hours accepted the resignation of Superintendent Clay Vinyard "It was a very tough night," said Vinyard the state superintendent's investigation had nothing to do with his departure "I met with the lead investigator this morning I truly believe that during my administration we handled everything correctly There were some improprieties that I found from the previous year and that is what has been reported," he said A personality conflict he says between the board president and himself "There were just some irreconcilable differences between me and the board president and I think it's best for the district and for my family to separate at this time," he said Big changes for the Okmulgee school system with a parting of the ways over management philosophies "We get in this business to help kids and sometimes people can’t see the forest for the trees," he said The board has now voted on an interim superintendent — Homes near the Okmulgee County town of Schulter were at risk of being evacuated after a large grassfire burned most of the day on March 17.  2 News got a close-up look as seven fire department crews fought fire with fire They created a backburn in order to stop the grassfire from hopping Conifer Road off Highway 75 and threatening the nearby homes.  The fire started as a controlled burn on Sunday just days after countless wildfires popped up on Friday due to historic winds and dry conditions Crews in Okmulgee County worked to put out four fires on Sunday due to residents starting what were intended to be controlled burns Okmulgee County Emergency Manager Director Moore says he hates sounding like a broken record but without the county meeting criteria to issue a burn ban all they can do is make strong recommendations “We have a lot of calm days here in Oklahoma and there is plenty of time to do controlled burns at your house,” said Moore Moore said the majority of fires that have started in Okmulgee County recently are due to controlled burns that got out of control there was no longer a threat to homes in Schulter OKLA (KTUL) — The Tulsa Police Department (TPD) arrested a man suspected of threatening an Okmulgee hospital was on the phone with TPD's Auto Theft Unit at approximately 1:00 p.m to discuss a case where he was suspected of taking his mother's vehicle TPD discovered Freeman was also the suspect in the Okmulgee hospital threat case Freeman told the officers he was in possession of the stolen vehicle and multiple firearms TPD kept him on the phone until he eventually gave them his location and agreed to a peaceful surrender Freeman was arrested and booked into the Okmulgee County Jail for a Planned Attempt to Conspire to Perform an Act of Violence OK (KTUL) — Police in Okmulgee have confirmed the discovery of a human skull near North Mission Investigators are currently on the scene and will be providing updates This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available — This is the second time 2 News received a complaint about the noise coming from CP Kelco in Okmulgee staff said they reached "audio solutions." City leaders said Kelco did a shutdown and put a structure over their compressors to lower the noise WATCH: 2 News looked into the problem in September: people said they weren't happy with the noise you knew instantly that the town was shaking again it was louder than it's ever been," said Azbell John Morgan lives in Okmulgee and has been dealing with the noise since 2018 "CP Kelco is working diligently to address the most recent case of elevated noise from our Okmulgee plant which was caused by a muffler equipment failure awaiting a replacement muffler to arrive from our supplier within the next few weeks" Okmulgee mayor Mickey Baldwin said Kelco has a temporary solution: containers stacked on the sides of its compressors it is looking for a more permanent solution so we're not just talking about hundreds and thousands of dollars getting into the seven digits," said Baldwin Kelco staff said they will continue working with sound engineers to reach a sustainable Azbell said he just wants things back to the way they were "I just want to return back to the normalcy of okmulgee