Muskogee
A federal judge Monday ordered a Muskogee man who was arrested for allegedly taking part in the storming of the U.S. Capitol this month to be released on a $10,000 bond, the Associated Press reported.
Federal court records show U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly West ordered 23-year-old Andrew Craig Ericson’s release following his initial appearance in Muskogee. The release order requires Ericson to surrender his passport, not possess any illegal firearms and to avoid contact with any codefendants, according to AP.
Ericson is charged in a twocount federal complaint with unlawful entry on restricted buildings or grounds, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. He has been ordered to appear by video conference before a federal judge in Washington, D.C., Friday, AP reported.
Authorities alleged Ericson livestreamed video of himself entering the Capitol with other rioters and taking beer out of a Capitol refrigerator. He also is accused of posting photos of himself posing in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, including one in which he had his feet propped up on a conference room table. Ericson is the first Oklahoman to be arrested in connection with the invasion of the Capitol, according to AP.
Tulsa
The PGA Championship is headed back to Southern Hills Country Club next year. The Oklahoma course will get its eighth major championship earlier than expected after the PGA of America cut ties with former President Donald Trump, the Associated Press reported.
The 2022 PGA Championship originally was to be played at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey. The PGA voted to terminate that contract, signed in 2014, after the riot at the U.S. Captiol, which some claim was fueled by Trump, as Congress was certifying the electoral votes, according to AP.
Southern Hills was not scheduled to host the PGA Championship until 2030. The club was announced as the 2022 host Monday, which means it will get back-to-back big events starting with the Senior PGA Championship this May. The PGA of America already has staff on site in Tulsa along with an operations blueprint which won’t need much work, AP reported
Southern Hills previously hosted the PGA Championship in 1970, 1982, 1994 and 2007. This is the second time since Trump entered politics the PGA of America left one of his courses. They mutually agreed to cancel the PGA Grand Slam of Golf at Trump National LA in 2015 after Trump announced his candidacy, according to AP.
Oklahoma City
An Oklahoma City police officer and a suspect both are recovering from gunshot wounds after a shootout during the weekend, the Associated Press reported.
Officer Braden Downs was shot in the chest and hand after responding to a domestic disturbance call Saturday afternoon. One of the rounds was stopped by a ballistic vest Downs was wearing, according to AP.
Downs returned fire, striking 63-year-old Joel Lewis in the leg. After barricading himself inside the house, Lewis eventually surrendered to officers and was admitted to a hospital for treatment. He is expected to be jailed upon his release from the hospital, AP reported.
Downs was treated for his injury to his hand and released from an area hospital. He has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated. It is Oklahoma City’s first police shooting this year, according to AP.
Oklahoma City
Former NASA Administrator and U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma announced Monday he is joining an Oklahoma City-based firm which invests in aerospace, defense and intelligence, the Associated Press reported.
Acorn Growth Companies said in a press release Bridenstine is joining the company as a full-time senior advisor. Bridenstine will be based in Tulsa, where the company is planning to expand its operations, according to AP.
“Jim’s wealth of knowledge in the space, military, aerospace and engineering sectors will be invaluable to Acorn and its portfolio companies as we continue to invest in operating companies as we continue our mission to invest in operating companies which strive to enhance global mobility, protect national interests and develop next-generation intelligence capability,” Rick Nagel, Acorn’s managing partner, said in a statement.
A former U.S. Navy Reserve pilot and threeterm congressman from Tulsa’s 1st Congressional District, Bridenstine narrowly was confirmed to head the nonpartisan space agency in 2018. He had faced criticism from some senators regarding comments dismissive of global warming as a man-made problem. He resigned from his NASA post last week on the same day as President Joe Biden’s inauguration, AP report.
Oklahoma City
A mythical, ape-like creature which has captured the imagination of adventures for decades now has become the target of a state lawmaker in Oklahoma, the Associated Press reported.
A Republican house member has introduced a bill which would create a Bigfoot hunting season. Rep. Justin Humphrey’s district includes the heavily forested Ouachita Mountains in Southeast Oklahoma, where a Bigfoot festival is hosted each year near the Arkansas border. He said issuing a state hunting license and tag could help boost tourism, according to AP.
“Establishing an actual hunting season and issuing licenses for people who want to hunt Bigfoot will just draw more people to our already beautiful part of the state,” Humphrey said in a statement.
Humphrey said his bills would only allow trapping and he also hopes to secure $25,000 to be offered as a bounty. Micah Holmes, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation which oversees hunting in Oklahoma, said the agency uses sciencedriven research and doesn’t recognize Bigfoot, AP reported.