A fringe anti-government militia claims it took down News 9's weather radar and says more could be targeted. The state superintendent's push for free school meals? One top lawmaker says that's an empty threat. Plus, we'll take a spin around the state, from mountain lion sightings to a semi-trailer wheel crashing through an apartment. This is Oklahoma Memo.
Well, if you're still with us on day number two, welcome back, and thank you for listening to Oklahoma Memo. We're going to be on YouTube soon, the podcast it is. We already have a video channel. Hope you'll subscribe to us there, and we hope that you'll like and follow us right here wherever you're listening, and please do leave us a review. I've been watching some baseball tonight.
I caught a little bit of the Cardinals loss, the Royals win, and the Rangers and Angels are involved in quite the offensive brouhaha from Angel Stadium out there in Anaheim. I remember when Gene Autry used to own that team way on back. Well, we start with a fringe group called Veterans on Patrol. They say they're the ones who damaged News 9's next-gen live weather radar earlier this week.
Nathan Elliott, news director over at News 9, reported about this on news9.com, and you can see a picture of the person suspected of doing this. I believe he just clipped the power to the radar. He might have done more. That's what I remember. But according to reporting by Anna Pope at KOSU today, and it's included in Oklahoma Memo, security cameras actually captured somebody vandalizing the radar, which knocked it offline for a time.
The group's founder says that he believes the government is using radar systems to control the weather or even target people. I want to read to you from the story from Sylvia Corkill on today's news9.com, the headline being Anti-Government Militia Group Claims Responsibility for Vandalism to News 9 Radar. I want you to listen to this.
News 9 security cameras captured Anthony Mitchell destroying the power supply to News 9's next-gen live radar in northeast Oklahoma City. Mitchell was arrested Tuesday for an unrelated crime.
Following his arrest, Veterans on Patrol, an anti-government militia group, claimed responsibility for the vandalism. While it's unknown if Mitchell has ties to the group, its founder, Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer, admitted to encouraging the destruction of weather radars and to targeting another weather radar in Oklahoma earlier this month. The group believes the military is using radars to alter the weather.
And I quote, When the military plays God with the weather, they're mocking our Heavenly Father, says Veterans on Patrol founder Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer. So let's just posit that for a second, all right? There is an element of religion in here, but there's also an element of clear insanity. And I wish that this were isolated to Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer.
But we have at least one congressperson who believes in this, Marjorie Taylor Greene out of Georgia. I think it is disqualifying to lead a Cub Scout troop if this is something that you believe. There are contrails, and then there is the concept and conspiracy theory of chemtrails, which aren't a thing. Weather modification is a thing in terms of cloud seeding.
And that's a criticism I would have of meteorologists who are stepping into the conversation surrounding the tragic, tragic Central Texas floods. I saw a post from a meteorologist in the state of Texas trying to explain what cloud seeding was. And these folks aren't interested in science. It's like feeding the zoo animals. Just keep it really simple.
This is not a thing. You might be crazy. And your thoughts are dangerous. Really, really dangerous. And the reason why I say that is because clearly Representative Greene normalized this idea that the government was modifying the weather to harm its citizens. And there are gullible people who believe it. And now look at what we have.
We have a group that is encouraging the destruction of weather radars across the state of Oklahoma when we need the most. We've got rain coming in this weekend, possibly some storms, possibly a risk for some flooding. This is not good. Whoever damaged it has already been arrested on an unrelated charge, I should note. But it's a serious reminder that messing with weather radars in Oklahoma isn't just vandalism. It could cost lives.
Now, the News 9 story did they talk to David Payne. I worked with David Payne a lot of years. I will tell you when people are hurting storms, he takes it personally. He this is he's in it to save lives. He said, I wish it were that easy to modify the weather, noting that he would stop all the tornadoes. But those radars do exist to inform and warn the public to keep people safe. And I think it's
absolutely safe to say that that applies to all weather newsrooms. All right. Next up, a war of words over those free school lunches. Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters issued a mandate this week telling all Oklahoma public schools they'll need to provide universal free meals starting in the 2025-26 school year. Walters says schools have enough state and federal money already. They just need to cut administrative costs.
However, on Wednesday, House Education Committee Chair Dick Lowe, a fellow Republican from Asher, I believe, he's not buying it. Asher or Amber, I forget which.According to Nuria Martinez-Keel at Oklahoma Voice, Lowe called the move, quote, an empty threat, saying there's no state law that lets Walters enforce this and no power in his office to punish districts if they don't comply.
Walters, though, says he'll look at cutting off state funds, downgrading accreditations, and even revoking educator certifications if the schools ignore him. So yeah, expect this fight to keep simmering. Jenny Graham, Tulsa World columnist, has a great piece saying it's all just political theater, and it is. The mandate has very little to do with feeding children and everything at trying to tear down the public education system. Quick break.
If you own a business and want to get in front of thousands of Oklahomans who care about what's happening here, I'd love to help. Well, thousands, how about hundreds? The Oklahoma Memo newsletter is seeing a 65% open rate with nearly 300 daily readers. Now, the 300 daily readers might not impress you, but it's growing pretty quickly, and that open rate is quite impressive. We've got 3,400 people on TikTok. That's where the thousands come in, plus brand new audiences on Instagram and YouTube.
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All righty, let's run through some headlines from across the state, from Guymon to Idabel, Altus to Miami. I know that I said Miami yesterday. I've lived in Oklahoma most all my life, aside from a few years in Texas. Forgive me, please, but I know Miami and Paola, and I know all of this, but still Miami comes out of my mouth sometimes.
First off, from KOCO in Oklahoma City, a wheel flew off a semi-trailer and crashed straight into an apartment building. That's quite scary. Somehow nobody was hurt. I'll tell you a quick story. I used to commute to Dallas, where I live, from Henrietta. I would go see my parents, and I would drive down Indian Nation Turnpike and get off at 69, go through Atoka, and all the way down to Dallas.
And once I was behind a truck that had one of those detachable campers. This is many years ago, 20 years ago. And I saw a young woman reach into the back, presumably for a beer. Let's give her the benefit of the doubt and say it was for a soda. But she reached in the back, and then that camper flew off and came right at me. It was quite scary.
I've had sort of like daydream nightmares of a wheel coming off of one of these big trucks. I worked at Love's Travel Stops at Country Stores for a long time, so I got to know a lot of professional drivers. And they always said, do not be just sitting on the left side of one of those things, because if they have a blowout on any of those wheels, it's taking you out.
So that's a dangerous thing, and I'm glad nobody was hurt in Oklahoma City. From News on 6, Ryan Walters is also partnering with PragerU to roll out an American First test for teachers. So a little bit about PragerU. PragerU is run by a guy named Dennis Prager. Now, Dennis Prager used to have TV shows in the 90s and 2000s, and I was always fascinated by them because it was, I don't think that he was as extreme then as he is now, but he is very, very conservative.
I wouldn't call him fringe right-wing. He's just good old-fashioned libertarian Ayn Rand part of the conservative movement. But this is a test for teachers that Oklahoma educators are not going to like and certainly is probably unconstitutional. That story, though, from News on 6. Sad news, a follow-up from Fox 23. In Tuskahoma, you remember there was a fireworks explosion over the July 4th holiday. Well, one of the victims died, a 22-year-old young man from Vianne.
From 2 News Oklahoma, KJRH, a rancher in Locust Grove is looking for four stolen heifers worth thousands of dollars. From News 9, six Oklahoma State Parks restaurants suddenly closed, leaving staff and visitors stunned. They talked to a cook down at the Beavers Bend location who talked about not getting paid and late payment, and you just wonder how that restaurant was able to operate and what agreement was given to them that left them so strapped.
Yes, it's almost football season, folks. Mike Gundy's on vacation, but OSU's 2025 roster is still wide open. That, a column from The Oklahoman. KOCO was also at Big 12 Media Days. All the stations were, but I included KOCO and The Oklahoman in today's Oklahoma memo. Throughout the fall, we'll cover the Cowboys. We'll cover the Sooners. I bleed crimson and cream, but I love Stillwater.
I will cover the Cowboys, and I think you'll find me to be a fair arbiter in rooting for pistols firing. Lawton Constitution caught my attention with this headline. This is a big no-thank-you for me. Mountain lions are being spotted down in southwest Oklahoma. No thanks. And for those of you who travel the Turner Turnpike each way, that iconic midway travel stop on the Turner Turnpike in Stroud, the one with the Loves. I love Loves. I worked for Loves for three and a half years.
That spot is closing for good. That's not good. That's bad. Well, the story from The Oklahoman details how business has just dropped off, and it was untenable to keep it open. Full list of stories. I think we had 23, 24 stories in the Oklahoma rundown today. It's part of the daily newsletter at OklahomaMemo.com. And that is your Oklahoma memo for Thursday, July the 10th. If you're enjoying this, do me a favor.
Follow the show. Leave a review. It really helps more folks find us. And check out our new YouTube channel by searching Oklahoma Memo. And of course, you can sign up for the daily newsletter at OklahomaMemo.com so that you're always in the loop. One note about this podcast. Sure, daily recaps, and I'll try to do it every day.
There are going to be some days coming up when I won't be able to, but I'm looking to have conversations with newsmakers, policymakers, business leaders, educators, small business folks. I would love to talk to folks in small towns. Tell me what's happening in the panhandle in southwest Oklahoma. Find me somebody in Hugo or Idabel that I can talk to. How about somebody in Miami or Jay?
Would love to cover the state by getting guests to be part of this. All we got to do is hop on a Zoom call. Message me at news at OklahomaMemo.com. All righty. For July 10th, I'm Ryan Welton with Oklahoma Memo. Play us out.