Suspicious Backpack + Hope Elizabeth Watkins + Death Row

Happy Tuesday, neighbors! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note.

First, today's weather:

Plenty of sun. High: 81 Low: 56.

Here are the top stories today in Oklahoma City:

1. Police are investigating a suspicious backpack that was found in downtown Oklahoma City on Monday. Shortly before 12 p.m., officials found a backpack outside of a business on N. Broadway, between 9th and 10th St. The bomb squad was called to the scene as a precaution and N. Broadway was closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. (KFOR Oklahoma City)
2. Oklahoma City Police are seeking an arrest warrant for a Detention Officer at the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Hope Elizabeth Watkins, 30, has an affidavit for an arrest warrant being placed against her that would charge her with conspiracy to commit a felony offense and destroying evidence. The affidavit says that during the months of Aug. and Sept. 2021, Watkins was conspiring via cellular communication and personal interaction with 30-year-old Andrew Joseph Munoz, an inmate in OCDC, to bring contraband into the detention center including cellular phones, illicit drugs, and diamond tipped saw blades. (KOKH FOX25)
3. An Oklahoma County judge heard arguments on Monday over whether to block a near-total abortion ban. (KOCO Oklahoma City)
4. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board are scheduled to meet on Tuesday over death row inmate John Grant's case. (KOCO Oklahoma City)
5. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s eight-year construction work plan was approved on Monday, which includes major interchange and reconstruction projects in the Oklahoma City metro area. (news9.com KWTV)

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That's it for today! I'll see you around. If you're liking these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Helen Eckhard

About me: Helen Eckhard is a marketing assistant at Lightning Media Partners. She is a self-professed logophile who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in library science. Outside of work, you can find Helen constructing crossword puzzles, knitting, or devising increasingly crafty ways to kill off characters in her mystery novels.