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The Oklahoman's Watchdog team is a dedicated group of journalists here to expose corruption in Oklahoma. If you have any information about possible fraud, waste or abuse click on the Whistle Blower link below or call (405) 475-3322 and let us know.

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Major Co. judge to decide family’s sentence in adoption abuse

News | 10 hr ago

FAIRVIEW — A Major County judge will decide the punishment for a family accused of abusing an adopted Liberian girl.

‘Memory’ pills are bunk, Oklahoma doctor says

News | 10 hr ago | Comments

Spending money on health supplements with "memory-enhancing powers” and ingredients that "sharpen the mind” could be better spent on fresh, healthy foods, according to local health and nutrition experts.

Larry Jones accused of seeking bribes by Feed The Children officials

News | Tue, Dec 8, 2009 | Comments

Feed The Children officials have made a new accusation against fired president Larry Jones — that he solicited kickbacks while at the charity. Ongoing coverage: Feed The Children

Watchdog Stories from The Oklahoman

Major Co. judge to decide family’s sentence in adoption abuse 10 hr ago FAIRVIEW — A Major County judge will decide the punishment for a family accused of abusing an adopted Liberian girl. Andee Verlon Tyler, 51, and his wife, Penny Tyler, 46, along with their...

‘Memory’ pills are bunk, Oklahoma doctor says 10 hr ago | Add a comment Spending money on health supplements with "memory-enhancing powers” and ingredients that "sharpen the mind” could be better spent on fresh, healthy foods, according to local...

Employee fired from Oklahoma nonprofit in embezzlement investigation Tue, Dec 8, 2009 An organization for Oklahoma's education administrators fired a financial analyst last week after federal investigators presented evidence the employee may have embezzled funds from the nonprofit....

Larry Jones accused of seeking bribes by Feed The Children officials Tue, Dec 8, 2009 | Add a comment Feed The Children officials have made a new accusation against fired president Larry Jones — that he solicited kickbacks while at the charity. Five directors on the charity’s board said...

New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman awarded the Gaylord Prize Tue, Dec 8, 2009 | Add a comment New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas L. Friedman was awarded Monday the Gaylord Prize for Excellence in Journalism and Mass Communication. The $25,000 prize was established by...

Oklahoma officials defend stimulus work Sun, Dec 6, 2009 | Add a comment Muskogee highway contractor George Paul Glover pleaded no contest in early 2007 to conspiring to use prohibited road material and intimidating a state grand jury witness. His actions prompted the...

Tracers help find Oklahoma property Sun, Dec 6, 2009 | Add a comment More than $300 million is sitting in a vault at the state treasurer’s office waiting to be claimed. Nationwide, the amount is $33 billion. Free services such as a searchable database of the...

Unclaimed property search can be effortless, for a fee Sat, Dec 5, 2009 | Add a comment For people who may have unclaimed property, there may be help available to find it — for a fee. Businesses like Angela Elliott’s in Atoka help locate missing money nearly anywhere in...

Oklahoma City police sergeant charged in abuse of two Fri, Dec 4, 2009 | Add a comment An Oklahoma City police sergeant has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of domestic abuse. Darren Wayne Martin, 38, of Oklahoma City is accused in two counts with hurting his 16-year-old...

Oklahoma City police raid yields an arrest, 184 pounds of marijuana Fri, Dec 4, 2009 Authorities seized 184 pounds of marijuana from an Oklahoma City man’s home this week. The drugs have a street value of about $277,000, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs...

Oklahoma insurance scam leaves many without coverage Fri, Dec 4, 2009 | Add a comment More than 100 Oklahomans are struggling to find health coverage after learning an insurance company was taking their premiums with no intention of paying claims. Bob Harper was days away from...

Feed The Children says ban wasn’t needed Fri, Dec 4, 2009 | Add a comment Feed The Children was barred Friday from using fired president Larry Jones’ name and likeness without his consent. The charity’s attorneys said it had already stopped. Oklahoma County...

Have you ever taken a memory loss supplement? Fri, Dec 4, 2009 | Add a comment Staff Reporter Vallery Brown is looking for individuals who have to get their opinions on their effectiveness. E-mail her at Vbrown@opubo.

Loan scammers hide behind 405 area code Fri, Dec 4, 2009 | Add a comment Bad credit? No credit? Offers abound to help individuals get loans or credit cards, even with a less-than-perfect credit history. A South Carolina woman learned the hard way that some deals are...

Woodward man taken into custody after threatening to burn down business Thu, Dec 3, 2009 WOODWARD — Police say they stopped a man from setting fire to a downtown business. The 32-year-old Woodward man was taken into custody late Monday night in the 1000 block of Main Street,...

Online survey: Share your thoughts on lying Thu, Dec 3, 2009 | Add a comment Thank you for participating in this survey.

Oklahoma City woman wants terms of bond to be changed Thu, Dec 3, 2009 | Add a comment WEWOKA — An Oklahoma City woman who was strip-searched twice after being arrested on a misdemeanor charge in Wewoka may file a federal civil rights lawsuit over the way she was treated, her...

Services held for Mangum man who shot his brother-in-law Mon, Nov 30, 2009 MANGUM — Funeral services were Monday for a lawman who shot his brother-in-law on Thanksgiving Day and turned the gun on himself. Authorities say Brian Ditmore, 37, shot Fred Willis in the...

Reward offered for tips in search of missing Indianola man Mon, Nov 30, 2009 INDIANOLA — An Indianola tire shop owner with deep roots in the community has been missing for two weeks, authorities said. Pittsburg County Crimestoppers is offering up to $1,000 for...

Have you or a family member experienced stage II, III or IV pressure ulcers? Mon, Nov 30, 2009 | Add a comment Staff reporter Vallery Brown is researching a story about pressure ulcers, otherwise known as bed sores. Have you or a family member experienced stage II, III or IV pressure ulcers? Did you...

New boulevard in Oklahoma City won’t see stimulus Sat, Nov 28, 2009 | Add a comment A critical piece of the new Interstate 40 remains unfunded even after more than $500 million in federal stimulus money was given to the state Transportation Department. While the new I-40 is on...

Stimulus funds on tap in drinking water jobs in Oklahoma Fri, Nov 27, 2009 | Add a comment Federal stimulus money will be used to fund more than 20 drinking water projects in the state, expanding old water treatment plants and services and bringing some providers into compliance with...

Oklahoma Healthcare Authority: Budget slicing hits Medicaid Fri, Nov 27, 2009 | Add a comment Budget woes at the state agency in charge of Medicaid likely will result in fewer services to patients and lower payments to providers, officials at the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority said. The...

Are you currently on SoonerCare and using Durable Medical Equipment? Thu, Nov 26, 2009 | Add a comment Are you currently on SoonerCare and using Durable Medical Equipment? If so, please call or e-mail Vallery Brown. She is talking to people who might be affected by budget cuts to the state Medicaid...

Warrant looms in rape charge against ex-guard at a private prison in Holdenville Wed, Nov 25, 2009 HOLDENVILLE — A former female correctional officer has been charged with three felony counts of second-degree rape after being accused of having sex with an inmate at a private prison in...

Seminole fires ambulance director amid inquiry Wed, Nov 25, 2009 SEMINOLE — The director of the city-owned ambulance service was fired Tuesday while an investigation continues into missing narcotics from the business. Josh Hair was fired as director of...

Oklahoma parents use resources to check toys’ safety Wed, Nov 25, 2009 | Add a comment Buying safe toys for the holidays may be easier this year for parents of "mouthy” babies and older children as manufacturers meet stricter federal standards. Oklahoma City resident...

FEMA allows grant money to be used for maintenance Tue, Nov 24, 2009 | Add a comment Federal officials Friday rescinded a rule that prevents states from using grant money to repair and maintain disaster preparedness equipment. E-mail bulletins from the Federal Emergency Management...

Locust Grove man, 28, arraigned in 6 deaths, house fire Tue, Nov 24, 2009 A preliminary autopsy report for a former cast member of the HBO show "Cathouse” states the woman received multiple gunshot, stabbing and slashing wounds, the state medical...

Inquiry could link prison fights to Oklahoma City case Tue, Nov 24, 2009 Officials are investigating a possible link between weekend fights at three prisons and the arrest of a man accused of shooting, stabbing and then burning a man and three women in a southwest...

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Watchdog Blog

The Watchdog team keeps you up to date with new developments, upcoming stories and important information about fraud, waste or abuse

Mark Hutchison - Watchdog editor

Mark Hutchison has been in Oklahoma newspapers since 1986, first at the Enid Morning News & Eagle. He joined The Oklahoman in 1989 in the Lawton Bureau and has been a reporter and editor since. He has won several state and regional reporting awards for investigative, breaking news and feature stories. Among them are coverage of an American Indian chief who was indicted and imprisoned; malfeasance that led to the resignation and firings of public officials and problems within the state juvenile justice system. A journalism graduate from the University of Kansas, he has three daughters.

phone: (405)990-6160
email: mhutchison@opubco.com

Randy Ellis

For the past 26 years, staff writer Randy Ellis has exposed public corruption and government mismanagement in news articles. Ellis has investigated problems in Oklahoma's higher education institutions and wrote stories that ultimately led to two college presidents being sentenced to prison and a former chancellor being forced to resign. He has written about abuses of Oklahoma's workers compensation system, corruption in the state's municipal bond industry, bid-rigging by county officials, self-dealing by state housing officials, misconduct involving state legislators and a variety of other topics. Ellis, 52, has won more than 80 state, regional and national awards for journalistic excellence. Prior to joining The Oklahoman in 1982, Ellis worked at Arkansas newspapers. He is a 1977 graduate of Kansas State University.

phone: (405)475-3522
email: rellis@opubco.com

Ann Kelley

Ann Kelley has been an Oklahoma journalist for 10 years. She was a reporter for The Ada Evening News and The Shawnee News-Star before joining The Oklahoman in 2002. Kelley has received numerous awards for breaking news, investigative and government reporting. In 1999, she was an Associated Press sweepstakes winner for her stories about two wrongfully convicted men. Her work is featured in John Grisham’s bestselling book, “The Innocent Man,” and used as a source in “Actual Innocence,” co-authored by attorney Berry Scheck, founder of the Innocence Project.

Kelley is a graduate of Fresno State University. Prior to her career in jounalism, she worked as a social worker and as a legal assistant.

phone: (405)475-4097
email: akelley@opubco.com

Paul Monies

Paul Monies is the Database Editor for The Oklahoman. He’s in charge of maintaining the newsroom’s databases for everything from voter information and state finances to inspections and campaign finance. Paul has worked at newspapers in Texas and Missouri and spent five years as an award-winning business reporter for The Oklahoman. He is a native of Scotland who graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and has a master’s degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

phone: (405)475-3730
email: pmonies@opubco.com

Vallery Brown

Vallery Brown has been covering Oklahoma since she started working for Oklahoma Today magazine. She spent time in Washington, D.C. learning about national government. She has a journalism degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and is working toward a master's degree. Brown joined The Oklahoman in 2008 covering health and medical news before joining the watchdog team, where her work has aided in the prosecution of criminals, business reform and government accountability. Born in Montana, Brown is an accomplished vocalist.

phone: (405)475-3464
email: VBrown@opubco.com

Nolan Clay

Nolan Clay was born in Oklahoma and has worked for The Oklahoman since 1985. He covered the bombing trials and witnessed bomber Tim McVeigh's execution. His investigative reports have brought down public officials, exposed shysters and resulted in reforms in such areas as day care oversight and workers' compensation court. He is a proud father and Sooner football fan. His wedding in 2001 was on the 50-yard line of Owen Field.

phone: (405)475-3929
email: nclay@opubco.com

Sonya Colberg

Sonya Colberg has worked as a reporter and editor in Oklahoma since 1986, first for the Sapulpa Herald, then Tulsa World before joining The Oklahoman in 2000. She has received state and regional awards for investigative, business and feature stories. Her stories include those on the fatal Interstate 40 bridge collapse; problems with a state foreign trade office; and a multi-million dollar investor scam. A journalism graduate from Colorado State University, she is married and has one son.

phone: (405)475-3964
email: scolberg@opubco.com