Adam Kolar was sentenced to life in prison for allowing his 3-year-old son to die in a locked pickup truck on an August day in 2018.

Canadian County District Judge Paul Hesse handed down the sentence Tuesday afternoon. Hesse accepted a plea agreement between the district attorney and Kolar in which the former Federal Correctional officer will have all but the first 15 years of the life sentence suspended.

Hesse said Kolar would have to serve 85 percent of the 15 years before he could be eligible for parole.

With announcements earlier this month that two pharmaceutical giants have developed effective COVID-19 vaccines, Oklahoma and other states across the nation are ramping up plans to distribute millions of doses of the potentially lifesaving vaccine in the coming months. 

Like much of the rest of the country, Oklahoma is seeing the virus spread faster than ever as cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to topple records. 

The State Board of Education has shelved the request of a Christian school to participate in a program for children with special needs and instead requested an official opinion from the state attorney general.

The board voted to ask the attorney general if an Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) regulation — which requires schools to adopt certain policies regarding sexual orientation as a condition of participation in the Lindsey Nicole Henry (LNH) Scholarships for Students with Disabilities program — is legal.

For many nature-lovers, hiking through the woods on a crisp fall day is a great opportunity for exercise and fresh air. However, this time of year also is a favorite of deer hunters. With rifle season opening Nov. 21, both hikers and hunters must use caution.

Emily Long, Payne County game warden, said hunting activity is at its peak during the weekends. She urges bright colors and careful scheduling.