Feature Stories — East Oklahoma In-depth reporting, long-form storytelling, and profiles from across eastern Oklahoma. EastOklahoma.com goes beyond the headlines to explore the people, places, history, and issues shaping communities from Tulsa and Broken Arrow to Tahlequah, Muskogee, and the small towns in between.
Government Corruption
From a Marine veteran's stolen salvage yard to Bixby's confidential meetings — a pattern of secret annexations, silenced communities, and one disbarred attorney at the center of it all An investigative report by EastOklahoma.com The Template Somewhere in Green Country, a city manager receives a call
Tulsa
How a disbarred Oklahoma attorney championed the little guy in public — while a Marine veteran's land vanished into a billion-dollar data center corridor An investigative report New Year's Day, 2026 Seven hours into the New Year, Ron Durbin was already working. The disbarred Tulsa attorney
Tulsa
The Woman Who Wouldn't Stay Silent: Larita Barnes' 19-Year Battle Against Federal Corruption A federal appellate court just ruled she can sue the government. Here's the shocking story of how law enforcement framed an innocent woman — and why it took nearly two decades to
Feature Story
The Watchdog Under Attack: Stitt Moves to Audit the Attorney General Who Keeps Exposing His Administration's Corruption When the AG Started Investigating, Stitt Started Retaliating OKLAHOMA CITY — On May 22, 2026, Governor Kevin Stitt requested a special audit of Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office, claiming the
Sallisaw
"Student Safety" for Some But Not Others Connected To My Friends: The Selective Crusades of Sean Buckner and Ron Durbin An investigation into how Oklahoma's most vocal "student safety" advocates go silent when misconduct involves their friends The Brand They Built They burst into
Webbers Falls
The Future of Farming is Growing in Webbers Falls—And You're Invited to See It Why hundreds of Oklahoma growers are marking August 5th on their calendars for an event that could transform their harvest WEBBERS FALLS, OK – There's a moment every farmer knows—standing in
Sallisaw
The $0 Campaign: Sean Buckner's Senate Bid Raises Questions About Intent A candidate with a documented history of unpaid obligations launches a campaign that has yet to raise a single dollar When William Sean Buckner filed paperwork on March 16, 2026, to run as a Republican challenger for
Tulsa
The Stitt Doctrine: How Oklahoma's Governor Built a Policy Machine That Targets the State's Most Vulnerable An investigation into seven years of systematic cuts to programs serving low-income families The Weatherization Paradox On a May morning in 2026, Gov. Kevin Stitt stood before cameras to
Tulsa
The Trust Deficit: Can Oklahomans Believe Kevin Stitt's Data Center Promises When Todd Hiett Still Votes on Their Energy Bills? An investigation into Oklahoma's data center boom, rising electricity costs, and the scandal-plagued regulator who controls your power bill The Promise On May 11, 2026,
Crimes
Behind the "Drain the Swamp" Message: Matt Muskrat's Trail of Financial Judgments and Multiple Marriages An investigative report into the personal and financial history of a Muskogee County Commissioner candidate Matt Muskrat wants to "drain the swamp" in Muskogee County government. The Republican candidate
Tulsa
An Investigation into the Policies, Politics, and Pollution Threatening Oklahoma's Future The Question Nobody Wants to Answer Drive through rural Oklahoma, and you'll see what state leaders promote as economic development. A hazardous waste landfill accepting toxic materials from across the nation. Data centers consuming millions
Politics
The state spent years ending contracts with private prisons over violence and deaths. Now the same company is reopening those facilities—this time for immigration detention. It's a backdoor return that should alarm every Oklahoman. WATONGA, Oklahoma — On a cold morning in early 2026, the first buses rolled