State Briefs

Published: February 9, 2008

Officials with a Muskogee County school district applaud a former high school principal's decision to drop a lawsuit against the school board that voted to fire him last year.

Former Hilldale High School Principal Dewayne Pemberton is now a substitute assistant principal at Muskogee High School. He could not be reached for comment this week.

"The district is glad Mr. Pemberton decided to dismiss his lawsuit,” said the district's attorney Bo Rainey. "We are confident in our defense but glad to see that he decided to dismiss it.”

A federal judge in Muskogee agreed Friday to postpone the criminal trial of state Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan and his wife, Lori.

The trial was moved from March 3 to June 2.

A federal grand jury indicted the McMahans last month on nine counts, including conspiracy, mail fraud and violating the Travel Act to commit bribery.

They are accused of accepting improper trips and illegal campaign contributions from a southeast Oklahoma abstract company owner.

The former director of the Woodward Arts Theater has been arrested on an embezzlement complaint.

Woodward police say Jeanie Raymer is accused of using theater credit cards to buy more than $10,000 in personal items.

Organizers of a popular craft show in Oklahoma City said Friday they hope to avoid a repeat of a previous show, during which representatives from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University seized items being sold that bore school trademarks.

Gayle Dyer, a co-owner and co-founder of An Affair of the Heart, said organizers had not seen any licensing representatives from either OU or OSU at the show as of Friday afternoon, the first day of the event's three-day run at State Fair Park.

From Staff and Wire Reports