OKC FRIDAY Vol. 59 No. 1 • One Section • 14 pages • May 16, 2025
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www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday OKC’s only locally-owned legal newspaper with all local news Serving affluent far north Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills and The Village for 51 years
Mobile mental health unit offers alternate response for OKC
Guard CareerTech Assistance Act, providing resources for Oklahoma Guard members pursing licensure
As a way of providing an alternative response to residents experiencing mental or behavioral health challenges, Oklahoma City leaders and public safety officials launched the City of Oklahoma City’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare program. Mobile InteOklahoma City Fire Chief grated Healthcare, Richard Kelley during a a program of the press conference anOklahoma City nouncing the mental health response initiative. Fire Department, provides an alternative response to 911 calls involving behavioral and mental health needs. The program, developed in collaboration with the OKC Public Safety Partnership and the City’s Crisis Intervention Advisory Group, aims to divert emergency and non-emergency calls from a law enforcement response toward trained mental health and medical professionals who can best meet a person’s unique needs. “Mobile Integrated Healthcare is reshaping public safety in Oklahoma City. When our residents call for assistance, our goal is to assure they receive a response that best meets their needs,” Assistant City Manager Jason Ferbrache said. “Prior to Mobile Integrated Healthcare, police, firefighters and paramedics have answered every kind of emergency call. By developing Mobile Integrated Healthcare, we’re increasing the capacity of first responders to assist with life safety emergencies while seeing to it that residents and visitors in mental health crisis can benefit from expertise of mental health professionals. When we send the appropriate team to calls, we create better outcomes for everyone in our community.”
See HICKS, Page 7
See OKC, Page 10
Classen School of Advanced Studies High School student Kortlyn Liles plays the school’s Steinway baby grand piano. The school teaches exclusively on Steinways and is a Steinway Select School.
Classen named prestigious Steinway Select School By Eric Oesch Staff Writer Classen School of Advanced Studies High School at Northeast is officially recognized as a Steinway Select School, a prestigious designation that places it among a select group of institutions around the world committed to excellence in music education.
The school, located at 3100 N. Kelley, is one of only 19 schools in the United States with this designation and the only Steinway Select school in Oklahoma. The school was originally named Northeast High School and celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2027. The high school was renamed Classen School of Advanced Studies High School
at Northeast in 2019. The Steinway Select designation is an elite category of music studios that teach exclusively on Steinway and Steinwaydesigned instruments. The designation is for schools, grades K12, and signifies the school has a Steinway & Sons concert grand piano in their main performance See CLASSEN, Page 7
National Guard honors Sen. Carri Hicks Sen. Carri Hicks, DOklahoma City, has been honored as a 2025 Oklahoma Legislator of the Year for her efforts in the Senate to support the mission of the
Oklahoma National Guard. Hicks received her award from the National Guard Association of Oklahoma during their 67th Annual Military
FRIDAY’s Cats of the Week Meet Storm and Snape! These siblings are 12-years-young and love lounging around the house, eating and spurts of zoomies. Their family is Ben and Alison Bridgmon. Most days, Storm can be found cleaning her soft fur and Snape can be found hiding in a shadow. Email Pet of the Week submissions with complete descriptions to: rose@okcfriday.com.
Ball and President’s Reception. Hicks was honored for her work as principal author of Senate Bill 31, creating the Oklahoma National
Students named finalists for awards Four Fridayland students and two schools are finalists in the 2025 Kelli O’Hara Awards. They are: Actress category — Kate Decker, Deer Creek, “Pippin”; Kinley Keylon, Deer Creek, “Pippin”; and Stella Gebard, Heritage Hall, “Into the Woods.” Actor category —Austin Rindler, Casady, “Legally Blonde.” In addition, Casady School is a finalist in the Outstanding Musical Performance category for “Legally Blonde.” In the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble category, Casady School is a finalist for “Legally Blonde.” Deer Creek is a finalist for
“Pippin.” The Kelli O’Hara Awards are a production of OKC Broadway, A Nederlander and the Civic Center Foundation. The 2025 Kelli O’Hara Awards takes place Friday, May 30, at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center Music Hall. The finalists for Actress and Actor perform before a live audience as the Awards Committee selects the Outstanding Actor and Actress for the seventh consecutive year. These two students go on to represent Oklahoma at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (The Jimmy Awards®) on Monday, June 23, at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.