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Oklahoma is 2025’s sixth Least Vaccinated State

Tulsa Beacon

With vaccines preventing 4 to 5 million deaths worldwide per year, according to the WHO, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s States that Vaccinate the Most, as well as expert commentary. In order to find out which states vaccinate most, WalletHub analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia across…

Society for Science Recognizes two Oklahoma Middle School Innovators in nation’s premier STEM Competition

Tulsa Beacon

A new generation of STEM stars—tackling topics from sustainability and artificial intelligence to disease detection—has been named to the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge Top 300 .  Two Tulsa are students were announced as Junior Innovators. Karis Shamhart, Madison Middle School Project Title: Fireproof 3.0 Testing Synergistic Properties Lishitha Kollati, Central Middle School Project…

OMRF scientist’s research turns personal after relative’s illness

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. 4, 2025 — For five years, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Pengchun Yu, Ph.D., led experiments aimed at better understanding a disorder called lymphedema. Days after a scientific journal published Yu’s findings, a family member began her own battle with the condition, and suddenly his studies took on extra significance. Lymphedema is…

Despite more money, OK students struggle

Tulsa Beacon

Since 2018, Oklahoma’s per-pupil public school revenue has increased by 51 percent. But academic outcomes have declined steadily since 2018 despite the massive funding increase. That defies expectations. When C. Kirabo Jackson, a professor of education and professor of economics at Northwestern University, and Claire L. Mackevicius, an assistant professor of education policy and equity…

Federal Single Audit shows unprecedented mismanagement

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector (SAI) Cindy Byrd today released the Federal Single Audit of expenditures made during FY 2023. This annual audit is a federally-mandated examination of whether the State of Oklahoma spent federal grant money in compliance with federal regulations. The audit report covers more than $14.9 Billion of…

August’s weather brings early exit of summer temps

Tulsa Beacon

Oklahoma Climatological Survey August 2025 pulled a fast one on Oklahoma. Instead of the typical late-summer swelter, the month ended with a taste of fall as two powerful cold fronts shoved aside the heat. The final week brought gray skies, steady rain and highs stuck in the 60s and 70s — more like October than…

OSSAA conflict-of-interest questions in Glencoe Case

Tulsa Beacon

This month, the 15-member board of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), which oversees K-12 school competitions, voted to bar four teenagers from playing basketball for Glencoe after the boys used the open-transfer process to enroll in Glencoe schools. The boys’ families have sued the OSSAA, alleging the association acted arbitrarily and in defiance…

OK sees nation’s 14th largest drop in alcohol use

Tulsa Beacon

A new study on behalf of Trace One has identified which U.S. states are seeing the largest decline in alcohol use. Alcohol consumption in the United States has shifted noticeably in recent years, with a growing share of adults choosing to drink less—or not at all. Public health experts point to a combination of factors…

Owasso School District to vote on School Bonds

Tulsa Beacon

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 9, for the Special Bond Proposition Election for ISD-11 Owasso Public Schools. If you forget your voter ID or your name is not found in the Precinct Registry, you may still cast a provisional ballot by signing an affidavit. A provisional ballot is…

DA Kunzweiler partners with “Families Supporting Families”

Tulsa Beacon

TULSA, OK – On Thursday, August 28th, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office will partner with “Families Supporting Families” for their 8th annual “Illicit Drug Awareness Rally” taking place outside Tulsa City Hall located at 175 E. 2nd St S, Tulsa.  The rally will begin at 9:00am where a representative from the District Attorney’s office will speak…