News

Vaccination exemptions are rising

January 14, 2021

Oklahoma State Department of Health wants to change administrative rule Title 310, Chapter 535, which would remove an educational requirement for parents who want to refuse vaccines for their children, even if the children are enrolled in Oklahoma schools or childcare centers. The education requirement was put in place in 2020, but implementation was delayed…

Registration deadline for Feb. 9 vote

January 14, 2021

January 15 is the last day to apply for voter registration to be eligible to vote in the February 9 election, which includes school district board votes, a primary for Tulsa County Treasurer and a city election in Owasso, Tulsa County Election Board Secretary Gwen Freeman said. There are school board races February 9 for…

The Chinese coronavirus affected all aspects of life in ‘20

January 7, 2021

January Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed 62 commutations, 93 pardons and 23 paroles, bringing the total signed during his first year to 774 commutations, 290 pardons and 101 paroles. An otherwise successful 2019 season went sour quickly as No. 4 Oklahoma was overcome by No. 1 LSU, 63-28, in Atlanta in a College Football Playoff…

Robert McDowell, Jr. passes away

January 7, 2021

Robert W. McDowell, Jr., a World War II Army Air Corps veteran and a petroleum industry consultant, died on January 1 after a lengthy illness. He was 94. A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, January 8, at Moore’s Southlawn Chapel, 9350 E. 51st Street . McDowell wrote more than 500 columns that…

Tulsa Leaders Look Forward to 2021

January 7, 2021

Senator Joe Newhouse Senate District 25 WE NEED STRONG LEADERSHIP I am excited for the upcoming legislative year 2021 because of the many opportunities we as conservatives can take advantage of if we have the guts to be bold. Our citizens are calling for a compass and 4-stroke engine in what feels like a rudderless…

Oklahoma School Report Card is suspended for one year

January 7, 2021

The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a one-year suspension of the Oklahoma School Report Card letter grades for the 2020-21 school year. State School Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said the move is necessary in light of the significant disruptions in instruction caused by the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. States across the nation have been exploring the…

Pork donations to help hungry kids

January 7, 2021

In December, the Oklahoma Pork Council donated $10,000 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to support its Food for Kids Programs. This brings the total of okPORK donations since the partnership began to more than $162,000. This year, Brett Ramsey with Blue & Gold Sausage donated 5,000 pounds of sausage to the Regional Food…

Tulsa street projects are underway

January 7, 2021

A Tulsa street rehabilitation project was scheduled to begin January 4 at the intersection of East 61st Street and South Yale Avenue. Traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction. Access to all businesses will be maintained throughout the project. This $1,747,000 project includes replacement of waterlines, concrete pavement and traffic signals. Completion…

Stitt names Judge Thomas Prince

January 7, 2021

Governor Kevin Stitt has appointed Judge Thomas E. Prince to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals. This is the governor’s third appointment to the Court. “Judge Tom Prince is a proven legal mind who has served the State of Oklahoma for over three decades,” said Stitt. “Years of legal and judicial experience have prepared him…

Still projects a tightening budget

January 7, 2021

Governor Kevin Stitt sees a tight budget for state government in 2021. The Oklahoma State Board of Equalization certified an estimate indicating lawmakers will have $8.4 billion to build a budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2021. “Over the course of this past fiscal year, Oklahoma’s state revenues have dropped due…