News

Mystery seeds from China raise suspicions

August 6, 2020 Brian Brus

STILLWATER – Oklahomans are being asked to go against their natural curiosity and green-thumb tendencies, setting aside mail deliveries of mystery seeds from China instead of planting them. The packages turned up in several other states as well, including Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio and Washington, according to reports from those states’ departments of agriculture. Many…

Back to Work

August 6, 2020

Tulsa unemployment rate drops The City of Tulsa had an unemployment rate of 8.1% in June, which is the 25th best in a national survey of U.S. cities by WalletHub.com. That June figure was 117% higher than June of 2019 and 140% higher than January of 2020. According to WalletHub.com, The national unemployment rate is…

Tulsa’s coronavirus update

August 6, 2020

As of August 3, there are 38,602 confirmed positive cases of the Chinese coronavirus in Oklahoma. There have been 644,042 tests for the virus in Oklahoma with 599,461 negative results. Statewide, there are 628 patients in hospitals. Since the pandemic began, there have been 3,275 total hospitalizations with 561 total deaths. The City of Tulsa…

Mandatory masks at BA schools

August 6, 2020

The Broken Arrow Public Schools will start the school year in person on August 19. All staff and students in the third grade and up will be required to wear masks as part of the reaction of the coronavirus pandemic. Students who don’t want to attend in person have the option of signing up for…

Parts of state turnpikes will now have 80 mph speed limits

August 6, 2020

The speed limit has been extended to 80 mph on some stretches of Oklahoma’s turnpike system. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority approved raising the speed limit on rural segments of selected turnpikes from 75 mph to 80 mph. That includes the Kickapoo Turnpike which is scheduled to open later this year. These segments total 104 miles…

OSU housing students to get tested

August 6, 2020

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State University will require students living on campus this school year to complete a COVID-19 test before checking in to campus housing. The university, in its effort to provide safe housing and move-in procedures, also is implementing a staggered move-in schedule for campus residents. All residents are assigned a specific date and…

Hearing on state redistricting plans

August 6, 2020

Senate leaders announced more details of the process the Oklahoma Senate Select Committee on Redistricting will use as the Senate prepares for redistricting next year upon receipt of data from the 2020 U.S. Census. “Redistricting will be one of the most important issues considered by the Legislature next year,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Greg…

Michael Junk leaves Stitt’s staff

August 6, 2020

Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that Chief of Staff Michael Junk is leaving the Stitt Administration to pursue opportunities closer to his family in Tulsa effective July 31. “Michael Junk has been a steady hand that helped guide us through a number of historic challenges throughout my first 18 months in office,” said Gov. Stitt. “It…

Drawing puts GOP on top of ballots

August 6, 2020

Republican Party candidates will appear first on Oklahoma’s November General Election ballots following the results of a public drawing, Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax announced. Libertarian Party candidates will be listed second, followed by Democratic Party candidates. State law requires the State Election Board secretary to conduct a drawing every two years to…

Golden Years’ can feel oppressive

August 6, 2020

WASHINGTON, D,C. — “The Golden Years are supposed to be carefree, but sometimes the challenges of growing old can be depressing. At worst, they seem downright unfair,” says Rebecca Weber, CEO of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. Weber cites, as an example, the complications of what used to be the simple task of…