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State revenues poised to plummet Due to virus and lower oil prices

Tulsa Beacon

Oklahoma Gross Receipts to the Treasury in March show the calm before the storm. As has been the case for several months, they indicate slight overall growth, but with slowing sales tax collections and reduced oil and gas production, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel has described the state tax revenue report from March as “the calm…

Lankford says ‘stimulus package’ is really ‘stabilization’

Tulsa Beacon

In 2009, as the Great Recession roiled the economy, Congress responded with an enormous “stimulus” package that supporters claimed would reignite economic growth. However, the $2 trillion legislation recently passed by Congress has more modest goals, according to U.S. Sen. James Lankford. “That’s not what this is,” said Lankford, R-Oklahoma City. “This is trying to…

Social Security retirees are eligible for the stimulus checks

Tulsa Beacon

WASHINGTON, D. C. — “It’s the one question nearly all Social Security recipients are asking: Will I get a Coronavirus stimulus check? If yes, do I get one even if I haven’t filed a tax return in recent years? The answers are yes and yes,” said Jeff Szymanski, political analyst at the Association of Mature…

Closed libraries provide services

Tulsa Beacon

In spite of Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL) branches remaining closed, TCCL staff are busy working remotely to develop content and resources for customers, caregivers and teachers in Tulsa County and beyond. Starting on March 30, our AskUs service offered assistance with library information including available resources and services, reference questions and online services via email,…

Free lunches for Oklahoma students

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY– Oklahoma students statewide will soon be able to access two free meals a day following a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waiver, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister announced. The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) applied for the waiver March 11 and March 25 to remove the requirement that school feeding…

No garnishment of SS payments

Tulsa Beacon

WASHINGTON, DC, — The Trump Administration has put a timely halt on the ability of the government to garnish Social Security benefits to pay for defaulted student loans for an indefinite period during the COVID crisis, reports the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. Seniors are the fastest growing segment of the population with outstanding…

Tulsa Animal Shelter updates

Tulsa Beacon

Tulsa Animal Welfare (TAW) is not taking walk-in visitations during the COVID-19 threat. Instead, adoptions are now by appointment only and can be scheduled by calling 918-596-8001. For intakes, residents are asked to call TAW’s Pet Diversion Specialist at 918-596-7387 to schedule an appointment. If an animal is found that is injured or in medical…

Smoking and coronavirus issues

Tulsa Beacon

Smokers that are diagnosed with the coronavirus could expect a more severe infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to washing your hands thoroughly, staying home and maintaining social distancing, the American Lung Association urges smokers to quit which will immediately improve overall health and may help avoid the most…

Private labs must report their cases

Tulsa Beacon

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Commissioner of Health Gary Cox sent a letter to remind Oklahoma’s private labs that the state earlier this month designated COVID-19 as a disease that is immediately reportable to OSDH. In his letter, Cox urged private labs to comply with state statute by reporting both positive COVID-19 test…

Most U.S. churches won’t be meeting on Easter Sunday

Tulsa Beacon

NASHVILLE — The coronavirus outbreak has had ripple effects across the country, including in churches, according to a new study of pastors. Nashville-based LifeWay Research asked Protestant pastors how the pandemic has impacted their congregations and what their plans are for the near future. While nearly all pastors say their church held in-person worship services…