News

Fetal alcohol bills are advanced

March 12, 2020

Two pieces of legislation addressing fetal alcohol syndrome passed the Oklahoma House. Exposure of a developing baby to alcohol can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause physical, behavioral and intellectual disabilities that may last a lifetime. Nationally, about 40,000 newborns are born with fetal alcohol syndrome every year. House Bill 3406, by Rep….

Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame will induct six

March 12, 2020

The Will Rogers High School Community Foundation will induct a new Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame class on March 27. The inductees will join rock-and-roll legend the late Leon Russell and S. E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders. The new inductees include: David Finch (class of 1971), a multi-Emmy winning sports cinematographer who…

Research paper questions the ‘crisis’ of Tulsa’s food desert

March 12, 2020

The 1889 Institute has published, “Food Deserts – Health Crisis or Mere Inconvenience?” In it, 1889 Research Fellow, Mike Davis, makes the case that “food deserts” are not the crisis that they have been portrayed to be in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. This means recent zoning regulations limiting small-box “dollar” stores are detrimental. Nevertheless, recommendations…

7-11 buys stores in Oklahoma City

March 12, 2020

(PRNewswire) — 7-Eleven, Inc., the largest chain in the convenience-retailing industry, announced that it has officially closed on the acquisition of more than 100 independently operated 7-Eleven stores in central Oklahoma. “These stores have carried the 7-Eleven name for 67 years, and today they officially join the global 7-Eleven family,” said Joe DePinto, 7-Eleven President…

Assistance to fight against robocalls

March 12, 2020

People in Oklahoma are being warned that robocalls are likely to increase as the country gears up for the 2020 elections. The 2020 elections, which will be in November, will see all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate, and the office of…

Federal grants to OK to fight AIDS

March 12, 2020

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded $1,808,416 to expand access to HIV care, treatment, medication, and prevention services in Oklahoma. HRSA awarded $1,058,416 to four health centers in Oklahoma with service delivery sites in geographic locations. These awards are part of a program…

Can people’s life spans be extended?

March 12, 2020

A scientist, Aubrey de Grey, a gerontologist, is convinced that people can live longer than anyone has ever imagined — “as long as 1,000 years,” according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. De Grey may well be off-base with his prediction; he certainly has his detractors. The Week, a news magazine with U.K….

Robotic spine surgery at OUMC

March 12, 2020

OKLAHOMA CITY — OU Medical Center at OU Medicine has become the first hospital in Oklahoma to offer robotic spine surgery. The advanced technology allows for the precise placement of spinal hardware during complex spinal operations. “The capacity to perform robotic spine surgery is another advance in the level of care available to Oklahomans and…

Medical marijuana and the 2nd Amendment

March 5, 2020

The Oklahoma Senate voted unanimously last week to protect the Second Amendment rights of medical marijuana cardholders. Senate Bill 959, authored by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, clarifies that anyone authorized to use medical marijuana would also be allowed to have a concealed carry permit. Even though Oklahoma is a constitutional carry state, some citizens…

IDs for released prisoners

March 5, 2020

The House Public Safety Committee advanced legislation to require the Dept. of Corrections and Dept. of Public Safety to coordinate to issue valid state identification to inmates upon their release. House Bill 1310 by Rep. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany, would create the “Inmate ID Act of 2020.” The act would require the Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections…