Mayor G.T. Bynum has hired Krystal Reyes as the Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) for the City of Tulsa effective immediately. The Office of Resilience and Equity records human rights’ complaints and uses “equality indicators” to address “racial disparity.” Reyes was director of community engagement for the Division of Family and Child Health at the New…
During the month of May, the Tulsa Police Department will focus on posted speed violations and hazardous moving violations in active school zones (lights flashing) throughout the city. Tulsa Police traffic officers and motorcycle officers will be randomly monitoring active school zones within the City of Tulsa. A citation issued for speeding in a school…
The Senate approved Senate Bill 446 to better prepare teachers and other school employees to deal with the growing mental health needs of Oklahoma public school students. Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow, and Rep. Sheila Dills, R-Tulsa, authored the legislation requiring the State Department of Education and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse…
Oklahoma’s more than 4,100 foster families will soon get some financial relief following the signing of Senate Bill 893. Sen. Paul Scott, R-Duncan, and Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, authored the bill, which will provide a $5,000 state income tax exemption for anyone contracting with a child-placing agency for taxable years beginning on or after January…
A bill allowing law enforcement to use cameras on school buses to track down drivers who illegally pass stopped buses was signed into law last week. House Bill 1926, by Rep. Dell Kerbs, R-Shawnee, and Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, requires a minimum ticket of $100 for drivers who break this law. It also requires 75…
Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed legislation into law to protect the confidentiality of undercover law officers. Senate Bill 679 was authored by Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore. “As the former Director of the Bureau of Narcotics, I recognized the roll of the undercover, covert agent in our state is different than a uniform patrol officer. The…
Governor Kevin Stitt announced today five appointments to the State Board of Corrections – including former Tulsa First Lady Kathy LaFortune. “I am pleased to welcome five new members to the State Board of Corrections,” said Stitt. “They will each bring a diverse perspective to the Department of Corrections in order to implement needed change…
Governor Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency for 52 counties – including Tulsa, Wagoner, Rogers, Washington, Creek, Osage and Okmulgee – due to severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding that began April 30. Those counties are: Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Canadian, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cleveland, Coal, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Garvin, Grady, Haskell,…
The City of Tulsa Animal Welfare staff is taking measures to stop the spread of canine distemper virus (CDV) following confirmation of several cases since late March, said Animal Welfare Manager Jean Letcher. “Three weeks ago, two dogs tested positive for the virus, and since then, more cases have surfaced. This is a new and…
Oklahoma leads the nation in the category of Second Amendment rights’ contributions to congressional members (per capita), according the WalletHub’s “2019’s States Most Dependent on the Gun Industry.” To determine the states that depend most heavily on the arms and ammunitions industry both directly for jobs and political contributions and indirectly through firearm ownership, WalletHub…