News

McCall re-elected Speaker

January 17, 2019

The full House of Representatives officially elected state Rep. Charles McCall, R-Ada, to serve as Speaker of the House for the 57th Oklahoma Legislature during Organizational Day. Organizational Day is a constitutionally mandated day for the Legislature to convene and certify the election results from November, formally seat newly elected members and elect House leadership….

Bills target Health Dept.

January 17, 2019

Sen. Ron Sharp filed three bills in response to the multi-county grand jury’s findings in May concerning the State Department of Health’s financial deception in recent years. The grand jury’s six month investigation found that the agency had been withholding financial information, including a $30 million “slush” fund, from the legislature for several years. The…

Stitt appoints Kouplen

January 17, 2019

Gov. Kevin Stitt has appointed Sean Kouplen as the next Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development, a cabinet position that will require Senate confirmation, and the hiring of Brent Kisling as the next executive director of the Department of Commerce. “Sean Kouplen is a proven business leader and entrepreneur, full of vision, energy and passion…

State tax revenue rose by $1,500,000,000 in 2018

January 17, 2019

Dec. up 13.4%, ‘18 up 13.2% State revenues increased by 13.2 percent – more than $1.5 billion – in 2018 compared to 2017, according to new State Treasurer Randy McDaniel. The state took in a little less than $13 billion in taxes in 2018, with $1.1 billion coming in December. December 2018 was $135 million…

Oklahoma Natural Gas customers to get some savings

January 17, 2019

Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) customers will see lower bills during the new year after the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) voted in favor of an order that determines how the company will return money to customers from the 2017 federal tax cuts. The average residential customer will see approximately $15 in savings next month and a…

Last chance for voter registration

January 17, 2019

January 18 is the last day to apply for voter registration in order to be eligible to vote in the February 12 elections, which include: Races for District 1 and 2 for the Tulsa Board of Education; Ward 5 for the City of Owasso City Council; Ward 2 for the City of Sand Springs City…

Prophecy Conference is April 4-6

January 17, 2019

Two great signs – the Gospel and the Nation Israel – will be the theme for the 10th Annual Mid-America Prophecy Conference April 4-6 at the Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills, 1902 E. 71st St. “This is not a ‘prophecy playground’ conference,” said author Philip Goodman of Bibleprophecyaswritten.com. “It is rooted in the Bible as a…

Record 2018 attendance for SDC

January 17, 2019

Silver Dollar City, with a $26 million investment in Time Traveler, the world’s fastest, steepest and tallest spinning coaster, reported nearly 2.2 million guests (actual total 2,184,000) visiting the park in 2018, the highest numbers in the park’s 59-year history. Part of the successful year is also attributed to the globally-acclaimed “An Old Time Christmas”…

Dyer elected president of the OPA

January 17, 2019

Ray Dyer, a third generation publisher of the El Reno Tribune, is the new president of the Oklahoma Press Association. Dyer was appointed by the OPA Board of Directors to serve from January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2019, and will then be nominated for membership consideration and election for his scheduled year of 2019-2020….

Ft. Sill lauded at 150th anniversary

January 17, 2019

Senators James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, and U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, recognized the 150th anniversary of Fort Sill. Lankford and Inhofe introduced S. Res. 11 to recognize Fort Sill’s milestone. Cole introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. “I am very proud of Fort Sill’s 150 years of important work to further…