News

Panel votes on rules for marijuana medicine tests

October 18, 2018

The Oklahoma Senate and Oklahoma House working group on medical marijuana rules unanimously approved priorities for testing in a move that will help ensure Oklahomans have access to safe and effective medicine, the group’s co-chair said. Sen. Greg McCortney praised the work of the committee members, appointed in July by Senate Pro Tem-designate Greg Treat…

New business, expansions are up

October 18, 2018

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce announced 23 new businesses from July 1 through September 30. That represents a 28 percent increase over the same time last year. An announcement represents a decision by a company to add jobs and/or investment to the state. Jobs, salary and investment numbers are projected by the individual companies and…

Uber drivers get $100 settlement

October 18, 2018

Attorney General Mike Hunter announced his office will give $100 to 4,655 Oklahoma Uber drivers who were affected by the 2016 data breach as part of a national settlement with the company. The $148 million settlement comes after attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia investigated the California-based ride-sharing company for…

NFIB endorsements

October 18, 2018

National Federation of Independent Business State Director Jerrod Shouse said the NFIB Oklahoma political action committee has endorsed candidates in 13 state Senate races and 33 House races. The political action committee is comprised exclusively of NFIB members. “Small business is what drives our economy,” Shouse said. “These candidates understand that and have a strong…

Survey shows teachers will vote no on State Question 801

October 18, 2018

A survey conducted by Professional Oklahoma Educators indicates that almost 80 percent of teachers, administrators and support staff do not support SQ 801, which calls for a vote of the people on the November ballot to amend the state constitution. If passed, SQ 801 would allow local school districts to use money from property taxes,…

State voter registration has surged

October 18, 2018

Oklahoma’s voter rolls have surged since January, with nearly 2.1 million voters now registered as of the end of September, State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said. Official statistics from the end of September show total voter registration in the state saw a net increase of 76,256 from January 15 to September 30 this year,…

Council appoints O’Brien and Moore

October 18, 2018

The Tulsa City Council on Wednesday appointed two interim councilors to fill vacated seats in Districts 3 and 7. Karen O’Brien is the District 3 councilor and former Councilor Arianna Moore was chosen for District 7. They both will serve until December 3, when the winners of the November 6 elections take office. Councilors thought…

Higher utility bills in Broken Arrow

October 18, 2018

Utility bills are going up in Broken Arrow again. In November, an average residential customer who uses 7,000 gallons of water a month will pay about $2.29 more per month for water, $2.19 for sewer and 57 cents for stormwater fees. That’s about $5 a month more. Residential customers got a similar hike in utility…

Homeless veterans obtain assistance

October 18, 2018

To help end veteran homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded $153,053 to provide a permanent home to an estimated 35 veterans experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma. The rental assistance is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, which combines rental assistance…

Omaha newspaper joins a union

October 18, 2018

Newsroom employees of The Omaha World-Herald voted overwhelmingly on October 8. to unionize. The 71-5 vote by reporters, copy editors and photographers to affiliate with The NewsGuild, was what they called an effort to ensure a local voice in the direction of the state’s largest newspaper. “Today is a historic day as journalists make the…