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The wheat harvest drought was ugly for state farmers

Tulsa Beacon

STILLWATER – Oklahoma’s hard red winter wheat harvest is complete as farmers close the book on a season plagued by drought. Amanda de Oliveira Silva, Oklahoma State University Extension small grains specialist, said yields varied across the state depending on rainfall. Many fields in southwest Oklahoma were abandoned, and other dry areas reported anywhere from…

Mullin/Shannon runoff highlights August 23rd ballot

Tulsa Beacon

Tulsa County voters will have some homework to do in the upcoming August 23 runoff election with races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, county commissioner, state school superintendent, state treasurer, labor commissioner and Corporation Commission. Voters in the city limits of Tulsa will also vote for one council seat and three amendments to the City…

Tulsa District sanctioned for teaching Critical Race Theory

Tulsa Beacon

The State Board of Education has voted to sanction Tulsa Public Schools by significantly reducing its accreditation status after Tulsa was found to have violated a state law that bars various types of race-based ideology in school settings. The board lowered Tulsa’s accreditation to one step above probation, imposing a harsher sanction than the minimum…

School accounting problems

Tulsa Beacon

A cursory review of the state’s Oklahoma Cost Accounting System (OCAS), a program that compiles financial data from all public-school districts, quickly identified significant irregularities, including reports showing Oklahoma schools spent nearly a quarter-million dollars on firearms that were labelled as nutrition services and other non-weapon categories. “In the 2020-2021 academic year, districts spent $257,425…

More American families are choosing to homeschool kids

Tulsa Beacon

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The numbers of parents opting to homeschool their kids is on the rise in the U.S. for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to provide religious or moral instruction. The Census Bureau reports that in the spring prior to the onset of the pandemic about 3% of children…

Library policy lacks common sense

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, commented on a new policy at the Oklahoma City-area’s Metropolitan Library System that prohibits employees from providing help with any abortion-related searches by patrons. An article in The Oklahoman on July 22, drew attention to the policy. According to the article, guidance emailed to library employees stated that…

Yale from 81st-91st has reopened

Tulsa Beacon

South Yale Avenue between East 81st Street and East 91st Street, under construction for widening from two to six lanes, reopened to through traffic on July 27. One lane will be open in each direction until construction progresses to allow more lanes to open. The road will stay open for two-way traffic through completion of…

Ponds suffer from algae and heat

Tulsa Beacon

STILLWATER – Most Oklahoma ponds are green thanks to algae that forms on the water, but just like anything else, too much algae can be a bad thing. Algae is a normal occurrence in ponds unless it becomes too thick. That’s when pond owners are in danger of the most common fish kill scenario –…

H.E. Bailey Turnpike is converted

Tulsa Beacon

Since July 26, I-44/H.E. Bailey Turnpike has fully transitioned to PlatePay/cashless tolling. The final leg of the conversion was completed at the Walters toll plaza July 27, meaning drivers can now travel along I-44/H.E. Bailey Turnpike from the Texas state line to Oklahoma City without having to stop to pay a toll. The transition to…

Sample ballots for Aug. 23 vote

Tulsa Beacon

Sample ballots for the August 23 federal, state and county runoff elections, including the City of Tulsa municipal council, the Tulsa City Charter propositions, and the City of Skiatook sales tax proposition are now available. Ballots are specific to each voter. Voters can download a sample ballot at the Oklahoma Election Board’s OK Voter Portal…