Archive for the Week of January 11, 2009 - January 24, 2009
1/23/09 6:10 p.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Gov. Brad Henry says moving families into Tar Creek public housing is an "outrage" and that alternatives must be found immediately.
The governor's comments came in response to a Tulsa World story which reported that despite a $60 million federal voluntary buyout of properties, the Picher Housing Authority has rented several low-income units to families, including about 15 children.
The authority is renting the units under guidelines and approval from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development agency. HUD spokeswoman Patricia Campbell says the agency has been working closely with the EPA and housing authority to make sure the units being rented are safe.
01/23/09 6:12 p.m.
HOUSTON (AP) - The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas dropped both nationwide and in Oklahoma this week.
Houston-based Baker Hughes says the number of active rigs in the United States fell by 53 while the number in Oklahoma is down five. Of the other major oil- and gas-producing states Colorado lost 18 rigs; Texas 16; California and Louisiana each lost five and New Mexico is down three. Alaska added two rigs; Arkansas and Wyoming each gained one while the number in North Dakota is unchanged. Baker Hughes has tracked rig counts since 1944.
01/23/09 6:16 p.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Two Tulsa Transit officials are on paid administrative leave for 60 days pending the outcome of an independent audit of the transit system.
City officials said General Manager Bill Cartwright and comptroller Shirley Wenzel were put on leave after a
unanimous vote by the Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority. Mayor Kathy Taylor says the financial accounting in some areas of Tulsa Transit was lacking, but added that at this point, there is no suspicion that Cartwright and Wenzel mishandled money. Cartwright became general manager in 2003, three years after
joining Tulsa Transit as its chief financial officer. Wenzel has been comptroller for about a year.
1/22/09 6:21 p.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Two former managers in Tulsa's Public Works Department and four businessmen are being accused of bribery and fraud involving millions of dollars intended for city streets, bridges and other projects.
Indictments unsealed Thursday make the accusations against Larry Wayne Baker, a 52-year-old former design engineering manager and Albert S. Martinez, a 47-year-old former field engineering manager.
Bribery is being alleged in the awarding of contracts by the city of Tulsa for engineering consulting services.
Others charged with various related crimes include Harlan Eugene Yocham of Sapulpa, Max Elliot Wolf of Owasso, Kenneth Kirk Shoemaker of Bartlesville and Stuart Jay Franklin of Claremore.
1/22/09 6:25 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A Tulsa billionaire has called for ending state tax subsidies for the oil and gas industry, saying they do not stimulate a significant amount of economic activity that would not otherwise occur.
George B. Kaiser, longtime oil and gas producer, testified at a hearing of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. Kaiser said the state has handed out $300 million in tax cuts to spur oil and gas drilling over the last four years that could be put to better use, such as funding health care or education or other tax cuts. As an oil and gas producer, he said he could state unequivocally that the tax subsidies in question have never influenced his companies' decisions to drill or restore any well in Oklahoma.
1/22/09 6:31 p.m.
McALESTER, Okla. (AP) - A man convicted of beating a convenience store clerk to death with a baseball bat nearly 14 years ago has been put to death.
Darwin Demond Brown was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. Thursday after receiving a lethal injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary. The 32-year-old Brown and three other men were convicted of killing Richard Yost during the February 1995 robbery of a QuikTrip store in Tulsa. Yost's bound and battered body was discovered by a customer in the store's walk-in refrigerator in a pool of blood, milk and beer. The state Pardon and Parole Board denied clemency for Brown on Jan. 7, and Brown's attorney, James Hankins, said his client had exhausted all of his appeals.
1/21/09 5:25 p.m.
JONES, OK (AP) - A grass fire in Jones forced the evacuation of an elementary school and burned several mobile homes.
No injuries are reported and the fire did not damage school property. About 600 students were taken by bus to the high school gymnasium because smoke filled some of the classrooms.
Jones Assistant Fire Chief Paul Lay says the cause is under investigation but an animal may be the
cause. He says a dead squirrel was found under an electrical transformer where the fire began and was "fried pretty good."
01/21/09 5:29 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A bomb squad has been called to the federal building in downtown Oklahoma City after a man caused a disturbance at a security checkpoint.
Officials say the man left a briefcase and a threatening note at the building Wednesday afternoon. He was being questioned by police. U.S. Deputy Marshal Kim Heath said the building was evacuated while the incident was investigated. No evidence of an explosive device has been found.
OG & E Rate Hike
01/21/09 5:31 p.m.
The state's largest utility is moving forward with plans for a rate hike. Oklahoma Gas and Electric said Wednesday it will make a planned rate case filing next month.
OG&E had filed notice with the state Corporation Commission of its intent to seek a change in its electric rates. OG&E said then it anticipated such a filing no sooner than Jan. 26. The company said Wednesday it is preparing rate case documentation for a test year ending Sept. 30, 2008. If new rates are approved, OG&E anticipates they will be implemented in August or September 2009. OG&E has more than 769,000 customers in its service area in Oklahoma and western Arkansas.
1/20/09, 2:05 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahomans including civil rights icon Clara Luper and Democratic Party leaders held watch parties today for the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Obama becomes the nation's 44th president and the first black president.
Luper and other black community leaders were holding their watch party at Freedom House while state Democratic party leaders gathered at party headquarters. In Tulsa about 100 people attended an 8 a.m. prayer service at Vernon Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Attendees emerged from the service walking arm-in-arm singing "We Shall Overcome." The service included prayers and words of praise from clergy representing Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu faiths.
01/20/09, 2:10 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum remains closed four days after a mechanical malfunction caused water to pour through the official repository for the Oklahoma City
bombing.
A problem with a rooftop air handler Friday caused the leak. Spokeswoman Kari Watkins said Tuesday that no artifacts were lost because of the water leak. Contractors have brought in more than 20 industrial
dehumidifiers and fans and pulled up carpeting to speed the drying process. Electrical and air conditioning work is also being performed. The museum houses almost a million artifacts, documents, images,
artwork and other items related to the bombing of Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
01/20/09 2:15 p.m.
SWEETWATER, Okla. (AP) - A western Oklahoma town has finished rebuilding a school struck twice by tornadoes in recent years.
The Sweetwater School held a dedication Monday night for its multipurpose building and the Don Riley Gymnasium, named after the superintendent who vowed not to let the district die. It was the final step in rebuilding after tornadoes struck the school in 2003 and again in 2007. One day after a twister struck the school in May 2007, Riley promised that school would start on time that fall. He was off by just five days, and only because new carpet didn't arrive on time. The school, which has about 85 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, was also hit by a tornado in April 2003. Sweetwater is located about five miles from the Texas Panhandle in Roger Mills County.
1/19/09, 3:01p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The celebration of the annual Martin Luther King Day holiday began a day early in some churches in Oklahoma, with those attending services also celebrating the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
About 750 people attended an MLK Day observance held Sunday at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in northeast Oklahoma City, with those speaking noting not only King's accomplishments but the "dream" of the nation's first black president.
In Tulsa, those marching last night in an annual candlelight procession celebrating King's life sang the spiritual "We Shall Overcome" before gathering for a commemorative service at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church. MLK Day marches also were also held today in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
1/19/09, 2:48 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -Conjoined twins born Oct. 25 have been separated by surgeons at OU Medical Center. Hospital spokesman Allen Poston says Preslee Faith Wells and Kylee Hope Wells, who had been joined at the chest since birth, were separated at 12:14 p.m., a little more than an hour after the operation began.
The process involved splitting the girls' livers and a tissue bridge that connected them. Poston says that after the girls were separated, they were placed on their backs on separate beds in the operating room so
that the surgical team, led by David Tuggle and Cameron Mantor, could begin the closing process.
1/19/09, 3:04 p.m.
UNDATED (AP) - Kansas led the nation for tornadoes in 2008 for the second consecutive year. Officials say 187 twisters touched down in Kansas during the year, far more the 116 reported in runner-up Texas and 50 more than the previous state record, set in 2007.
The National Weather Service says Oklahoma finished 2008 with 77 tornadoes. The state averaged 53 per year between 1950 and 2007. On May 10, a tornado killed six peiople in the Picher area.
Nationwide, 125 people were killed in 36 separate tornadoes in 2008, the most fatalities since 130 were killed in 1998. Most of the nationwide deaths came from a single storm system that killed dozens in the southeastern United States during an 18-hour outbreak in early February.
Expansion improved for Insure Oklahoma
1/16/09, 12:38 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Gov. Brad Henry has approved expansion of a state program that helps provide health coverage to uninsured Oklahomans. Insure Oklahoma helps small businesses buy health insurance for their workers. Participating employers pay 25 percent of the insurance premiums, employees pay 15 percent and the state pays 60 percent.
Emergency rules signed by Gov. Henry Friday will expand the pool of eligible businesses, raising the eligibility limits from businesses with up to 50 employees to those with up to 99 employees and ultimately, 250 employees. The rules also allow low-income, full-time college students to
participate in the program.
Governor: Painful cuts in store
1/16/09, 12:35 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Gov. Brad Henry says state agencies need to be ready for painful cuts because the budget shortfall for next fiscal year will be about $600 million. The governor says he wants to protect education, health care and public safety from significant cuts. He's also hoping to avoid layoffs or furloughs for the state's 37,000 workers.
The $600 million shortfall represents about 8 percent of the current budget and includes an estimated $310 million decline in state revenue for the fiscal year that begins July 1. It also includes more than $180 million of one-time revenue sources and carryover money used last year to balance this fiscal year's budget. The rest of the shortfall comes from declining federal money coming to the state - mostly for the Medicaid program.
Henry says he's working on an executive budget to present to legislators when the legislative session begins February 2.
Edmondson tells subcommittee about poultry lawsuit costs
1/16/09, 8:18 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson says private law firms representing the state in its poultry litigation have spent about $25 million so far. Edmondson told a joint subcommittee meeting yesterday that figure will increase unless the litigation is settled.
Edmondson's office is suing poultry producers for allegedly polluting eastern Oklahoma watersheds through excess chicken litter spread as fertilizer. He says his office isn't equipped to spend the kind of money necessary to win the lawsuit. Edmondson says his office put out a request for proposals for legal representation but that professional service contracts are not subject to competitive-bidding requirements. He says Motley Rice of Mount Pleasant, S.C., is the lead firm.
Sapulpa state Rep. Mark McCullough, R-Sapulpa, asked the attorney general about the costs associated with the suit. Some have been critical of the lawsuit, but McCullough says he doesn't want to substitute his discretion for Edmondson's.
House bill could expand coverage to uninsured children
1/16/09, 8:11 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A private advocacy group says more than 55,000 additional low-income children in Oklahoma could receive health insurance coverage under a newly passed House bill. Families USA says if that many enrolled, it would cut the estimated 112,000 low-income children who are no uninsured in about half.
Families USA executive director Ron Pollack says the measure represents a confidence-building down payment towards meaningful health care reform. The U.S. House voted 289 to 139 Wednesday to extend and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The additional coverage for the 4.1 million children nationwide would be funded by a 61 cent increase in the current federal tobacco tax.
Rep. Dan Boren voted for the House bill, while Reps. Frank Lucas, Tom Cole and Mary Fallin voted against it. Rep. John Sullivan was absent. Cole says he supports ensuring poor children, but he said families making $80,000 annually could qualify for the program. Pollack says only New Jersey offers coverage for those making 350 percent of the poverty rate, adding that is well under $80,000.
Pecan farmers to get federal aid
1/15/09, 6:11p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Gov. Brad Henry has announced that federal aid has been approved for Oklahoma pecan farmers in 40 counties hit hard by bad weather last year. Henry requested a disaster declaration in November, citing the impact of the 2007 ice storm, cold weather in April and October of 2008, and heavy rains from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Pecan growers will be eligible for Farm Services Administration emergency loans and other funds.
The disaster declaration covers Alfalfa, Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Choctaw, Cleveland, Coal, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Garvin, Haskell, Hughes, Jefferson, Johnston, Lincoln, Love, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Marshall, Mayes, Murray, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Seminole, Stephens, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington. Farmers in contiguous counties are also eligible for aid.
Study says low bar set for state students
1/15/09, 5:57 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A new study says Oklahoma public school students may be misled to think they are doing better academically than is the case because of low education standards. Sen. Clark Jolley, an Edmond Republican, says he wants to remedy the problem by restructuring the system to improve oversight of student testing.
The study was funded by the Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition. It was written by Dominic J. Brewer, professor of education, economics and policy at the University of Southern California and Kieran M. Killeen, associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Vermont. Stan Lybarger, chairman of OBEC, said the state's school testing program needs to provide a clearer picture of where Oklahoma students stand so they can succeed in college and compete in the global economy.
OC couple claims Powerball prize
1/15/09, 5:52 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - An Oklahoma City couple has claimed a $1 million Powerball prize from the Dec. 27 drawing. Dexter and Tonia Williams matched the five white balls in the drawing to win $200,000. The couple paid an extra $1 for the Power Play which multiplied the winnings by five when the number five was
drawn. The winning numbers were 12, 15, 26, 31, 43 and the Powerball was 10. The Williams missed the Powerball. Dexter Williams says he picked the numbers by looking at the Oklahoma Lottery Web site and choosing ones that stood out to him. He says the money will go toward education funds for the couple's two children and the rest will be invested.
Oklahoman elected to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1/15/09, 5:12 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma native Wanda Jackson has been selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jackson was born in Maud and now lives in Oklahoma City and is considered the first female rock 'n' roll singer.
She got her start in 1956 at the urging of tour mate and then-sweetheart Elvis Presley and still tours at age 71. Jackson says she'll sing at the induction ceremony in Cleveland April 4th and her songs will include "Let's Have a Party" which is a finalist for the Official Oklahoma Rock Song.
Commission order to up PSO bills
1/15/09, 9:07 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has approved an $81.4 million rate increase for Public Service Company of Oklahoma. The order, signed Wednesday, will increase the average residential customer's bill by an estimated 7.6 percent. The Tulsa-based company had initially requested an overall increase in rates and other charges of $126.6 million, and the referee in the case recommended an increase of $92.5 million. The rate increase includes $7.7 million for programs such as burying lines to diminish power failures during bad weather.
Inhofe, EPA nominee discuss Tar Creek
1/15/09, 8:56 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Sen. Jim Inhofe says he's satisfied the nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency will be committed to finishing the Tar Creek buyout. The government is buying property from residents of the contaminated region of northeast Oklahoma and is cleaning up the Superfund site. President-elect Barack Obama has nominated Lisa Jackson as EPA administrator and Inhofe met with her yesterday to discuss Tar Creek. The region has mountains of lead mine waste, open mine shafts and mine collapses left by decades of lead and zinc mining.
Foreclosures increase in Oklahoma
1/15/09, 8:51 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A survey has found the number of homes foreclosed on in Oklahoma increased by 50.1 percent in 2008 over 2007. The real estate data service RealtyTrac estimates in its report that 12,465 properties - or 0.78 percent of all homes in the state - went through foreclosure last year. The national picture was even worse with 2.33 million foreclosures in 2008. That's an 81.24 percent increase from 2007 and 224.8 percent over 2006. RealtyTrac's estimates show 1.22 percent of all homes in the Tulsa area were foreclosed for the 66th highest foreclosure rate in the nation. Oklahoma City has the 78th highest foreclosure rate at 0.97 percent of all homes going through foreclosure.
House Democrats unveil legislative agenda
1/14/09, 4:06 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Democrats in the Oklahoma House have unveiled an agenda for the 2009 Legislature that emphasizes growing the economy, developing new energy industries and protecting
Oklahoma families. Democratic Leader Danny Morgan of Prague said Wednesday House Democrats will work to spend taxpayers' money responsibly and look for smart investments for the state's future.
A key objective of Democrats is growing Oklahoma's economy by expanding jobs in alternative energy sources and other "green" industries. House Democratic leaders say they also will introduce legislation to protect Oklahoma families who are most vulnerable in an economic downturn, including seniors and children.
Proposed Democratic legislation includes guaranteeing a minimum level of health care for children, removing the guardianship fee for grandparents raising grandchildren and preventing denial of health insurance due to pre-existing conditions.
Task force wants $16 million for campus security
1/14/09, 3:20 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A task force formed to examine issues of security on Oklahoma's college campuses is asking for $16 million to provide "baseline funding" for notification, response and mental health counseling budgets, particularly on smaller campuses. The request came on Wednesday as the Campus Life and Safety and Security Task Force formally released its annual report.
The task force is asking legislators to appropriate the $16 million through the state Department of Homeland Security, which would then distribute it on an as-needed basis to Oklahoma's colleges, universities and career technology centers. Gov. Brad Henry created the task force following the April 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech University, where mentally troubled student gunman Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people before killing himself.
Tax, bond proposals fail in Oklahoma
1/14/09, 9:07 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Voters in three Oklahoma elections have said no to a bond proposal and proposed tax increases. Voters in Tuttle rejected a $2.7 million bond issue that would've financed a community center in Schrock Park.
The center would have housed a senior center, public library and community banquet rooms. In Delaware County a proposed one-tenth of one cent sales tax increase to pay for operations at the county jail failed. And in Grove voters said rejected a half-cent motel/hotel tax that would've been used for tourism, industry and economic development.
Man sought in Okla. killings arrested in Texas
1/14/09, 8:59 a.m.
HAMILTON, Texas (AP) - An Oklahoma man charged with killing his girlfriend and her four children in El Reno is jailed today in central Texas pending extradition. Twenty-five-year-old Joshua Steven Durcho is held without bond in Hamilton, about 125 miles northwest of Austin. The Texas Department of Public Safety says Durcho was caught last night after a one-vehicle crash on State Highway 36.
A check of Durcho's ID showed he was wanted in Oklahoma. Durcho is charged with five counts of first-degree murder. Police in El Reno on Monday found the bodies of 25-year-old Summer Garas and her children in their apartment. The three girls and a boy ranged in age from 3 to 7.
Investigators are seeking a motive for the killings. -- DPS spokesman Tom Vinger says a trooper was headed to an accident when a car went past him and the officer looked in the rearview mirror and noticed the car being driven erratically. Vinger says the trooper turned around to go after the driver and Durcho's car hit a guard rail then a tree. Vinger says Durcho probably was watching the trooper in his mirror and not paying attention to where he was going.
State revenue collections remain strong
1/14/09, 8:47 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Tax revenue collections were strong again in Oklahoma last month. According to a report by state Treasurer Scott Meacham, sales taxes increased 3.6 percent in December over the same month a year ago and gross production taxes on oil and gas were up 75 percent. Meacham says he's surprised at the strong showing because it reflected Christmas sales through Dec. 15.
The report says total revenue collections for the month were up $38 million, or 7 percent, from a year ago. They were $56 million, or 11 percent, above the revenue estimate upon which the current state budget was built. The revenue report wasn't all rosy, however. Meacham said personal income tax collections declined by nearly 6 percent from the previous year. He attributed it to an increasing unemployment rate and a tightening of the belt by state companies. Motor vehicle taxes also were down 25 percent from a year ago, reflecting weak sales of cars and trucks.
Meacham assesses economy for governor
1/14/09, 8:36 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State Treasurer Scott Meacham says Oklahoma's economy has escaped relatively unscathed from the recession, but pension funds are down more than $5 billion and tax collections may decline later. In an eight-page letter to Gov. Brad Henry on Tuesday, Meacham assessed the state of the economy, government finances and outlined steps for weathering the remainder of the economic storm.
He urged pension administrators to keep their long-term strategies and not gamble on speculative ventures to try to make up losses. Meacham recommended further investments in the EDGE economic development fund to continue to diversify the economy and steps to help the state's natural gas industry such as tax credits for vehicles powered by compressed natural gas. He said the state's Rainy Day Fund has almost $600 million to be used if economic woes worsen, but he did not think it should be tapped at this time.
Anti-meth campaign launched statewide
1/13/09, 6:05 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A statewide anti-meth campaign is being launched on television stations across Oklahoma."Crystal Darkness" will air at 6:30 tonight on all the state's major television stations. Organizers say the idea is to educate the public about the crippling effects of the drug and hopefully reduce demand.
Oklahoma saw a dramatic drop in the number of clandestine labs used to produce the powerful stimulant after passing a law that regulated the sale of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient. But demand for the drug has remained high in Oklahoma, and most of the meth is a crystal version of the drug produced at"superlabs" in Mexico and then smuggled into the U.S. Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics spokesman Mark Woodward says he's hoping the show will emphasize addiction and how to reduce demand for the drug.
Click here for more information about Crystal Darkness Oklahoma.
New GOP pro tem outlines reform agenda
1/13/09, 6:00 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee has outlined a program to bring more efficiency to state government. Coffee's legislative priorities include creating a new office to conduct regular performance audits, recommend efficiencies in government and review the effectiveness of tax incentives.
The Oklahoma City Republican is proposing to end Senate patronage in the appointment of tag agents by the Oklahoma Tax Commission. He also wants to create an office that would be in charge of various information systems of state agencies.
ORU begins layoffs
1/13/09, 5:52 p.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Dozens of employees at Oral Roberts University started receiving word this week that they will be laid off. University spokesman Jeremy Burton says employees to be laid off will be notified throughout the day. He says ORU will release more information later today.
Last November the school said it would lay off about 100 employees - or about 10 percent of its work force. The school did not specify which departments would be targeted but the school says employees whose positions are affected will continue to be employed by ORU for 60 days.
The layoffs come days after ORU completed a separation agreement with former President Richard Roberts that will pay Roberts $447,200. Roberts stepped down in late 2007 amid allegations he misspent school funds to live in luxury.
Dell settles with states over financing claims
1/13/09, 5:52 p.m.
SEATTLE (AP) - Dell Inc. says it's agreed to a legal settlement with 46 at least states - including Oklahoma - over claims the computer company made misleading financing and service offers to PC buyers. Dell will pay $3.85 million to the states participating in the settlement. A portion of the money will be used to reimburse states for legal costs.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says consumers who were offered zero-percent financing were later hit with high interest rates and fees. He says some faced unacceptable obstacles getting warranty service on their Dell computers and others said they never received promised rebates. People who bought a computer or service on or after April 1, 2005 and had a problem with a financing offer, rebate or service can file a claim within 90 days with state attorney general.
Whites no longer majority in urban schools
1/12/09, 5:42 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A state school official says poverty and a growing population of minority students, including non-English speaking Hispanics, are presenting major challenges to public schools in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Sandy Garrett, state superintendent of public instruction, released the statistics during a meeting Monday of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education.
Garrett said whites now make up only 22 percent of the student population in Oklahoma City. Hispanics are the biggest minority at 40 percent, followed by blacks at 30 percent, American Indians at 5 percent and Asians at 3 percent. In Tulsa, whites total 34 percent of the population, the same as blacks, with Hispanics at 20 percent, Indians at 11 percent and Asians at 1 percent. More than 80 percent of students in both districts qualify for free or reduced lunches because of their families' low income levels.
Murphy takes Corporation Commission oath
1/12/09, 5:22 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Republican Dana Murphy has been sworn in as the newest member of the state agency that regulates utilities and the oil and gas industry. Murphy recited the oath of office Monday for one of three seats on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. She defeated Democratic Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth in the general election in November.
Murphy took her seat as her colleagues on the commission and legislative leaders focus attention on alternative energy sources, including nuclear energy, to help the nation achieve energy independence. Murphy says the commission can help utilities build a nuclear plant by assisting with paperwork during the permitting process and providing rate relief during construction. But Murphy says the high cost of a nuclear plant -- estimated at between $5 billion and $6 billion -- may force utilities to form regional partnerships.
Downtown ballpark to be named ONEOK Field
1/12/09, 5:06 p.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa's new downtown baseball stadium will be named ONEOK Field. ONEOK Inc. and the ONEOK Foundation said Monday they have pledged $5 million to secure 20-year naming rights to the stadium, which will be the future home of the Tulsa Drillers, Tulsa's Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball team.
The $60 million ballpark project includes construction of the stadium and acquisition of surrounding land for mixed-use redevelopment. It will be located directly west of the historic Greenwood District and adjacent to the Brady and Blue Dome entertainment districts. The ballpark will be owned by the Tulsa Stadium Trust, which is a public trust that has the city of Tulsa as its sole beneficiary.
Minister chosen for inaugural prayer service
1/12/09, 2:27 p.m.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A former Bartlesville pastor will deliver the sermon at the National Prayer Service during the inauguration of Barack Obama as president. The Rev. Sharon Watkins is now pastor of a Protestant denomination with about 700,000 members in the United States and Canada.
Watkins will be the first woman to give the sermon at the traditional event which will be held January 21 at the National Cathedral in Washington. Watkins is president and general minister of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is the first woman to hold that job. The National Prayer Service will include prayers, readings and hymns delivered by religious leaders of a variety of faiths.
Census Bureau to hire 1,000
1/12/09, 11:49 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The U.S. Census Bureau plans to hire about 1,000 people in coming weeks to work temporary jobs out of its office in Tulsa. The bureau opens its Tulsa office today and Regional Director Dennis Johnson says workers will be needed in every community.
The Census Bureau hires temporary workers every 10 years to collect information used to determine how many congressional seats each state has. The data is also used to determine what community services to provide and to distribute $300 billion in federal money to local, state and tribal governments each year. The bureau will begin recruiting an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 temporary employees this fall for work in 2010.
The employees will work out of five offices scattered across Oklahoma. An Oklahoma City office has already opened. Starting pay begins at about $10 per hour for some office positions and ranges up to $25 per hour for management jobs.
Deadline set in lawsuit against DHS
1/12/09, 9:09 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A New York-based children's group has a March 9 deadline to propose changes it wants to see in Oklahoma's child welfare system. Children's Rights is suing the state Department of Human
Services over what it says is an inadequate system of foster care for children.
Federal Judge Gregory Frizzell wants Children's Rights to provide a list of proposals he could order if the group wins the lawsuit. Children's Rights director Marcia Lowry says the group hasn't completed it's fact-finding process but she says some problems are obvious.
She says child welfare workers have too many cases, there are too few foster homes and some of the foster homes are not appropriate for children and she expects to ask for reforms in those areas.
Senate boosts wilderness protection across US
1/12/09, 8:54 a.m.
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a rare session today, the Senate advanced legislation that would set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness. Majority Democrats assembled more than enough votes to overcome GOP stalling tactics in an early showdown for the new Congress.
Republicans complained that Democrats did not allow amendments on the massive bill, which calls for the largest expansion of wilderness protection in 25 years. The bill's chief opponent, Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, denounced what he called Democratic bullying tactics. Coburn and several other Republicans complained that bill was loaded with pet projects and prevented development of oil and gas on federal lands, which they said would deepen the nation's dependence on foreign oil.
Appropriations just part of cash flow
1/12/09, 8:39 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - State government agencies processed more than $26 billion in the last fiscal year. But only $7.1 billion of the revenue was actually appropriated by the Oklahoma Legislature. An Oklahoma State Senate report says state agencies processed a total of $26.4 billion. That's a figure roughly equivalent to American Airlines' annual revenues.
A similar sum can be expected for the fiscal year that began July 1. In 1992, total state revenues were $8.3 billion. Of 2007's $22.3 billion, only $8.3 billion was directly derived from state taxes.
Some $4.6 billion went into various state insurance trusts, such as public employee retirement funds and federal unemployment programs administered by the state. Those same trusts paid out $1.8 billion in benefits.
Arena boosts tax revenue
1/12/09, 8:32 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Events at Tulsa's new BOK Center have boosted city, county and state sales taxes by $1,091,515 since the arena held its open house at the end of August.
Financial reports obtained by the Tulsa World indicate the arena generated $651,730 in sales tax revenue in October and November. That figure is based on 26 ticketed events at the venue including concerts by the Eagles, Carrie Underwood and Metallica,
Oilers hockey games and a five-performance run of the circus, among others.
Each event produced tax revenue from more than $8.2 million in sales of tickets, merchandise and concessions. The events had a combined attendance of 142,189. October's sales tax figure was $338,414 and November's was $313,316.
