Archive for the Week of July 27, 2008 - August 2, 2008
News Archives (Week of July 27, 2008)
Updated: School funding petition drive kicks off
7/31/08, 4:05 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A petition drive to require the Legislature to increase funding for public schools has kicked off in Oklahoma. The plan has drawn criticism from lawmakers, who say it will force tax increases.At the Capitol, three Republican House members blasted the plan at a news conference. House Education Chairman Tad Jones of Claremore says it would likely force a tax increase. Other lawmakers say it could lead school consolidation and cuts in road funding.
OEA kicks off initiative petition drive
7/31/08, 3:55 p.m.
SAND SPRINGS, Okla. (AP) - Teachers and parents are kicking off a petition drive to increase funding for public education in Oklahoma by $850 million. The HOPE, or Helping Oklahoma Public Education, campaign aims to amend the state constitution and require the Legislature to fund public education that's at least equal to the average per-pupil spending amount in neighboring states.
The campaign is backed by the Oklahoma Education Association, among other groups, and wants to collect 200,000 signatures by the first week of November. That goal is well above the 138,970 needed to place the question on the ballot.
ACOG issues Ozone Alert for central Oklahoma
7/31/08, 2:39 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments has issued an Ozone Alert for Friday in central Oklahoma. Ground-level ozone is the primary component of smog and is a health and environmental concern from May to September. It's formed by nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds mixing in the presence of intense sunlight. Little or no wind further adds to the problem.
People with increased health risks include those with asthma, adults over 65, children under 18, persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, people with cardiovascular disease, and those with diabetes.
OGE unit reaches settlement over power plant deal
7/31/08, 2:22 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (AP) - Oklahoma Gas and Electric says all but one of the groups involved in the utility's proposed investment in a natural gas power plant have agreed to support the deal. The utility plans to pay $434.5 million for a 51 percent stake in the Redbud power plant in northeast Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Gas and Electric would operate the 1,230-megawatt plant for the other owners, the Grand River Dam Authority and the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority. The deal now goes to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The company is seeking the state agency's approval to recover the cost of the purchase from rate payers. Oklahoma Gas & Electric is a unit of OG&E Energy Corporation.
Ark. environmentalists question drilling in WMAs by Oklahoma firm
7/31/08, 10:10 a.m.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Environmental groups are criticizing and questioning Arkansas' agreement with an Oklahoma natural gas firm that wants to drill in wildlife areas. Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy is to pay the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission 29.5 million dollars to drill for natural gas on more than 11,500 acres of Arkansas wildlife areas.
Officials with the Arkansas Wildlife Federation, Audubon Arkansas and the Sierra Club say they were surprised by the move and weren't included in any discussions. They also say they have questions about how many wells Chesapeake plans to drill in the areas and what impact the exploration and drilling will have on water and wildlife. The leases allow exploration in the Petit (PETTY) Jean River WMA in Yell County and the Gulf Mountain WMA in Van Buren County.
Witness list in ORU lawsuit include the well-known
7/31/08, 10:01 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A list of possible witnesses in a lawsuit against Oral Roberts University includes several well-known politicians. The preliminary list names Senators Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn plus former Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune and Tulsa County Commissioner Randi Miller. It also includes former U.S. Representatives Bob Beauprez of Colorado and James Traficant of Ohio and former ORU President
Richard Roberts and school founder Oral Roberts.
The lawsuit by former ORU professors Tim and Paulita Brooker claims Richard Roberts forced Tim Brooker's government students to help with Miller's 2006 race for mayor. It also says Brooker was forced to lie to the IRS about Roberts forcing the students to help with the campaign.
Unemployment increases in June
7/31/08, 9:52 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State officials say Oklahoma's unemployment rate rose in June, but remained slightly lower than the rate reported during the same period last year. According to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, the jobless rate increased from 3.5 percent in May to 4.2 percent the
following month. There were 73,260 people without work in June. In June 2007, the unemployment rate was 4.6 percent.
The OESC says the highest unemployment rate was in McCurtain County, in the state's southeastern tip. The jobless rate there hit 7.3 percent, 1 percent higher than in May but 0.4 percent lower
than in June 2007. Beaver and Woodward counties, in northwestern Oklahoma, had the lowest unemployment rates, 2.5 percent.
20 busiest bridges still await repair
7/31/08, 9:45 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - An A-P analysis shows Oklahoma's 20 busiest structurally deficient bridges have yet to be fixed. And the state is planning to repair or replace only five of those soon. The review also found that only one of the state's most trafficked deficient bridges, the I-40 Crosstown Bridge in Oklahoma City, is being replaced.
Three other states shared Oklahoma's distinction of having work done on just one bridge: Indiana, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The findings come nearly a year after the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minnesota, which killed 13 and hurt 145. Despite calls after the collapse to fix the aging structures, the AP found that two of every three of the busiest problem bridges in each state - carrying nearly 40 million vehicles a day - have had no work beyond regular maintenance.
Pickens calls wind power cheaper than foreign oil
7/31/08, 9:12 a.m.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens acknowledges an energy plan he's pushing would be expensive. But, he says, it's still cheaper than continuing to buy foreign oil. He estimates it would cost $1.2 trillion to build new wind farms across the Great Plains and the transmission lines to carry the power.
Pickens argues the United States should make the investment to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. He says the wind farms would free up natural gas now used to generate electricity for use in transportation. Pickens has started a $58 million campaign for his plan. He came to Topeka for his first town hall meeting.
About 450 people crowded into the hall where he spoke, and an additional 600 listened outside, according to security.
Study indicates abundant supply of natural gas
7/31/08, 8:58 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A study released today by a Washington foundation that promotes the use of natural gas indicates that the U.S. has enough supply of the fuel to last for more than a century. The study was prepared for the American Clean Skies Foundation by Chicago-based consulting firm Navigant Consulting Inc. It showed that the nation has 2,247 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves. Rick Smead, the consulting group's director and a co-author of the study, says that would be an 118-year supply at 2007 production levels. He says the U.S. consumes 22 trillion cubic feet of gas per year.
Aubrey McClendon is the foundation's chairman and the chairman and chief executive officer of Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. He says that technological advancements during the past decade have given energy companies the ability to retrieve natural gas from so-called "unconventional sources" such as shale formations, tight sands and coalbed methane.
U.S. Senate race set
7/30/08, 10:10 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma senior U.S. Senator James Inhofe sailed to an easy victory on Tuesday night to earn the Republican nomination and set up a General Election showdown with State Senator Andrew Rice. Inhofe, seeking his third full term, won 84% of the vote to cruise past three challengers.
Rice, who is in his first term in the state senate from Oklahoma City, picked up 60% of the Democratic vote to dismiss perennial candidate Jim Rogers in the race for the Democratic nomination.
Congressmen John Sullivan and Dan Boren scored overwhelming victories in earning their party nominations. Sullivan got 92% of the vote in taking the Republican nomination in the 1st District, while Boren earned 85% of the vote to win the 2nd District Democratic nomination. Sullivan will face political newcomer Georgianna Oliver in the General Election. Oliver defeated Mark Manley to grab the Democratic nomination in the 1st District.
See results from the July 29, 2008 Oklahoma Primary Election
Roth awaits GOP primary winner
7/30/08, 9:59 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Dana Murphy has narrowly defeated two-term state Rep. Rob Johnson in the Republican primary for a seat on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, the former administrative law judge captured 51 percent of the vote, defeating Johnson by fewer than 3,000 votes out of nearly 134,000 votes cast. Murphy says she attributed the success to a grassroots effort in recent weeks.
Johnson spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars on his campaign, much of it on television commercials showing him playing with his children, walking through wheat fields and visiting in the halls of the state Capitol. He credited Murphy with running a tough race and says he's looking forward to spending more time with his two young daughters.
The 48-year-old Murphy now will face incumbent Democrat Jim Roth in November in the race to fill an unexpired two-year term on the commission, which regulates the energy industry.
Tulsa Co. commissioner defeated
7/30/08, 9:12 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A former top executive with Bell's Amusement Park in Tulsa has defeated a county commissioner who voted to close the park last year. Sally Bell beat Commissioner Randi Miller in the Republican primary by getting 81.5 percent of the vote. Miller was part of the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority which decided not to renew the lease with the amusement park. Bell was vice president and chief financial officer of the park and criticized the way the authority handled the matter. Bell will face Democrat Karen Keith in the Nov. 4 general election.
Rinehart defeated in county commissioner race
7/30/08, 8:58 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Embattled Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart is handily defeated tonight in a GOP primary. Rinehart faces felony campaign corruption charges and lampooned his opponents in a crude campaign comic book. With all of the district's precincts reporting, Rinehart finished third in a three-way primary with 1,900 votes, or 21 percent. Rinehart says he plans to return to his heating and air
conditioning business.
Former county employee Brian Maughan led with 4,238 votes, or 47 percent. Former Bethany Mayor J.D. Johnston had 2,808 votes, or 32 percent, enough to force an Aug. 26 runoff election with Maughan. The winner of that runoff will face Harrah Democrat Jim Dickinson, who captured 54 percent of the vote in a three-way Democratic primary. Rinehart came under fire earlier this month when he mailed a 16-page cartoon book as part of his re-election campaign that makes fun of gays and criticizes Rinehart's political opponents. The book featured an angel who supports Rinehart and Satan, who supports his critics. It also included a gay man in a toga chasing a Boy Scout.
Updated: Federal judge approves request for case dismissal
7/30/08, 8:15 a.m.
MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) - A federal judge today dismissed the criminal case against a McAlester businessman who died before he could be formally sentenced. U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White granted a request by attorneys to throw out the indictment and $500,000 fine against Francis Stipe, who died July 14th.
U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling said a U.S. Supreme Court ruling supports arguments presented by Stipe's attorney, Warren Gotcher. The nation's high court in 1971 ordered a judge to drop the prosecution of a man who died pending an appeal. The 78-year-old Stipe pleaded guilty during his federal trial in April to charges of political corruption and witness tampering. He agreed to spend three years on probation and pay a fine.
The case involved thousands of dollars in taxpayer money that went to a McAlester dog food plant co-owned by Stipe's brother, former state Senator Gene Stipe. Gene Stipe also has been indicted, but his case has been suspended while he undergoes mental competency testing at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.
OKC asks citizens to conserve water due to heat
7/29/08, 5:03 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma City officials are asking citizens to voluntarily conserve water because of low water pressure levels in a western portion of the city. Officials say other isolated parts of the city are also experiencing low water pressure.
City utilities department director Marsha Slaughter says the long stretch of hot weather has increased demand for water. Slaughter says the city does not need to impose water rationing or use restrictions but wants its citizens to voluntarily take steps to reduce water usage.
Those steps include watering lawns only in early morning or late-afternoon hours; making sure only lawns - not sidewalks - are being watered; and using a broom instead of water to clean driveways and sidewalks.
Suspense lacking in election
7/29/08, 9:40 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Voting is underway across the state in Oklahoma's primary elections. State Election Board Secretary Michael Clingman is estimating turnout at less than 30 percent of the state's 1.8 million registered voters.
There are three statewide races on the ballot - two on the Republican ballot and one on the Democratic side. Republican Senator Jim Inhofe faces three candidates in the GOP primary and is considered a shoo-in for the nomination.
Democratic state Senator Andrew Rice faces Jim Rogers for the Democratic nomination to face the Republican winner. The other statewide race is for the Republican nomination to a seat on the state Corporation Commission. State Representative Rob Johnson faces administrative law judge Dana Murphy with the winner meeting Democrat Jim Roth in the general election.
Democratic Congressman Dan Boren and Republican Congressmen John Sullivan face little known candidates today. Representatives Mary Fallin, Tom Cole and Frank Lucas have no primary opponents.
Francis Stipe's attorney asks for case dismissal
7/29/08, 8:15 a.m.
MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) - An attorney for Francis Stipe is asking a federal judge to dismiss a criminal case against him and return the $500,000 fine Stipe paid. Stipe pleaded guilty to charges of political corruption and
witness tampering but he died July 14 before he was formally sentenced.
Attorney Warren Gotcher says the case should be dismissed and the money returned because Stipe wasn't sentenced. U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling says a U.S. Supreme Court ruling supports Gotcher. The 1971 ruling by the Supreme Court ordered a judge to drop the prosecution of a man who died pending an appeal.
Henry not in area of Istanbul explosions
7/28/08, 10:35 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Governor Brad Henry, his wife Kim and state Treasurer Scott Meacham were in Istanbul, Turkey, at the time of two deadly explosions but were not in the area and are not injured. The Sunday night blasts killed at least 17 people but Henry spokesman Paul Sund says the governor, his wife and Meacham are all"fine."
The three are in Turkey as part of a cultural, business and educational exchange program paid for by the Institute for Interfaith Dialog. They're scheduled to tour cultural and government sites in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antaylya and Capodoccia.
Lobbyists' spending declines
7/28/08, 8:22 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A new law that reduces how much lobbyists can give to state officials is forcing lobbyises to wean themselves of giving gifts to lawmakers.
Reports filed by lobbyists with the state Ethics Commission indicate that lobbyists gave $73,652 to lawmakers during the first six months of this year. That's down from nearly $120,000 a year ago. Reports show that House Republicans received the most gifts.
The 57 House Republicans received $33,269 in gifts for the first six months of this year, or nearly half the amount given to all 149 legislators. The 43 House Democrats received $16,486. Democratic senators had a slight edge in receiving gifts in the evenly split Senate. Lobbyists reported giving the 48 senators $24,196 in gifts, with $12,883 going to Democrats.
More Oklahoma News:
RedHawks owners talking with Mantle family about museum (7/31/08)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Officials with the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks are talking with the family of Mickey Mantle about creating a museum and educational facility in the team's ballpark. RedHawks owner Scott Pruitt says he's talked with the family about putting the museum in the west plaza of the stadium. The plaza is along Mickey Mantle Drive in downtown Oklahoma City. Pruitt says a museum would be one part of the project that could also include youth programs, a national awards ceremony and the telling of Mantle's life story. Mantle was born in Spavinaw and grew up in Commerce before going on to a Hall of Fame career with the New York Yankees. He died in Dallas in 1995.
Council bans skateboards from park (7/23/08)
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) - Complaints of poor behavior, vandalism and litter have led the City Council to pass an ordinance banning skateboards from a downtown park. The council voted 3-0 yesterday for the ordinance. It was proposed last month after residents and business owners near Norris Park complained about the behavior of some of the people in the park, primarily those with skateboards. Mayor Ken Purdey says officials have no choice but to respond to the complaints of the citizens. Penalties for violating the ordinance, which takes effect Aug. 21, include confiscation of the skateboard for 30 days on the first offense. A second offense means confiscation of the skateboard for 90 days and a possible fine of as much as $200.
Historic homes get shot at future (7/21/08)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The new executive director of Preservation Oklahoma, Inc., says she wants to increase the agency's statewide presence and provide public education programs that are related to advocacy. Sheila Spurgeon says the trend is to tear down buildings and replace them with something new. Spurgeon says the Gold Dome is one example in Oklahoma City where older, historic buildings can still be used. The Gold Dome formerly housed Citizens State Bank and was scheduled to be demolished in 2001.
After efforts by Preservation Oklahoma Inc. and Dr. Irene Lam, who bought the property in 2002, it now holds an Asian cultural center, a restaurant and retail and office spaces, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Tulsa employees moving into new City Hall (7/21/08)
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - About 180 city workers in Tulsa are spending their first day in new offices. The employees moved last Thursday to the new City Hall at One Technology Center. A second group of 180 employees are planning to move next weekend. City officials say some customer services will remain at the old City Hall location at the Civic Center through September. Payment drop boxes also will remain at the current City Hall location until the move to One Technology Center is completed at the end of September.Mayor Kathy Taylor and 16 workers from her office will be the latest occupants of Tulsa's new city hall. Taylor and the workers are scheduled to relocate to One Technology Center by midweek. The City Council won't move until the end of September, after renovations and construction on a council meeting chamber. The council committee meetings and the regular council meetings will continue to be held in their present locations.
