Archive for the Week of September 7, 2008 - September 13, 2008
News Archives (Week of September 7, 2008)
Some evacuees making way to Oklahoma
9/12/08, 4:15 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State emergency officials say some Hurricane Ike evacuees are arriving in Oklahoma and more are expected. Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten says the department and Oklahoma City officials are working together to operate a shelter in western Oklahoma City.
The shelter is where up to 1,800 Hurricane Gustav evacuees from Louisiana stayed.
Ooten says evacuees needing information should call 211. She says the state Department of Transportation has posted signs on major travel routes with the message about 211.
Ooten says the remnants of Ike are expected to bring heavy rain to the southeastern third of Oklahoma late Saturday and early Sunday.
Heavy rains drench NW Oklahoma
9/12/08, 4:11 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Heavy rains have drenched northwest Oklahoma with 7 to 9 inches of rain and several county, state and federal roads are closed. The Department of Public Safety reports portions of U.S.
Highways 81, 281 and 412 and state Highways 11, 45, 58 and 8B are closed.
DPS also says the Canadian and Cimarron rivers are rising and more flooding is expected. Michelann Ooten with the state Department of Emergency Management says state Highways 60, 64 and 132 plus numerous county roads are also closed.
A flash flood watch continues for the northwest region through Saturday morning.
Bush attracts protesters, supporters at events in Oklahoma
9/12/08, 3:39 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - President Bush's visit to Oklahoma City today brought out both protesters and supporters. A half-dozen members of an anti-war group protested outside a private fund-raiser and a meeting on health care. At the Presbyterian Health Foundation the president discussed his health care plan with small business officials. Outside the meeting Nathaniel Batchelder of thee Oklahoma City Peach House said Bush's support of John McCain is a promise to keep war going for another four years. Meanwhile, Dianne Webb was among a handful of people gathered to show support for the president. She said many Oklahomans support and appreciate what the president is doing.
OC, Tulsa rise in jobs survey
9/12/08, 11:16 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Oklahoma City and Tulsa each moved up in a study of which cities are most successful in creating and keeping jobs. The Milken Institute's Best Performing Cities 2008 report ranks Oklahoma City 50th and Tulsa 72nd of the nation's 200 largest metro areas. Tulsa was No. 98 in the study last year and Oklahoma City was No. 108. The Provo-Orem, Utah, area is No. 1 on the list. Research economist Armen Bedroussian with the Milken Institute says Oklahoma City and Tulsa have had less exposure subprime
lending and have had fewer home foreclosures. He says the two cities also benefit from rising demand for
energy and higher energy prices.
Bush quietly raises money for McCain
9/12/08, 2:27 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - President Bush is expected to help raise 1 million dollars at a private fund-raiser in Oklahoma City today. The president attended a luncheon at the home of beer distributor John Cresap where supporters paid a minimum of $1,000 per person. Couples wanting a photo taken with Bush paid $5,000 and those wanting to go to a private reception with the president laid down $25,000.
The money will benefit Republican presidential nominee John McCain and other GOP candidates. A Republican official speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak for the McCain campaign said about 1 million dollars would be raised at the event.
Bush to attend events in Oklahoma
9/12/08, 9:15 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - President Bush arrived at Tinker Air Force Base this morning as part of a brief visit to Oklahoma today. The president will discuss health care intiatives, honor volunteers and raise money for the Republican Party.
Bush will honor the founders of projects that aid soldiers and their families at a ceremony at Tinker. Dan Rooney will be recognized for raising money to go toward educating the children and spouses of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Karen Stark will be honored for the Hugs Project which provides handmade cooling ties for troops. The president will attend a roundtable discussion on health care
with a women's business group at the Presbyterian Health Foundation Conference Center near downtown Oklahoma City.
His final stop will be a fundraising reception at a private Oklahoma City residence for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and the Republican National Committee. A group opposed to the war in Iraq plans to protest during Bush's visit.
More Oklahoma college graduates staying in state
9/11/08, 3:48 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Graduates of Oklahoma public colleges are remaining in Oklahoma to work at the highest rate since such statistics have been tracked. The Employment Outcomes Report says that five years after graduation, 61 percent of those who received bachelor's degrees following the 2001-02 academic year were employed in Oklahoma. That is up 2 percent from the previous year and is the highest percentage since state higher education officials began compiling such numbers six years ago. The report also found that one year after their graduation, of those who received bachelor's degrees during the 2005-06 academic year, 82 percent had jobs in Oklahoma.
Health Dept: Food tests show no sign of E-coli
9/11/08, 3:45 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State health officials say an analysis of food samples from a restaurant at the center of a deadly E-coli outbreak in northeast Oklahoma shows no signs of contamination. The State Department of Health also reported Thursday that the number of people sickened by the outbreak has increased to 248, including 46 children. One person has died.
Department spokeswoman Leslea Bennett-Webb says its possible that contaminated food may have been thrown away before it could be tested. The investigation is centered on the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove, where most of those sickened ate. The restaurant has remained closed since Aug. 25.
Federal highway bill could restart state projects
9/11/08, 9:45 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Nearly 83 million dollars in state transportation projects could go forward once President Bush approves an 8 billion infusion into the federal highway trust fund. The U.S. Senate approved moving the money from the general fund after federal Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said the trust
fund would be out of money by the end of the month. The House is expected to vote on the plan today.
The trust fund reimburses states for road and bridge projects. The Oklahoma Transportation Commission has postponed 30 projects but Transportation Director Gary Ridley says he'll now ask commissioners to approve the work.
Governor declares emergency ahead of hurricane
9/11/08, 9:20 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Gov. Brad Henry has declared a state of emergency for Oklahoma just in case hurricane evacuees from Texas are brought to the state. Hurricane Ike is expected to hit Texas Saturday and Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten says evacuees could begin arriving any time.
The governor's declaration clears the way for the state to get federal disaster assistance to cover expenses related to housing evacuees. Oklahoma City police Sgt. Gary Knight says volunteers and emergency responders are preparing the old Lucent Technologies plant in western Oklahoma City.
Consent decrees signed in lawsuit
9/11/08, 9:12 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A federal judge has signed a consent decree that gives the U.S. Department of Justice oversight of the L.E. Rader Center in Sand Springs. The department will address physical assaults, suicide attempts and sexual assaults at the Rader Center which is where violent juveniles are held.
The consent decree is between the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs. It's expected to last for three years. The federal agency began investigating Rader four years ago and
eventually filed a lawsuit over conditions at the center. If the terms of the decree are fulfilled it will resolve the
lawsuit.
OU to be powered completely by wind by 2013
9/9/08, 5:30 p.m.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - University of Oklahoma President David Boren says the school's Norman campus will be completely powered by wind by 2013. Boren made the announcement Wednesday along with Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Pete Delaney. OU will purchase the wind-generated power from OG&E, which is building a new commercial-scale wind farm near Woodward in
northwestern Oklahoma.
Boren says the initiative is one of the largest renewable energy commitments ever made by a public university in the United States. Boren says OU also plans to expand its use of vehicles powered by compressed natural gas, or CNG, and will open a new CNG refueling station on campus in November.
Ardmore native tapped to head Freddie Mac
9/10/08, 12:45 p.m.
ARDMORE, Okla. (AP) - An Ardmore native has been tapped to run the troubled mortgage-finance company Freddie Mac.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson named David M. Moffett the new chief executive officer on Sunday as part of the Treasury Department's takeover of the Virginia-based mortgage giant.
The 56-year-old Moffett is a 1970 graduate of Ardmore High School and the former vice chairman of US Bancorp. Moffett holds degrees from the University of Oklahoma and Southern Methodist University.
State sees immunization increase
9/10/08, 12:36 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State health officials say the immunization rate for children from 19 to 35 months has reached its highest level ever. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks Oklahoma 15th in the percentage of children in that age group who've had all the recommended vaccinations.
The study found 78.5 percent of Oklahoma children are immunized compared to a national average of 77.4 percent. Oklahoma ranks 15th in the nation in percentage of children who've had their vaccinations compared to 22nd last year and 48th in 2004.
Oklahoma has 6 Blue Ribbon schools
9/10/08, 12:02 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Six schools in central, southern and eastern Oklahoma have been named U.S. Blue Ribbon Schools as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. The Oklahoma Department of Education nominated Ardmore Middle School; Homer Elementary in Byng; Norman North High School; Schwartz Elementary in Oklahoma City (Mid-Del Public Schools district); Sequoyah Elementary in Shawnee and Washington Elementary in Sapulpa.
School Superintendent Sandy Garrett says there are now 75 schools in Oklahoma that have been named Blue Ribbon Schools and have met the award's rigorous criteria. The schools must score in the top 10 percent on state reading and math exams at all grade levels assessed or have demonstrated dramatic gains in student achievement in areas of reading and math. They also must have at least 40 percent of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds. A delegate from each school will travel to Washington for a formal ceremony scheduled for October 20th.
Plans to send Ike evacuees to Oklahoma on hold
9/10/08, 11:29 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State emergency management officials say plans to transport Hurricane Ike evacuees to Oklahoma City have been canceled for now, but that could change.
State Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten says it's likely that no evacuees will be transported from south Texas to Oklahoma today. She says Oklahoma will remain on standby to receive evacuees both before and after Ike makes landfall.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are predicting that Ike will slam into Texas somewhere near Corpus Christi early Saturday morning. If Oklahoma does receive evacuees, they would be housed in the former Lucent Technology building in western Oklahoma City. Last week, that shelter housed about 1,800 evacuees who left Louisiana before Hurricane Gustav hit.
Revenue up, led by sales taxes
9/10/08, 10:16 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Collections of state sales taxes and gross production on natural gas showed a big jump in August. The monthly state revenue report was released Tuesday, showing total general revenue collections were up about 11 percent in August over the same month a year ago.
State Treasurer Scott Meacham said a 17 percent increase in sales taxes indicate Oklahoma's economy remains healthy, even during a national economic downturn. Gross production taxes are up 69 percent over last year, reflecting higher natural gas prices. The increase in the two tax categories more than made up for a 4.6 percent decline in total individual and corporate income taxes.
Remains identified as missing Altus soldier
9/9/08, 5:15 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The remains of an Altus soldier missing in action since World War II have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors. Department of Defense officials announced Tuesday the identification of the remains of Pvt. James W. Turner of Altus. He will be buried Sept. 11 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
Turner was a member of the 112th Infantry Regiment in November 1944 when his company came under attack by the Germans near the town of Vossenack. In 2005, a German citizen searching for wartime relics found human remains and other items, including Turner's military identification tag in the HJurtgen Forest, near Vossenack. The items were turned over to military officials, who used them to identify the remains.
International Paper to shut Okla. paper machine
9/9/08, 3:50 p.m.
VALLIANT, Okla. (AP) - International Paper Company says it will shut down its paper machine operation in Valliant. The closing will result in about 60 layoffs.
The company says the employees will be given severance and other assistance. The machine produces about 430,000 tons of containerboard a year for corrugated packaging. IP vice president Carol Roberts says the closing is to allow the company to match production to customer needs.
Edmondson discusses case against poultry producers
9/9/08, 3:36 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State Attorney General Drew Edmondson says he believes his federal lawsuit against poultry producers will be finished or settled by the end of his current term. Edmondson sued in 2005 to prevent 13 Arkansas poultry companies from disposing chicken waste in the Illinois River watershed.
The lawsuit claims the waste is polluting the water. Attorneys for the poultry companies say bacterial levels in the watershed haven't changed in 20 years. Speaking Tuesday at the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health Edmondson said the case is set to go to trial next September.
Edmondson's current term expires in 2010. Edmondson also has requested a temporary injunction against the poultry companies. A federal judge in Tulsa heard testimony concerning that request in March but has yet to rule.
Enrollment up at Insure Oklahoma
9/9/08, 3:29 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Insure Oklahoma program is enrolling 1,000 uninsured Oklahomans each month. But members of a state health care task force said Tuesday more can be done to increase participation in the health insurance premium assistance program and reduce the number of uninsured Oklahomans.
In 2004, state lawmakers passed the Insure Oklahoma program, designed to help small businesses provide health care coverage for their low- and middle-income employees. Under the program, the state pays 60 percent of insurance costs, the employer pays 25 percent and the employee pays 15 percent.
The state's portion of the cost is funded by tobacco tax revenue and federal Medicaid matching dollars. Currently, about 13,500 people participate in Insure Oklahoma but it can afford up to 40,000.
Boren eases OU hiring freeze
9/9/08, 9:05 a.m.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - President David Boren says hiring will continue at the University of Oklahoma's Norman campus despite a campus-wide hiring freeze he announced last month.
Boren says department heads and administrators will go through a longer process to make certain the positions they want to fill are needed.
The hiring slowdown is in addition to a 9.9 percent increase in tuition and fees. And faculty were given 2 percent pay raises instead of the 4 percent officials had hoped to give. OU officials ay the moves are in response to a 22 million dollar increase in costs but no increase in state funding. Boren spokesman Jay Doyle says there has been no change in the policy and that Boren hopes to minimize exemptions to the freeze to jobs that affect university safety or are essential for student education.
Investigation ongoing into E. coli outbreak
9/9/08, 8:59 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State health officials have interviewed about 1,300 people and want to talk to more as they investigate a deadly E. coli outbreak in northeast Oklahoma. The outbreak of the rare E. coli 0111 was traced to the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove and is blamed for one death and more than 200 illnesses.
Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley with the state Health Department says about 20 people remain hospitalized. Some are undergoing treatment for organ failure. Bradley says officials still want to talk to families with children who ate at the restaurant Aug. 15, 16 or 17 whether they became sick or not. The restaurant remains closed and a spokeswoman for the owners says they are not sure if it will open again.
Shortfall may defer state road projects
9/8/08, 5:40 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The state Transportation Commission has postponed almost $83 million in state highway projects because of a projected shortfall in the federal Highway Trust Fund. Transportation Director Gary Ridley said Monday the slowing economy and conservation efforts due to high gas prices has meant fewer transportation dollars are flowing into the federal fund.
Ridley says Oklahoma and other states tap into the fund to reimburse state spending on federally approved road projects. But U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters says the fund could be exhausted as early as next week.
Ridley says Congress and President Bush must act quickly to avoid prolonged delays in state highway projects. Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe has announced his support for legislation to restore $8 billion to the Highway Trust Fund. For more on this story, go to the ONR Blog.
Henry seeks new amusement park ride rules
9/8/08, 5:30 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Gov. Brad Henry has rejected proposed rules drafted by the Department of Labor to regulate amusement ride operators. Henry asked the agency Monday to write a new set of guidelines out of concern for amusement ride safety at state and county fairs across Oklahoma.
The governor says the first proposal would have unintentionally jeopardized ride safety rather than enhanced it. Henry says he wants the Labor Department to improve the rules and make sure it has enough manpower to implement them. Henry's action does not affect existing state requirements that all rides be inspected and certified as safe, and that all ride operators meet minimum competency standards.
Oklahoma rating for GO bonds upgraded
9/8/08, 5:32 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State officials have been notified of an upgrade in Oklahoma's rating for general obligation bonds. Oklahoma's bond rating has been increased by Standard & Poors from AA to AA-plus for GO bonds which are issued by the state after a vote of the people.
Treasurer Scott Meacham says the higher rating means Oklahoma will pay lower interest rates on public financing for capital improvement projects. Bond ratings are based on such things as economic conditions and stewardship of public funds. S&P ratings range from AAA to D.
Officials say the improvement in the bond rating also reflects the state having a rainy day fund of nearly 600 million dollars and steps taken to improve the financial stability of the teacher
retirement system.
20 Oklahoma Co. deputies deploying to Louisiana
9/8/08, 4:43 p.m.
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. (AP) - A second team of Oklahoma County sheriff's deputies will deploy to Louisiana to assist with law enforcement efforts there. Sheriff's office spokesman Mark Myers says 20 deputies will
depart Tuesday for Morgan City, La., which suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Gustav. Myers says the team will spend about a week assisting local law enforcement officers. The first team of 19 deputies that traveled to Morgan City last week is scheduled to return on Wednesday.
Midsize towns consider coalition
9/8/08, 9:25 a.m.
MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) - Officials in Muskogee are considering forming a coalition of midsize cities to compete for"quality-of-life" funds from the state Legislature. City Manager Greg Buckley says small towns and cities benefit from the Rural Economic Action Program. But the state's two largest cities - Oklahoma City and Tulsa - split $50 million for projects in a state bond issue this year.
Tulsa's $25 million will go towards a low-water dam project on the Arkansas River. Buckley says cities of Muskogee's size received nothing. Muskogee's population is about 40,000. Buckley says the combined population of midsize cities exceeding 15,000 people is about the same as Tulsa and Oklahoma City's combined populations. The proposal will be discussed by the city council Monday night.
State targets illegal cigarettes
9/8/08, 8:30 a.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - State Treasurer Scott Meacham is calling on the Creek Nation to halt the sale of "illegal" cigarettes at numerous Creek-affiliated stores in the Tulsa area, according to a published report. Meacham said the cigarettes are contraband because they are not on the state's list of approved cigarettes and thus do not bear a state tax stamp.
The state's approved list comes from the Master Settlement Agreement, which requires that tobacco manufacturers and their brand families be listed on the Directory of Compliant Tobacco Manufacturers maintained by the attorney general's office. The cigarettes are discount cigarettes with brand names such as Seneca, Skydancer and King Mountain. The sale of alleged contraband cigarettes is part of the state's ongoing dispute with the Creek Nation over tobacco taxes.
BOK Center opens for business
9/7/08, 12:30 p.m.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa's new BOK Center arena is officially open for business. The legendary rock band the Eagles took the stage inside the BOK Center Saturday night for the arena's first concert. Two and one-half hours before the Eagles took the stage, fans were lining up at its glass doors or sitting in front of the outdoor stage listening to the local band Admiral Twin warm up the crowd.
Many people say they had no problem finding a nearby parking spot. Others say they were excited to see the inside of the arena after watching its construction. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the arena on Aug. 31, 2005. Almost exactly three years later, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Aug. 30 for the $178 million, 18,500-seat arena.
ODOT studying fund shortfall
9/7/08, 9:26 a.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma transportation officials are reviewing their options after news that the Federal Highway Trust Fund will run out of money at the end of the month. U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced yesterday that the federal account used to help pay for highway and bridge
projects will run 200 million dollars short of its commitments for the fiscal year that ends September 30th. That will mean a delay or a possible reduction in how much it gives to states to pay for road and bridge projects.
Peters blamed the funding shortage on high gasoline prices, which have led Americans to drive less and a lesser amount of gasoline taxes collected. O-DOT spokeswoman Terri Angier says officials will decide what recommendations to make to the Oklahoma Transportation Commission on Monday. Oklahoma receives about 500 million annually in federal funds for highway and bridge projects.
