Tulsa Public Schools will be closed on Election Day in November, potentially creating financial strain for many low-income families in the district and delaying classroom instruction at a time when Tulsa students remain far behind their peers in academic outcomes.
Tulsa is among the more high-profile districts to close its doors on Election Day, along with the Oklahoma City school district.
LAWSUITS
Tinker Federal Credit Union vs. Raychel L. Warren and Sean M. Warren for $5,061.44 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.
MidFirst Bank vs. Diana Jenkins for $3,162.78 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.
Discover Bank vs. Julia A. Armstrong for $5,269.91 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.
Cavalry SPV I LLC vs. Rick Palacios for $5,559.62 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.
The city of El Reno is seeking a $1.5 million loan from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to enhance the well fields that provide water for the city. And once the work is completed, as much as 25 percent of the debt could be written off.
City council approved the action last week. The loan is expected to help the city increase its water capacity by as much as 65 percent, Mayor Matt White said.
White said that was just a guess, but the city has been working to increase water production and has seen good results.
Six artists from across Oklahoma and other states converged on the alley next to the Canadian County Health Department last week to paint the latest murals in the project known as El Reno Walls.
The murals took three days to complete.
Josh Davis wants to ensure Canadian County communities are ready for the next disaster – whether it’s a tornado, ice storm, flood, wildfire or chemical spill.
“My first and foremost priority is the citizens of Canadian County,” said Davis, Canadian County’s new emergency manager and safety coordinator.
“I’m here to support the emergency services.”
A retired firefighter, Davis has been on the job just over two months.
“Everybody’s been really welcoming and open to me being in my new position,” Davis said.
Canadian County’s elected officers are due to receive a salary increase Jan. 1, 2023.
A resolution establishing a base pay for county elected officers, pursuant to Oklahoma state statute, was approved unanimously by county commissioners.
The $49,500 base salary will be for the eight county officers positions – three commissioners, assessor, treasurer, county sheriff, clerk and district court clerk.
The deadline to request absentee ballots by mail is approaching. Applications must be received by the Canadian County Election Board no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 24.
County election board acting secretary Allen Arnold said absentee voting is available to all voters and can be submitted several ways.
“In Oklahoma, no excuse is needed to vote by absentee ballot, and it’s easy to apply,” Arnold said.
“Voters can submit their application online, in-person, by fax, mail, or even email.”
OKLAHOMA CITY – Thousands of Oklahoma families have used Oklahoma’s new open transfer law to send students to the public schools that best meet their needs.
Nearly 11,000 transfer requests have been made since the open transfer law took effect this year, with more than 8,400 transfers approved, according to State Department of Education data.
“In less than a year, Oklahoma is already seeing big success with open transfer,” said House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka.
A 2021 state law that expanded the ability for families to seek open transfers so their children can attend other public school districts has resulted in a significant increase in transfer requests.
But new data indicate the process continues to disproportionately exclude many students currently stuck in Oklahoma’s worst-performing schools because neighboring suburban districts continue to refuse admission.
OKLAHOMA CITY - General Revenue Fund collections in September totaled $849.1 million, which is $243.7 million, or 40.2 percent above the monthly estimate.
This is $176.9 million, or 26.3 percent above collections in September 2021.
Total GRF collections for the first three months of fiscal year 2023 are $2.2 billion, which is $510.2 million, or 30.8 percent above the estimate, and $392.8 million, or 22.1 percent above prior year collections for the same period.
