The state Senate has passed a bill that aims to protect child abuse victims from their abusers.
Republican Sen. Casey Murdock’s Senate Bill 291 was passed unanimously on Monday. The bill would add victims of child abuse to the list of people who are eligible for victim protective orders, which currently includes victims of domestic abuse, stalking, harassment, and rape.
Under the provisions of the bill, an adult could file on the behalf of a minor who is the victim of child abuse, which is in line with current rules for obtaining VPOs for minors.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration. If approved, the bill would take effect on Nov. 1.
Since the start of the year, Clinton residents have been without a hospital following Alliance Health's decision not to renew its lease for the city-owned facility. Now, the hospital is now taking first steps toward reopening.
The hospital recently went through a preliminary state inspection with additional ones to follow to determine what modifications will be needed to bring the facility up to code. And there is some encouraging news. A spokesperson for Carrus Health says the state’s inspection went well, and that the hospital's condition was better than anticipated. This could potentially reduce the time required to get the hospital up to code and open again.
According to the Clinton Daily News, Carrus plans to reopen the hospital in phases. The first phase will include the emergency room, surgical unit and all outpatient services. Although a specific opening date for the first phase is still to be determined, an urgent care facility providing minor medical care is expected to open soon.
The Chickasaw Nation is set to expand its medical center. Construction began last week to add new services to the tribal nation's campus in Ada.
The construction project includes an expansion of Chickasaw Nation's surgery department, a new administration building, an employee gym and a parking garage.
The 12,000 square-foot surgery addition will include new operating rooms to reduce wait times for patients seeking care.
Chickasaw Nation Medical Center opened in 2010 and served more than 1.2 million patients last year.
The state Tourism Department is launching a one-point-two-million-dollar marketing campaign.
The “Imagine That” promotion includes new television and digital ads to inspire residents to travel close to home and lure more tourists to the state.
The TV ads will air across Oklahoma and in neighboring states such as Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Texas, while digital marketing efforts will target a larger audience online.
In 2021, tourism was the third largest industry in the state generating a record of more than ten billion dollars from the more than 17 million visitors.
A massive new shrine honoring Stanley Rother – the first American Catholic martyr is now open.
The Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City opened last week with a Mass.
The shrine has a 2,000-seat sanctuary, a visitor center, gift shop and a small chapel serving as Rother's final resting place.
The archdiocese’s goal is to serve a growing hispanic community on OKC’s Southside with the centrally located church.
“We gather here to honor the God who created all of this and the God who is glorified in his saints. We honor blessed Stanley because we are giving glory to God," said Archbishop Paul Coakley memorializing Rother during his homily.
Rother was born in Okarche. The 46-year-old priest was killed in Guatemala in 1981, becoming the first person born in the United States to be declared a martyr by the Catholic Church.
The No. 1 ranked Oklahoma Sooner softball team suffered their first defeat of 2023.
A 4 run third inning is all it took for unranked Baylor to defeat National Championship favorite Oklahoma on Saturday. Despite out-hitting the bears, timely pitching kept the powerful OU offense at bay.
The loss is just the 8th in the last 3 years for the Sooners, who’ve amassed 123 wins in the same span. In a team twitter post, Head Coach Patty Gasso remarked, “What just happened is extremely valuable. What's valuable is the response, the rebound and the extra work that is going to be put in to make us better.”
This weekend, the Sooners head to California for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, where they will face No. 2 UCLA among several others for tournament number 3 of 6 this season. OU softball will also see Baylor again in Waco April 21-23 for Big 12 play.
_________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU PM NewsBrief.