Oklahoma City has received more than $10 million in federal grants to improve its public transportation system.
Oklahoma City’s Embark transit service received a grant for $5.8 million from the federal government’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program. The funds will be used to plan transit service expansion including the new Northwest bus rapid transit route, which will begin service this fall.
A second grant for $4.3 million from the Federal Transportation Administration will be used to buy nine CNG buses to be used in the new BRT system.
In addition, the BRT system is receiving funding from the eight-year MAPS 4 sales tax.
Oklahoma’s Department of Wildlife found a diseased deer nearby Woodward County this week. This is the state’s second known case of Chronic Wasting Disease.
The Department of Wildlife found a second infected deer after a landowner reported the deer was acting abnormally.
Chronic Wasting Disease has been present across the country and found in wild deer in every state that borders Oklahoma.
The deadly disease affects the brains of animals like deer, elk and moose by creating sponge-like holes in their brains.
Oklahoma’s first case of an infected deer was confirmed the first week of June in the panhandle.
State wildlife officials say they’re ramping up mitigation efforts to help slow the potential spread of the disease.
Although, there has never been a documented case of wild deer spreading the disease to humans or livestock, the CDC still advises people to avoid eating meat from a diseased animal.
The federal government is offering small businesses in Tulsa and surrounding areas some help after the severe storm in June.
Small Business Administration public information officer Corey Williams said businesses and nonprofits are eligible for loans up to two million dollars to repair property,
machinery, inventory and equipment.
"There were a number of restauranteurs, a number of businesses, that were out of power for, you know, up to a week, and that caused severe economic injury to the businesses, whether that be canceled contracts, lost inventory, the like," said Williams.
Because of this, small businesses are also eligible for loans designed for economic recovery. Williams said these loans have zero interest the first year, and said they can be deferred in that time.
Interested business and nonprofit owners may speak to SBA representatives at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center at Owen Park Community Center in Tu
Williams says the Disaster Loan Outreach Center will open July 7 and operate through July 27.
The Quapaw Nation will hold a special election Saturday for the role of Business Committee Chairman.
Normally the Quapaw Nation would elect a new Business Committee Chairman next year, in 2024. However, voters will cast their ballots a year early following the resignation of former chairman Joseph Byrd.
Byrd resigned after a recall petition was circulated calling for his ouster.
The Business Committee chairman leads the tribe with more than 3,000 members based in far Northeast Oklahoma.
Now, three candidates are running to replace him including Grace Goodeagle, Barbara Kyser Collier and current Secretary Treasurer Wena Supernaw.
One candidate that won't be on the ballot despite trying: former Business Committee Chairman John Berrey. He received two challenges to his candidacy and was deemed ineligible to run.
Elections will be held tomorrow Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm at the Quapaw Nation Tribal Complex in Quapaw.
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