Ukrainian surgeons in Oklahoma
Several Ukrainian surgeons are expected to travel to Oklahoma next month to get specialized training for war-related facial injuries.
War injuries are often severe and life-altering, and unlike other types of injuries. The Ukrainian doctors will work with OU Health surgeons to learn advanced head and neck reconstruction techniques.
Three Ukrainian surgeons completed the training in June, and another group is set to arrive in August. OU Health says it's the only academic health system in the US training Ukrainian surgeons for this kind of war-related injuries. The United Nations estimates that as of June more than 15,000 civilians were injured in the ongoing war. The Ukrainians will live with Oklahoma families during their training.
SAG strike Oklahoma
The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is on strike. The strike will impact film and television production in Oklahoma.
SAG-AFTRA, which represents approximately 160,000 actors and artists, began their strike against the Allegiance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Friday, July 14. Their strike follows the Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,000 writers, starting their strike against AMPTP in May.
The strike will likely affect the production of Twisters, a movie directed by Golden Globe-winning director Lee Isaac Chung, which filmed in downtown Oklahoma City earlier this year. This comes as Oklahoma has attempted to draw more film and television productions to the state through incentives like the Filmed in Oklahoma Act and the Oklahoma City Film Incentive Program.
Mosquitos awareness
Mosquitoes thrive in wet conditions. So, after a couple weeks of heavy rains, Oklahomans should be conscious of how to prevent the spread of the species.
July has been far wetter than normal in Central Oklahoma, providing mosquitoes with an abundance of breeding sites. Justin Talley is an entomologist at Oklahoma State University
"So anything that can retain water, so even like the French drains that can be attached to your gutters, if those are not really flushed out, the bottom part of those French drains can develop mosquitoes," Talley said.
Some mosquitoes in Oklahoma carry illnesses, including West Nile Virus.
Mosquito control can help prevent further breeding of the insects and transmission of the diseases they may carry. The Cleveland County Health Department is offering larvicide, which kills mosquito larva in larger wet areas, like ditches, rain barrels or unused swimming pools. The larvicide is available for free through the summer at the Health Department in Norman.
SWOK water woes
Southwestern Oklahoma communities face water problems as they head into a week of high temperatures. OPMX’s Graycen Wheeler has more.
The Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District supplies more than 17,000 people with treated water from Foss Reservoir. Its water plant shut down on Thursday for emergency repairs, according to the City of Hobart, which relies on Foss as its only water source. The city asked residents to conserve the water left in their towers and warned repairs could take days.
Just southwest of Foss, the Quartz Mountain Water Plant Board has declared a separate water emergency for Lone Wolf, Granite, Quartz Mountain State Park and the Oklahoma State Reformatory. Despite recent rain, the wells that supply those systems are only providing half the plant’s capacity. That’s according to the Towns of Granite and Lone Wolf, which are implementing odd/even outdoor watering days and asking residents to conserve as much as possible.
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