Oklahoma Highway Patrol Issues Ticket Over Tribal Plate
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol appears to be abandoning decades of precedent of honoring many tribal nation car tags.
The Otoe-Missouria Tribe says one of its citizens was given a $249-dollar ticket for failure to pay state taxes on their motor vehicle.
The reasoning, The Oklahoman newspaper first reported, is that she lived outside her tribal nation’s boundaries.
The ticket sent shockwaves throughout Indian Country. Tribal citizens have routinely driven cars with their nation’s tags without penalty for years in Oklahoma.
It’s unclear what will happen next. But the newspaper is reporting on a memo sent to troopers. The memo says to ticket Native drivers who use a tribal tag registered to a vehicle primarily parked outside of their tribal nation’s boundaries.
Update On Heartland Flyer Extension Proposal
Kansas and Oklahoma are eying an extension of the Heartland Flyer rail route connecting Oklahoma City to Newton, Kansas. As officials anticipate an announcement about competitive federal rail funding this month.
The new segment would have six stops between Oklahoma City and Newton, Kansas. At the northern end of the line, passengers could transfer to the existing Southwest Chief, which runs between Los Angeles and Chicago.
On the current timeline, the train could be operational in about six years. Cory Davis works with the Kansas Department of Transportation. He says the project could be expedited if it’s selected as part of the Federal Rail Administration’s Corridor ID program.
We submitted our application in March and have had good conversations with FRA and Amtrak. So we're hopeful that we will be included in that announcement in late November," said Davis.
KDOT’s proposed schedule runs once a day in either direction, which could pose a problem for some travelers — especially in Kansas, where the train would only stop between 11:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Wilma Mankiller's Descendants Say They Were Left Out On Barbie Plans
Mattel announced the launch of the Wilma Mankiller Barbie on Tuesday, but Wilma Mankiller’s descendants say they were left out of the loop.
Felicia Olaya the eldest and only living daughter of Wilma Mankiller. She claims she was not consulted nor aware of Mattel’s plans, and found out after the release through a cousin.
"Myself, nor any of the Mankiller family that I’m aware of was included in even the knowledge of this Barbie doll being made, a replica of my mom," said Olayas.
Olaya also claims the box features a photo of her and her late sister. Olaya says she did not give permission for this image to be used. Mattel claims they worked with the Mankiller Estate, which is controlled by Mankiller’s widowed husband Charlie Soap, and the Cherokee Nation.
Olaya says while she loves the doll and sees it as an inspiration for Native girls, she wishes she’d been included.
OMMA Cracking Down On Growers' Sign Violations
The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority is seeking to revoke the licenses of 165 grow facilities in the state as the growers have failed to post signage on their property violating a year-old law.
Commercial growers in the state must have a sign on their operation showing their name, phone number, address and business license number.
If they don’t put up a sign within 60 days after the renewal of their license, the law requires it to be immediately revoked. Authorities say consistent regulations are needed for the state to shape a balanced cannabis market.
This is part of the state's larger effort to expand compliance and enforcement on medical marijuana facilities.
In the past year alone, the authority seized close to five tons of illicit cannabis, and pulled more than 70,000 plants off the market.
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