Two People Killed In Plane Crash In Oklahoma City
Authorities are investigating after two people involved in a plane crash died on Sunday.
Officials say a single-engine plane crashed near Wilshire Boulevard and Council Road shortly before 10:30 yesterday morning.
When emergency crews arrived they observed an adult male attempting to rescue the second passenger from the plane, which was fully engulfed.
The second passenger was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities say the pilot was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
Officials confirmed late Sunday night that the pilot had also died.
An investigation into the crash continues.
As Ryan Walters Orders National Superintendent Search, TPS Set To Consider Johnson's Status Monday
As Tulsa Public Schools fights to keep its accreditation, State Superintendent Ryan Walters is demanding a nationwide search for a superintendent despite the wishes of local elected leaders.
In a letter posted to social media, Walters said the district should search for a candidate who will “make bold steps” to ensure the district’s success.
Walters threatened to lower or remove the district’s accreditation over the summer and has given the district additional demands as its leaders present academic improvement plans to the state board on a monthly basis.
Mayor G.T. Bynum and school board president Stacey Woolley have both said they want interim superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson as TPS’ official leader.
In response to Walters’ letter, Woolley emphasized local control of the district.
"The people in this city voted for the people who are on the school board to do the job that we were elected to do, and we are in a time of extreme challenge and believe that it’s appropriate to move forward in a way that best serves Tulsa Public Schools students," said Woolley.
Despite Johnson’s plan to use proven methods to increase reading scores in the district, Walters’ letter says TPS should “stop playing around the edges with programs that do not work.” When asked what he meant by this, a spokesperson for Walters said the letter speaks for itself.
Oklahoma Among The Highest States With Long COVID Symptoms
Oklahoma has one of the highest rates of adults who have experienced long COVID symptoms, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Long COVID refers to when someone has continued or developed symptoms three months after they had COVID-19.
In Oklahoma, about 34% of nearly 540,000 respondents said they have experienced symptoms lasting longer than three months.
Christian Worstall is a senior copywriter with health information company HealthAdvisor. He analyzed the Census Bureau data released last month and says multiple factors may contribute to these statistics.
“Those who are unvaccinated, it looks like, might be a little bit more vulnerable to long COVID. … And people who had an underlying condition," said Worstall.
Symptoms of long COVID include things like fatigue, brain fog, chest pain and heart palpitations.
Oklahoma Organizations Offering Bilingual Services
Latino and Hispanic communities are growing in rural America. Oklahoma organizations are offering bilingual services to adapt to population shifts in the state.
The Hispanic or Latino workforce is growing about four times faster than the Non-Hispanic or Latino workforce in Oklahoma’s rural 40 counties. That’s according to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
Institutions in the state like High Plains Technology Center offer bilingual services like nighttime English as a Second Language classes.
Barclay Holt is the superintendent of the center. He says most attend the class to learn English but some go to learn conversational Spanish.
“I mean, I think it’s more accepted that, ‘Hey, you know, this is a vital part of our economy and we’re either going to accept it or we’re not going to be able to communicate with our workers.' Necessity is the mother of invention, you know?,” said Holt.
Holt says these services will only continue to be more necessary.
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