Oklahoma County Continues Search For Jail Location
After initial plans to build the new Oklahoma County Jail near Will Rogers World Airport fell through, county commissioners met on Wednesday to discuss other possible sites.
Oklahoma County needs to replace its troubled county jail, but where to put the new facility continues to be a problem. Concerns from the Federal Aviation Administration about the proximity of the jail to the airport forced the county to consider other options.
That was the subject of Wednesday’s meeting, where, as the Oklahoman newspaper reports, Del City officials adamantly opposed locating the jail on east Grand Blvd., citing concerns about the impact on businesses and schools in the Del City area. Multiple potential sites for the new jail continue to be evaluated by Oklahoma County commissioners.
Illnesses On The Rise In Oklahoma
Oklahoma is experiencing a winter health crisis.
Former president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association Dr. George Monks says right now, RSV cases appear to be at their peak.
A map by the Oklahoma State Department of Health shows every section of the state being above the baseline 10% test positivity rate.
Monks also reported a significant prevalence of COVID and flu infections.
With illnesses on the rise, health officials urge vigilance during winter gatherings. Protective measures like handwashing and staying home when you are sick are the best ways to protect yourself. Vaccines are also available for all three illnesses.
Oklahoma City Urban Heat Island Results
The Climate Adaptation Planning and Analytics Heat Watch released Oklahoma City’s urban heat mapping results. The results will be used to make recommendations on how the city can combat extreme heat.
It was a rainy day when OKC did its heat mapping campaign in August, but the results still showed there was nearly a 15-degree temperature difference between the hottest points in the city and the coolest ones.
Sarah Terry-Cobo is the associate planner for Oklahoma City’s Office of Sustainability, and led this year’s campaign.
She says she was surprised to see neighborhoods with old growth trees hotter than other neighborhoods with fewer trees.
“A more affluent area like Mesta Park has a lot of older tree canopy that's intact. And that, you know, is still pretty hot compared to some of these other neighborhoods that we were expecting to be very hot," Terry-Cobo said.
She says this is a sign that heat from the previous day is staying trapped in roofs, roads, and sidewalks throughout the neighborhood.
The city is developing an intervention guide book for 2024 that will help it determine best places to plant trees and develop cooling shelters.
OU Defeated In Alamo Bowl
The OU football season ended in disappointment Thursday night, as the Sooners were defeated by Arizona 38-24 in the Alamo Bowl.
OU quarterback Jackson Arnold made his big debut as the starter after Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon. Still, hopes are high for Arnold as OU heads to the SEC next season.
NOTE: The next episode of the KGOU AM NewsBrief will be Wednesday, Jan. 3. From all of us at KGOU, have a safe and happy New Year.
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