Coyle Audit
An investigative audit of the small town of Coyle found thousands of dollars misappropriated in 2018 and 2019.
The audit found the town’s former treasurer and clerk Jennifer Jones, misappropriated nearly $64,000 in Town and Coyle Public Works Authority funds.
The report also lists $6,219 of questioned costs related to unauthorized payroll payments to Jones and her spouse, William Jones.
State Auditor Cindy Byrd says anyone handling public money must have extensive oversight and accountability.
The audit report has been given to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the District Attorney’s office.
OKC To Transform Former Elementary School Into Park
An old elementary school site in Northeast Oklahoma City will soon become a park.
The Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation Department and the Planning Department’s Strong Neighborhoods Initiative requested to purchase the 4.22-acre property from Oklahoma City Public Schools for a new park in Ward 7.
This property acquisition marks the completion of a five-year revitalization effort by the city in collaboration with the Capitol View neighborhood.
The city bought the property for $350,000. The top priority for the new park is to build on recent public art installations and create a butterfly-themed park featuring pollinator gardens.
OKC Parks will design the park and prepare the construction documents, as well as manage and maintain it, once it has opened.
Bisen Expansion Project
The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are receiving federal money from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to grow their bison herd. The funds are through a larger program to advance climate resilience and restore lands and waters.
There are about 650 bison in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes’ herd in Western Oklahoma. But that number will soon go up.
The Cheyenne and Arapaho Bison Expansion Project is meant to increase the herd’s size, improve ecosystem health and seek a market for bison products.
Two other expansion projects in North Dakota and Idaho are also receiving federal funds. In total, the Bureau of Indian Affairs is allocating $1.5 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the projects.
Bison help shape the Great Plains ecosystem. For instance, they increase plant biodiversity and provide nesting grounds for birds through their grazing habits. In Oklahoma City, I’m Anna Pope.
Oklahomans have until January 16th to secure health insurance from the federal marketplace. StateImpact’s Jillian Taylor reports the state is already seeing an increase in enrollees after many Oklahomans lost Soonercare last year.
ACA Marketplace
Hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans lost Soonercare coverage as state agencies resumed eligibility renewals for the first time since the pandemic. Health insurance policy analyst Lousie Norris says this has fueled a 38% increase in enrollment for federal marketplace plans in Oklahoma compared to last year. And there’s still time to enroll.
“This is your last opportunity really to get coverage for 2024 unless, if you have a qualifying event later in the year," said Norris.
Oklahomans can submit their income to see if they’re eligible for enhanced federal subsidies, which could cover some or all of their premium. Local assistance is also available on the marketplace’s website.
NOTE: The next episode of the KGOU AM NewsBrief will be Tuesday, Jan. 16.
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