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AM NewsBrief: May 29, 2024

This is the KGOU AM NewsBrief for Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

Oklahoma Senate Committee Advances Stitt Education Nominees

Oklahoma senators advanced various agency and cabinet nominations from Gov. Kevin Stitt in a Senate Education Committee meeting Tuesday. But a former Trump aide nominated to the State Board of Education was left off of the agenda.

The committee advanced several nominees, including Zachary Archer to the State Board of Education and Nellie Tayloe Sanders as Secretary of Education.

Sanders voted in favor of establishing the nation’s first publicly funded religious school during her time on the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board.

Oklahoma City Democratic Senator Carri Hicks asked Sanders about accountability for schools getting state funds.

"Do you believe that they should all be held to the same transparency, that they should all be held to the same reporting requirements to ensure that we have an accurate accountability mechanism to be able to measure that return on investment?," Hicks asked.

"Yes," replied Sanders.

Notably absent from the agenda was Alex Gray for the Board of Education.

Nominees have to be carried by a senator, and his area’s senator, Hicks, declined, citing a lack of qualifications. But instead of another senator stepping in to carry, Gray’s nomination appears to have stalled out.

The nominations now head to the full Senate.

Major Oklahoma Interstates Face Summer Congestion Due to I-235 Bridge Construction

Three major Oklahoma interstates will be clogged with congestion beginning this week. More on what an I-235 bridge construction means for Oklahoma motorists this summer.

Many Central Oklahomans will have to find a new route for daily commutes around Oklahoma City. Construction on the southbound lanes of I-235 recently wrapped up. But now construction has begun on the northbound lanes, and it will snarl traffic and close lanes on multiple major thoroughfares.

Motorists should expect significant delays at the junction of Interstates 235, 35 and 40. Traffic will be shifted and narrowed between I-40 and Sheridan Avenue on Northbound I-235 through July.

Workers are rehabilitating bridges over Reno Avenue, the Union Pacific Railroad and Sheridan Avenue.

The $4 million project is set to be completed within two and a half months.

Marietta Dollar Tree Distribution Center To Close Following Tornado

The Dollar Tree distribution center in Marietta is closing down after sustaining extensive damage from an EF-4 tornado in April.

A company spokesperson said the facility is unable to be reopened in the foreseeable future, and the decision has been made to shut down the warehouse.

The distribution center had employed more than 450 people.

Gov. Stitt Announces Commissioning Committee for U.S.S. Oklahoma Submarine

Construction on the Navy’s new Virginia-class nuclear submarine U.S.S. Oklahoma continues on the east coast. Gov. Kevin Stitt Tuesday announced the creation of the boat’s commissioning committee.

Stitt and the state’s U.S. Senators will serve as honorary chairs. The committee includes Greg Slavonic, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, whose wife, Molly, is the vessel’s official sponsor.

A press release from Stitt says one of the first orders of business for the commission is to develop scholarship opportunities for the Oklahoma’s sailors looking to further their education while serving.

The submarine is expected to go into service in 2027 and will be the first U.S. Navy vessel to carry the name Oklahoma since the battleship Oklahoma was sunk by the Japanese surprise attack at Pearl Harbor more than 80 years ago.

New OKC Arena Plans Include Potential Commuter Rail Hub Connecting Metro Area

New transportation options could soon arrive in the Oklahoma City metro, with plans for a potential transit center included in the new nearly $1 billion arena project.

A large commuter rail that could carry sports fans from Norman and Edmond may someday come to downtown Oklahoma City.

The OKC council approved development plans for a new basketball arena last week. The plans include a commuter rail hub that fans across the metro.

The city plans to reserve sixty-thousand square feet of land near E.K. Gaylord Boulevard.

"It really sounds transformational for our region to think, you know, people at Oklahoma City, Edmond and Norman can choose to take a train ride to the heart of downtown and all that it has to offer, and not have to worry about parking or driving or whatever," said Jason Ferbrache, Oklahoma City Parking and Transit director.

Oklahoma City, Edmond and Norman residents are expected to vote on funding for the intercity rail service in early 2025.

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