Data Show “Very High” COVID-19 Prevalence In Oklahoma
Disease experts are reporting a surge in COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma.
The outbreak comes ahead the usual and expected uptick in the fall.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention test wastewater - sewage basically - to monitor the prevalence of COVID.
The latest data show Oklahoma among the 27 states in the “very high” category.
Also, laboratory testing reported by the state Department of Health is showing about a 22% positivity rate, which is well above the baseline for this time of year.
It’s not a crisis, but a reminder that COVID spikes aren’t always predictable and it remains important to use proper hygiene, and if you’re sick, the experts say, stay home.
Oklahoma Joins Lawsuit Against Biden Administration Over Voter Registration Executive Order
Oklahoma has joined eight other states in suing the Biden Administration over its voter registration efforts.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is one of eight attorneys general listed in a federal lawsuit filed in Wichita, Kansas last week.
The lawsuit stems from an executive order issued by President Joe Biden in 2021 directing federal agencies to expand access to voter registration.
Methods outlined in the order include the consideration of “ways to provide access to voter registration services and vote-by-mail ballot applications in the course of activities or services that directly engage with the public”.
The states claim the executive order is unconstitutional and may cause monetary and procedural harms. Additionally, they say it infringes on their right to regulate their own voter registration process.
Oklahoma High School Faces Backlash Over Creation, Christianity Assignment
Skiatook High School is facing backlash about a recent world history assignment focusing on creation and Christianity. This comes on the heels of the State Superintendent’s mandate on Bibles in the classroom.
Former Osage Principal Chief Jim Gray and his wife Olivia are parents to a sophomore named Nettie, who last week asked for help on a world history project.
The assignment asks students to explain how the world started, with questions like, “What does it mean to be Christian?”
“Nettie was like, ‘How do I write this?’ And the more I started trying to break it down and talk to her about different way she could write it, the more angry I was getting," said Olivia.
After their conversation, Olivia made a Facebook post, which garnered over 400 shares. Twenty-four hours after the post went live, Nettie’s teacher, Erich Richter, took down the assignment.
But Olivia says that isn’t enough. She wants to ensure her daughter’s education promotes critical thinking and sets her up for her dream job of being a psychologist.
Langston University Mourns Loss of Assistant Football Coach Darryl Mason
An assistant football coach at Langston University died this weekend after suffering a medical episode during practice.
Darryl Mason was the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Langston Lions.
A statement from the university says Mason had a medical emergency on Saturday and was transported to a Guthrie hospital, where he later died. He was 63.
Before joining Langston’s staff in 2013, Mason coached at Minnesota and Tulane, among others.
He also played tight end at the University of Arkansas from 1978 to 1981, and had a brief professional career in the USLF.
The Langston Lions had been preparing for the upcoming season, and their first game against the UCO Bronchos on Sept. 7.
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