Election Officials Offer Training For Precinct Volunteers
Election laws in Oklahoma change just about every year, thanks to state lawmakers. At a poll worker training in Payne County last week, election officials offered reminders of their support for precinct volunteers.
Courtney Callison is the Payne County Election Board Secretary. She says in addition to election days being long and repetitive, updates in statutes can make them nerve-racking for some poll workers …so, there is some grace when they make minor mistakes.
"Most things are fixable if they report them immediately," said Callison.
When hiccups in the process – caused by a poll worker or not – aren’t reported, more serious issues arise.
Election result contests always end up in court, meaning poll workers could be summoned by a judge and held responsible if they made a mistake big enough to alter the results.
Callison says election board officials will be available to support poll workers and answer questions on election day.
"We will be in the office the whole time," Callison said.
And poll workers shouldn’t think twice to call, if a problem arises.
Group Submits Petition For Norman Entertainment District Project
A group has submitted a petition to the City of Norman that would allow voters to decide on a $1 billion entertainment district.
Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development is behind the initiative.
This comes after the Norman City Council voted last week to approve plans for the Rock Creek Entertainment District.
The group behind the petition must obtain just nearly 6,100 signatures to put the matter on the ballot.
The group says if they succeed, they plan on including the measure in the February 2025 election.
New Love's Planetarium Opens
Visitors to Science Museum Oklahoma are in for a star-studded treat. The museum’s opened its new Love’s Planetarium Friday.
Waylon Troyer is taking his audience on a space voyage.
"And here we are just a short hop and a rocket off of our big blue marble. But now that we're all the way out here, you can, of course, see our wonderful planet Earth. If you look carefully, you can see all that traffic on I-35 right over there. There's Oklahoma City, there's Dallas," said Troyer.
During the planetarium’s opening event, Troyer showed off a Mars sunset, a supernova and an Oklahoma City night sky untouched by light pollution.
Housed in the shell of the former Omnidome, the Love’s Planetarium has been in the works for years, and its champions at Science Museum Oklahoma say its technology is only paralleled by one other facility in Shanghai, China.
The planetarium offers a variety of shows every day, including a presentation in Spanish on Saturdays. Entry is included with the cost of admission to Science Museum Oklahoma.
Construction Begins On New Terminal At Woodward Airport
Construction is starting on a new terminal at West Woodward Airport.
A ground-breaking ceremony for the $3.7 million project was held Thursday.
This is the latest upgrade at the airport. Other recent enhancements include a hangar with office space, a roadway for a new 40-acre development area and utility improvements.
City and state officials say the new facilities will make the airport a hub for future growth and development in the region.
The state funding for these projects was made possible by the Legislature through the investment in the Preserving Rural Economic Prosperity program passed two years ago.
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