Decades-Old Oklahoma Conservation Organization Programs Put on Hold With Federal Funding Freeze
Federal funding cuts are now impacting a decades-old conservation organization in the state. The cuts impact programs at the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts.
Farmers and ranchers have worked with the OACD since the 1930s to help with soil health and food production. The organization is about 80% funded with competitive grants from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Cuts made to the federal agency have put those Oklahoma programs on hold. Here’s OACD executive director Sarah Blaney.
“What we're trying to do right now is to figure out if the federal government fails to honor those contracts, how do we still honor what we said we would do with farmers and ranchers?," said Blaney.
The organization is now missing millions of dollars worth of grants meant to support producers. A USDA spokesperson says the agency is currently reviewing its grants.
Former Trump Spiritual Advisor, Megachurch Founder Indicted on Child Abuse Charges in Oklahoma
A megachurch founder and former spiritual advisor to Donald Trump is being indicted in Oklahoma on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.
Robert Preston Morris, 63, was indicted by a multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma on Wednesday for alleged sexual misconduct against Oklahoma woman Cindy Clemishire beginning in 1982 when she was 12 years old, and he was a traveling evangelist.
In 2000, Morris founded Texas-based Gateway Church, which has since gained around 100,000 followers across the country.
During Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, he named Morris his spiritual advisor and a member of his evangelical advisory committee.
In a press release, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond called this case “despicable” because the alleged perpetrator exploited his position as a pastor to abuse a child.
Google Will Operate Massive Data Center Development in Stillwater
Stillwater officials say tech giant Google will operate a potentially multi-billion dollar data center in the city. The announcement was made Wednesday.
The up to $3 billion data center project has been in the works since last summer. But the tenant has been kept secret by economic development officials in Payne County.
They revealed it will be search engine turned tech giant Google. Construction of the first phase of the Google facility is expected to be completed as early as 2027.
City officials praised the development in a news release, saying it will bring jobs and more to the Stillwater community.
A similar Google data center campus in Pryor has been operational for over a decade, bringing in billions of dollars of investment into Northeast Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Braces For 'Extreme' Fire Weather Conditions
Oklahoma’s current weather has all the ingredients for wildfires.
Fire weather happens when temperatures are warm, humidity is low and winds are blowing. That gives fires the fuel to start and the means to spread.
Those conditions have been taking hold this week, building to what the Oklahoma Forestry Service calls “ominous fire weather” for Friday.
The fire danger is rated extreme for western and central Oklahoma. Eastern Oklahoma’s rating is a little better, but it’s still critical. Wildfire risks will remain elevated throughout the weekend.
The Oklahoma Forestry Service urges people to avoid any activities that could spark a wildfire and asks folks to report any fires they see by calling 911.
________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU PM NewsBrief.