Oklahoma Budget Deal Boosts Education Funding, Teacher Pay
The Oklahoma state legislature has come to an agreement on this year’s budget, and education is getting a boost.
$25 million of new money will be injected into the state funding formula, which comes with one additional day of instruction to be added to school districts’ calendars.
Oklahoma veteran teachers will also see more money. Currently, state-mandated step raises for teachers stop at 25 years of service. Next year, the salary schedule will continue to 40 years.
The deal also includes an agreement on House Bill 1727, which would make the children of teachers who have taught at least 10 years eligible for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program.
The program grants students a scholarship for tuition at an Oklahoma college, university or technology center. The bill is currently in conference committee.
State Preps For Screwworms As Pest Spreads In North America
Oklahoma officials are bracing for a pest that had been eradicated but appears to be making a comeback.
Adult new world screwworms start as maggots that feed on live healthy tissue Infesting livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds and in rare cases, people.
The insect was eradicated from Oklahoma in the 1960s.
In recent years, more detections of the insect have been seen in South America and this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended live cattle, horses and bison imports along the southern border.
Oklahoma State Veterinarian Rod Hall said insecticides ranchers use for flies and ticks do prevent screwworms.
“It's just that is only going to prevent them for so long. And we just screwworms are just so much more aggressive that we just have to be very careful about them,” Hall said.
Past outbreaks have created a financial strain.
For now, the state’s meat supply is safe.
Oklahoma Scientists Develop Drone to Improve Severe Weather Forecasts
Every minute counts when making severe weather forecasts and alerts. Scientists in Oklahoma are creating a device that could significantly shorten lead times during extreme events.
The CopterSonde drone has flown into winter storms and developing tornadoes, collecting critical information that two researchers say could help meteorologists better understand severe weather.
The development started in 2016 at OU, then was later picked up at the school’s Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations. The research is led by Tony Segales and Tyler Bell.
Bell says the patented device picks up detailed information that weather towers or balloons can miss.
"Ideally, these data could be fed into weather models and improve forecast lead times," Bell said.
The scientists say it will be a few years before the drones are formally deployed in the field. But with the help of the private sector, the devices will be refined and could later be stationed at Mesonet networks nationwide.
Seminole Nation Breaks Ground On Transit Plaza, Visitor Center
The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma broke ground on a new transit plaza and visitor center in the City of Seminole this week.
Around 80 people showed up to celebrate the new multi-purpose facility across from Seminole State College.
Principal Chief Lewis Johnson says it’s an “anchor project” for future development, as well as a hub for the tribe.
“Other companies may come here for the incentives, the tax relief, and the different incentives that may be given to them for a certain time, but many of those companies will leave here. We will not leave. This is our home, (it’s) been our home for hundreds of years … and it will always be our home, even for future generations," said Johnson.
Lottie Coody is a council representative for the Seminole Nation. She says she’s glad to see progress made on the project.
“I am happy that this happened because I'm an elder, I'm 89 years old I'm lucky to be here to see what's happening and everything," Coody said.
The project is scheduled to be completed in 2026.
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