Bethany/Warr acres sewage spill
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has taken legal action to stop a wastewater treatment plant from leaking sewage into an Edmond creek.
The plant treats wastewater for Bethany and Warr Acres. Instead of discharging treated water, the plant was pumping raw sewage into Bluff Creek, which flows into a nearby lake.KFOR reported an equipment failure at the plant was responsible.
The DEQ’s emergency order requires the treatment plant to stop discharging sewage into the creek, but it’s unclear whether there will be further legal action.
The facility has a history of serious non-compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s rules for treating and monitoring sewage.
For now, waste from Bethany and Warr Acres will be treated at a plant in Oklahoma City. Until the issue is resolved, residents should avoid direct contact with Bluff Creek.
Jail Trust CEO resigns
The Oklahoma County Jail Trust on Monday announced it has accepted the resignation of the CEO and administrator of the Oklahoma County Detention Center.
Greg Williams took over the Oklahoma County Jail three years ago amid a myriad of issues from crumbling infrastructure and unsanitary conditions, to staffing shortages and the deaths of detainees. All of those issues remain as Williams announces he is leaving the position.
Jail Trust Chair Jim Couch made the announcement in a press release, thanking Williams for his service and saying he took a hard job under very challenging circumstances and contributed to improvements at the troubled jail. Couch also says the Trust will conduct a broad search to quickly identify a new administrator.
Ninnekah Public Schools goes virtual following online threat
A rural school district shifted to remote learning temporarily yesterday following a threat that surfaced online.
Late Sunday, Ninnekah Public Schools was made aware about a post on social media from a current student that made a threat to the school district. The district made the decision to shut down on-campus learning for Monday.
After an investigation, police determined there was no credibility to the threat made online. It’s unknown if the student will face any legal or disciplinary action. Students are back in the classroom today.
The University of Oklahoma to hold convocation ceremonies
The University of Oklahoma will hold convocation ceremonies Dec. 16 and 17th for its fall graduates.
According to OU, nearly 2,400 graduation candidates will participate in the ceremonies.
Each college hosting a convocation on the OU Norman campus has been assigned a specific ceremony time and location,and all ceremonies will be live streamed.
More information can be found at OU.edu/commencement.
Picher Christmas parade
Towns across Oklahoma are holding their annual Christmas parades. That includes the abandoned town of Picher, where for the past several years, residents return to visit and celebrate the holidays.
In its heyday, Picher was a town of a few thousand people. The people who lived there say the community and friendships made it feel like the best place in the world to raise a family.
On a brisk Saturday, children scooped up candy, waved at Santa and caught up with old friends-including Quapaw citizen Henry Ellick
"There's no place like home. I lived here for 33 year and I didn't want to move. I graduated from here-before the buyout."
Henry and his wife Jean joined nearly 1,000 people lining Main Street of a town that meant so much to them.
Picher was officially dissolved and the town has been deemed a superfund site due to unregulated lead and zinc mining. Residents like the Ellicks were forced to take a buyout from the state and federal government. They and others say they didn't want to leave despite children having elevated levels of lead in their system and some houses on the brink of collapse.
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