Oklahoma Wildfires Injure 32, Destroys Dozens of Homes
Dry air and strong winds are in the forecast for much Oklahoma tomorrow, creating the possibility of more dangerous wildfires.
Friday and over the weekend, nearly 100 wildfires burned land and structures in various parts of Oklahoma.
Firefighters were able to knock down many of the fires quickly, leaving only hotspots to monitor through the weekend.
At least 40 homes were destroyed in Logan, Oklahoma and Washington counties.
State health officials report at least 32 injuries related to the fires, fire weather and high wind.
Ongoing Drought Conditions Spell Trouble For Wheat Crop
As we start the month of April, drought continues to grip nearly half of the state. The extremely dry conditions are causing alarm for wheat farmers.
Divide the state down the I-44 corridor and you’ve got the latest drought monitor map. All areas east of I-44 are considered drought free, but just to the west conditions deteriorate quickly.
Western Oklahoma is known for wheat production, and some Ag officials are already sounding the alarm about this year’s crop. Richard Metscher with Farmers Cooperative of Western Oklahoma told the Clinton Daily News that producers are just hoping they can get some rain soon. Metscher said last year’s harvest was one of the worst he saw in years, and he's hoping this year won’t be a repeat of last year.
There could be some relief on the way. As of Friday, the Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook shows rain chances are leaning above normal for that part of the state.
Oklahoma Gun Legislation
The Oklahoma Legislature is considering several gun-related bills this session.
Last week's school shooting in Nashville is making some of the proposed bills a little more urgent.
The House is going with the idea that schools need more teachers with guns.
"Now the House took another approach: The 'good guy with a gun' approach. It passed House Bill 2139, which permits local school boards to authorize school personnel, such as teachers who have a concealed-carry permit, to carry handguns on school property," said Quorum Call publisher Shawn Ashely.
On the Senate side, there are bills to require districts to conduct risk assessments of their campuses, provide grants for increased security, and mandate local law enforcement to participate in security drills at schools in their areas. Other gun-related bills would allow guns to be carried on boats, and lower the age requirement for purchasing a firearm from 21 to 18.
You can hear the full conversation on Capitol Insider at KGOU.org and on the Capitol Insider podcast.
Dozens Gather For Transgender Day of Visibility in OKC and Tulsa
Dozens of people celebrated Transgender Day of Visibility at Factory Obscura in Oklahoma City on Friday.
Attendees enjoyed the Mix-Tape immersive art experience, watched drag performances, and heard speeches from Kelley Blair, the CEO of the Diversity Center of Oklahoma and Democratic Representative Mauree Turner, the country’s first openly non-binary state lawmaker.
Turner spoke to supporters in attendance and said they hope people continue to show up when the party's over.
"The hope is that you’re not just sitting back and watching us put our necks and our bodies on the line day after day to survive a state like Oklahoma, but you’re actually saying, 'how do I put my neck, my body on the line for the community that I care about,'" said Turner.
The event was held in collaboration with Freedom Oklahoma, the OKC Pride Alliance, and the ACLU of Oklahoma.
In Tulsa, Osage citizen Marca Cassity, who also goes by Marx, performed outside the Equality Center near downtown for about 500 people who rallied to mark trans visibility day.
When Marca lived in Oklahoma in 1997, they said it was a lot harder to be trans.
"I left and traveled around and I healed myself and now I'm back. Thanks you to the community for your support,” Marca said.
Last month, Tulsa City Council passed a measure 9-0 declaring Tulsa a safe and inclusive space for all people - including 12 year-old Santos Flores.
"I go to school to learn. Not to get bullied-and not just by students,” Flores said. “The subs. The principal who tell us we're not normal. We're normal and we're here. This isn't a trend. We've been here for years, we've been here forever."
In the past month, the Oklahoma legislature has moved on bills targeting transgender health care and one that would limit drag performances.
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