Legal Questions Remain On St. Isidore Vote
The nation’s eyes were on Oklahoma last week when the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted to accept the application of what would be the country’s first publicly funded, religious private school.
But, the vote might not count.
In an eleventh-hour move, board member Barry Beauchamp was replaced with Brian Bobek, a former State Board of Education member who received the appointment from House Speaker Charles McCall.
But, Beauchamp hadn’t actually resigned - though his term had expired, he’d agreed to keep serving on the board.
Just before the meeting, Deputy Attorney General Niki Batt - who serves as the board’s legal counsel - emailed board leaders to outline her concern that the law doesn’t technically allow Bobek to take over the seat until November.
And without Bobek’s vote, St. Isidore’s application wouldn’t have been approved. But the members didn’t see the email, and the vote went through.
At the meeting, Board Chairman Robert Franklin implored Bobek to abstain from the vote to alleviate the appearance of political manipulation. But ultimately, Bobek voted anyway.
“The credibility and the court-tested validity of today’s vote is not worth the risk of a technicality or a misinformed perception of all these interested stakeholder,” Franklin said.
All of this is made even more complicated by a bill recently signed into law that will soon do away with the virtual charter school board and create one overall charter school board.
Gov. Kevin Stitt Endorses Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis For President
Oklahoma’s governor endorsed a presidential hopeful over the weekend.
Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis held a rally Saturday on the outskirts of Tulsa where Gov. Kevin Stitt sang his praises.
"We need the next president to be in office for eight years. We’ve got to defeat Joe Biden. I believe Ron DeSantis is the right guy," Stitt said.
Last year, current Republican presidential frontrunner nominee Donald Trump endorsed Stitt.
Trump responded to Stitt’s endorsement of DeSantis by issuing a statement on a social media platform Monday.
Despite Trump’s legal troubles, he still had supporters at the rally held at the F&E Creek Event Center near Catoosa. 15-year-old Cane Webb said he still likes Trump but he is torn.
“I like what DeSantis has been saying. I feel like he’s young and would make a good choice as president,” said Webb.
Stitt and DeSantis continued on the campaign trail together, putting in an appearance at the Ponca City Rodeo Saturday night.
Summer = Tick Risk
As temperatures heat up, bugs like ticks are out and looking to nip at people.
Recent rainfalls across the state plus the increase in temperatures are the perfect recipe for a sticky, humid summer.
Justin Talley is a livestock entomologist for Oklahoma State University Extension. He says these weather conditions help ticks thrive.
“We're seeing them on livestock, we're seeing them on pets, and we’re even seeing an increase in the number of people reporting tick bites,” Talley said.
Talley says ticks often hide in tall grass and wooded areas. He says people can help prevent getting a tick bite by spraying bug repellent with at least 25 percent DEET concentration.
If you do get bitten by a tick, it’ll be attached to your skin. In that case, Talley says to remove the tick and save it in a zip lock bag. That way your doctor can determine the right diagnosis.
OU Softball Coach To Receive Statue On Campus
The University of Oklahoma’s softball coach is set to receive a well-deserved honor—a statue in her likeness on campus.
The OU softball team and the city had a celebration Saturday for the women’s softball team winning their third straight national championship.
During the celebration, OU athletic director Joe Castiglione made an announcement that Coach Patty Gasso, who is in her 29th season with the Sooners, will get her own statue on campus property.
"We do things we try to keep secret for a while, but she just won’t let us keep a secret, so tonight I’m just breaking it out. We're going to have a statue for Coach Gasso next year," said Castiglione.
Last week's win against Florida State was Gasso’s seventh national championship with the Sooners.
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