Excessive Heat Expected Across The Region
A Heat Advisory is in effect for the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas until 9 p.m. tonight.
The National Weather Service expects heat index values up to 108 for portions of western, central and northeastern Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, an Excessive Heat Warning has been issued for counties near and along the Red River, where heat indices could climb up to 115.
Oklahomans are urged to limit strenuous outdoor activities, drink plenty of fluids, and stay in air-conditioned areas, if possible.
Tulsa Area Power Outages Continue
Power is steadily coming back on in Northeastern Oklahoma following weekend storms with 100 mph winds.
But Public Service Company of Oklahoma says some customers may be without electricity for the rest of the week.
Outages are worst in Tulsa County, where nearly half of utilities customers were still without power this afternoon.
Tulsa area officials say those unable to power their air conditioners should take heat precautions.
EMSA Spokesperson Adam Paluka encourages people to utilize the cooling stations that have opened in the area.
“That's why they're there. That's why we set them up. Nobody wants to be in this situation, but it's a lot better to be at a cooling station than to be in a hospital,” Paluka said.
Tulsa has designated some community centers as cooling stations, and the American Red Cross has opened a 24/7 shelter at Crosstown Church of Christ in Tulsa, where both people and leashed pets can cool off.
Edmond Animal Shelter Closed Due To Canine Illness
Another Oklahoma animal shelter has closed its doors due to the spread of illness.
The Edmond Animal Shelter is currently closed due to a potential outbreak of canine influenza. The shelter will not conduct any adoptions or take in surrendered animals until further notice.
This follows the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter closing its doors for the second time this year earlier this month after another outbreak of upper respiratory infections.
Previously, five dogs died from the infection.
Currently, officials say approximately 300 of the OKC shelter’s 400 dogs have symptoms of canine influenza.
Overturning Clause Could Advance Religious Charter Schools
Governor Kevin Stitt is hoping for a lawsuit against the state for its charter school policies.
Stitt sees a legal challenge as an “open invitation” for advancing religious charter schools in Oklahoma.
Senate Bill 516 dissolved the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and created an overall Statewide Charter School Board for virtual and in-person schools.
It was signed into law the same day the board voted to approve the application for the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School, which would be the country’s first publicly funded religious school.
Stitt would like to see the current policy, which forbids schools from being affiliated with a religious institution, overturned.
In his signing statement, Stitt highlights the bill’s severability clause, which allows parts of the law to be overturned through the courts without impacting the rest of the law’s provisions.
Stitt’s position aligns with former Attorney General John O Connor, who wrote last year recent Supreme Court decisions have shown nonsectarian requirements are unconstitutional.
Current Attorney General Gentner Drummond, however, disagrees and calls the push for publicly funded religious schools a misuse of the concept of religious liberty and a “means to justify state-funded religion.
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