New State Water Plan On The Way
The Oklahoma Water Resources Board is developing a new Comprehensive Water Plan to ensure the state has enough good water over the next 50 years.
Although the Water Board has been making comprehensive plans about once a decade since 1975, they didn’t have much funding for studies and public surveys until the most recent one in 2012.
Water Board planning director Owen Mills says that plan focused on what water issues mattered most to Oklahomans.
"We've heard a lot about 'the what.' Now we kind of need to talk about 'the how' — how are we going to deal with the issues that people see?," said Mills.
As part of the planning, Mills is using the most recent U.S. Census to project the state’s water supply and demand over the next 50 years.
"It gets pretty tight. And my hope is that people show up and people want to talk about it and people want to look for creative solutions."
The Board is seeking insights on water issues from people across the state.
Starting in August, the Water Board will host rounds of public input meetings across the state and virtually.
Tulsa Begins Curbside Storm Debris Collection
The City of Tulsa will begin curbside collections of green waste from last month's massive storm.
Crews will start collecting near downtown Friday and work their way across the city in the coming weeks.
City officials ask people to stack limbs and other green waste debris in five feet lengths along the curb and away from mailboxes or buildings.
Residents can also bring green waste debris to mulch sites.
New Commander Coming To Fort Sill
Southwest Oklahoma’s Fort Sill will welcome a new commanding general next week.
Major General Winston P. Brooks will assume command of the Lawton Army base later this month.
Brooks is familiar with Fort Sill. He took the Field Artillery Basic and Advanced Courses as a young officer in the 1990s and attended the US Field Artillery School Commandant a couple years ago.
He is returning to Fort Sill from England after a stint working with NATO.
Former commander Major General Kenneth Kamper was fired back in June for allegedly violating hunting rules on base. He had been in command there since 2020.
Sooner Care To Include Doula Services
SoonerCare has expanded its pregnancy care benefits to include doula services.
As of July 1, SoonerCare members are eligible to receive up to eight visits from a doula per pregnancy if they are referred by their obstetrician or other licensed medical provider.
The doula may also be present during labor and delivery.
Doulas are non-clinical and do not provide medical care but are instead trained in offering physical and emotional aid before, during, and after pregnancy.
They can also assist in creating and carrying out birth plans and help connect clients to other pregnancy resources.
Oklahoma’s is the 11th Medicaid program in the country to include doula services.
OKC Arts Council Ends Opening Night NYE
The Oklahoma City Arts Council will no longer host the Opening Night New Year’s Eve celebration.
OKC Arts Council Executive Director Angela Cozby says the Opening Night event was started 37 years ago with families in mind.
But as the city grew, entertainment options did too, and new opportunities lay ahead for the arts.
Cozby says the decisions were data driven ones that were years in the making.
"We looked at multiple variables to really make the decision that is best for our organization to effectively achieve our mission," said Cozby.
Along with the end of Opening Night, the spring Festival of the Arts will shorten, going from six days to four.
Cozby says that change came at the request of artists.
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