State Lawmaker Enters Tulsa Mayor Race
A State Representative is the first candidate in the race for Tulsa Mayor.
Monroe Nichols has served in the legislature since 2017, and helped found the non-profit 'Impact Tulsa.'
Nichols says he wants to expand the city’s economy, provide affordable housing and make Tulsa safer if he's elected mayor.
“Those are challenges that are going to face Tulsa in very unique ways over the next four years, next eight years, next 10 years, and I’m excited to be, you know, somebody running for office who has some experience in those areas to get it done,” Nichols said.
Nichols has worked in the mayor’s office, with O-U Tulsa’s chief of staff, and for the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce.
At the Capitol, Nichols passed legislation that made Tulsa County eligible for the Affordable Housing Tax Credit.
He also passed a law this year that allows police officers to issue warnings instead of arresting people for nonviolent misdemeanors.
The mayor’s election will be held in August 2024.
Drought Conditions Continue To Improve
After most of the state received days of heavy rainfall, Oklahoma’s drought report looks refreshing.
Just a quarter of the state remains in moderate to exceptional drought, although another third is still classified as “abnormally dry.”
The U.S. Drought Monitor calculates the severity of drought on a scale from 0 to 500, where 0 would indicate a drought-free state and 500 would mean exceptional drought everywhere.
Last October, Oklahoma hit 412 on that Drought Severity Index. This week, the state dropped below 100 on that scale for the first time in over a year.
That’s largely thanks to recent rains — the past month has been wetter than normal for this time of year across most of the state.
Still, about half a million Oklahomans remain in a drought, most of them in the northern and southwestern parts of the state.
Oklahoma City Rec Center Opens Saturday
Oklahoma City will open its first recreation center in more than 40 years Saturday.
The Willa D. Johnson Recreation Center will open in Northeast Oklahoma City, honoring the former Ward 7 council member.
Johnson was the first Black woman to serve on city council, representing Ward 7 for 14 years.
The $17.5 million facility includes a gym, lounge, two multipurpose rooms, kitchen and an indoor swimming pool.
The center will have a mural titled “Freedom to Dream” that was created by three artists with Douglass High School students.
Adult memberships will cost $15-$25 a month and youth $10-$15.
The facility will be fully opened to the public next week.
A grand opening celebration for the new Johnson Rec Center will be Saturday and include tours, vendors and food.
Oklahoma Emmy Nominations
The Emmy Nominations are out and a few Oklahoma productions were recognized.
Among the nominees were Prey, Tulsa King and Reservation Dogs.
Prey was released on the streaming platform Hulu.
It’s about a young Comanche warrior named Naru and received six nominations including one for outstanding television movie and one for outstanding directing a limited series or movie.
The film was widely praised for it's representation of Comanche culture — with parts being spoken entirely in the Comanche language.
Tulsa King starring Sylvester Stallone is about a New York mob boss exiled to Tulsa. It received one nomination for stunt coordination.
Reservation Dogs, the first of its kind series about Native teens shot entirely on the Muscogee Nation reservation, received only one nomination for sound editing.
That pales in comparison to the past as the series landed on a number of best of lists last year.
The awards ceremony will take place this fall.
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