Two Federal Departments Calling On More Funding For Oklahoma’s HBCUs
The U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture are asking governors across the country to better fund historically Black colleges and universities.
One of the letters was sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt.
The letter is co-authored by Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack.
They ask Stitt to address underfunding of colleges like Langston University.
In the letter, the authors say many of the nation’s HBCUs make contributions such as enrolling 10% of all Black college students as well as generating almost $15 billion in economic impact.
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics and Integrated Postsecondary Education Survey show if Oklahoma had funded per student equal to other land grant institutions - Langston University would have received nearly an additional $419 million in the last 30 years alone.
The letter concludes with both federal agencies saying they are willing to work with governors and lawmakers to address this funding disparity in order to prepare students for future jobs and other opportunities.
New Parking Garage Going Up In Bricktown
Plans for a new parking garage in Bricktown are moving forward.
Construction is set to start on the parking garage at 21 East Main.
The project was originally scheduled to begin in 2020, but the pandemic put the plans on hold.
Now, as workers head back to the office, additional parking is needed.
The six-story garage will be built atop an existing surface lot and increases the number of parking to around 650 spots.
Prairie Dogs Relocation Project
A project to relocate prairie dogs from a city park to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is getting underway.
The prairie dogs are being taken from Elmer Thomas Park in Lawton due to overcrowding in an area the city is looking to develop.
Instead of euthanizing them, the city is offering the prairie dogs to the Wildlife Refuge.
Dan McDonald is the wildlife biologist at the refuge. He says they are looking to trap and relocate at least 30 of them.
"The larger number of dogs that you use for your reintroduction, the more likely you will be that these dogs will be successful," said McDonald.
After the prairie dogs have been trapped, the team will take blood samples and microchip them. McDonald says he doesn’t think these prairie dogs have been too "urbanized” and has high hopes for them.
"They were acting like a prairie dog should act. We would walk around the town. They would do their alarm calls and scurry down into their burrows," he said.
McDonald says it's the first time in 20 years new prairie dogs have been introduced to the wildlife refuge. The relocation is slated to happen mid October.
Events Planned For Annual Monarch Migration
Monarch butterflies are making their annual fall migration from North America to Mexico.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is hosting monarch events to celebrate.
Multiple events will take place at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area from September 30th to October 3rd.
Monarch’s migrate twice a year, in the spring and in mid-August with the changing season.
Late September and early October are peak migration season for the eastern population of monarchs in Oklahoma.
According to the Department of Conservation, some butterflies Oklahomans could encounter in this population migrate more than 3,000 miles from Canada to Mexico and can live up to nine months to make the trek.
The department says participants will be tagging Monarchs in the morning and watching them roost in the evenings.
Click here for more information and how to sign up.
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