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PM NewsBrief: Nov. 3, 2023

This is the KGOU PM NewsBrief for Friday, November 3, 2023.

New Mental Health Laws

Four laws related to improving mental health care in Oklahoma are now in effect.

Zack Stoycoff is with Oklahoma’s Healthy Minds Policy Initiative. He says it worked diligently with legislators to pass its four priority bills, which is the most policy Healthy Minds has seen succeed since it started in 2019.

“These bills are designed to really help Oklahoma families and help Oklahomans who struggle with these issues in real and meaningful ways, immediately,” Stoycoff said.

The initiative found that out of the state’s five largest private insurance providers, 65% of their behavioral health providers were unreachable, and half of those had disconnected or out-of-service phone lines.

Now, Oklahoma insurance companies will have to update their directories every 60 days to ensure they're accurate.

Another law will require commercial insurance companies to arrange behavioral health care for their members if they can’t find timely access.

The cost for members will be capped based on individual plans to match copays and deductibles for in-network providers.

Wewoka Arrests

Law enforcement arrested six people in Wewoka Thursday in connection with a recent series of violent incidents.

District Attorney Erik Johnson said along with the arrests, four handguns were also seized.

According to police, the rise in violence was related to two gangs retaliating against each other.

As violence has plagued the small town, residents and business owners have criticized law enforcement on social media claiming there's been lack of transparency regarding the investigations. Johnson addressed those concerns at yesterday’s news conference.

"From my perspective and in my position as district attorney, I’ve tried to keep the community informed while at the same time protecting our officers that are on the ground,” Johnson said.

Johnson said Thursday’s arrests will likely reduce the level of violence in Wewoka.

He anticipates additional arrests will be made in the coming weeks.

Researchers Studying If Bats Can Reduce Need For Pesticides

Researchers at the Noble Research Institute in Ardmore installed nine bat houses in pecan orchards to find if bats can reduce the need for pesticides.

Unlike other creatures of the night, bats eat insects, pollinate plants and help make healthy ecosystems.

Oklahoma produces 17 million pounds of pecans annually. It takes about seven months to grow a pecan crop and during that time, weather conditions can usher insects impacting farmers’ profitability.

The institute’s researchers say up to 200 bats can live in a bat house on the orchards, so there is potential for them to eat pests like pecan nut casebearer moths.

The study is part of the institute’s regenerative agriculture efforts.

Choctaw Nation Receives Federal Grants

The Choctaw Nation received $2 million in federal grants.

The grants will be used to assess the cleanup of abandoned properties and viable climate solutions.

One project the Nation wants to focus on is the assessment and cleanup of the Old Talihina Indian Hospital Campus in Latimer County.

The $1.5 million grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the federal government’s Brownfields program.

The Choctaw Nation also received a $400,000 Climate Pollution Reduction grant from the Inflation Reduction Act that will be used to develop plans and set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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