Report: Climate Change A Threat To Outdoor Sports
As summers and falls get hotter across the country, outdoor sports and rec are growing more dangerous.
The Fifth National Climate Assessment released this week has some solutions for Oklahomans who love playing outside.
Tonight, high school football teams will take fields across Oklahoma, and they probably won’t worry too much about overheating.
But that wasn’t the case back in August, when triple-digit temperatures had many teams postponing game times late into the evening.
It’s likely to happen more and more as extreme heat spreads across the calendar.
Climatologist Renee McPherson spearheaded the National Climate Assessment’s chapter on the Southern Great Plains region. She says the country isn’t paying enough attention to climate-proofing its parks and sports fields.
“I think that this is really an opportunity for a lot of people to think about climate change as something that can actually affect them personally,” McPherson said.
The report says outdoor recreational facilities are ripe for heat-related illnesses - the most preventable cause of death in youth sports.
Oklahoma Public Schools Show Continued Academic Struggle In State Report Cards
New state report cards are out and Oklahoma's public schools show weakening growth.
The Oklahoma State Report Card released Wednesday shows only 27% of students scored at grade level in state reading, math and science tests this spring.
The nonprofit news outlet Oklahoma Voice reports there are small differences from the year before in the results.
The state Board of Education calculates the comprehensive report each year. It grades the success of every school in the state, as well as the overall performance of the public education system.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters expressed displeasure in the results calling them “simply unacceptable.”
Muscogee Nation Sues Tulsa
The Muscogee Nation has filed a lawsuit against the City of Tulsa.
The tribal nation says the city is unlawfully prosecuting tribal citizens despite the McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling.
The lawsuit names Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, Chief of Police Wendell Franklin and City attorney Jack Blair.
The nation is seeking injunctions against the city because they say Tulsa continues to prosecute Native people for traffic offenses committed within the tribal nation's reservation boundaries. This is despite a 10th circuit ruling in Hooper v. City of Tulsa telling local police Native people must be prosecuted in tribal court.
Muscogee Nation attorney general Geri Wisner says her office has tried to work with city officials to resolve any issues over who has the power to prosecute traffic offenses.
"However, we walk away. Unsuccessful in trying to try to reach any kind of agreement, it's about tickets. It's about traffic. And at the end of the day, is it simply about money," said Wisner.
City officials say they’re committed to working with the tribes, reiterating Bynum’s comments at a recent city address.
But, the case is continuing as the city continues its fight to collect traffic tickets from Native drivers in federal court.
Iconic Oklahoma Route 66 Landmark To Receive Upgrades
An Oklahoma Route 66 landmark is about to undergo a renovation.
The Arcadia Historical Society has received a $30,000 grant for the iconic round barn.
The funds will help to re-side the barn using materials and methods that were used when the barn was built in 1898.
The award comes from the National Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
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