Mold Remediation Work Underway At Norman Central Library
The Norman Public Library Central is closed for at least five months due to mold issues.
Inspections and testing in the past two weeks found elevated mold levels in multiple areas on each floor of the library.
The city of Norman hired a disaster response contractor to clean and treat visible mold, and make repairs to prevent water intrusion.
The city says roof and envelope issues are the likely cause of water leaks.
The library is on West Acres, and opened four years ago.
The Central Library’s book return and MovieBox will also be closed during the mold remediation process.
Two library branches in Norman are open regular hours, and nine other locations in the Pioneer Library System are also available for library patrons.
New Company Plans To Build Lithium Refinery In Oklahoma
A new company is looking to develop a lithium refinery in Oklahoma.
The Connecticut based company Startdust Energy told News9 the refinery would be built in two phases at an industrial park in Tulsa.
Roshan Pujari is the company’s CEO. He says his company would address a shortage of refineries in the United States to process readily available raw materials.
Once in operation, Stardust Energy intends to refine lithium from wastewater from the oil and gas industry and to ship out battery-grade lithium, potentially producing up to 50,000 metric tons annually.
Pujari says the refining process for lithium would be powered by solar and wind energy and that the chemical processes would create very low emissions and zero liquid discharge.
The project would be supported by state and municipal incentives.
Capitol Insider: Looking Ahead To The 2024 Elections
The state's voter registration tallies appear to be stable—less than a year from the 2024 General Election.
Oklahoma’s chief election official Paul Ziriax says so far, he has not seen any significant changes in party loyalties.
“As of Oct. 31, which is our most recent month end totals, we have a total of 2,288,500 registered voters in Oklahoma," said. Ziriax. "Of those, around 51.7% are Republicans, 28.6% are Democrats, 18.7% are Independents and just under 1% are Libertarians. So, that decades long trend of a shift towards Republicans and Independents has continued this year.”
Ziriax gave his assessment on the latest episode of KGOU’s Capitol Insider podcast at KGOU.org, or look for it where you get podcasts.
Cherokee Nation Begins Annual Toy/Clothing Holiday Drive
The Cherokee Nation is holding its annual toy and clothing drive for the holidays.
It's called the ‘Angel Project Adoptions,’ and already the tribal nation has identified more than 3,000 needy children that could use clothing and toys across their 14-county reservation.
The annual program began with a song by the Cherokee National Youth Choir and recognition by Junior Miss Cherokee Addison Rouse and the Little Cherokee Ambassadors last week in Tahlequah.
In addition to clothes and toys, the project also collects bedding and winter clothing for families who don't have the extra funds for gifts during the holiday season.
Details on how to participate are on the Cherokee Nation's website.
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