A Concern Over Shortage Of Poll Workers In Tulsa
Officials in Tulsa are once again worried about poll worker shortages for upcoming elections.
Several special elections are happening in Oklahoma this year, plus a presidential election.
Tulsa County Election Board Secretary Gwen Freeman is worried about the people and the facilities that make it all happen.
“The problem is when people don’t volunteer to work our precincts, or if people say ‘you know, we’re not gonna let you use our building anymore as a precinct site,’ that’s when all of the work we do here is meaningless. That’s when the election system falls apart," Freeman said.
Election officials rely 100% on public participation to conduct elections.
The buildings where voting takes place are always on a volunteer-basis. Polling locations can change their mind at any time and decide not to host.
Freeman says she’s been hard-pressed to find polling sites.
“We’re struggling to find places for people to vote,” Freeman said.
Officials are pleading with the public to volunteer as polls workers in a year when they are needed more than ever.
Early voting is taking place today, and special elections in Tulsa County are Tuesday.
Northern Oklahoma Railroad Shut Down Due To Safety Concerns
A northern Oklahoma railroad has been shut down following a federal order citing safety concerns.
The Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad has halted operations after an emergency order from the Federal Railroad Administration.
An investigation revealed “several serious incidents”, including two derailments and a near miss with a vehicle.
The agency also found BNGR had no records of track inspections and was operating unsafe locomotives.
The company has been ordered to address more than a dozen safety-related issues.
The shutdown spans 37 miles from Wellington, Kansas, to Blackwell, Oklahoma.
AG Drummond Requests Federal Funding For Crime Victims Program
The federal Victims of Crime Act fund is projected to be 41% lower this year compared to last year.
State Attorney General Gentner Drummond is asking Congress to provide bridge funding.
A letter signed by 41 other attorneys general sent to the U.S House and Senate on Wednesday is requesting additional support to the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 fund in light of diminishing funding leading to a $700 million shortfall.
While Congress passed the VOCA Fix Act in 2021 to help replenish the fund, the attorneys general say it was not sufficient and additional funding is needed to sustain critical services like courtroom advocacy and temporary housing to victims of crime.
Drummond also signed onto a separate letter with Oklahoma prosecutors and tribal leaders detailing diminishing VOCA funding to Oklahoma tribes.
He says tribal citizens, especially women, are at a heightened risk of losing critical victim services.
OKC Thunder Trade For Hayward, Draft Pick
The Oklahoma City Thunder has acquired former All-Star guard Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets and a draft pick swap from the Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA trade deadline was Thursday.
Hayward has been sidelined since late December with leg injuries, but has been productive when healthy, averaging 14 points per game, to go along with nearly five rebounds and five assists per game.
ESPN reports OKC is trading draft compensation and three reserve players in the deal: including forward Davis Bertans and guards Tre Mann and Vasilije Micic.
The Thunder are among four teams battling it out atop the NBA’s Western Conference standings.
In other trade news, former OU guard Buddy Hield has been dealt from the Indiana Pacers to the Philadelphia 76ers.
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