Oklahoma City Police Name New Chief
The Oklahoma City Police Department has a new leader.
Deputy Chief Ron Bacy was named OKC Police Chief Friday morning.
Bacy succeeds outgoing Chief Wade Gourley, who announced his retirement earlier this year.
Bacy has served on the Oklahoma City Police Force since 1992.
Oklahoma House Republicans Launch Investigation into State Education Department
Republican leadership in the House launched an investigation of the Oklahoma Department of Education’s spending habits.
The announcement Thursday is the latest development in a growing backlash against state superintendent Ryan Walters and the way he runs his agency.
Rep. Kevin Wallace announced the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, or LOFT, has launched an investigation into spending concerns at the Department of Education.
Wallace chairs the House Appropriations and Budget Committee and co-chairs LOFT.
He says the investigation is not about Walters, but addressing real concerns raised by “legislators and private citizens,” regarding how OSDE spends appropriated tax dollars.
Still, the investigation appears to be the culmination of a recent outburst of dissent against the state superintendent.
More than two dozen Republican lawmakers signed onto a letter calling for an investigation. That’s after House Democrats called for Walters’ impeachment for the fifth time following his agency keeping money meant for school security investments.
And it’s not just about money. The state attorney general has publicly complained about the education department's lack of transparency and record request fulfillment.
Edmond Voters To Decide Massive Bond Package
Edmond voters will soon decide on a $231 million bond package.
The city says the funding is for nearly two dozen projects.
The majority of the money will go toward improving streets and bridges across the city.
If approved, the bond will result in a property tax increase for the next decade.
The Edmond City Council has approved a special election later this year to put the measure on the ballot.
Tillman County to Regain Hospital in Frederick
Five of Oklahoma’s counties lack general medical and surgical hospitals.
This leaves their residents with limited access to care.
But one of those counties in Southwest Oklahoma is a step closer to bringing back the hospital it lost back in 2016.
Tillman County is bringing a critical access hospital to the town of Frederick where residents drive around 40 miles to get hospital-level care.
Lawton Republican Rep. Trey Caldwell was one of the lawmakers who worked to bring it back.
He collaborated with state and federal lawmakers to help the hospital find funding and support from a larger hospital.
Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton will operate as Frederick’s sister facility, meaning it will own some of the hospital's assets and help fill in if it has a shortage of physicians.
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be a game changer. I think it’s the shot in the arm that the community of Frederick and Tillman County need," Caldwell said.
The new hospital will have a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 26.
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