OKC Gets $2.2 Million In Federal Funds To Plan Bridge Improvements
Oklahoma City now has $2.2 million in federal funds to study fixes for more than a dozen aging bridges over creeks and rivers.
Six of the bridges are on the west side of town, where they cross Deep Fork Creek, the North Canadian River or one of the North Canadian’s tributaries.
OKC Public Works Director Debbie Miller said those bridges are crucial for the area’s large-scale manufacturing.
The other set of bridges spans Lightning Creek on the city’s southwest side.
Miller said this provides an opportunity to design bridges that catch trash and debris before the waterway carries it into the North Canadian downstream.
The money will allow the city to plan restorations or replacements before the bridges age into disrepair. It’s coming from the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Last month, the state received a separate $142 million federal grant to replace the Roosevelt Memorial Bridge that stretches over Lake Texoma in southern Oklahoma, after receiving a planning grant in 2022.
Attorney General Orders State Board of Education to Allow Lawmakers in Executive Sessions
Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a formal opinion Wednesday that says the State Board of Education must allow lawmakers to attend executive sessions at board meetings.
Republican Rep. Mike Osburn requested the opinion from Drummond after he was denied entry to the last state board executive session, along with Sen. Mary Boren and Rep. Jacob Rosecrants.
The July 31 meeting was the second time Boren had been denied entry.
According to state law, lawmakers who sit on relevant legislative committees are allowed to attend these sessions.
In a news release, Drummond says he will not tolerate the board’s “willful violation of the law.”
The agenda for Thursday’s board meeting is markedly different from previous ones.
Though there are agenda items that usually fall under executive session, like lawsuits and teacher certificate revocations, there was no executive session on the agenda.
Update On New MPox Public Health Emergency
The World Health Organization has declared a different type of Mpox that has broken out in Africa a ‘public health emergency of international concern. '
Mpox is a rare illness that causes rashes, chills, swollen lymph nodes and fevers. It usually occurs in central and western Africa in animals like monkeys, squirrels and rats.
The disease mainly spreads between people through close contact and can occasionally spread by surfaces people with Mpox have touched.
Oklahoma reported 69 cases during a multi-country outbreak in 2022.
There have been 11 cases reported this year.
Although, the CDC has reported no cases of the different strain in the U.S.
The type of emergency declared by the World Health Organization is a response to diseases with a risk of cross-border spread that could require international coordination to prevent.
Study Analyzes Influence Of Indigenous Representation In Film, TV Shows
Indigenous representation in media has a rocky past, colored with harmful Native American stereotypes.
But a new study offers a more hopeful path forward.
A team from IllumiNative and the University of Southern California published a report
highlighting the impact three shows had on their audiences.
It ultimately found that viewers cared more about Indigenous issues after watching shows that employed Indigenous creatives.
For example, viewers of Reservation Dogs, a TV show with Oklahoma ties and significant Indigenous talent, were more likely to support the Indian Child Welfare Act than non-viewers.
On the other hand, viewers of Yellowstone, a TV show with no Native writers or producers, were more likely to support keeping Columbus Day as a national holiday and Native-themed mascots for sports teams, which can be harmful to Native students.
The study ultimately finds that the entertainment industry still has a ways to go, but is starting to make positive waves.
_________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU AM NewsBrief.