Two Public Hearings Set For September On Proposed $1 Billion Norman Entertainment District
The city of Norman is holding two public hearings next month on the proposed Rock Creek Entertainment District.
The $1 billion project includes an arena to host University of Oklahoma sports and concerts; a hotel; office, residential, retail components; and restaurants to create what the city calls a festival plaza street.
The plans call for establishing two tax increment districts to provide the public funding. The city says no new or increased taxes are involved.
The public hearings will take place at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 3 and 17 in the Norman City Council Chambers.
A group of city, county and University of Oklahoma officials announced details for the entertainment district nearly a year ago.
Journalists' Society Condemns State Department of Education for Barring Reporter from Press Conference
The Society of Professional Journalists is condemning the Oklahoma Department of Education for barring a television reporter from a news conference last week.
The organization says State Department spokesman Dan Isett erred by barring KFOR-TV reporter Dylan Brown from attending the media briefing.
Isett blocked the TV reporter after state superintendent Ryan Walters berated the media for reporting falsehoods without evidence during a state board of education meeting.
Walters has earned a reputation as a provocateur for various stunts, including car selfie videos, calling for his own impeachment and posting videos of himself dancing in a Make America Great Again hat at the Republican National Convention last month.
The professional journalists' group says the move to bar the reporter and photographer from a credentialed media organization is a "blatant violation of press freedom by a government agency."
State Department of Health Celebrates Community Health Workers
The Oklahoma Department of Health is celebrating community health workers this week.
These professionals who help link people to health care and social services.
According to the department, community health workers have helped improve thousands of Oklahomans’ mental and physical health.
Misty Wilson is one of 52 community health workers in Oklahoma, and she said she got her start after spending 30 years working in restaurants.
As a frontline worker in her community, Wilson said she enjoys connecting her neighbors in need to resources like SNAP, Medicaid and food pantries.
“It’s nice for someone to come in and they're downtrodden and stuff, and you're able to take a little burden off their shoulders and give them a little glimpse of hope, sometimes,” Wilson said.
Community Health Worker Awareness Week is from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1.
Oklahomans can connect with a community health worker by calling their local health department.
NWS Norman Hosts Webinar on Storm Chasing Amid Surge in Interest
The National Weather Service in Norman is offering a webinar on storm chasing later this week. This comes as interest in the activity has increased following the blockbuster hit movie Twisters.
The Weather Service said since the movie came out they’ve been fielding a lot of questions from those interested in storm chasing and storm spotting. And because of the surge in interest, the weather service is offering a webinar.
The webinar will dig into how the movie portrays weather and science compared to how it works in real life.
Attendees will get to learn basic information on how to observe storms safely and how to stay safe when real-life twisters threaten.
The webinar is free, but registration is required.
The event will be Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
A link to register and more information can be found here.
_________________
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.