New Details On Extent Of Mold Damage At Norman Library
The Norman Public Library Central has been closed for nearly a year due to a mold issue, and the city remains engaged with outside counsel.
Documents show the presence of mold during the building's construction.
Oklahoma City TV station KFOR reports that documents it requested dating back to 2018 show the library had mold before it opened in 2019.
Included in the documents were pictures of mold on drywall throughout the second and third floors of the library while under construction.
The library closed its doors in November of 2023 after the discovery of mold throughout the building. Mold remediation work is ongoing, and it’s unclear when the library will reopen.
The library is expected to be discussed during a special meeting of the Norman City Council Tuesday evening.
A temporary library location is open for the public as well as two other library branches in Norman.
State Education Board Approves Hundreds Of Emergency-Certified Teachers
More than 3,700 teachers are emergency certified in Oklahoma schools after the state board of education approved a fresh batch of applications last week.
Emergency-certified teachers don’t have all the qualifications to be fully licensed to teach.
But because many schools couldn’t function without them, the state education board approved more than 700 at their most recent meeting.
The state still needs to tack on about 1,000 more approvals to meet last year’s record number of emergency certifications.
Oklahoma has long struggled with a teacher shortage. The state issued fewer than 100 emergency certificates in 2010, they have consistently numbered in the thousands for the last few years.
Two Weeks Left for Oklahomans to Register to Vote for November General Election
Oklahomans have two weeks to register to vote in time for the November General Election.
The last day to register is Oct. 11.
The fastest, easiest and newest way to register, is to head straight to the voter portal found on the State Election Board Website and fill out an electronic form.
For those who need assistance or just prefer a traditional approach, walking right into your county election board office or a local tag agency is also an option, as is printing the form, filling it out and mailing it to the county election office.
In any case, folks registering will need to answer some identifying questions and show proof of citizenship and Oklahoma residency. Once a form is submitted, it's a matter of sitting tight and waiting for a voter card in the mail.
You don’t need that card to vote. You can also present a legal state ID, like an unexpired driver’s license, or passport.
Cherokee Nation Passes Permanent Housing Act
The Cherokee Nation has approved a new law to address a housing crisis.
The new law is a permanent reauthorization of the 2019 Cherokee Nation’s Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act.
It dedicates $43 million every three years toward housing needs and community growth.
The law is intended to increase housing developments and homeownership and ramp up home renovations within the reservation.
The original act has helped develop nearly three thousand new housing projects.
Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said he hopes it will also relieve a financial burden on Cherokee families.
"And I think it does the things that investing in housing is about, which is to make sure people are in a position to build wealth, to make sure people can live a good quality of life... and that has all sorts of benefits for the economy, for people’s well-being," Hoskin said. "It’s just what the Cherokee Nation ought to do, and we’re in an era where we can choose to do this."
The new law was signed into effect on Friday.
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