Oklahoma Company Involved In USDA’s Meat Recall
Almost 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products are being recalled from an Oklahoma company.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the products may be infected with Listeria.
From mid-June to earlier this month, the products were made at BrucePac in Durant and shipped to restaurants, vendors and stores.
They include items like grilled chicken breast strips, premade salads and wraps.
USDA’s Food and Safety Inspection Service found the problem as part of a routine inspection.
There have been no confirmed reports of people having bad reactions.
Eating food contaminated with Listeria can cause listeriosis, which is especially harmful to pregnant women, newborns, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
The USDA is concerned that some have already been available in restaurants and other establishments.
Officials are urging organizations not to serve or use contaminated foods-instead, they should be thrown away or returned.
Oklahoma Mental Health Commissioner Demands Change
Commissioner Allie Friesen said the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services desperately needs change.
Friesen called a news conference to share her goals for reforming the state-wide mental health agency she joined in January.
She said she plans to do things differently than the leaders that came before her.
“From where I stand, our patient care has not been a priority in many, many, many year,” Friesen said.
Friesen said the department’s facilities are in disrepair, including some with substantial sewage damage.
She also said that in six months, there were more than one thousand reports of employee injury at the hands of patients. A statistic she calls “intolerable.”
Friesen also addressed reporters’ questions about an ongoing spat over a lawsuit settlement the department is currently wrestling with. She said she is still seeking new representation in Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s place.
Shawnee Tribe, Firaxis Games Collaborate On Indigenous Representation In New Video Game
The Shawnee Tribe and development team Firaxis Games are collaborating to create a new edition of the world-building video game Civilization.
Shawnee songs are a backdrop of the new Firaxis game Civilization Seven. Those men singing are part of a larger group who contributed to accurately representing the tribe in the game.
Ben Barnes is the Chief of the Shawnee Tribe.
“I think it's very exciting that people will see us as a living, breathing nation of people,” Barnes said.
Barnes is not the only one excited about the partnership. This project helped employees of Firaxis, like Jason Johnson, learn about the Shawnee culture.
“I'm from a town called Wapakoneta, and I had no idea that was a Shawnee word. So it's always been around, but never amplified, I think,” Johnson said.
Civilization Seven comes out in February.
Drought Is Increasing In Oklahoma
Drought is ticking up across Oklahoma as bright red and darker shades of orange paint the picture on the latest Drought Monitor Map.
Drought is gripping Oklahoma and it’s worsening fast.
A large swath of southwestern Oklahoma is in extreme drought—an area that missed out on soaking rain opportunities earlier this year.
But now, drought is ramping up in the northeastern corner and even in southeastern Oklahoma.
Nearly 85% of the state is experiencing some level of drought.
State Climatologist Gary McManus describes it as “increasingly bad.” Going on to say if we don't see rain soon, it could be detrimental to this crucial planting time for Oklahoma's hard winter wheat crop.
McManus said over the last two years wheat crops have suffered nearly $500 million in losses.
There is hope for some moisture in the extreme long-range forecast, but as the saying goes, “we’ll believe it, when we see it.”
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