Tulsa’s New Mayor Takes Office
The city of Tulsa has a new mayor.
Monroe Nichols took the oath of office Monday afternoon to become the city’s 41st mayor.
Nichols is the first Black mayor in the city's history.
Nichols said one of his main goals as mayor is to end homelessness in Tulsa.
"We must realize that is not simply a housing issue; it is a moral issue. We will work tirelessly to make sure that every person in Tulsa has access to safe, affordable housing... always championing housing as a human right," Nichols said.
Prior to becoming mayor, Nichols was a state representative for House District 72 for the past eight years.
Proposed Midwest City Development Faces Opposition
Some Midwest City residents are planning to attend a meeting tonight to oppose a housing and retail project near SE 15th and Westminster Road.
The proposed development includes a mix of townhomes, duplexes, and commercial spaces, such as a pharmacy and restaurants.
Opponents argue the development could lower property values and increase traffic dangers.
A public hearing is set for 5 p.m. at the City Council Chambers.
Oklahoma, Denmark Partner to Advance Renewable Energy and Innovation
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a memorandum of understanding between the state of Oklahoma and the Ambassador of Denmark to the United States on Monday.
The two governments intend to increase collaboration on energy innovation.
The memo details a collaboration between Oklahoma and EE North America, which is a subsidiary of Denmark-based company European Energy.
Collaboration objectives listed in the memo include developing renewable energy projects that harness Oklahoma’s wind and solar energy potential and exploring the possibility of establishing a facility to produce green methanol from renewable resources in Oklahoma.
Biomedical, aerospace, and defense innovations are also listed as areas of interest for the collaboration.
In a news release, Stitt thanked Oklahoma’s “pro-business” policies for making the collaboration possible and said a mutually beneficial relationship will create economic development and job opportunities in both Denmark and Oklahoma.
New Weather Records Set In November
The month of November set extreme weather records in Oklahoma.
Last month was the wettest ever, with an average rainfall of nearly 8 inches, according to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet.
That surpasses the 2015 record of 6 inches.
Heavy rains also helped tame a severe drought, dropping coverage from 84% in late October to just 18% by the end of last month.
Tornado activity also reached historic levels with 31 confirmed tornadoes, nearly tripling the previous record.
It was also one of the mildest autumns we’ve seen. State Climatologist Gary McManus said the season ranked the third-warmest on record, with a statewide average temperature of 65 degrees.
Looking ahead, the Climate Prediction Center predicts warmer-than-average temperatures and potential drought improvement for the rest of December.
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