Oklahoma Health Officials On Alert For Potential Measles Cases
A measles outbreak in Texas has infected at least 124 people since late January.
One death was confirmed on Wednesday.
The Oklahoma Department of Health says it’s closely monitoring the situation.
OSDH released a health alert last week, advising clinicians to look for measles symptoms like high fevers, red, watery eyes, a cough and rash.
Dr. Girish Murthy is an infectious disease specialist at a Mercy clinic in Ardmore.
He said the outbreak in Texas is concerning.
“We're so close to Texas. So, typically, if something's going to affect Texas, we're at a high risk of getting that here as well,” Murthy said.
He said the MMR vaccine is the best protection against measles, and lower vaccination rates make it easier for diseases like it to spread.
Murthy said to call your physician if you are concerned about exposure or might be infected.
State Board of Education Members Want To Revisit Immigration Policy
State School Superintendent Ryan Walters got push-back at Thursday’s meeting from State Board of Education members for the first time.
The three new board members appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt attended their first meeting and immediately things were different.
In the two years Walters has been superintendent, his often controversial policies have never been challenged by the board.
New member Chris Van Denhende asked to revisit the policy approved at the last board meeting, by the former board members, to require students and parents disclose their citizenship.
“I'm concerned about the immigration status issue because we've had a lot of push-back in my area,” Van Denhende said.
The new board members were told they could not act on the immigration record policy at this meeting because it was not on the agenda.
The new members asked for it to be part of the next meeting or to have an emergency meeting to reconsider it.
This story was produced by Sam Moore at The Freelancer.
Tulsa Public Schools Officials Respond To Critical Audit Findings
State Auditor Cindy Byrd released a report Wednesday detailing a lack of oversight on Tulsa Public Schools’ finances.
But the district disputed several of the audit’s claims, and its board points to political motivation.
Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Ebony Johnson said many of the financial oversight issues in the audit have been remedied over the last several years.
TPS Board president Stacey Woolley said in a Wednesday news conference that Byrd’s findings were for political gain, as the state auditor is currently making a bid to become lieutenant governor in 2026.
“The auditor is not interested in our improvement, but solely elevating her status,” Woolley said.
The audit found potential violations of House Bill 1775, which bans certain race or gender conversations in classrooms.
Woolley said the auditor’s office was not able to point to any material evidence of this violation.
Oklahoma Broadband Leaders Forge Ahead Despite Federal Uncertainities
Recent federal funding changes have paused some programs or grants.
The Oklahoma Broadband Office appears to be in good shape, with its more than billion-dollar projects.
Last year, the office awarded over $500 million in grants for broadband infrastructure projects across the state.
Mike Sanders, executive director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office, said much of that money is already in Oklahoma and isn’t impacted by recent shifts by the Trump administration.
He said another expected $750 million dollar pot of money through what’s known as the BEAD program is also expected to come through still.
“I'm looking forward to getting our BEAD Program, which we are still ongoing as we speak, we're still going through that process as if nothing has changed, and we're going to keep our head down, continue to block and tackle and to make sure we deliver for Oklahoma,” Sanders said.
Sanders said there could be tweaks, such as the type of technology used.
Although things could change, he said conversations with federal partners have been about efficiency, not cutting funding.
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