oklahoma

In light of economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic, Oklahoma state officials say many businesses will turn to the U.S. Small Business Administration for low-interest loans. Unemployment claims in the state are also at a high as workers are laid off. Journal Record editor Russell Ray discusses the specifics of SBA loans and the state's unemployment trust fund. 

The legal fight over who is responsible, and who should pay for the national opioid crisis that has killed thousands of Americans will likely take years.

Before becoming the internationally recognized author of Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison grew up a precocious child in Deep Deuce, Oklahoma City. Now, a collection of his letters is available in hardback. KGOU’s Richard Bassett spoke with John Callahan, the literary executor for Ralph Ellison and one of the editors of the book. Bassett began by asking what the letters reveal about Ellison’s feelings for Oklahoma.

Last week, hundreds of entertainment industry professionals attended Oklahoma's first-ever Film and Music Conference. The event's goal was to help the state's talent further develop industry skills and knowledge, as well as to encourage companies to produce projects in Oklahoma. Journal Record editor Russell Ray discusses how the state incentivizes production companies to film in Oklahoma and what officials are saying about Oklahoma's potential for attracting movies.

The state of Oklahoma plans to release hundreds of prisoners Monday after their sentences were reduced by the state's Pardon and Parole Board. 462 state prisoners could be sent home, which would represent the nation's largest single day commutation.

Why is there a Putnam City school district in Oklahoma but no Putnam City?

KGOU listener John Potts noticed every auto dealership in the state is closed on Sunday, so he asked How Curious for an explanation. It turns out that Oklahoma is one of several states that forbids motor vehicle sales on Sundays.

A mysterious ball of light seems to appear and disappear on a road in far northeast Oklahoma. One listener who witnessed the so-called “spooklight” asked: Where is it coming from?

Aviator Wiley Post gained global fame in the 1930s. He was known for smashing around-the-world flight records, but did he also spend time in an Oklahoma prison for a felony?

In 1893, an anonymous reporter from Kansas wrote about a town in northern Oklahoma  comprised entirely of women. But when he tried to go back to the site one week later, it was gone. Was this town real?

On a special stretch of road near Springer, Oklahoma, it feels like gravity doesn’t quite work--  when you shift a car into neutral gear, you feel like the car is rolling backwards up the hill. KGOU listener Vicki Weiss asked How Curious: Does this spot really defy gravity?

KGOU listener Gabe Denton remembers seeing horny toads all the time when he was growing up in Choctaw, but he hasn’t seen one in decades. Denton asked How Curious: What happened?

Oklahoma’s pecan producers expect the largest crop yield in years. But trade tensions with China, the largest buyer of U.S. pecans, could make exporting the product difficult. Journal Record editor Russell Ray discusses the industry’s challenges in Oklahoma and how growers are attempting to reach the domestic market amid foreign tariffs. 

The demand for licenses to grow hemp has exceeded state officials' expectations. Journal Record editor Russell Ray discusses  profitable aspects of the hemp industry and how Oklahoma hopes to model its certification program on states like Colorado. 

Tom Cochrane is a professional geologist and writer who spent 25 years in Oklahoma working in the oil industry. But the former "Big Oil Insider" has since morphed into an avid environmentalist. He's written a book about his experiences called, Tornados, Rattlesnakes & Oil.

KGOU's Richard Bassett sat down with Cochrane to discuss the work.