+++ A state House committee will conduct a hearing Thursday morning on a measure that could consolidate three agencies into the Tourism, History and Cultural Department. Those agencies are the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Oklahoma Arts Council. The House Government Modernization panel will discuss the issue at 10:30 […]
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Fair play?
White, now serving a second tour of duty on the council, is trying to persuade his colleagues that elected officials should mirror OKC’s population and increasing the number of wards would be the first step. So far, White’s idea, although discussed at two separate meetings, has been largely criticized by most of the other council […]
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Prohibition, not pot, is the problem
Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), spent 34 years with the Maryland State Police working primarily in drug investigations. Franklin spoke earlier this month at a University of Oklahoma conference entitled, “The War on Drugs and Mass Incarceration: Myths and Realities.” During an interview with Oklahoma Gazette, Franklin said state lawmakers […]
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Marijuana rally scheduled Wednesday
Medical Marijuana Day will consist of lobbying, advocacy and training, according to Norma Sapp, director of the Oklahoma chapter of National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). An advocacy training session in Room 104 is slated for 10 a.m. The meeting is designed to help citizens understand the most effective way to lobby their […]
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Debating diversity and ward expansion
White, the longest-tenured council member, said he believes the council membership should reflect the city’s population. However, the way ward boundaries are drawn puts minorities at a disadvantage, he said. Three proposals were discussed during a special council meeting Tuesday that included adding two wards, four wards or redrawing boundaries for the current eight wards. […]
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Mayor Mick
When former television journalist Mick Cornett stopped covering sports and switched to news in 1996, he had no idea how his life would be transformed. His way of thinking and priorities changed drastically after the April 19, 1995 Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in downtown Oklahoma City. As he went through an admitted “midlife […]
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Freeze causes city building to flood
The building’s basement flooded with more than 12 feet of water after a pipe leading to the fire suppression system burst early Sunday. City officials have not released a damage estimate yet, but Yager said the electrical system, computers, elevators and the heating and air units were affected. The water consumed the entire basement. The […]
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OKC Council to discuss economy Tuesday
Oklahoma City University economist Russell Evans will discuss the economic outlook for Oklahoma City. Other agenda items include financial trends, the city’s revenue and expense forecast, departmental issues and the fiscal year 2015 budget outlook. The meeting will take place in rooms 14 and 15.
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Meeting will address possible addition of City Council wards
The meeting will be held in the third floor’s executive conference room. This will be the council’s second meeting on the subject. Oklahoma City residents are currently represented by eight wards. Ward 4 Councilman Pete White suggested the city expand its eight wards to 10 so residents would have better representation. Currently, each council member […]
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State of the City speech
“It’s 2014 and you should be proud of your city for several reasons,” he told a crowd of about 1,600 people at the Cox Business Services Convention Center. According to Atlantic Monthly, OKC is one of the most popular cities for millennials. The city also has been recognized nationally for its low cost-of-living and for […]