July 2018 archive

Lawmakers hope to derail Amtrak’s proposed end of Southwest Chief Service in Kansas and 2 other states

Amtrak is considering an end to its passenger train service, the Southwest Chief, between Dodge City, Kansas and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Instead,it wants to create a bus service connection on the route. But lawmakers aren’t happy about it and hope to derail the proposal. If the railway makes the move, it will mean a loss …

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Pruitt latest Trump team member harassed in public

EPA Chief Scott Pruitt’s the latest member of the Trump administration to be verbally attacked while out in the public. It was  this week at a Washington D.C. restaurant where a woman confronted him and called on him to resign. Kristin Mink put her encounter with Pruitt on her Facebook page saying he “was 3 …

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State Regulators prepare for vote on PSO’s Wind Catcher wind farm

For nearly 3 and a half hours on Monday,  PSO executive Steven Fate spent giving testimony on his utility’s controversial bid for pre-approval and cost recovery of its $5.4 billion Wind Catcher wind farm proposed near Guymon. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission started the hearing at 1:30 p.m. and ended around 5:30 p.m. The  hearing will …

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Central Nebraska shaken by series of earthquakes

Oklahoma is the state known in recent years for its earthquakes—some strong ones. But Nebraska? The latest in a series of quakes registered 3.8 magnitude near the western town of Arnold. The U.S. Geological Survey says the Monday morning quake hit around 10:25 and its epicenter was only 2.5 miles from the town or 36 …

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Report shows multi-billion dollar impact of Oklahoma’s forest service industry

Oil and gas are king in Oklahoma’s economy but not in the eastern part of the state where forest and forest products industry are tops. And a new report from the State Forestry Services and Oklahoma State University indicates that the forest industry had a total impact of $5.1 billion on Oklahoma’s economy based on …

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Sierra Club hands out failing environmental report card to many Oklahoma legislators

  The Oklahoma Sierra Club gave most members of the State Senate and State House failing grades for votes on environmental issues in the 2018 session of the legislature. The club released the results the results of its Legislative Scorecard and based on votes concerning Oklahoma’s environment, one A was handed out in the State …

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Massive fire burns for hours in south Texas energy company

A South Texas energy company’s facilities were destroyed by fire on Sunday but no one was injured in the city of Kenedy. The fire happened Sunday afternoon at the Newpark Drilling Fluids company located in a former Walmart building in the city of Kenedy, located southeast of San Antonio. The building was engulfed when firefighters …

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DEQ warns of some swimming areas to avoid this Independence Day Holiday

With the Independence Day holiday approaching, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) encourages Oklahomans to visit the state’s lakes, rivers, or streams. While recreating at these natural water bodies, DEQ reminds you to follow some simple tips to help keep you and your family safe while swimming, boating, canoeing, or enjoying other water activities. Natural bodies of …

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BNSF loses nearly $11 million judgment over fatal train crash

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company has lost its appeal of a nearly $11 million court judgment stemming from the death of a southern Oklahoma man at a railroad crossing ten years ago. The family of Jeffrey Nye sued after he was killed and a passenger injured when their jeep was struck by a …

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Medical marijuana—-nothing special needed says Gov. Fallin

Medical marijuana–it’s something that energy firms in the state of Oklahoma will have to deal with now that voters have approved it. It means some workers might soon have a prescription for pot but the timeline depends on just how quickly the Oklahoma Department of Health can adopt regulations controlling the doctors who will prescribe …

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