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Study Shows Tornado Disaster Aid is Growing Nationwide
While last year and so far this year, Oklahoma has not experienced many tornadoes, the rest of the nation has. And one report in the Philadelphia Inquirer suggests the nation has experienced a “stunning increase” in federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in the 21st Century. From 1953 to 1982, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued …
Guthrie Legislator Wages Fight Against Gasoline Tax Hike
Guthrie Rep. Jason Murphey makes it clear he will vote against any plan to increase gasoline taxes in the state. Writing in the McCarville Report this week, the Republican legislator said it is flawed logic to suggest gasoline taxes could be increase because the state already has one of the lowest such taxes in the …
Pruitt’s Latest EPA Move Draws More Democratic Criticism
The EPA’s defending its move to dismiss a dozen members of the agency’s advisory board of scientists, saying Administrator Scott Pruitt wants more diversity on the board. That “diversity” includes the possibility of naming researchers from the industry the agency oversees. Members removed from the Board of Scientific Counselors had three-year terms that expired late …
Cyberthreats to be Studied by U.S. Senate Committee
A U.S. Senate committee will explore cyberthreats in a Wednesday hearing in Washington. Cyberthreats aren’t just a worry at government agencies but also at all private industries, including energy. U.S. Sen. James Lankford’s a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee. It will be a full-committee hearing studying “Cyber Threats Facing America: An Overview …
EPA Closely Watching Creek’s Pollution in Osage County
As the Tulsa World recently reported, three oil producers in Osage county might be asked to cease operations as the EPA investigates a saltwater leak of Bird Creek. An EPA administrator visited the site on the Chapman ranch last week. Sam Coleman, EPA Region 6 administrator and Kenneth Wagner, senior advisor to U.S. EPA Administrator …
Small Town Founder to Testify Before US Senate
Oklahoma developer Grant Humphreys, a man who founded his own town at Lake Eufaula will be one of those testifying Tuesday before a U.S. Senate Subcommittee hearing exploring water resources. He will go before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee subcommittee in a hearing to be chaired by Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe. The …
Gasoline Prices Drop Again in Oklahoma—-Hit $2.07 average
Oklahoma gasoline prices dropped again in the past week, reaching an average of $2.07 a gallon, the lowest average since late March, according to AAA Oklahoma. In its weekly release of price average, AAA Oklahoma reported the state continued having the nation’s second lowest average. Only South Carolina has a lower average at $2.06 …
Pruitt Says It Again—–Paris Climate Accord is a Bad Deal for U.S.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt says the President is close to a decision whether the U.S. will continue to take part in the controversial Paris environment accord, something President Trump has vowed to cancel. Interview on Fox Business on Wednesday, Pruitt, the former Oklahoma Attorney General repeated his assertion that the Paris climate agreement is a …
About 2,500 Rural Electric Cooperative Customers Still Without Power from Weekend Panhandle Snow Storm
Much of the snow that fell in the weekend blizzard in the Oklahoma Panhandle is gone, but the power outages remain. However, Tri-County Electric Cooperative based in Hooker indicates progress in restoration of power has been quick. As of Thursday morning, the Cooperative reported 2,155 customers in Texas County still were without electrical power. Cimarron …
Highway Work Suspended Till Budget is Fixed
With less than two weeks remaining in the legislative session and still no budget agreement, the State Transportation Commission decided this week to put the hold on new construction projects. “Suspending current highway construction due to a proposed reduction in state funding is not something ODOT has ever been faced with,but we are preparing for …