News

By John Durkee

Tulsa, OK – A four year old is the latest in Tulsa County to die of the flu. KWGS News has been told it has been confirmed that the child did have the H1N1 virus. That was confirmed this morning by the state health department.

The Tulsa Health Department, meanwhile, has received another 7,400 H1N1 vaccines, in various formats, and will continue its school inoculation program

By Monday, October 19 from noon-1 pm

ON PUBLIC RADIO 89.5 HD1 – Public Radio Tulsa News Director John Durkee will moderate a the three-way debate between Democrat Tom Adelson, Republican Dewey Bartlett, and Independent candidate Mark Perkins. Join us for this Downtown Kiwanis Club election debate, broadcast live from First United Methodist Church in downtown Tulsa.

By Hear his unedited comments

Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Mayoral candidate Dewey Bartlett is taking a page from the county's play book. He is wanting an energy audit on all city owned buildings. He says the savings could be substantial.

He recently installed Solar panels on his own office building downtown and says he is already starting to see the savings.

He does not want to do retro-fits on the buildings the city shuttered when it consolidated operations at One Technology Center.

By Associated Press

Oklahoma City, OK – Rape allegations raise mansion security issues

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The former chef and chief groundskeeper at the Oklahoma Governor's Mansion are under investigation for allegedly raping female state inmates assigned to maintain the mansion's grounds.

Neither man has been charged. But the allegations raise questions about the safety and security of the state's chief executive and his family and oversight of a program meant in part to reward good inmate behavior.

By Rich Fisher

By Associated Press

Perkins, OK – Perkins residents oppose road widening project

PERKINS, Okla. (AP) Some residents in Perkins are hoping to convince the state transportation department to either change or abandon plans to widen U.S. 177.

Some call it a "road to nowhere" and say they'll ask the Perkins City Council to join them in opposing the $8 million project.

By Hear comments from Mayor Taylor

Tulsa, OK – Tulsa needs to cut $3 million more from budget

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Tulsa governmental leaders say the state's second-largest city will have to cut $3 million from its budget because of declining sales tax revenues.

Mayor Kathy Taylor says her management team will meet next week to consider possible actions. During the city budget planning process, a $2.9 million group of cuts was prepared in case the city's revenues continued falling.

By Hear the Council Exchange

Tulsa, OK –
High Speed rail service gets the attention of the Tulsa City Council in particular, a letter of support. Councilor Rick Westcott a big proponent of high speed rail was concerned with a paragraph that indicted city financial support.

The letter was written in support of an O-Dot grant request. City Risk Officer Cathy Criswell says there was no commitment to any type of funding.

By Associated Press

Oklahoma City, OK – Treasurer says budget reductions to continue

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) State Treasurer Scott Meacham says state revenue was down again in September.

But Meacham said Tuesday collections for the month will be enough to cover the spending obligations of state agencies that have been reduced in prior months.

By Associated Press

Oklahoma City, OK – Officials brace for revenue report

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) State officials are bracing for yet another bleak revenue report.

Oklahoma Treasurer Scott Meacham is scheduled to release the state's revenue collection results for the month of September Tuesday. And it's expected to follow the same downward trend as revenue reports for the months of July and August.