Marshall Stewart

Planning a trip to one of the state’s lakes, rivers, or streams this weekend? The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality’s Skylar McElhaney says they want you to have fun, but be cautious when swimming or boating in untreated waters. There are certain bacteria, viruses, and protozoa that could be harmful and cause anything from ear and eye infections to some forms of meningitis.

Suggestions to be safe include hold your nose or wear noseplugs when jumping into water, avoid swallowing water when swimming, and stay away from debris and storm drains.

(Oklahoma City AP)-Oklahoma moves closer to the record number of West Nile virus cases in one year. Nine new cases are confirmed.

There have been 101 confirmed cases this year in 22 counties.

Five people have died, two each in Oklahoma and Carter counties and one in Seminole County.

The record of 107 West Nile cases was set in 2007. Eight people died then.

The Tulsa Red Cross has nine volunteers in the Gulf Coast area to help with Hurricane Isaac disaster relief. Donita Quesnel with the Tulsa Chapter says the teams will help deliver meals and supplies to storm victims.

She says the Chapter here is on standby in case more help is needed in storm ravaged areas. The teams already deployed are in Florida, Alabama, and Hattiesburg,Mississippi.

The opening prayer will be delivered by an atheist at Thursday night’s Tulsa City Council meeting. Dan Nerren, a founder of the Humanist Association of Tulsa, says it’s a ‘first’ as far as he knows. He says he will not be praying to a deity, but instead will address the invocation to the councilors themselves.

He says several groups for years have attempted to get the council to halt sectarian prayers. Failing that, Nerren says councilors have agreed to allow an invocation from his non-theist group.

The Board governing Tulsa’s ambulance service is considering increasing response times. If the recommendation is accepted, response times for life-threatening emergencies would increase two minutes. Non-threatening emergency times would also increase two minutes.

EMSA’s Kelli Bruer says the change would not impact patient care….it would not affect first responders who are required to be on scene within five minutes.

An abandoned Tulsa apartment complex that neighbors call a blight and a public safety nuisance is demolished.

The Oakwood Apartments on 62nd street just off South Peoria, abandoned since 2009, are coming down. Police have been called numerous times to the property since the abandonment. Tom Sanderson’s children attend school in the area…and he called city leaders to ask that it be torn down to rid the area of the problem structure.

The city and county worked together on the demolition. With the structure gone, officials say revitalization in the area can move forward.

A major step in upgrading Tulsa Courthouse security entrances gets underway this week as a couple of high profile trials begin inside.

The steel structure for the new entrance on the Denver Avenue side of the County Courthouse is going up this week. Kirby Crowe is with the company managing the project, and he says this is an important phase in the work, which is about a week behind schedule.

Tulsa County leaders will wait until September 10th to designate projects they’d like to see on the Vision 2 ballot in November. Commission Chairman John Smaligo says the needs are no secret….juvenile justice, expo square, and roads and bridges.

Commissioners will hold a public hearing before taking action on the project list. The issue goes to the voters on November 6th.

With classes going back into session, Tulsa firefighters start a very visible campaign to remind people to drive carefully in school zones.

Traffic is very heavy in front of Jenks elementary at 101st and Yale as parents and buses drop off kids for the first day of class. Fire trucks and other department vehicles are parked near the campus with big banners that say ‘Drive Safely, School’s Open’.

Assistant Fire Marshal Captain Ray Evins says the firefighters will be at school sites throughout the various districts as they open for class this week and next.

A plan is unveiled in Tulsa County to raise about 750-million dollars over 13 years for airport, aerospace, and other infrastructure projects. If County Commissioners say okay, you will be asked to approve extending the sixth-tenths of a penny ‘Vision 2025’ tax when it expires in December 2015.

Co-chairman of the Vision 2 campaign, Don Walker, says the improvements are needed to attract and keep jobs. County Commissioners will decide Monday whether to send the resolution to voters in November.