Marshall Stewart

With the warmer spring weather, work in construction zones around Tulsa and the state is increasing. Next week is National Work Zone Awareness week, and drivers are reminded to slow down and be safe. Aaron Wilcox is a project manager with Becco Contractors. He says the few seconds you might save speeding through work zones isn’t worth the danger and potential for damage and injury it could cause.

Nationally, more than 1,000 people die each year in vehicle crashes in work zones, and in Oklahoma last year 16 people were killed in work zone crashes.

Silver Tsunami is a term referring to the wave of aging of the population in Tulsa and across the nation. A forum in downtown Tulsa brings together experts discussing what kind of challenges that age explosion brings.

Jan Figart with the Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa was one of the panelists at the Chamber of Commerce sponsored forum. She says the area is not prepared for the coming Tsumani of seniors who are bringing changes to health, housing, and social service needs.

A program to keep at-risk Tulsa youngsters off the streets and out of trouble will expand this summer. The Bridges of Faith initiative returns this year, after serving more than 200 children each week last summer in north Tulsa. This year, the program…a partnership between the community and churches, will expand to other areas of the city. Pastor Tim Newton is with the Tulsa Dream Center, and he says kids tell him Bridges of Faith has helped keep them out of trouble.

On the second day of filing, Tulsa’s incumbent mayor signs candidacy papers seeking another term.

This time around will be different for current mayor Dewey Bartlett. The June 11th primary is non-partisan, meaning if any one candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, he or she is elected. Several other candidates have filed, including two with previous city government experience…former mayor Kathy Taylor, and city councilor Bill Christiansen.

The filing period continues through Wednesday at 5pm.

Tulsa County Deputies bust an elaborate identity theft ring. There are potentially hundreds of victims in states from Utah to New York. A weekend traffic stop leads to suspects running an identity theft ring that may have victimized hundreds of people. Sheriff’s Major Tom Huckeby says three people are in custody, and others are being sought. He identifies the ringleader of the group as Tammy Petitt, and says she’s been arrested for this same type activity before.

Ground is broken today for a new state-of-the-art fire training center in Tulsa. It’s a joint project of the city and Tulsa Community College. Chief Ray Driskell says it will be regional facility for firefighters from Tulsa and other communities.

The new fire safety training center is being built on the northeast campus of Tulsa Community College. Phase 1 should be finished in November, 2014.

Detectives are investigating the city’s latest homicide. Officer Leland Ashley says the victim was found dead outside his home near 3300 North Garrison early Wednesday morning. He was apparently taking out his trash, when witnesses say an SUV drove up and multiple shots were fired at the man.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. Ashley says most of the city’s homicides this year have been solved quickly with arrests made. He urges anyone with information about this latest killing to call Crimestoppers.

Tulsa’s BOK Center reaches a milestone, surpassing $100 million in ticket sales since opening in September 2008. Marketing Director Sarah Haertl says it translates to more than 3.2 million people attending events at the BOK.

The size of the BOK Center has allowed Tulsa to bring in some of the biggest names in the music industry, as well as Division One basketball championships, and Oklahoma City Thunder pre-season games.

Tulsa’s mayor advises city councilors to avoid putting tax extension questions on separate ballots months apart. Several councilors suggest voting on a streets only package in November, then waiting until next year to vote on extending the third penny for other capital projects. It’s not how Mayor Bartlett would do it. He believes separating funding source questions on one ballot is okay, but wants to see them all decided in one election, not one this year and one next year.

Tulsa’s teaching hospital needs a big boost in state funding to keep from severely cutting services or possibly closing its’ doors.  An $18.25 million appropriation is being sought for the OSU Medical Center. OSU-Tulsa President Howard Barnett doesn’t believe lawmakers will allow the hospital to close, but he says it’s a matter of getting enough money to allow the facility to thrive and achieve its’ mission or merely survive.