Local elementary aims to find Oklahoma’s ugliest bug for a chance to win microscopes

Published

2 years ago

January 30, 2024

Local elementary aims to find Oklahoma’s ugliest bug for a chance to win microscopes

SILO, Okla. (KXII) – Fourth grade science teacher at Silo Elementary Lindsay Owens says her class went on a hunt to find the ugliest bug in Oklahoma.

“They brought in insects, I set them up, we had judges come in and actually pick the top ones that we had, the top three,” Owens said.

That’s how Silo Elementary student Owen Bacu found his eastern Hercules beetle while visiting a family member’s house.

“I was just scraping around the leaves and I lifted up a rock and it was just there,” Bacu stated.

Bacu’s beetle was selected to be entered into the Oklahoma Microscopy Society Ugly Bug Contest, for a chance to win microscopes for the class.

“I was like, “this isn’t real,” Bacu said. “And then all my friends were like, “I know I’m so excited,” he added.

Owens says contests like these are helping to shape the next generation of scientists.

“They’re wanting to promote science and using microscopes and seeing how there’s things that are not always as they seem and how they’re different when they’re blown up,” Owens said.

Owens says winning microscopes for the class will help expose students to experimenting and learning about their environment.

“Seeing them excited about something that isn’t sports or art, the typical things, it really warms my heart and getting them to question things, its a higher level of thinking,” Owens stated.

“Some stuff looks so cool and then stuff like that is mind-blowing,” Bacu said.

You can vote for your school’s ugly bug on the Oklahoma Microscopy Society website until February 12th.

Source link

Click to comment

UCLA vs. Oklahoma State – Second round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Published

7 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

UCLA vs. Oklahoma State – Second round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Women’s Basketball

March 24, 2026

UCLA vs. Oklahoma State – Second round NCAA tournament extended highlights

March 24, 2026

Watch the highlights from No. 1 UCLA and No. 8 Oklahoma State’s matchup in the second round of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament.

Source link

Fire in Oklahoma City scrapyard produces massive smoke plume visible from downtown

Published

19 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Fire in Oklahoma City scrapyard produces massive smoke plume visible from downtown

A fire at a scrapyard near the OKC Fairgrounds has produced a massive plume of smoke visible in downtown Oklahoma City, officials report.

Oklahoma City Fire Department Assistant PIO John Chenoweth told The Oklahoman that the fire started at the scrapyard building near Northwest 10th Street and May Avenue, northeast of the OKC Fairgrounds.

The fire has been marked as “basically contained” as the Oklahoma City Fire Department is currently shifting to defensive methods. There are some active rubbish fires surrounding the metal building.

Chenoweth states there are no injuries, and all inside the building have been evacuated.

The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are unknown.

➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location

Oklahoma fire map: See smoke, wildfires across state, red flag warnings

Track the latest wildfire and smoke information in Oklahoma with data that is updated frequently based on input from several incident and intelligence sources.

If you can’t see the map below, please click here.

How to prevent wildfires

While severely warm weather can worsen a wildfire spread, most are the result of human behavior. In fact, nearly 85% of wildfires in the U.S. are caused by humans, according to the National Park Service.

With its wide acres, rural areas and inconsistent weather patterns, Oklahoma is prone to grass fires. Forestry and safety experts offer several guidelines for residents on how to avoid starting a fire, which can often breakout from just one wrong spark.

Avoid using welding equipment.
Never drive on a flat tire.
Extinguish cigarettes completely before properly disposing of them, and never throw them outside of a window while driving.
Avoid parking on dry grass or dragging chains behind your car.

Source link

Oklahoma

Oklahoma ranked in top 10 states attracting new residents, study says

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Oklahoma ranked in top 10 states attracting new residents, study says

Oklahoma is in the top 10 states receiving new residents in the nation in recent years, a new survey suggests.

StorageCafe conducted a recent study utilizing U.S. Census data showing Oklahoma welcomed over 25,000 new residents in 2023, with millennials being the largest-represented generation among those entering the Sooner State.

Here’s what the study had to say about migration into Oklahoma.

Oklahoma among top 10 states to move to

According to StorageCafe, Oklahoma welcomed 25,000 new residents in 2023 in net migration.

New residents in Oklahoma were largely made up of millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, at 27%.

Though Oklahomans and Texans don’t seem to be eye to eye in the football arena, Texas is “by far the largest source” of new Oklahoma residents.

Among the major reasons for the increase in migrants is likely Oklahoma’s affordability, with 36% of millennials buying a home within their first year in Oklahoma.

In addition, Oklahomans found major success in recruiting former California and Colorado residents to move to the state, rounding out the top 3 states bringing new residents.