Oklahoma

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority opens up about payments for land acquisition

Published

3 years ago

April 21, 2022

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority opens up about payments for land acquisition

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) is altering course on a earlier determination relating to releasing data for particular person property transaction data.

Earlier this month, the company refused handy over data displaying how a lot it had beforehand paid for land that was finally used for earlier turnpike growth challenge.

A reporter with CNHI Oklahoma, which is the mother or father firm to 14 Oklahoma newspapers, requested for the knowledge to be disclosed, however was turned down initially by the company, who claimed state regulation saved it from having to launch the essential monetary knowledge to the general public.

This month, the OTA reversed that evaluation, to maintain the information hid.

“It’s the property homeowners which can be the stakeholders, they usually want actual solutions to actual questions,” stated Dave Moore, an organizer and volunteer for Pike Off OTA.

In an announcement to the station, the company now says, partially, that the Oklahoma Open Data Act “obligates the company to reveal the quantity paid on particular person actual property acquisition transactions, together with the identification of the proprietor from whom OTA acquired property.”

An skilled on the state’s open assembly and open report’s regulation informed KFOR the company mustn’t have assumed they might withhold the knowledge.

“It was an absurd exemption for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to assert [that] and I’m glad they lastly realized that,” stated Joey Senat, PhD., an Affiliate Professor at Oklahoma State College Faculty of Mass Communication and Multimedia Journalism. “If that exemption would apply, then that might imply that principally any and any cash that’s paid by the state or any authorities, by the way in which, on this state to anyone might be saved secret.”

“The federal government belongs to all of us, and that features the people who find themselves being paid the cash. So in the event that they’re being taken benefit of, we must always know,” Senat added.

Senator Mary Boren, D-Norman added that the transparency would support the struggle to push again on the turnpikes, whereas calling for extra motion, for a difficulty that hits near residence. She has additionally requested for an audit of the OTA, to look at bond income and its rates of interest, the payoff quantity, and extra details about the maturity dates.

“These are the folks that I stay with,” stated Boren, who’s a lawmaker from Norman. “It’s an awesome burden to attempt to save individuals’s properties and to maintain them from having to expertise the trauma for his or her household and for his or her youngsters,” she added.

Neighborhood advocates additionally acknowledged the shift, whereas expressing critiquing the reversal and citing expectations for subsequent steps.

“Sunshine on the method is essential,” stated Inger Giuffrida, the Govt Director for the WildCare Basis in Noble.

“Given the big, pricey impacts of this challenge on individuals, companies, water high quality, wildlife, wildlife habitats and the property tax base in Cleveland County, all the knowledge relating to this challenge, from the costs paid for land, to the contractors employed for all phases of the tasks and any potential conflicts of curiosity needs to be made public,” she added.

“Individuals want to comprehend that it’s the squeaky wheel that will get the grease. And if all of us begin squeaking on the similar time, one thing’s going to occur in our favor,” stated Moore.

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Oklahoma

What will the weather be like on Christmas Day in OKC? See 2024 Christmas forecast

Published

8 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

What will the weather be like on Christmas Day in OKC? See 2024 Christmas forecast

Oklahoma City won’t have a white Christmas in 2024, but we also won’t be breaking any high temperature records.

Here’s what you need to know about the Christmas forecast in OKC and across Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Christmas 2024 forecast

According to the National Weather Service, it will be cloudy but dry on Christmas Day in Oklahoma.

A chance of rain will increase in the late evening hours.

Here are the forecasted highs and lows across central, western and northern Oklahoma:

Oklahoma City: Low of 44°F, high of 52°F
Enid: Low of 36°F, high of 50°F
Lawton: Low of 46°F, high of 57°F
Woodward: Low of 30°F, high of 52°F
Ada: Low of 46°F, high of 56°F

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Oklahoma

Former Oklahoma State DC Bryan Nardo Expected to Join Charlotte Staff

Published

16 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Former Oklahoma State DC Bryan Nardo Expected to Join Charlotte Staff

Oklahoma State’s former defensive coordinator is wasting no time finding another gig.

On Monday, Doug Samuels of FootballScoop reported that Bryan Nardo is expected to join the defensive staff at Charlotte. One of the most recent teams to jump to the FBS level, Charlotte could soon be adding a coach with Big 12 experience.

Nardo spent the past two seasons in Stillwater as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. While his first season wasn’t necessarily the most impressive, it seemed his adjustments and overall scheme were key in OSU’s ascension to a 10-win season and Big 12 Championship appearance.

However, everything fell apart for Nardo in year 2. With the Cowboys ranking among the bottom 10 in the FBS in most statistical categories, OSU’s defense was the main issue in the team’s winless Big 12 campaign.

However, not all of the blame for OSU’s three-win season can be placed on Nardo. OSU’s offense also struggled mightily throughout the season, but the injuries piling up for the OSU defense sealed Nardo’s fate.

With future NFL players Collin Oliver and Nick Martin not playing a snap after September, the Cowboys were without their anchors and other injuries piled up from there. With a myriad of backups and players not playing in their natural positions, Nardo had no true opportunities to run his desired scheme. Still, OSU’s horrendous rankings and results on the field were still too much to overlook as the team overhauled virtually its entire staff this offseason.

With Nardo heading east, the Cowboys hired Todd Grantham as his replacement shortly after the position opened. Nardo is also not the first former OSU defensive coordinator to head to Charlotte.

After being let go following the 2017 season, Glenn Spencer went to Charlotte and was its defensive coordinator for the 2018 season.

Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

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Oklahoma

Navy Midshipmen Keys to Beating Oklahoma Sooners in Armed Forces Bowl

Published

1 day ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Navy Midshipmen Keys to Beating Oklahoma Sooners in Armed Forces Bowl

The Armed Forces Bowl is the Navy Midshipmen’s kind of bowl game. As they prepare to take on the Oklahoma Sooners, they are familiar with the surroundings at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kickoff on Friday is at noon eastern on ESPN.

This is Navy’s (9-3) third appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl, as they beat Middle Tennessee in 2013 and then played a highly-dramatic affair with Louisiana Tech in 2016, which Navy lost 48-45.

At stake for the Midshipmen is their first 10-win season under second-year coach Brian Newberry and their sixth 10-win season in program history. Also with the win the Midshipmen can double their win total from a season ago in Newberry’s debut.

All in all, it would be the capper for a successful second year under their former defensive coordinator.

Oklahoma (6-6) is coming off a sluggish debut in the SEC, where at times the Sooners struggled to score points but scored a huge elite season win over Alabama, a victory that likely kept the Crimson Tide out of the College Football Playoff.

Third-year coach Brent Venables is also dealing with losing players to the transfer portal and two potential defensive stars who may not play in the game as they prepare for the NFL.

How does Navy win? Here are three keys to watch.

Wanna see a simple cause-and-effect relationship?

In Navy’s nine wins, the Midshipmen have outscored teams 104-7 in points off turnovers. The only team to score any points off a Navy turnover in those nine games? Incredibly, it was Bucknell in the season opener.

In the Midshipmen’s three losses, Navy has been outscored 48-0 in points off turnovers.

Navy needs to avoid turnovers, avoid giving up points when it turns the ball over. It also needs to force turnovers and score points off those turnovers.

Yes, that’s rather simple. But the Midshipmen are polar opposite teams in this category, which means that first turnover of the game, whoever commits it, could be telling.

It’s not as if Navy is going to become a different team than it was against Army West Point, and certainly quarterback Blake Hovarth’s ability to throw the ball as a differentiator. But, the Midshipmen just need to be who they are.

Navy is averaging 249.3 rushing yards per game, the seventh-best average in FBS and the program’s best since 2019.

Navy hasn’t played Oklahoma in decades comma but Army played the Sooners recently in Norman. Back in 2018, OU needed overtime to beat Army, 28-21. Oklahoma doesn’t see option teams at all during the season. That’s an edge for Navy.

Oklahoma has had some turnover at quarterback since the end of the regular season. Starter Jackson Arnold transferred to Auburn and another quarterback is in the portal.

The Sooners expect to start Michael Hawkins Jr. behind center, who actually began the season as the starting quarterback. So Navy’s defensive staff will need to break down some tape from earlier in the season.

He has 536 passing yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He’s a solid runner. But he was benched for fumbling the ball multiple times against South Carolina. Ball protection is key against Navy, which does a good job of creating turnovers. Pressure on Hawkins will be a difference-maker in the game.

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