OKLAHOMA CITY — German automaker Volkswagen will construct its electrical car battery plant in Canada, not Oklahoma, it was introduced Monday.
Oklahoma officers had put collectively a virtually $700 million incentive bundle hoping to attract the power to the MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor.
Oklahoma officers believed the Volkswagen deal may have resulted in 7,000 new jobs and greater than $5 billion in capital funding from the corporate. Common pay for the roles was anticipated to be $75,000 yearly.
“Earlier right now, Volkswagen introduced that it has chosen St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, as the situation to construct the corporate’s first abroad battery cell plant,” Canadian leaders mentioned in a press release Monday. “Immediately’s transfer is a significant vote of confidence in Canada and Ontario, and in our shared work to place the nation and the province as international chief within the electrical car provide chain.
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“This historic funding is a testomony to Canada’s sturdy and rising battery ecosystem and Ontario’s aggressive enterprise surroundings. With a extremely expert workforce, clear vitality, an abundance of vital minerals, entry to markets, and a flourishing automotive and battery sector, we’re a lovely funding vacation spot with every thing corporations have to develop. As well as, Canada and Ontario provide stability and predictability to their enterprise companions.”
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Gov. Kevin Stitt’s workplace, when requested concerning the automaker’s resolution, replied: “There is no doubt that right now’s announcement was disappointing. …
“Oklahoma has by no means been ready to compete with a complete nation for a significant undertaking, however that is precisely what we did, and it is a testomony to the arduous work of state leaders within the Legislature and the Commerce Division who’re making Oklahoma probably the most business-friendly state within the nation.
“Now we’re proper again to work pursuing further alternatives within the pipeline and can proceed our vital efforts to assist corporations who’re already in Oklahoma develop and develop. I stay dedicated and optimistic that if we proceed to work collectively, Oklahoma will land one in every of these historic alternatives.”
Final yr, Oklahoma misplaced out on a deal to lure a $4 billion Panasonic electrical battery facility to the MidAmerica Industrial Park.
Panasonic opted, as an alternative, for De Soto, Kansas, to provide batteries for Tesla. It was anticipated to generate 4,000 direct jobs in that state.
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MidAmerica CEO David Stewart mentioned a continuity of management and strategic investments have laid the groundwork for the economic park to compete for nationwide and worldwide tasks.
“Because the eighth largest industrial park on this planet, MidAmerica was amongst greater than 100 websites thought of by the positioning choice group and in the end chosen because the primary web site to symbolize the USA to compete for this undertaking,” Stewart mentioned in a ready assertion. “We proceed to show our potential to compete on the highest degree for a mega undertaking that may generate high-paying jobs for Oklahomans.”
Tulsa Regional Chamber President and CEO Mike Neal recommended the groups at MidAmerica, the Grand River Dam Authority and Tulsa Ports for his or her dedication by the positioning choice course of.
“Oklahomans must be pleased with our rising aggressive benefit, which incorporates not solely a collaborative spirit of management, but in addition a powerful workforce, plentiful pure sources, and low value of residing,” Neal mentioned in a ready assertion. “Throughout a number of industries, Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma are receiving historic ranges of worldwide curiosity as a vacation spot for future tasks.
Senate President Professional Tem Greg Deal with, R-Oklahoma Metropolis, introduced the formation of a choose committee on financial growth on account of the Volkswagen deal’s falling by.
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He mentioned the committee, which he plans to steer, will look at the state’s financial growth methods and evaluate them to what states equivalent to Kansas and Texas have carried out to land main business-expansion tasks.
In 2020, Tesla select Austin over Tulsa as the house of its CyberTruck Gigafactory.
Deal with mentioned he’s pissed off that Oklahoma retains coming in second place for main financial growth offers.
“We’ve simply received to determine how you can change into extra aggressive,” he mentioned.
World Capitol Bureau reporter Carmen Forman contributed to this story.
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Timeline: Canoo electrical car startup, from 2017 to Oklahoma’s funding and past
February 2020
August 2020
December-January 2020
March 2021
Could 2021
June 17, 2021
October 2021
November 2021
February 2022
March 2022
Could 10, 2022
July 2022
November 2022
December 2022
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barbara.hoberock@tulsaworld.com
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After falling twice away from home already this season, No. 7 Alabama will look to avoid a potential trap game in its final road trip of the regular season. The Crimson Tide (8-2, 5-2 in the SEC) will visit Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5) for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff Saturday inside Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
This will be the seventh matchup between Alabama and Oklahoma. The Sooners hold a 3-2-1 advantage in the series, but the Tide won the most recent meeting, recording a 45-34 victory in the 2018 Orange Bowl. Alabama is currently a 14-point favorite for Saturday’s game, according to the Caesars Sportsbook.
Here’s how Tide Illustrated’s staff thinks the game will play out.
The stark reality of the Cowboys future on the gridiron is up in the air. Can Oklahoma State bounce back in 2025 following one of the worst football seasons in years? Will the Pokes return next season and play with a chip on their shoulder? Only time will tell and the best way to improve the football team is for the coaching staff to hit the recruiting trail hard.
Oklahoma State will say goodbye to one of the greatest statistical wide receivers to ever wear the Cowboy orange. Senior Brennan Presley has been the cornerstone of the receiving core for the past four seasons. He is the all-time receptions leader in Oklahoma State history and has caught more than two passes in nearly every game since his sophomore season.
The offense won’t be the same in 2025 with Presley snagging catches across the middle, but the fans of Cowboy football won’t have to wait long as a familiar name will be entering the mix straight out of the class of 2026.
On Thursday, Oklahoma State looked to make it the Presley trifecta when they offered the youngest of the bunch, 2026 Bixby star Braeden Presley. Older brothers Brennan and Braylin both committed to Oklahoma State out of high school. Brennan hung around to become the all-time receptions leader in school history while Braylin transferred to Tulsa.
Braeden is the biggest brother of the bunch and measures in at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, according to 247Sports. He is unranked at the moment but still has a full season of football yet to play. The interest continues to grow for Braeden who has drawn offers from Tulsa, Boston College and Kansas.
Oklahoma State joined the mix on Thursday and is hoping to use its family ties to lock up their third straight Presley. Little is known about Presley on the field, and he has proven this season that he is a jack of all trades. He has logged a rushing touchdown, receiving touchdown and passing touchdown this season for the Spartans of Bixby.
A majority of his highlights have come on the defensive side of the football. He has 27 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble in 2024 for a Bixby team who is searching for yet another Class 5A State Championship.
The fans of Oklahoma State football may not have to wait very long to have a Presley once again under the lights of Boone Pickens Stadium.
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CHARLESTON, S.C. – The University of Miami men’s basketball team fell to the Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-1), 80-74, Friday afternoon at TD Arena in the Hurricanes’ (3-2) second game of the 2024 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic.
Down 17 with five minutes to play in the game, the Hurricanes connected on seven of their final ten shots to pull to within six of the Cowboys, but time ultimately ran out on Miami’s comeback.
Guard Nijel Pack recorded his second 20-point game of the season, totaling 20 points to lead the Hurricanes in scoring.
Forward Brandon Johnson tallied his first double-double of the season with 12 points and ten rebounds, pacing the Hurricanes’ on the glass.
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Oklahoma State took control early, opening the game on a 9-0 run. Miami cut the lead to three thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Blackmon and Pack, but the Cowboys responded with a 7-0 run to extend their lead to double-digits, 20-10, with 10 minutes to play in the first half.
The Cowboys shot 53.3 percent from 3-point range in the first half, increasing their lead to 16, 43-37, at the halftime break.
Oklahoma State took its largest lead of the game, 51-31, at the 14:35 mark in the second half, but Miami responded with an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to 13 at the midway point of the frame.
The Hurricanes shot 58.1 percent from the field in the second half, and four Miami players scored eight-plus points in the final 20 minutes of play, but they could not complete the comeback.
On Sunday, Miami will play VCU or Nevada at 12:30 p.m. ET at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C.