An annual report shows the tally of registered voters is growing in Oklahoma.
Nearly 2.3 million Oklahomans are registered to vote ahead of the Nov. 8 election. There was a net increase of more than 77,000 registered voters since the last report in January and a hike of more than 175,000 voters since the last midterm election in 2018.
Republicans make up more than half of Oklahoma's voting population - while Democrats make up 29.95%. This is the first time that state statistics show Democrats at less than 30% of registered voters.
Independents are the third largest group with 18% while Libertarians make up less than 1%.
In Oklahoma and Tulsa counties - there has been significant growth in Independent voters and a decrease in people registered with the Republican and Democratic Parties.
A new partnership between Oklahoma City Public Schools and OU Health will provide telehealth services and health education to students.
The partnership will increase access to primary care and health management and improve health literacy. Officials say it will also help decrease student absenteeism.
Schools will be equipped with telehealth software and equipment necessary to perform comprehensive virtual health examinations. OU Health pediatricians will be able to perform virtual examinations of the heart, lungs, abdomen, ear, mouth, throat and skin.
Telehealth visits will be offered regardless of insurance status.
A task force on conservative abortion reduction policies released its report of recommendations Wednesday.
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s abortion reduction policy task force released a report of its final recommendations.
The recommendations include creating a marketing campaign, amending the state adoption code to allow for more cost of living and transportation expenses to be paid to birth mothers, extending postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months, and for DHS to consider pregnant women as having a dependent from the point of a positive pregnancy test - and therefore eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families services.
Stitt formed the task force following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing a ban on abortions with very few exceptions in the state.
A new food recovery program at the University of Central Oklahoma is helping students by providing free meals. And it’s good for the environment, too.
UCO’s “Broncho Bites” program launched this week, and here’s how it works: after lunch is over on campus, any prepared food that hasn't been set out yet is packed up and put in a freezer. Students, staff or faculty can then come by and grab a food box, free of charge.
The next day, any leftover food in the freezer is packed into compostable containers and used for campus gardening. This keeps the leftovers from ending up in a landfill.
And that’s important, because when food decomposes, it makes methane. And methane is a very potent greenhouse gas that traps heat way better than carbon dioxide. In the short term, methane is more than 80 times more potent than C02.
The Broncho Bites program was made possible with a $32,000 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
Researchers have unearthed an additional 21 unmarked graves that could be linked to victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
According to Tulsa city officials, on Monday 17 adult-sized graves were uncovered at an excavation site in the Oaklawn Cemetery and another four were found Tuesday, including two child-sized burials.
Scientists will now begin excavating by hand, using finer grain tools to clean up the coffins.
Last year, researchers also found 19 unidentified bodies that were later re-buried.
The excavation is expected to be completed by Nov 18.
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