Ponca Post

Legislature overrides nearly 50 bills Governor Stitt vetoed this session

Monday, June 2 by KOKH

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — The Oklahoma 60th Legislature adjourned its regular session on Friday, with an eventful final 24 hours.The legislature voted to override nearly 50 bills on Thursday, which is a large chunk of the bills Governor Stitt vetoed this session.A vetoed bill needed a two-thirds vote the veto from each chamber in... Read More.

Service Animal Protection Bill Becomes Law

Monday, June 2 by Ponca City Now

OKLAHOMA CITY – OKLAHOMA CITY – House Bill 1178 became law after Rep. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany, successfully led an override of the governor’s veto. The bill strengthens Oklahoma’s laws regarding service animals, ensuring greater protection for individuals with disabilities. The new law clarifies that only animals trained to perform tasks for individuals with disabilities qualify as... Read More.

Firehawk Aerospace to invest millions in Oklahoma rocket fuel facility

Monday, June 2 by News 9

LAWTON, Okla - A new multimillion-dollar economic development investment is coming to Oklahoma.Firehawk is a Texas-based company that manufactures rocket fuel. The company is investing $22 million in a facility that it says will bring in at least 100 new jobs to the Lawton area.During the announcement with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt,... Read More.

Volunteers step up to assure ‘No Veteran Dies Alone’

Monday, June 2 by By VA Public Affairs Specialist, David Walter

Frank Steffel estimates he has sat with some 40 dying Veterans. But these weren’t on the battlefield or at the scene of tragic accidents. Instead, he was at their bedside, in the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, providing comfort and solace as part of the “No Veteran Dies Alone” volunteer program.“It’s definitely touching,” he said,... Read More.

Attendant facing decades in prison after bust involving new drug made of human bones

Monday, June 2 by WKRC

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (WKRC) - A former flight attendant was arrested at an airport following a large drug bust involving a new synthetic substance that is reportedly made of human bones.According to The New York Post, 21-year-old Charlotte May Lee of south London, England was taken into custody earlier this month... Read More.

States are rolling out red carpets for data centers, but some lawmakers are pushing back

Saturday, May 31 by The Associated Press

By MARC LEVY Associated PressHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America's fast-rising demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it's also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities.Activity in state legislatures —... Read More.

Inmates clear tornado damage to free Oklahoma family stuck for over a week

Saturday, May 31 by The Associated Press

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) — A work crew of incarcerated people cleared the way for a woman and her three children to finally leave their rural Oklahoma property more than a week after a tornado caused widespread damage, state officials said.The crew was still at work on Friday after clearing numerous downed trees on Tuesday... Read More.

Supreme Court lets Trump end legal protections for over 500,000 immigrants from 4 countries

Friday, May 30 by AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday again cleared the way for the Trump administration to strip temporary legal protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants for now, pushing the total number of people who could be newly exposed to deportation to nearly 1 million.The justices lifted a... Read More.

Movie on the Lawn at the RecPlex Tonight

Friday, May 30 by Ponca City Now

FREE Movie on the Lawn is Friday, May 30 at the RecPlex. Hosted by Marland’s PlaceEveryone is invited to a special evening of meaningful conversation and a powerful film under the stars on the RecPlex LawnDiscussion begins at 8:30 PM Film starts at sundown Showing tonight: Possum TrotBring a blanket or lawn chair, snacks and settle in... Read More.

Veto overridden of bill to allow state funding for the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons

Friday, May 30 by Ponca City Now

OKLAHOMA CITY – The veto of a bill that would allow state funding for the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, HB 1137, was overridden by the House and the Senate. The bill’s author, Rep. Ron Stewart, D-Tulsa, celebrated the veto override.“Today, the Oklahoma Legislature demonstrated its unwavering commitment to justice and... Read More.

Harvard agrees to relinquish early photos of enslaved people, ending a legal battle

Friday, May 30 by AP

BOSTON (AP) — Harvard University will relinquish 175-year-old photographs believed to be the earliest taken of enslaved people to a South Carolina museum devoted to African American history as part of a settlement with a woman who says she is one of the subjects’ descendants.The photos of the subjects identified by Tamara... Read More.

Oklahoma lawmakers vote to remove ODMHSAS Commissioner Allie Friesen

Friday, May 30 by News 6

Allie Friesen, now former commissioner of Oklahoma's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), has been removed from her position through the statutory authority of the state legislature.On what was expected to be the last day of the legislative session, lawmakers quickly advanced a concurrent resolution calling for Friesen's removal.The... Read More.