News

"Everything was so dazzlingly played, so musically right that all one could do was sit back in gasping admiration” writes The New York Times about pianist Ann Schein. She has been thrilling audiences since her sensational first recordings for Kapp Records and her highly acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut. Her career has earned her praise in major American and European music centers in recitals and with many of the great conductors and orchestras of our time and in more than 50 countries around the world.

"Where's the money?" wondered the New York Times.

(Please note: This show first aired in December of last year.) On this edition of ST, we speak by phone with Jacob Tomsky, whose new book, "Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality," has been getting some glowing reviews from all over. A longtime veteran of the hotel biz, Tomsky here offers a detailed and unflinching yet also down-to-earth and amiable --- and, throughout, quite well-written --- autobiography about what it's really like to work (in every capacity) at an upscale hotel in America.

The Tulsa City-County Health Department is purchasing pesticide in advance of the mosquito season. John Baker with the Department says it’s also time to begin getting ready to test for West Nile virus. He says they’re setting out 75 mosquito trapping sites throughout the county, and should begin collecting them in about two weeks for testing, which will continue throughout the summer.                                   

The polls in Tulsa and Glenpool are opening tomorrow.  Tulsa County Election Board secretary, Patty Bryant, says these are very important issues.

"Well these type of elections usually don't turn out that many voters, but we hope that people will go vote. It's a very important issue that I hope people will study and then go to the polls and vote," says Bryant.

The two separate ballots for Tulsa and Glenpool will be concerning the improvements of technology and security in the public schools.

A shopping and entertainment district popped up for a day on the corner of 36th Street North and North Peoria Saturday.

Tulsa’s Young Professionals hosted Street CReD to highlight business and development opportunities in the area.

Tracie Chandler is President of the North Star Neighborhood Association. She says that the event is on target, because it’s business development, not charitable institutions, that will fuel improvement in the area.

“We need money in this area,” she said. “We have money to spend, but, spend it on what?”

ATOKA, Okla. (AP) — TransCanada has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction and restraining order that keeps protesters from disrupting its pipeline construction sites in Oklahoma.

The company filed the lawsuit last week against Great Plains Tar Sands Resistance to keep protesters from interfering with construction. Several protesters have already been arrested after chaining themselves to construction equipment.

The company is building a 485-mile oil pipeline between Cushing and the Gulf Coast.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Alorica is adding 75 new jobs at its call center in Tulsa.

The company says the new employees are needed to handle two new contracts and the extension of an existing contract. The Journal Record reports that Alorica now employs about 300 people at its office in south Tulsa.

The California-based company also operates a call center in east Tulsa.

Site Director Julie Beard says the south Tulsa center handles customer support for users of computers, electronics and household items such as espresso machines and space heaters.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gov. Mary Fallin is planning a conference on wildfire preparedness a year after dangerous wildfires ripped through parts of the state.

State, regional and national leaders will gather in Oklahoma City on Monday to discuss how to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season. Wildfires that scorched parts of central and northeastern Oklahoma last summer damaged nearly 680 homes and businesses and blackened about 114,000 acres.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby is planning an expansion at its headquarters.

Plans were approved by the city last week for the crafts company to add a three-story office building and six warehouses at its campus.

The Oklahoman reports that county records show Hobby Lobby spent $35 million buying property surrounding its headquarters last year. Already, close to 4,000 people work at Hobby Lobby's home office.

The company says construction on three of the buildings is to begin in July and each will house a different department.