Marshall Stewart

The votes are in, and American Airlines mechanics and warehouse workers have okayed a contract offer from the company. The same two groups were the only unions out of seven to turn down an earlier offer. Voting had been going on the past couple of weeks on this new offer, which union leaders describe as slightly better than the offer that was turned down by their members. If the agreement had been rejected, the matter would be in the hands of a bankruptcy judge. Under terms of this contract, there will still be more than a thousand jobs cut at the Tulsa maintenance base.

In the midst of this drought, a flood control project is dedicated in memory of a former Tulsa City Councilor. Today, the mayor and other city officials honored the late Dennis Troyer at a large stormwater detention facility in the 6th District. His widow, Nancy, was on hand for the ceremony. She says he would be very proud of this gesture from the city he loved.

The Tulsa Weather Coalition is asking for help to get air-conditioners for those who can’t afford them. In this brutal heat, there are low-income, frail elderly, and others who need life-saving air-conditioners, but don’t have funds to buy them. The Tulsa Weather Coalition has an air-conditioner loaner program to help. Spokesman Jim Lyall says they’ve already installed nearly 100 units, but more will be needed to get through the season.

Lyall says anyone wanting to help can call the 2-1-1 number to get information about the Weather Coalition program.

The latest figures show unemployment in the Tulsa Metro area up for the first time in several months. John Carpenter is with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. He says the rate for June rose four-tenths of a point to 5.7 percent. It’s the first rise in those out of a job in the Tulsa area in several months.

Carpenter says Tulsa’s unemployment rate is still much lower than the national average. Statistics for the entire state will be released later this month.

Electricity use in Tulsa is near record levels. Tuesday was the second highest peak demand for power ever at PSO. Spokesman Stan Whiteford says there are a couple of good reasons to try and conserve electricity, it reduces strain on the system and it keeps bills lower.

He says air-conditioning is the thing that accounts for the most energy use, so it’s good to make sure air filters are clean to help keep costs down.

Tulsa public schools get a 195-thousand dollar grant from PSO to boost a program helping students who live in poverty conditions. The money supports the Community Schools Initiative. Lucky Lamons is President of the Foundation for Tulsa Schools. He says the program incorporates several elements of the community into the education of children, and can help those in difficult circumstances learn as well as improve their test scores.

Some of the funds will help expand literacy programs. The donation was made at the Schools Uniting Communities conference today at OSU-Tulsa.

American Airlines mechanics are again voting on a contract. This time local union leaders are urging a yes vote. The last, best offer from the company was voted down, but after weeks of continued negotiating…a revamped contract is being decided upon. Last time around, union leaders didn’t make a recommendation one way or the other. This time it’s different. Sam Cirri is the local union president. He says this latest offer is only slightly better than the one turned down, but this time a yes vote is being recommended.

Tulsa Public School Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard says a meeting with city leaders surpassed his expectations. City Councilors met with area superintendents and school board members at an education summit.

Dr. Ballard says he sees the summit as part of a continuing dialog on the future of public education in the Tulsa area.

The struggle to deal with funding cuts on the state level while the student population continues to grow is a major topic. Dr. Ballard says city councilors are sympathetic to public education’s plight, and he’s encouraged by their support. 

A special bed bug sniffing dog is brought in to check out Tulsa’s Central Library after some of the critters are found in chairs in the building. Library officials say it’s not an infestation, but the library was closed temporarily and chairs where bedbugs were found removed after a patron was bitten. Miss Liberty Belle, a beagle trained to sniff out bed bugs, was brought in to use her talents in the library. Glenn Collymore is her trainer. He says she sniffs out the bugs and then paws the area to alert when some are found.

Transportation experts are looking at changes for the busiest public transit corridor in Tulsa. INCOG planner James Wagner says a study of the important and crowded Peoria/Riverside corridor is underway.

Community and business leaders and citizens are invited to public meetings next week to discuss the Peoria/Riverside needs. They will be held Monday at the Tulsa Tech Peoria campus, and Tuesday at the South Brooke Church of Christ.