Stillwater, OK – Stillwater mayor avoids recall in close vote
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) Stillwater Mayor Nathan Bates has avoided being recalled by four votes out of nearly 4,500 votes cast.
The unofficial vote in Tuesday's election is 2,230 to keep the 28-year-old Bates in office and 2,226 voting to remove him. The result is to be certified Friday.
Tulsa, OK – Survey: Okla. has fewest "upside-down" home values
TULSA, Okla. (AP) A survey by a business data company has found Oklahoma has the lowest percentage of people who owe more on their homes than the home is worth.
The survey release Tuesday by CoreLogic says 5.9 percent of mortgage holders in Oklahoma have negative equity compared to 23.7 percent nationwide. The highest rate is in Nevada where 69.9 percent of mortgage holders owe more than the home is worth.
Tulsa, OK – The Interstate 2-44 project around downtown gets an inspection from State Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage. He was impressed with the way the state has used the stimulus money.
Work on the I-244-project around downtown is at the half-way point. In an exclusive interview with KWGS, Transportation Director Gary Ridley says traffic will be re-routed the other direction soon.
The Expressway Make-Over is being paid for with 75-million dollars in stimulus money.
Oklahoma City, OK – Attorney General Drew Edmondson is warning Oklahomans impacted by yesterday's storms to be on the lookout for frauds and scams. Edmondson said home repair schemes and charity fraud typically follow in the wake of weather damage.
"We know from past experience that this type of damage attracts shysters looking to make a quick buck," Edmondson said. "We're getting the message out now to make people aware. It's far preferable to prevent fraud because catching these con men is difficult."
Oklahoma City, OK – In the wake of severe storms across the state, Gov. Brad Henry today declared a state of emergency to exist in 56 Oklahoma counties due to tornadoes and severe storms that ripped through the state yesterday.
Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa City Council wants more information before approving a contract with the Creek Nation to provide fire protect at its Tulsa facilities.
Councilor John Eagleton feels the proposed dollar amount is too low. He says the city cannot afford to subsidize the sovereign nations. The tribes do not pay city sales taxes.
The Fire department agreed to gather additional information.
Oklahoma City, OK – Okla. gov. vetoes bill on school accounting codes
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Gov. Brad Henry has vetoed a bill that would have changed requirements on accounting codes used by school districts to track spending.
Henry vetoed House Bill 2575 on Monday, saying it could have the unintended consequence of reducing accountability of public school expenditures.
