Local & Regional

By Susan Crane

Tulsa, OK – Hear Part #-1 of our special series dealing with the overweight and Food Insecurity Paradox.

By John Durkee

Tulsa, OK – Hear a recap of this morning's Top Local Stories from KWGS:

By AP

Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Democrats elect state senator as chairwoman

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Tulsa County Democrats have elected state Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre as their chairwoman without opposition.

The group of about 175 people met Saturday and elected Tulsa attorney Michael Whalen as the county's vice chairman.

Eason McIntyre tells the Tulsa World that Democrats should stop acting and voting like Republicans if Democrats want to continue having a voice in Oklahoma politics.

By AP

Spavinaw, OK – Mayes County school building sustains wind damage

SPAVINAW, Okla. (AP) Spavinaw Public School officials are canceling classes for at least one day after high winds blew off part of the roof of a school building in the tiny Mayes County town.

By KWGS News

Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Fire fighters spend the overnight hours battling two fires in south Tulsa. The blaze was in the Signal Hill area near 85th and South Yale.

The fire broke out about 11 p.m. last night at one of the homes. The strong winds whipped the flames and spread the fire to a neighboring house. Both homes were destroyed.

Embers spread to a third home and it was damaged by the fire. Many neighbors spent the night with sprinkler systems turned off and watered down roofs to protect from the blowing embers.

By AP

Undated – Grass fires force evacuations in Guymon, Woodward

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) High winds are gusting throughout Oklahoma the morning after wildfires forced evacuations in Guymon and Woodward.

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten says homes on the south and west sides of Guymon were evacuated Sunday night because of a fire about six miles west of the Panhandle town. She says an unknown number of homes west of Guymon sustained damage.

By AP

Tulsa, OK – Lawsuit challenging 'Official English' dismissed

TULSA, Okla. (AP) A Tulsa attorney has dismissed his lawsuit challenging a state question making English the official language of Oklahoma and says he will refile the action.

The lawsuit by James Thomas challenges the constitutionality of the measure that requires all official state communications be in English or an American Indian language unless otherwise required by federal law. It passed in November with about 76 percent of the vote.

By AP

Frankfort, KY – Ky. hands over its lethal injection drug to DEA

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Kentucky has turned over its supply of a key lethal injection drug to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

Kentucky Justice Department spokeswoman Jennifer Brislin said in a statement Friday that the state turned over its supply of sodium thiopental to be used as evidence in a case in another jurisdiction.

By AP

Tulsa, OK –

Gannett Co. closes call center in Tulsa

(Information in the following story is from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com)

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Gannet Co. Inc. says it has closed its call center in Tulsa as it moves work to call centers in South Carolina and Kentucky.

Gannett spokeswoman Robin Pence told the Tulsa World that the call center was closed Thursday. The McLean, Va.-based company opened the Consumer Solution Center in Tulsa in 2007.

By KWGS News

Tulsa, Ok – The Oklahoma Departments of Public Safety and Transportation hold a joint news conference in Tulsa to highlight Work Zone Construction safety. The spring and summer are peak months for road work.

These events highlight the importance of traffic safety in construction work zones for both drivers and work crews and bring attention to the staggering number of accidents, injuries and fatalities that occur every year in work zones across the state and nation.