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Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) launches online portal on Jan. 7 for COVID-19 vaccine registration
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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OKLAHOMA CITY — On Thursday, January 7, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) will launch an online registration portal to help Oklahomans determine when they are eligible to receive the vaccine and how to schedule an appointment when it is their turn.
Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye and Deputy Health Commissioner Keith Reed held a virtual news conference Monday to announce the upcoming launch of the Vaccine Scheduling Appointment App, or VSAA, reported Barry Mangold of News9.com .
The online tool will go live on Thursday as the state begins Phase 2 of its vaccine distribution plan, Mangold reported. (Here’s the link for information:
Phase 1, which includes frontline health care workers and long-term care facility residents is still underway statewide, however Reed said areas that are ready to move forward “are welcome to do so”.
As Oklahoma moves into Phase 2 of vaccine distribution, the Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD) will begin vaccinating people age 65 and older on Thursday, with additional vaccination clinics planned this month.
To provide increased access, OSDH is initiating vaccination “PODS” or Points of Dispensing Sites across the state where individuals who are set to begin receiving the vaccine can do so safely in the coming weeks.
“This is an exciting step, as we now have the opportunity to vaccinate larger priority groups in Oklahoma,” said Dr. Frye stated. “We know Oklahomans are eager to find out when and where they can get the vaccine, and we’re thankful for their patience as our team quickly works to develop innovative solutions.
“We’re hopeful that the launch of this portal will ease confusion and create a seamless experience for all Oklahomans,” Frye said.
According to the press release, OSDH is exploring additional options for individuals who are not able to access the internet or a computer. For now, the agency recommends consulting with a friend or family member for assistance, or calling their local county health department or 211 hotline (https://ift.tt/38hzrAO) .
Efficient progress through the distribution plan relies on the supply of vaccine doses available and the ability to make them accessible to additional priority groups by distributing to local providers.
As the state continues to receive supply and set up additional access points in communities, they will have the ability to serve additional population groups.
“We have always planned to roll out the vaccine in an overlapping manner versus waiting for 100 percent completion of one group before starting another,” Reed said.
“This helps ensure efficient use of resources to maximize available vaccine and vaccinators, Reed continued. “Moving into a new priority group does not close the door on the previous groups, it simply adds another opportunity for more vaccinations.”
Appointment availability is dependent on vaccine supply in each county.
COVID-19 vaccinations will begin in Oklahoma County at 8 a.m. on Thursday (Jan. 7) at Mercy Hospital, 4300 W. Memorial Road until 6 p.m. to those who were able to secure an appointment online Tuesday morning. Within minutes residents snapped up all available appointments for that day.
The OCCHD website says more opportunities to receive the vaccine will be made available next week.
For updates on Oklahoma’s vaccine distribution progress, follow OSDH on Facebook (facebook.com/OklahomaHealth or on Twitter at @HealthyOKlahoma at and
OKVaccine .
For detailed information about the vaccine distribution plan and the priority populations included in each phase, visit oklahoma.gov/COVID19 or call 2-1-1 .
Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) launches online portal on Jan. 7 for COVID-19 vaccine registration Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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OKLAHOMA CITY - In a year that has featured court shutdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic, a national focus on racial justice, and numerous federal executions, state executions and death sentences fell to historic lows, according to a report by Robert Dunham, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) and lead author of “The Death Penalty in 2020: Year End Report.”
Even before the pandemic struck, the nation was headed for the sixth straight year of near-record low sentences and executions, the report states.
This year Colorado became the 22nd state to abolish the death penalty and two states – Louisiana and Utah – reached ten years with no executions.
New reform prosecutors who pledged never to use the death penalty or to seek it only sparingly were elected in counties across the country comprising more than 12 percent of the nation’s death row.
After a 17-year federal executions moratorium, the government carried out an unprecedented six-month execution spree for the first time in the nation’s history.
In 2020, the federal government carried out more civilian executions than all of the states of the Union combined, Dunham said.
“At the end of the year, more states and counties had moved to end or reduce death-penalty usage, fewer new death sentences were imposed than in any prior year since capital punishment resumed in the U.S. in 1970s, and states carried out fewer executions than at any time in the past 37 years,” said Dunham.
“What was happening in the rest of the country showed that the administration’s policies were not just out of step with the historical practices of previous presidents, they were also completely out of step with today’s state practices,” Dunham added.
Seventeen people were executed in 2020, down from 22 in 2019.
Just five states -- Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas – performed executions in 2020, and only one, Texas, conducted more than one.
The total number of executions was the lowest since 1991 and the lowest number of executions performed at the state level since 1983. Executions halted completely at the state level in July out of public health concerns related to COVID-19.
However, despite the ongoing pandemic crisis, the federal government moved forward with executions that contributed to an outbreak in the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, which led to the infection of at least nine members of federal execution teams, and to several lawyers and at least one religious advisor contracting COVID-19, Dunham stated.
By the end of 2020, the federal government had conducted more civilian executions in five months than any other presidency in the 20th or 21st centuries, performed the first executions by a lame-duck president in more than a century, and scheduled more executions than had ever occurred in a presidential transition period in the history of the United States.
Most of the death sentences were imposed in the first three months of 2020, before courts nationwide delayed trials due to the pandemic. Even then, it was apparent that 2020 was on pace to be the sixth consecutive year with fewer than 50 new death sentences.
Oklahoma is one of seven states, along with Arizona, California, Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas, that imposed death sentences this year and just three -- California, Florida, and Texas – imposed more than one.
The 15 counties that imposed death sentences represent less than half of one percent of all U.S. counties.
According to Dunham, the racial disparities exhibited in this year’s executions were consistent with decades-long trends, with almost half of the defendants executed being people of color and 76 percent of the executions for the deaths of white victims.
“Racism has always infected the use of the death penalty and this year is no exception. The death penalty -- as the most severe punishment -- must be part of the efforts to address racism in the criminal legal system as a whole,” said Ngozi Ndulue, DPIC’s Senior Director of Research and Special Projects and the lead author of “Enduring Injustice: The Persistence of Racial Discrimination in the U.S. Death Penalty,” which DPIC released in September.
This year the North Carolina Supreme Court reinstated the relief granted under the state’s now-repealed Racial Justice Act (RJA) and allowed defendants who had filed claims before its repeal to seek relief based on racial bias in their trials. The court’s action reinstated life sentences granted to 4 death-row prisoners and allowed more than 140 death-row prisoners to pursue RJA claims.
California legislature passed a Racial Justice Act strengthening the prohibition against discriminatory jury selection.
Other findings in the “The Death Penalty in 2020: Year End Report” include:
● Every prisoner executed this year was age 21 or younger at the offense or had at least one of the following impairments: significant evidence of mental illness (8); evidence of brain injury, developmental brain damage, or an IQ in the intellectually disabled range (6); chronic serious childhood trauma, neglect, and/or abuse (14).
● Five people were exonerated from death row in 2020, resulting in the number of people exonerated from death row to 172 since 1973. In each of the five cases, prosecutorial misconduct contributed to the wrongful conviction.
● With Colorado abolishing capital punishment this year, 34 states have either repealed the death penalty or not carried out an execution in 10 years. According to Gallup, the 43 percent of people who opposed the death penalty in 2020 is the highest level of opposition since 1966.
● Candidates pledging systemic reforms, including reduced use or abandonment of the death penalty, won prosecutor races in several jurisdictions that have historically produced a large number of death sentences: Los Angeles County (California), Travis County (Austin, Texas), Orange-Osceola counties (Orlando, Florida), and Franklin County (Columbus, Ohio). Across the county, reform prosecutors were elected in counties comprising more than 12 percent of the nation’s death-row population.
● Problematic federal executions included the first ever federal execution of a Native American for a crime on tribal land, which critics believed was in violation of Native sovereignty; the first federal executions of teenage offenders in 78 years; executions of individuals with intellectual disability or serious mental illness; and the first federal execution in 57 years for a crime committed in a state that had abolished the death penalty.
Founded in 1990, the Death Penalty Information Center is a non-profit organization that prepares in-depth reports and serves as a resource to those working on this issue.
To read The Death Penalty in 2020: Year End Report, visit: deathpenaltyinfor.org.
Death Penalty 2020 Year End Report Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
Dr. Nyla Ali Khan has a heart for the dispossessed -- especially for students living in zones of conflict around the world. This those who merely read her works regularly, as a statement of the obvious. That’s ok: Stating the obvious, as I have said elsewhere, can be an act of courage in some circumstances.
Since first I met her in June 2019 (after having read through some of her works in the months before), each exchange of more than a few minutes has turned to shared concerns for contemporary students in America, and in many other places. (https://ift.tt/2GvnitP )
Dr. Nyla has a new book coming this spring from Palgrave MacMillan, an academic publishing house with world-wide reach. The title is “Educational Strategies for Youth Empowerment in Conflict Zones: Transforming, not Transmitting, Trauma.”
(Forthcoming: May 5, 2021 in hard cover, ISBN 978-3-030-66226-4).
See: https://ift.tt/3ok3ygB
While flowing from the tradition of her past scholarly works, there is an even deeper personal and reflective tone than before in those portions of the text I was blessed to read in recent days.
She shares a moment that took place during one of her frequent visits to her native land of Kashmir, a place of cherished traditions and great history which now exists in what is a pretty tough neighborhood (the intersection at the middle of India, China and Pakistan):
“[At a]College in Bemina, which is on the outskirts of the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, a student requested permission to ask his question in Kashmiri. I was sensitive to the student’s fear of being unable to adequately express himself in English, which, at the end of the day, wasn’t his native language. The student asked perceptive question on the politics of translation in the classroom.
“He asked if it was legitimate to request a professor to translate an English passage/ report/ or query into Kashmiri, particularly for those students whose socioeconomic backgrounds did not give them opportunities to gain familiarity with the English language.”
Dr. Nyla goes on to describe her belief that “the purpose of education [is] to broad students’ horizons by pedagogical innovation.”
Yes, Dr. Nyla uses phrases like “pedagogy” – a reference to varied theories about teaching and the practice of learning.
Once upon a time, I was at Oklahoma State University a graduate student director for “The Schools in American Society” – a program within the Curriculum and Instruction Department of the College of Education.
I learned and taught a lot about education theory in those days, but in truth I never got much beyond believing that the best ideas about human education are really rooted in beliefs like this:
“The meaning of existence [is] to preserve untarnished, undisturbed and undistorted the image of eternity which each person is born with. … Like a silver moon in a calm, still pond.” that’s Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, in his novel “Cancer Ward.”
In his various books, Solzhenitsyn taught me everything I ever really needed to know about the brutality, suppression of human dignity and consistent evil of the late, un-lamented Soviet Union and its Marxist underpinnings. In all the years since, the awful details have merely confirmed the wisdom of Solzhenitsyn, the critic that even the world’s most powerful communist dictatorship could not crush.
In her books, the story of her example and in her consistent message of hope and human dignity for the rising generation in Kashmir and India, Dr. Nyla Ali Khan has helped me understand better the unending and indeed often horrific struggles of those who seek in certain lands (read: Kashmir, Pakistan, India and others) beyond our shores not a utopia, but a better future.
Her new book blends in stories about South Africa (and the troubled reconciliation process), the Balkan Republics and her new land, the United States.
To be sure, Dr. Nyla’s constant focus is on Jammu and Kashmir, a land of “bounteous beauty” and possibility, trapped for now under the thumb of India’s current leaders, who have long since forgotten the promises for autonomy and dignity made to Kashmir’s people at the end of colonial era.
Her own life story has led her to Oklahoma, where she is respected scholar and journalistic commentator who became an American citizen last year.
Her new work, as the tile includes, aims to suggest, and perhaps to guide “educational strategies for youth empowerment in regions that are torn apart by conflict as well as religious and sectarian schisms.” She wonders “what it would take for us to get our younger generations to channelize their anger and take the political process forward without playing into anyone's hands.” She aspires to suggest we “consider whether education could be deployed as an effective tool in intergenerational family communication.”
In her own life, the channel went from family into education, and that is worth noting.
The last time I shared widely the Solzhenitsyn reflection on the purpose of existence was at an online event, sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance, honoring Dr. Nyla’s father, Dr. Mohammad Ali Matto. (https://ift.tt/396h6Wp)
She comes from what we western U.S. folks often call “good stock” – meaning far, far more than genetic “blood lines.”
It means a centered existence that can be fully aware yet absolutely certain that it is often best if (apologies to Merle Haggard), “The roots of [your] raising run deep.”
Dr. Nyla calls her “sanctum sanctorum” (holy of holies) the family ties of her youth, “a home that exuded peace, happiness and security.” She was raised in a wholesome environment, a place like this:
“Although torrential rains fell, strong gusts of wind blew, and political turmoil threatened to destroy everything in its wake, the house that Father built did not fall, because its foundation was laid on love, diligence, and integrity.”
So, yeah: It is an academic book in much of its style and tone, but it has in it a lot of sentences like the foregoing.
Some days ago, she wrote an affection memoir, as an observant Muslim woman, about her memories of Christmas in Kashmir. Eighteen months into our friendship, I admire more than ever her integrity and sense of purpose. (https://ift.tt/3bbZprf)
She wrote recently about her memories of a particular student in Kashimr who needed reassurance about his place in a world seemingly gone mad. Their exchange certainly seems worth reflection during a time that is literally diseased in the reality of a worldwide pandemic.
I offer words of comfort here, sharing a recent witness about her good heart:
“Love, affirmation, sadness, hope, occasional anger, faith. In your regular dispatches all of these things are present. Dr. Nyla, the story of your student is all too familiar to many teachers in these sad times for America, yet such stories are not unique to America. Your recurring themes are as old as time itself.
“In 1998, Steven Pressfield wrote a glorious novel about the Battle of Thermopylae, primarily from the perspective of the Spartans (‘the brave 300’) who defended the place known as the ‘Gates of Fire’ (the title of Pressfield's novel).
“Near the end of the story, two important characters are discussing courage, and the seeming folly of their struggle against overwhelming odds. In dialogue that is searing in authenticity, they confess, one to the other, their fears about what the next day would bring, and shared awe at the bravery of their brothers-in-arms. One of them pronounces the sub-text of the entire story, what must the theme of the time ahead for Kashmir, for India, for Great Britain, for South Africa, for the Balkans, and for the blessed nation of America: ‘The opposite of fear is love.’
“The sad reality for all who have good will is that we can not redeem every soul, we cannot right every wrong, we cannot resolve every problem. Yet we can remember, as the great solace for times such as these: ‘The opposite of fear is love.’
“May the One God Who Made each one of us, bless and comfort you now and every day, our sister and friend, dear Dr. Nyla.”
Educators, readers and citizens, find your way into the heart, mind and soul of Dr. Nyla Ali Khan. And, consider the messages, themes, and heart of her forthcoming book.
Note: Pat McGuigan is publisher of The City Sentinel newspaper, and founder of CapitolBeatOK.com, an online news service. He is the author of three books and editor of seven. During his time at OSU in Stillwater, Oklahoma (referenced above), McGuigan was named Graduate Teaching Assistant of the year, first in the College of Education, and then for the entire university. He taught a total of four years at OSU, first U.S. History and then Sociology of Education. Pat is a state-certified teacher in ten subject areas, and has taught in both private and public schools.
I come not merely to preview Dr. Nyla Ali Khan’s forthcoming book, but also to praise her Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
OKLAHOMA CITY — According to a recent statewide survey conducted by Amber Integrated, 78 percent of Oklahomans believe vaccines are safe and effective, 65 percent of Oklahomans plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine, once available.
“We’re pleased to see the results of this survey indicate most Oklahomans are confident in the safety of vaccines — as are we,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye.
The survey was conducted by Amber Integrated (https://ift.tt/2Lkvx0X ) from December 4-9 and included a pool of 1,500 adults from cities and towns across Oklahoma.
“The COVID-19 vaccines available to Oklahomans have been carefully vetted by the FDA and have gone through all the typical regulatory processes to ensure they’re just as safe as any other vaccine,” Frye added. “They’re outstandingly effective. We’re very optimistic for how these vaccines will work to protect Oklahomans.”
The 13-point discrepancy between those who generally believe vaccines are safe and effective and those who plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine is largely driven by younger Oklahomans (age 18-49) and women who are seeking more information on the COVID-19 vaccine before taking it.
Seventy-four percent of residents cite the potential side effects as a major reason not to take the vaccine, while 63 percent state wanting more information about how well it works as a major reason not to take it.
Among Oklahomans, the two reasons cited that made respondents more likely to take the vaccine included: Taking the vaccine will protect you and your family’s personal health and safety and that taking the vaccine “will allow us to return to normal life.”
About 51 percent responded that they would take a COVID-19 vaccine within three months of it becoming available to them and approximately 38 percent would do so within the first month.
These survey results have been calculated using the latest American Community Survey by age, gender, party affiliation, race, and level of education.
The survey has a margin of error of 2.53 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval. Respondents were surveyed via both cell phones and landlines and used a combination of live callers and an online panel of adults.
So far, noted side effects correlate with side effects for other commonly received vaccines, such as the annual flu shot. They include pain at the injection site, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, shivering and occasionally fever.
In the majority of cases, these effects are minor and should go away within a day or two.
“There are a lot of reasons why someone might feel hesitant to take the COVID-19 vaccine — but we’ve found most stem, reasonably, from wanting more information before taking it,” said Jackson Lisle with Amber Integrated.
“A lot of people have indicated they want more detail on potential side effects and vaccine efficacy before they get it, and some want to wait a few months before receiving it,” Lisle continued.
“We’re encouraged by OSDH’s efforts to provide as much information as possible to Oklahomans so they can make an informed decision on taking the vaccine.”
The OSDH website states,” Right now, CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccine be offered to healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities. Long-term care residents and staff will primarily be vaccinated through the federal pharmacy partner program, which will operate concurrently to the state’s efforts. The state is in contact with Walgreens and CVS on their plans.”
Detailed information about the COVID-19 vaccine can always be found through the CDC website or through OSDH (https://ift.tt/3ba9pRZ ).
According to the OSDH Twitter page (https://twitter.com/OKVaccine/status/1344455493029343233), based on data released as of December 30, Oklahoma is ranked 18th in percent of population vaccinated.
Vaccinations for those in Stage 2, persons age 65 and over, will begin this Thursday (January 7), Oklahoma County officials announced on Monday.
Access @OKVaccine on Twitter @OKVaccine or visit oklahoma.gov/covid10/vaccine-information for regular updates on the COVID-19 vaccine in Oklahoma.
Survey shows most Oklahomans plan to get COVID-19 vaccine Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
Wednesday’s opening of the Electoral College votes before a joint session of Congress will be a lesson in U.S. government, so tune into C-Span or set your VDR. On Saturday eleven Republican senators indicated they would vote to not seat the Electors from four contested seats until an Electoral Commission with full investigatory and fact-finding authority conduct a 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states. Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, said any objection to seating Electors from the disputed state, “would go down like a shot dog.”
Four observations:
First, it would not be the first time an Electoral Commission has been appointed. In the 1876 presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, there were serious allegations of election fraud in three states.
(https://ift.tt/3ob40NX)
One of the states -- South Carolina -- reported an impossible voter turnout of 101 percent -- more people voted than were registered.
Congress appointed a 15-member commission consisting of five senators, five congressman, and five members of the Supreme Court.
The commission voted 8-7 to award the contested electoral votes to Hayes, giving him a one Electoral vote victory over Tilden.
Democrats agreed to Hayes being president if Republicans would pull troops out of the South and Hayes was sworn into office on March 5, 1887.
The Republic survived that very contentious election and it will survive this one.
Second, Congress has an obligation to verify contested states followed their own election laws.
Congress is not given constitutional authority on how individual states conduct their elections, but it is the duty of Congress to insure states follow their laws. There are many questions that at least four and up to seven states ignored their own election laws. Without integrity at the ballot box, the republic is doomed.
Third, by conducting an audit, perhaps future fraud can be avoided.
At this point, it doesn’t appear there are enough votes to get a commission appointed. The lip service many Republicans give to root out fraud and corruption is just that -- lip service.
The “swamp” is afraid an audit might uncover something they don’t want uncovered. Cheating at the ballot box has been going on for 150 years, but the cavalier, indifferent, dismissive way Congress has avoided investigating it may have come home to roost.
Until 2020, the average American wasn’t paying much attention, but a recent poll showed 40 percent of Americans believe the 2020 election was stolen and it is not just those wearing tin foil hats.
Congress may be forced to actually do something this time if those Americans keep paying attention.
Four, some elected officials are clearly using this as a political opportunity to appeal to the GOP base.
Senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, are ambitious grandstanders and are likely 2024 Republican presidential candidates. By their own admission they have little chance of getting the Commission appointed. Contesting the seating of the Electors -- even if it is long shot -- boosts their stock with the hard-core rank and file GOP activists and kickstarts their 2024 campaign.
Sometimes the grandstander gets into the game.
In their press release, the eleven Senators said:
"These are matters worthy of the Congress, and entrusted to us to defend. We do not take this action lightly. We are acting not to thwart the democratic process, but rather to protect it. And every one of us should act together to ensure that the election was lawfully conducted under the Constitution and to do everything we can to restore faith in our Democracy."
The American people need to keep the pressure on their federal representatives to take on (1) Ballot box integrity and (2) Introduction of a Constitutional amendment standardizing the election procedure in electing the president and vice president in all states.
Those are “matters worthy of Congress.”
NOTE: Steve Fair is chairman for the Fourth Congressional District Republican Party, and a frequent contributor to CapitolBeatOK.com, an independent online news service based in Oklahoma City. Steve can be reached by email at [email protected] .
His blog is stevefair.blogspot.com .
Matters Worthy of Congress: A Commentary looking ahead to Wednesday, January 6 Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
Let me begin by wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus, and lastly, Winter Solstice. Reaching the Winter Solstice means that each day will be a bit brighter than the last; as of December 21, we have made it through literally the darkest part of the year. Figuratively, we still have just a bit longer before the darkness grows brighter.
That thought of impending improvement has helped me because – let me be honest: It was a struggle writing a column this week. It has been hard to get into the “Christmas spirit” this year. I know there is hope on the horizon with the end of 2020 and a vaccine for COVID-19 being distributed in the first delivery stage to healthcare workers. The vaccine won’t be a quick fix, and we still have months where we will have to fight this dread disease, but at least we have hopefully turned a corner.
In normal years, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy is spearheading OK Foster Wishes and assisting with the fulfillment of wish lists submitted by foster youth. This year, we had to adjust the mission to collect gift cards for foster parents and this running group homes to help them buy the gifts for the youth. This was done to limit volunteers and DHS staff to exposure to COVID-19.
Needless to say, it was just not the same as witnessing an entire warehouse of toys and knowing thousands of young Oklahomans would see their desired gifts end up with them.
Despite that letdown, I need to look to the positives. We had hundreds of supporters this year supply donations to help those in need and those young people will still have a happy morning when they wake up and open presents. We helped make that happen, and so did those who contributed to our mission. Likewise, the same can be said about the many other programs out there doing similar work and their donors.
As we enter a new year, with new challenges yet unknown, we will still be battling the COVID-19 virus and all that it has caused. This season is meant to remind us that there is light even in darkness – no matter your faith tradition. Even if you don’t have one, the fact that each day will have more light for the next six months is another tangible reminder that there is light even in darkness. We must also sometimes intentionally focus on that light to help move away from the dark.
So, let me close this column with that wish for you: that no matter how dark times may be, there is light, there is hope. We Oklahomans have always been able to make a brighter future, no matter the darkness that has fallen, and I am confident we will again.
So now, for a belated posting: Happy New Year!
NOTE: A former state legislator now serving as chief executive officer at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), Dorner was the Democratic nominee for governor of Oklahoma in 2014. His commentaries and reflections often appear on CapitolBeatOK.com, an online news service, and occasionally in The City Sentinel, an independent and locally-owned newspaper based in Oklahoma City. Editor Pat McGuigan adapted this essay, transmitted just before Christmas, for early January posting here.)
Commentary: Despite the darkness of 2020, more light in the days ahead Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
Late on Friday evening (January 1), OG&E sent The City Sentinel, CapitolBeatOK and other state news organizations an update, saying crews “have made significant progress in restoring power following the storm that brought winter weather” late in the Old Year and early in the New.
The release stated:
• As of 9:15 p.m. on Friday (New Year’s Day, January 1) crews have restored power to nearly 25,000 customers (86 percent).
• 3,200 customers remain without power and crews will prioritize oldest outages first.
• As crews continue to get the lights on for more customers through the night, they will prioritize oldest outages first.
• OG&E estimates to have power restored for all remaining customers affected by the storm by [Saturday] night at the latest.
An earlier release on Friday morning (https://ift.tt/2KUTLiv) , included these safety admonitions for consumers:
· As ice continues to melt, new outages are possible.
· Should new outages occur, previous outages will be restored first.
· Customers should check to make sure their home is able to take power.
CUSTOMER SAFETY TIPS
· Be safe and stay away from downed power lines.
· Crews are following COVID-19 preventative measures, including social distancing as they restore power.
· For your protection, do not post personal information such as addresses, account numbers, phone numbers, etc. on OGE social media channels.
· Please do not approach crews and utility vehicles in your neighborhood. Doing so could jeopardize your safety and will only delay the restoration process.
· Safety precautions should be followed when using a portable generator.
Power Restoration in Oklahoma, Update: Through late Friday Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
A press release from OG&E was sent to The City Sentinel newspaper, CapitolBeatOK and other news organizations in the late afternoon on January 1, 2021.
The release said:
· Our 2,000-strong restoration workforce has restored power to more than 21,000 (78 percent) customers affected by the overnight winter storm.
· As of 4:15 p.m., 5,300 customers remain without power.
RESTORATION ESTIMATE
Crews will continue to restore power through the night and we expect restoration for all customers who can take power by Saturday night.
· As ice continues to melt, new outages are possible.
· Should new outages occur, previous outages will be restored first.
· Customers should check to make sure their home is able to take power.
CUSTOMER SAFETY TIPS
· Be safe and stay away from downed power lines.
· Crews are following COVID-19 preventative measures, including social distancing as they restore power.
· For your protection, do not post personal information such as addresses, account numbers, phone numbers, etc. on OGE social media channels.
· Please do not approach crews and utility vehicles in your neighborhood. Doing so could jeopardize your safety and will only delay the restoration process.
· Safety precautions should be followed when using a portable generator.
Oklahoma City: Winter Storm Update from OG&E Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
Oklahoma City – Governor Kevin Stitt announced Thursday (December 31) the selection of Jason Reese as his new general counsel following current general counsel Mark Burget's decision to return to Search Ministries after fulfilling a two-year commitment to the governor.
“Over the past two years, Mark Burget's wise counsel and legal expertise has helped guide our office through historic challenges facing the State, and I am thankful for his dedicated service to our team," said Gov. Stitt, in a press release provided to reporters and the public yesterday.
"As Mark transitions out of the office, I look forward to welcoming Jason Reese as my new general counsel. Jason is a longtime litigator and former Oklahoma House of Representatives attorney with more than 15 years of experience, so he’ll bring a robust understanding of law and policy to the office. He will serve my administration well as we continue to work toward becoming a Top Ten state.”
Jason Reese has served as a Partner at Edinger, Leonard & Blakley, PLLC since 2014.
From discrimination litigation and workers’ compensation proceedings to employment dishonesty provisions of financial institution bonds, Reese primarily defends the interests of employers.
Jason has not only successfully litigated cases to a conclusion in numerous courts and administrative agencies, but also has assisted his clients in solving problems outside of the courthouse, whether by carefully crafting policies and procedures or through prompt action before litigation is filed.
Reese previously served as an attorney at various law firms, including Resolution Legal Group, Reese Law Firm and Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson.
Reese's diligence and commitment to excellence has been recognized by SuperLawyers, which named him a Rising Star in Labor and Employment Law each year from 2011 through 2018. The Journal Record, a business newspaper based in Oklahoma City, named Reese one of its “40 Under 40” honorees in 2018.
In January 2020, he was appointed by Governor Stitt to serve as Special Commissioner of the Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Commission.
Reese graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma in 2001 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2004. He currently resides in Oklahoma City with his wife Jessica and their four children.
Governor Kevin Stitt names Jason Reese as new general counsel Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
Pat McGuiganThe dean of all Oklahoma Journalism, Mr Patrick McGuigan; has a rich history of service in many aspects of both covering the news and producing the information that the public needs to know. Archives
September 2021
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