State boards reduce 2026 assessments for banks, credit unions

OKLAHOMA CITY – The State Banking Board approved the largest-ever reduction in assessments paid by Oklahoma state-chartered banks, State Bank Commissioner Mick Thompson announced last Thursday.

Tatum named to post at National Governors Association

WASHINGTON, D.C. – An Oklahoma man has been named interim director of National Governors Association.Brandon Tatum, who recently served as chief executive officer of the Regional University System of Oklahoma and who, before that, served as Gov.

Lankford files legislation to get Hochatown a ZIP code

OKLAHOMA CITY – Hochatown, the small, wildly popular tourist spot in southeastern Oklahoma, could be much closer to getting its ZIP code back after two U.S. senators stepped in to help.On Wednesday, Republican U.S. Sen. James Lankford said he filed legislation to direct the U.S.

Mary Sue James

Mary Sue James, 77, moved to Chickasha in May 2023 and is a self-appointed litter picker-upper. “You can find me in Shannon Springs Park most mornings, picking up trash,” she said recently. “This is our children’s park. Let’s not trash it.”

Rig Report: Oklahoma’s rig count rebounded last week

From staff reports Western Oklahoma remains the center of the state’s oil and gas rig activity with a gain of one rig over the past week, according to the most recent Baker Hughes Rig Count.The total grew to 42 rigs, just two shy of the 44 rigs active in Oklahoma one year ago.

State orders OptumRx to stop ‘illegal clawbacks’

From staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY –The Attorney General’s Office has issued a cease-and-desist letter to OptumRx concerning reports that the pharmacy benefit manager attempted to engage in illegal, retroactive reimbursement clawbacks from Oklahoma pharmacies.

Percentage of primary energy consumption

Petroleum is this country’s most-consumed energy source, accounting for 37.5% of all energy usage in 2024. Petroleum, which has been the top power source since 1950, peaked in 1978 at 48.7% of all energy use.Natural gas is the nation’s second-biggest source of power in the U.S., accounting for 36.

Numerous troubling issues discovered in state forensic audit of Bradley’s town records

During a municipal election April 6, 2021, in the tiny town of Bradley, Oklahoma, 30 people wrote their names and addresses on the requisite sign-in sheet – but only 27 of them were confirmed to be eligible voters.

Cellphone ban presents challenges; classroom technology study discussed at interim study

ELGIN — Tessa Kuhn is a senior at Elgin High School – and she needs her cellphone. Kuhn, 17, said the new law that completely restricts cellphones for public school students is unfair and must be changed.