Masons donate $200K for nurse scholarships

Nurses who want to return to work through Oklahoma’s nurse refresher course can get assistance, thanks to a donation from the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma.

Energy conservation measures urged

TULSA  – At the request of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), Public Service Co. of Oklahoma (PSO) has asked all of its customers to implement energy conservation measures to mitigate the risk of worsening conditions with power supplies in the region.

Affordable Care Act special enrollment period opens

OKLAHOMA CITY – A special enrollment period for individual health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act began Monday. Oklahomans who do not have health insurance may be eligible to purchase coverage through the health insurance marketplace.

Hilliary acquires Iowa ’phone company

Hilliary Communications LLC recently acquired Prairieburg Telephone Co., a rural telephone company serving the residents of Prairieburg, Iowa. The purchase is pending customary regulatory approval.

Raytheon: Ammonia could fuel future of sustainable flight

Raytheon Technologies Research Center is studying whether ammonia, a crucial ingredient in glass-cleaning products, could also be used in aviation fuel.

U.S. trade deficit grew last year

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States’ international trade deficit, which occurs when a country’s imports exceed its exports, grew in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The trade deficit increased from $576.9 billion in 2019 to $678.

Unions decline in state, U.S.

Union membership in Oklahoma dropped slightly in the past two years, from 6.2% of wage and salary workers in 2019 to 6.0% last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s union membership rate peaked in 1990, when it averaged 10.6%, and fell to a low point of 5.

Arctic temps strain utilities

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahomans narrowly avoided rolling energy blackouts Monday, as public utilities struggled to keep up with an unprecedented demand for natural gas and electricity sparked by a record-setting winter storm.

Lawton schools will still employ ‘virtual learning’

LAWTON - Lawton Public School students will continue with the Virtual Learning platform until Tuesday, February 23, Supt. Kevin Hime said Wednesday. “At this time, we are dealing with weather-related issues and damages to several of our schools and facilities.

OWRB green-lights repairs to Lake Ellsworth dam

OKLAHOMA CITY – A project to repair the damaged spillway at Lake Ellsworth received the blessing Tuesday of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. The Ellsworth spillway is a 300-foot-wide concrete structure consisting of an ogee weir, apron, and a stilling basin (see accompanying diagram).