Shows
StateImpact OklahomaThe road ahead for Tulsa Public Schools: five months into Walters’ mandated improvement planNo district in Oklahoma is under the State Board of Education’s microscope quite like Tulsa Public Schools. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis and OPMX’s Max Bryan have this update on how TPS’ state-mandated improvement plan is going so far and the work that lies ahead.
2024-01-0404 minStateImpact OklahomaPrivate landowners in Oklahoma are stepping up to preserve habitat for prairie chickensRebecca Jim owns a mile and a half acreage just north of Vinita, Oklahoma, at the northern edge of the Cherokee Nation. She inherited this land from her family who used to ranch cattle here. She said her land is longer than it is wide, perfect for bringing back prairie chickens. She is turning two fields on the land into prairies to bring back prairie chickens.
2023-08-1005 minStateImpact OklahomaBig Bonuses, Bigger Risks: Oklahoma’s New Teacher Sign-On Bonus Program Raises ConcernSigning bonuses of as much as $50,000 are what Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said is needed to attract new and retired teachers to the classroom.That’s also what makes his new bonus plan a risky policy. StateImpact's Beth Wallis teamed up with Oklahoma Watch education reporter Jennifer Palmer for this story.
2023-06-2204 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact breaks down Oklahoma's 2023 education budgetStateImpact’s Logan Layden sat down with education reporter Beth Wallis for a breakdown of what education measures Oklahomans are going to get for their money after a contentious 2023 legislative session.
2023-06-0104 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘We will strive to survive the Ryan Walters time’: Oklahoma superintendents respond to Walters’ claims, rhetoricWalters repeatedly emphasized his focus on open communication with superintendents around the state. But when StateImpact sent out a survey to those superintendents, a much more complex picture emerged.
2023-05-2504 minStateImpact OklahomaThe battle for Oklahoma education fundingThe Oklahoma legislature has been deadlocked for weeks as it hashes out a plan for education funding. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis sat down with Oklahoman newspaper education reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel to talk about the events at the Capitol that led up to this moment.
2023-05-1104 minStateImpact OklahomaHealth secretary's ouster gives a look into "frustration" between the Senate and Gov. StittThe governor and the Legislature have been at odds over the state’s Medicaid agency, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. That fight came to a head last week, when the Senate booted the agency director from his Secretary of Health position. StateImpact’s Catherine Sweeney talks with Tres Savage, the editor of nonprofit outlet NonDoc, about what led lawmakers to reject Secretary Kevin Corbett's re-instatement.
2023-05-0404 minStateImpact OklahomaOU’s swatting event was a hoax, but the trauma it caused was realRun. Hide. Fight.Those were the words that ended the first of several text updates from OU’s emergency alert system on the night of April 7. The Norman Police Department had received calls that appeared to be coming from OU’s campus. The caller told police there was a shooting at the Bizzell Memorial Library and that one of the caller’s friends had been shot. And in secondary calls to Norman dispatch, gunshots can be heard. But as it turns out, it was a swatting incident — that is, a big hoax.
2023-04-2704 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma nursing schools ramp up admissions amid worker shortageThe state ranks 46th in the nation for nurses per capita, and of course, the pandemic has only made that worse. But all along, one of the major contributing factors to that shortage has been nursing school. There are a finite number of slots offered, and Oklahoma hasn’t had enough. Why? It’s complicated.
2023-04-1904 minStateImpact OklahomaFive years after the Oklahoma Teacher Walkout, the stakes are higher than everEven though funding measures advocated for by 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout participants were stymied largely by Republican lawmakers, Oklahoma’s GOP is now authoring record-level education funding measures that include teacher raises, along with a slew of labor rights bills for educators. But the funding bills are far from a done deal — in fact, due to a disagreement in how those bills should operate, there could be no deal at all.
2023-04-0604 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact Oklahoma discusses the state's newly extended postpartum Medicaid benefitsOklahoma offers pregnant residents special Medicaid coverage. That coverage used to last only 60 days after delivery, but under a new policy, that coverage will run for a full year instead. StateImpact’s Logan Layden and Catherine Sweeney discuss how the policy will affect thousands of new parents in Oklahoma.
2023-03-3004 minStateImpact OklahomaA proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors would affect Oklahoma adults tooHouse Bill 2177 is making its way through the statehouse. It purports to ban gender-affirming care for children and teens in Oklahoma. Supporters say children and teens aren’t equipped to make life-altering health decisions for themselves. One provision says no health facility receiving state funds can administer gender-affirming care to anyone of any age. Another provision would ban insurance companies from covering gender-affirming care, again, for all Oklahomans, no matter how old they are.
2023-03-2304 minStateImpact OklahomaTrans Oklahomans find community through music amid heightened anti-queer rhetoric in legislatureRecent pushes from the Oklahoma legislature to target queer issues in schools and medicine have mobilized some Oklahomans to fight back. The Transgender Action Choir is one group lifting their voices to speak up.
2023-03-1604 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma legislation would require insurance companies to cover high-tech medical screenings called biomarker testsBiomarker testing is a tool that doctors use to get a clearer picture of a medical problem — often cancer. Providers and patients say it can be difficult to get insurance companies to cover it. Oklahoma lawmakers are working to change that.
2023-03-0804 minStateImpact OklahomaWill Oklahomans vote to be the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana?Voters are just days away from deciding whether Oklahoma will legalize recreational marijuana. But results of similar ballot initiatives in Arkansas and Missouri could help predict the fate of State Question 820. KOSU's Xcaret Nuñez reports for StateImpact Oklahoma.
2023-03-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaHow Oklahoma's mismanagement of federal education funds could leave $18 million on the tableAt the end of January, Oklahoma's new Attorney General, Gentner Drummond, announced he would change course on a high profile debacle involving Secretary of Education and now State Superintendent Ryan Walters — and lots of federal money. Due to the state’s handling of its previous round of funding, Oklahoma now has nearly $18 million of federal education funding sitting untouched — and time is running out to spend it. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis sat down with Oklahoma Watch education reporter Jennifer Palmer for a recap of just what happened with the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.
2023-02-2304 minStateImpact OklahomaAnother pandemic relief policy is ending, making groceries even more expensive for low-income OklahomansDuring the pandemic, the federal government started giving extra help to families who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — often called SNAP or food stamps. Officials were trying to make sure families could still put food on the table during the sudden economic downturn. But when Congress passed its big omnibus bill in December, they nixed the extra help, putting a sudden expiration date on three years of emergency payments. The roughly 700,000 Oklahomans who have benefitted from SNAP monthly are set to see a big decrease in their food aid.
2023-02-1604 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘Never took a sick day in seven years’: Oklahoma teacher moms and the realities of no paid maternity leaveKarli Myers is a first-time parent and an English teacher at Sapulpa High School. And without any sick leave left to take, Myers had to return to her classroom the previous day, cutting short her time at home with Luke. That’s because public schools in Oklahoma aren’t mandated by the state to offer paid maternity leave to school faculty and staff — even though three out of four teachers in Oklahoma are women.In a push to combat the state’s record teacher shortage by attracting and retaining more educators, one bill unveiled by Oklahoma...
2023-02-0904 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact talks with Secretary of Health Kevin Corbett about Oklahoma's pivot to managed MedicaidOklahoma’s Medicaid program, SoonerCare, is on its way to profound change. StateImpact’s Catherine Sweeney talked with its director, Secretary of Health Kevin Corbett, this week about the transition to managed care.
2023-02-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaA decade of scandal at Epic Charter SchoolsAs more news emerges about embezzlement schemes at Epic Charter Schools, it might be difficult to keep up with the saga. That’s why StateImpact’s Beth Wallis asked Oklahoman newspaper reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel to get us up-to-speed on the last decade of Epic’s scandals. Martinez-Keel covers education at The Oklahoman and has been with the publication for four years.
2023-01-2604 minStateImpact OklahomaMethamphetamine is killing more Oklahomans than any illicit drug. A collaborative in Tulsa models how the communities can fight the epidemic.In 2013, Tulsans accounted for only about 13 percent of the state’s methamphetamine treatment admissions. In 2020, that figure climbed to one-third of the state’s admissions. That year, local nonprofits, treatment centers, law enforcement and government officials announced a collaborative, community-based initiative to help Tulsans find access to recovery services.
2023-01-1904 minStateImpact Oklahoma'A learner of learners': Staving off the "deprofessionalization' of Oklahoma's teachersOklahoma’s teacher shortage led to a record-breaking 3,780 emergency teaching certifications issued in 2022. From 2001-2018, Oklahoma’s enrollment in university education programs dropped by 80%. As the state's schools struggle to fill classrooms with teachers holding standard teaching certificates, provisionally certified teachers have had to step in to fill the gap. But do students lose out when hiring traditionally certified teachers becomes a luxury this teacher-strapped state can’t afford?
2023-01-1204 minStateImpact OklahomaState data paints a dire picture of Oklahoma teenagers' mental healthState data released this year showed half of the teens who participated in an annual survey checked yes on the traditional depression symptom of feeling so sad or hopeless for two weeks in a row that they lost interest in usual activities. It found that in 2021, nearly one in four respondents had contemplated suicide in the past year. Among girls, that rate was closer to one in three.
2022-12-2204 minStateImpact OklahomaMethamphetamine may not be the center of attention, but it's killing more Oklahomans than any other drug.Billion-dollar lawsuits and prestige television shows have made the opioid epidemic impossible to overlook. But it is far from the only drug epidemic the country — and Oklahoma — are facing. Overdose deaths from opioids, including prescription drugs as well as illicit forms of fentanyl, have increased over the past few years, likely because of struggles amid the pandemic. But one drug in particular is killing Oklahomans at an even higher rate: methamphetamine.
2022-12-1504 minStateImpact OklahomaPt. 2: ‘Disasters that define us’: Examining Northeast Oklahoma’s patchwork of flood protectionsHeavy rains in May 2019 revealed major disparities in flood protections across Oklahoma. While residents in Tulsa benefitted from decades of flood preparations, smaller communities lack the infrastructure and resources to keep the waters at bay. In the second of a two-part series with OPMX’s Graycen Wheeler, StateImpact’s Beth Wallis reports on how one riverside community came together to take care of each other.
2022-12-0904 minStateImpact OklahomaPt. 1: ‘Disasters that define us’: Examining Northeast Oklahoma’s patchwork of flood protectionsAs climate change continues to raise the stakes of severe flooding events, some Oklahoma communities are prepared to weather the storm, and some aren’t. During the extreme flooding of May 2019, communities were put to the test. In the first of a two-part series in partnership with StateImpact’s Beth Wallis, OPMX’s Graycen Wheeler reports on how two neighboring cities responded to disaster.
2022-12-0804 minStateImpact OklahomaHow social media affects the ways two Tulsa teenagers get their newsNathalie Valero and Elodie Musungayi are Tulsa teenagers who spoke about how social media is amplifying youth voices and how it impacts mental health for them and their peers. KOSU reporter Kateleigh Mills went to Tulsa to speak with them.
2022-12-0104 minStateImpact Oklahoma'It had to be more than just teachers and their families voting': Oklahoma educator responds to election outcomeLeading up to the midterms, throngs of teachers and education advocates rallied around democratic candidates for governor and superintendent. But after the ticket went to Gov. Kevin Stitt and Education Secretary Ryan Walters, some of those teachers are thinking about leaving the state altogether. Jami Jackson-Cole is a fifth grade teacher at Duncan Public Schools and manages the Oklahoma Edvocates Facebook page, which is a community of thousands of teachers and parents around the state. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis spoke to her about how Oklahoma teachers are looking at the road ahead.
2022-11-1704 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact Oklahoma reporters react to midterm election resultsUnlike some other states, Oklahoma’s midterm election results are in the books. The results have big implications for education, health, and the environment in our state. Managing editor Logan Layden discussed what the outcome means with the StateImpact Oklahoma reporters.
2022-11-1004 minStateImpact OklahomaThe Adderall shortage has made its way to Oklahoma.Workforce problems, federal regulations and an increase in demand are creating a shortage of ADD and ADHD medications. Local medical providers started seeing an issue this summer. There are ways around the shortage, but they involve jumping through hoops.
2022-11-0304 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma lawmakers tried to limit four day school weeks, but they’re hanging on in rural communitiesFour day school weeks have become more common across Oklahoma over the last decade. Lawmakers have tried to limit the practice. But as StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports, the rural districts that use them are fighting to keep them.
2022-10-2704 minStateImpact OklahomaWhen Oklahoma voters choose a governor in November, they'll be voting on the future of SoonerCare.The governor's race has had plenty of hyper-partisan debates, but one major issue falls away from party politics. Gov. Kevin Stitt wants to fundamentally alter the state's Medicaid program. His plan would bring in private-sector insurance companies to manage the no-cost health insurance that covers 1.3 million Oklahomans. The gubernatorial election will determine whether he gets to. Democratic challenger Joy Hofmeister argues that Stitt's plan to partially privatize SoonerCare simply funnels money into insurance companies' profits, and that the state should instead invest in health infrastructure directly.
2022-10-2004 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat more can be done to save the Lesser Prairie-Chicken?In June 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken on the Endangered Species List — a move that would’ve triggered significant federal protections for the imperiled grouse. However, the Service has yet to finalize its proposal to do so, despite its June 2022 deadline. If the bird does get listed, industries will be required to mitigate their development impacts through conservation measures. But if the delay continues or the bird is never listed, advocates say this rare, dancing bird is running out of time.
2022-10-1304 minStateImpact OklahomaAlumni gather at Oklahoma City's old Northeast High School to honor 1970 student activismA group of alumni from the former Northeast High School in Oklahoma City returned to their alma mater this weekend to remember their old school and activism many engaged in more than 50 years ago. StateImpact’s Robby Korth tagged along. Listen to his story below.
2022-10-1002 minStateImpact OklahomaHow important is education in Oklahoma’s race for governor?As Governor Kevin Stitt gears up for his challenge from State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister in November, StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports on what effects education policy could have on the race.
2022-10-0604 minStateImpact OklahomaAs pandemic response wanes, Oklahoma schools adapt to the end of universal free lunchOver the past year, pandemic relief efforts have been winding down. One of the first to go: universal free lunch for public school students.For more than two years during the pandemic, the waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture meant all kids qualified for free breakfasts and lunches. It saved families with one child hundreds of dollars per year, and for families with multiple kids, it saved thousands. It meant families who might qualify for free or reduced lunches didn’t have to handle paperwork, and no students had to navigate lunch debt.Bu...
2022-09-2904 minStateImpact OklahomaWhere should we put our country's nuclear waste? StateImpact Oklahoma goes underground to find outMore than 2,000 feet underground in Carlsbad, New Mexico, sits the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). WIPP is the country’s only deep geological repository for nuclear waste of any kind — the U.S. doesn’t have a permanent repository for high level waste like spent nuclear fuel . But its other claim to fame is it’s also a case study in “consent-based siting,” which is the practice of getting community buy-in for nuclear storage sites.Now, a $3 million research project led by the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Public Policy Research is aiming to develop a new fr...
2022-09-1504 minStateImpact OklahomaPlaintiff: challenging Oklahoma's transgender bathroom ban 'just the right thing to do'Three Oklahoma students are suing the state over its law that bars transgender students from using the bathroom corresponding with their gender identity.Andy Bridge is the lead plaintiff. The suit argues Senate Bill 615 is unconstitutional and should be overturned.Bridge and his parents, Aysha Prather and Eli Bridge, sat down with StateImpact Oklahoma reporter Robby Korth to share why they think it was an important step to take.
2022-09-0904 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact answers some common questions about HB 1775StateImpact has gotten many questions about House Bill 1775, Oklahoma’s so-called critical race theory ban. So education reporter Robby Korth tried to address the most common ones. Here he is talking with Logan Layden about answering those frequently asked questions.
2022-09-0804 minStateImpact OklahomaSharing Indigenous Oklahoma stories at Field Museum exhibit ‘really inspiring’ for Stilwell studentsStateimpact is on a tour around Oklahoma to gather voices, stories and more from youth. Education reporter Robby Korth and KOSU engagement reporter Kateleigh Mills talked with two Stilwell High School students about their art and how they fit in as Cherokee in Oklahoma.
2022-09-0104 minStateImpact OklahomaA new wastewater monitoring program means Oklahoma doesn't have to rely solely on testing to find COVID and monkeypox.Researchers at the University of Oklahoma started developing a monitoring program in 2020. Now, they're working with state health officials to scan for about a dozen pathogens — including COVID, monkeypox and West Nile Virus.
2022-08-2504 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘Something that can’t be replaced’: What a turnpike project could mean for Oklahoma wildlifeThe ACCESS Oklahoma Turnpike project from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is a 15-year, $5 billion project to build several turnpike routes in central, southern and northeastern Oklahoma. Residents in the paths of these turnpike extensions who regularly see deer grazing in their yards and eagles soaring overhead are wondering, what’s going to happen to all the wildlife and the facility that takes care of them? And how far does the law go to protect them?
2022-08-1804 minStateImpact OklahomaTexas students help make up for enrollment losses at Oklahoma collegesAs Oklahoma colleges struggle to maintain enrollment, they’re increasingly turning to other places to recruit new students. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports the top target is the Sooner state’s neighbors to the south.
2022-08-1104 minStateImpact OklahomaIn StateImpact conversation, Tulsa high schoolers ask peers ‘Will you accept me as I am?’StateImpact is on a listening tour with Oklahoma’s youth. And we’ve brought along our microphones. StateImpact’s Robby Korth and KOSU’s Kateleigh Mills talked to a couple of Tulsa high school students about race, gender and how they interact with their peers at school.
2022-08-0404 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma allows abortions in life-threatening situations, but how much danger is enough?Several states that banned abortion created exceptions for medical emergencies, but the laws fail to make clear which conditions qualify for the exception. That leaves room for interpretation, which has already caused delays in life-saving care.
2022-07-2804 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma educators don’t shy away from difficult conversations at Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial & Museum eventAs lawmakers, parents and school boards debate what kids should or shouldn’t learn in the classroom, teachers are still trying to find ways to lead tough conversations. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports on a day a couple dozen educators at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum spent figuring out just that.
2022-07-2604 minStateImpact OklahomaPt. 2, Sustaining sustainability: The waste problem in Oklahoma’s cannabis industry and the innovators at the helm of changeOne Oklahoman is taking it on herself to chip away at the mountains of packaging waste left by the booming industry. Taylor Davis, a 28-year-old Edmond resident, drives hundreds of miles every week to pick up tubs full of pop-top drams, glass jars, tiny cardboard boxes and Mylar bags from dispensaries around the state. Since February, she’s held these recycling drives at dispensaries all over Oklahoma, which she advertises on her Instagram, @RecycleYourEmpties. She said everywhere she goes, she meets people who just can’t bring themselves to toss piles of packaging into a landfill.
2022-07-2204 minStateImpact OklahomaPt. 1, Sustaining sustainability: The waste problem in Oklahoma’s cannabis industry and the innovators at the helm of changeWith Oklahoma’s medical marijuana scene growing rapidly, industry professionals and cannabis patients are feeling the weight of packaging waste. But a lack of recycling infrastructure and an unwillingness to raise prices for sustainable packaging have left Oklahoma unprepared to handle the growing mountains of plastic packing the state’s landfills.
2022-07-2104 minStateImpact OklahomaTulsa teenagers discuss how to be allies to their friends during uncertain timesStateImpact is on a listening tour with Oklahoma’s youth. And we’ve brought along our microphones. KOSU’s Kateleigh Mills and StateImpact’s Robby Korth talked to a couple of Tulsa teenagers about being allies for their friends, following the news and about their own roles as Oklahomans.
2022-07-1404 minStateImpact OklahomaTwo more COVID strains have made their way to Oklahoma. Here's what to know.The health department confirmed that two new variants account for about 40 percent of new cases. And according to state data, the number of officially reported cases per week doubled in June. StateImpact's Catherine Sweeney talked with Dr. David Holden, the president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, about how contagious these variants are and what risk factors Oklahomans should be considering.
2022-07-0704 minStateImpact Oklahoma'When a right is created by the Supreme Court, it can go away': What overturning Roe could mean for contraception access, sexual privacy and marriage equalityIn the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were struck down. In his opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote three previous rulings that used the same constitutional mechanism as Roe and Casey had been decided erroneously and should be reexamined. StateImpact Oklahoma reporter Beth Wallis interviewed Kathleen Tipler — an OU political science professor who specializes in gender, sexuality and the law — to understand how the Dobbs decision could impact other precedents related to contraception, sexual privacy and marriage equality.
2022-06-3004 minStateImpact OklahomaFor years before the Saint Francis shooting, health workers have experienced on-the-job violence at alarming rates.And they say the pandemic has made it worse. One national survey of nurses found 44 percent of them experienced physical abuse at work in early 2020.
2022-06-2304 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma City teenagers ask policymakers not to ‘downplay' their experiencesStateImpact is on a listening tour with Oklahoma’s youth. And we’ve brought along our microphones. Two recent high school graduates from Oklahoma City - Aspen Harrod and Ahmari Sango - talk about their comfort levels in the classroom, how they fit in society and representation. StateImpact’s Robby Korth talked with them in late May.
2022-06-1604 minStateImpact OklahomaTulsa mass shooting reignites gun policy debate in OklahomaOn the afternoon of June 1, a man walked into a local gun store and bought an AR-style rifle. A few hours later, he used that rifle and a handgun he’d purchased two days before to kill four people at a Tulsa medical center before turning the gun on himself.This came just a week after an 18-year-old bought an AR-style rifle and days later massacred 19 children and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas. And that came a little over a week after an 18-year-old, who had previously threatened a murder-suicide at his high school, purchased a sem...
2022-06-0904 minStateImpact OklahomaCritics say Oklahoma’s abortion and Critical Race Theory crackdowns rely on fearUnder the state's new abortion bans, are Oklahomans allowed to donate to abortion funds? Are they allowed to advise patients on their options in other states? The slew of contradictory bills passed this year weren't explicit. Vague laws leave residents wondering what’s legal and what isn’t. Opponents argue that is by design.
2022-06-0205 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘It’s utterly ridiculous:’ trans Tulsa students react to Oklahoma’s school bathroom banGovernor Kevin Stitt on Wednesday signed a bill to bar transgender students from using the bathroom corresponding with their identity. StateImpact's Robby Korth and KOSU's Kateleigh Mills went to Tulsa the day the bill was sent to the governor for a conversation with three trans high schoolers. The teenagers talked about identity and how political conversations surrounding the bathrooms they use affect them.
2022-05-2603 minStateImpact OklahomaSubstitute shortage persisted even after Oklahoma school closures slowed downEarlier this year a teacher shortage in Oklahoma forced hundreds of school districts to close their doors because of a lack of substitutes to fill in for educators out with the coronavirus. But StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports even though it’s no longer in the headlines, the substitute teacher shortage persists.
2022-05-1904 minStateImpact Oklahoma'Oklahoma doesn't want us': Families grapple with looming displacement from turnpikeOn February 22, Governor Kevin Stitt announced plans for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to embark on a $5 billion, 15-year project to expand Oklahoma’s turnpike network. Two families facing displacement from the turnpike project told their stories to StateImpact’s Beth Wallis. In Part 2, you’ll hear the story of Darla and Cedric LeBlanc, a Norman family whose home and horticulture business sits in the path of the proposed South Extension route. Beth Wallis visited the family’s home, where they were hosting an Easter egg hunt.
2022-05-1304 minStateImpact Oklahoma'That home is sacred to me': Norman woman joins fight against turnpikeOn February 22, Governor Kevin Stitt announced plans for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to embark on a $5 billion, 15-year project to expand Oklahoma’s turnpike network. The effort to expand the turnpike loop around Oklahoma City south and west, through the Moore and Norman areas is raising concerns about water quality, the preservation of wildlife, property rights and even the rare rose rock. But for some, it’s personal. In Part 1 of this 2-part piece, you’ll hear the story of Lisa Meyer, a Norman resident whose home sits by the path of the proposed South Extension route. The hom...
2022-05-1204 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma already ranked among the highest in the country for sexually transmitted infections. The pandemic likely made it worse.The newest round of CDC numbers sound bad. No. 11 for chlamydia. No. 5 for gonorrhea. No. 4 for syphilis. these high rates — revealed in the CDC’s STI data for 2020 — aren’t new for Oklahoma. But local experts believe the pandemic worsened STI rates in much the same way that it worsened other health outcomes.
2022-05-0504 minStateImpact OklahomaHow Oklahoma Watch and The Frontier teamed up to investigate an $18 million no-bid contract between Oklahoma and a Florida companyA joint investigation by nonprofit news outlets Oklahoma Watch and The Frontier found that Governor Kevin Stitt and his now-Secretary of Education Ryan Walters pushed $18 million to a Florida company called Class Wallet to distribute CARES Act funds. StateImpact’s Robby Korth spoke with one of the authors of that article, Clifton Adcock, about his work on the story.Read the full story here: https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/stitt-gave-families-8-million-for-school-supplies-in-the-pandemic-they-bought-christmas-trees-gaming-consoles-and-tvs/
2022-05-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact wants to hear from marginalized Oklahoma youthIn Oklahoma, culture wars can feel exhausting to marginalized youth. So StateImpact’s Robby Korth and KOSU’s Kateleigh Mills are embarking on a listening tour and they’re bringing microphones. Now, they need your help.
2022-04-2904 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘I love a place that hates me,’ how two transgender Oklahoma teens navigate current events in their home stateStateImpact is on a listening tour with Oklahoma’s youth. And we’ve brought along our microphones. In the first session, two transgender high school juniors from Tulsa share how they feel about their education and their place in the state. Their names are MJ and Dominik, and they sat with StateImpact’s Robby Korth earlier this month.StateImpact’s Robby Korth and KOSU’s Kateleigh Mills produced this story as part of the America Amplified initiative using community engagement to inform and strengthen local, regional and national journalism. America Amplified is a public media initiative funded by the Cor...
2022-04-2804 minStateImpact OklahomaStriking gold in the green rush: entrepreneurs tap into Oklahoma's weed economyThe economic impact of Oklahoma’s blossoming industry reaches far beyond cannabis business owners — from packaging and banking partners to storefront landlords and thousands of employees. But as for state and local revenue from cannabis taxes, officials hesitate to characterize the industry as a silver bullet to the state’s economic woes. Hear the story of one entrepreneur who struck gold in Oklahoma's green rush.
2022-04-2104 minStateImpact OklahomaHow property tax protests are hurting Oklahoma schoolsOklahoma schools have an $80 million problem. That’s how much money county assessors say local governments are owed in taxes but are currently held in escrow amid protests. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports on a property tax fight that’s hurting schools.
2022-04-1403 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma abortion laws would send providers to prison for up to a decade and further strain on out-of-state clinicsOklahoma lawmakers are in a mad dash to eradicate abortion in Oklahoma, passing a slew of bills to restrict — and in some cases, even criminalize — the procedure. These laws now stand a better chance of going into effect, and that if they do, will have a major impact on the region, not just Oklahoma.
2022-04-0704 minStateImpact OklahomaMemory loss, debilitating fatigue and more: Oklahomans share their experiences with long COVID symptomsEven though cases are down, thousands of Oklahomans are still dealing with COVID symptoms. As many as one in three who are infected with the virus will continue to have symptoms for weeks — or even months — after recovery.StateImpact talked with more than a dozen Oklahomans about their experiences with long-term COVID symptoms. What did those symptoms look like? To be honest, the experiences were all over the map, but there were a few things that came up time and again: lung issues, heart issues, brain fog — and frustration. Listen for more.
2022-03-3104 minStateImpact OklahomaLong-embattled, rare beetle offers hope of new discoveriesThe rare American Burying Beetle could hold the key to new medical treatments and novel meat preservation methods. But these beetles are facing threats that could wipe them out of Oklahoma — and perhaps most of the country. And some conservationists say the government hasn’t done enough to protect the dwindling population of ABBs.
2022-03-2404 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat does school choice look like in rural Oklahoma?Oklahoma Republicans are split on Senate Bill 1647. The measure would give private school families vouchers to pay for tuition. But many rural state lawmakers say school choice in their towns is different. So, StateImpact’s Robby Korth went to one small town to see. What does school choice look like in rural Oklahoma?
2022-03-1708 minStateImpact OklahomaPsychedelic mushroom research could soon be legal in OklahomaResearch into how psychedelic mushrooms could help patients with mental health conditions is gaining momentum, even in Oklahoma. Some state lawmakers are interested in the idea — if it helps veterans.
2022-03-1005 minStateImpact OklahomaThe road to electric: Oklahoma navigates transition to embracing electric vehiclesThis new frontier of electric vehicles in Oklahoma isn’t without its challenges — accessibility, range anxiety, infrastructure and competing in a state with a historic reliance on oil and gas production. But Oklahoma is paving the road ahead by building out its charging network and rethinking its motor fuel tax structure.
2022-03-0304 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact Discusses: Critics argue Oklahoma's lethal injection protocol could constitute cruel and unusual punishment — and that the state shouldn't be allowed to hide the details behind itOklahoma secrecy laws allow the state to obscure where it gets lethal injection drugs. Given the state's track record, the critics say, that shouldn't be the case. StateImpact Editor Logan Layden talks with health reporter Catherine Sweeney about the state's controversial protocol, the drugs it uses to execute Oklahomans, and the secrecy laws that obscure where officials buy them.
2022-02-2704 minStateImpact OklahomaHow Oklahoma’s classroom curriculum bans affect Black educators and familiesFor the last year Oklahoma Republicans have derided Critical Race Theory as a racist way of teaching that discriminates against white students. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports it’s been a difficult debate to watch for at least one Black father and scholar of the subject.
2022-02-2404 minStateImpact Oklahoma"There's going to be a real blip." Medical professionals are concerned about delayed routine screenings and their long-term effects.Residents have been missing out on cancer screenings, diabetes management and other services that prevent and detect disease.
2022-02-1604 minStateImpact Oklahoma'A world of wounds': Decline in grasshopper populations offers window into consequences of climate changeFor the last two decades, the grasshoppers of the Konza Prairie Biological Station in Manhattan, Kansas, have been declining significantly — even as their main food source, grass, has nearly doubled in abundance. Researchers analyzed decades of grass samples and found that increased CO2 and climate change have caused these plants to become less nutritious. And this process — nutrient dilution — is happening all over the world.
2022-02-1004 minStateImpact OklahomaAmid noisy controversies Oklahoma school librarians do their best to create ‘informed citizens’The books in Oklahoma school libraries don’t end up on the shelves by accident. A few parent groups and legislators are trying to limit what appears in school libraries. StateImpact's Robby Korth reports on how librarians decide which books are available to kids.
2022-02-0304 minStateImpact OklahomaMedicaid, marijuana, and culture wars: StateImpact Oklahoma discusses the upcoming legislative sessionThe Oklahoma Legislature is back in session on February 7th. Managing editor Logan Layden led a discussion with the StateImpact Oklahoma reporters on what they'll be covering, including how to deal with Medicaid expansion, new regulations on the marijuana industry, and the influence of state government on what's taught and read in schools.
2022-01-2704 minStateImpact OklahomaNewly released records shed light on issues in Oklahoma's public health lab and pandemic centerWhen Gov. Kevin Stitt announced in October 2020 that his administration would soon move the state’s Public Health Laboratory from Oklahoma City to Stillwater, opposition came quickly. The Frontier’s Kassie McClung and Kayla Brand partnered with StateImpact and spent more than a year requesting emails, invoices and other documents related to the public health lab and the state’s newly Pandemic Center for Innovation and Excellence.
2022-01-2004 minStateImpact OklahomaThe Omicron variant is hitting Oklahoma hard and creating troubles unseen in earlier surgesOklahoma recorded some of its highest daily case counts of the pandemic in the past week. You wouldn’t think so, just looking around. Virtually no mask mandates in businesses or cities. Many employers requiring in-person work. Schools and universities welcoming all of their students back to the physical classroom. But health officials say new issues have cropped up this time: more dire work shortages, new causes for vaccine hesitancy and hospitals already strained by other viruses.
2022-01-1304 minStateImpact OklahomaUnintended consequence of SQ 780 may impact access to drug treatment courtsDrug treatment courts help those charged with drug and alcohol offenses straighten out their lives, with documented success, such as with former Oklahoma Sen. Cal Hobson. But efforts to reform the state’s criminal justice system are causing unintended consequences for the program.
2022-01-0704 minStateImpact OklahomaEven with green light, few Oklahoma schools are requiring masksFewer Oklahoma schools are requiring masks in their classrooms than at any point during the pandemic. In a conversation with StateImpact Managing Editor Logan Layden, education reporter Robby Korth says going into the spring 2022 semester that already dwindling number could get even smaller.
2021-12-1604 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma City's arts scene is growing, but rising rents and COVID fallout are squeezing its artistsPopulation growth, short housing supply and slow wage growth are threatening the city's affordability. Artists, who suffered lost gigs and fewer opportunities throughout the pandemic, are feeling the strain.
2021-12-0904 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘It's like WPA Money’: How federal COVID-19 relief funds are helping schools make infrastructure improvementsFederal relief money for the coronavirus has injected more than $1 billion into Oklahoma’s public schools. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports that in many places, it’s giving schools a chance to catch up on much needed infrastructure improvements.
2021-12-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaPolitics dial up intensity at Oklahoma school board meetingsSchool board meetings used to be pretty boring. But now they’ve become a battleground over big political topics like the coronavirus and race. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports with The Oklahoman’s Nuria Martinez-Keel on what’s happening at these meetings in Oklahoma.
2021-11-1104 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma's cafeterias have been hit hard by the coronavirusA national food shortage means lunchrooms across Oklahoma are short on much of what they need to serve students. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports on the efforts child nutrition employees make to ensure kids are fed.
2021-11-0404 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma's recent COVID-19 hospitalization spike created a strain on oxygen — and not just for hospitalsAs thousands of Oklahomans battled COVID-19 in ICUs earlier this year, hospitals’ demand for liquid oxygen skyrocketed. The strain highlighted supply chain and infrastructure challenges inside and outside the medical system.
2021-10-2804 minStateImpact OklahomaACLU lawyer discusses challenge to Oklahoma’s critical race theory banEarlier this week, the ACLU announced it would lead a coalition of civil rights and educational groups suing Oklahoma over its controversial critical race theory ban in federal court. StateImpact’s Robby Korth talked with ACLU of Oklahoma legal director and attorney Megan Lambert about the legal action.
2021-10-2104 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma School for the Deaf welcomes new, more inclusive Bison mascotHost: Earlier this month Oklahoma School for the Deaf unveiled a fresh logo featuring their new Bison mascot. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports the Bison name flips a new page in the storied history of Oklahoma’s school for deaf students.NEWSPAPER CLIPPING PAGE FLIPRK: John Reinenger is thumbing through a book of old newspaper clippings. The pages are from his days as a student at Oklahoma School for the Deaf here in Sulphur, a school that competed under the name Indians in his time. He’s speaking here through an interpreter.REINEN...
2021-10-1404 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma urgent cares face cutbacks and shutdowns amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic strainIn a weekly update to state agencies, the Oklahoma State Department of Health warned that strain has led to cutbacks. It reads, in part, "Urgent care centers are reporting decreased hours or are shutting down due to inability to serve patient volume or redirect staff to other facilities to support increase in patients." Like all other health providers, the centers are experiencing staff shortages, high demand and burnout.
2021-10-0504 minStateImpact OklahomaWhite House COVID-19 response adviser talks boosters with StateImpact OklahomaDr. Cameron Webb is the senior policy adviser on COVID-19 equity on the White House’s response team. After federal regulators approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for booster doses, Webb talked with StateImpact about who should get the third dose and why.
2021-09-3004 minStateImpact OklahomaSanta Fe South was the first district to implement a mask mandate in Oklahoma this fall. Here’s how it’s goingA growing number of schools around Oklahoma are starting to mandate masks in their hallways, with opt out provisions. StateImpact’s Robby Korth takes us inside the first public school in Oklahoma to require masks this semester.
2021-09-2304 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma medical groups expand free therapy program for doctors amid COVID-19 falloutDr. Mary Clarke says there's an age-old problem: doctors don't talk about their own problems. She is the president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association. That group saw trouble coming. Doctors, who already tend to struggle with mental health, started dealing with something plaguing all of us for the past 18 months: the pandemic. Financial struggles, family separation and more created even more risk factors for the state's physicians.
2021-09-1604 minStateImpact OklahomaCoronavirus pandemic causes lagging kindergarten and pre-k enrollmentsEarly childhood education is something Oklahoma has traditionally done well. But as parents fear the effects of COVID-19 on their youngest children, the state is seeing a steep drop in the number of students enrolled in Pre-K and kindergarten programs. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports on the decline.
2021-09-0904 minStateImpact OklahomaAn Oklahoma teacher shares her battle with the coronavirusAs the school year started in August, cases of COVID-19 among teachers and students grew across Oklahoma. StateImpact's Robby Korth and KOSU's Kateleigh Mills spoke with an Oklahoma City metro teacher named Anna about her experience catching the coronavirus and missing more than a week of classes.
2021-09-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma adds basic dental coverage to Medicaid amid a dire lack of careAbout every other person in Oklahoma can't get dental insurance. Nonprofits scramble to fill in the gaps, caring for people who come in with broken teeth, painful abscesses and worse. State officials took a major step in ramping up access this year, opening preventative coverage to adults enrolled in SoonerCare.
2021-08-2604 minStateImpact OklahomaHofmeister: school boards ‘best suited to address’ masking in schoolsThe Biden administration lashed out at Oklahoma’s policies limiting mask wearing in a letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt and state schools superintendent Joy Hofmeister Wednesday. StateImpact’s Robby Korth sat down with Hofmeister to discuss its contents and Oklahoma City Public Schools’ masking requirement rules, Thursday.In a statement sent by a spokesman, Gov. Stitt says Oklahomans want to make their own decisions about whether their children should wear masks in school. "The fact that President Biden is focused on telling Oklahomans how to parent their kids while he turns his back on the American citizens trappe...
2021-08-2004 minStateImpact OklahomaAs a new school year starts, StateImpact is tracking COVID-19’s impactSchool is in session across Oklahoma, even as the pandemic continues to rage and the Delta variant impacts more and more children. Managing editor Logan Layden sat down with StateImpact reporters Robby Korth and Catherine Sweeney for a discussion on the disruptions already occurring.
2021-08-2004 minStateImpact OklahomaWrongful convictions leave unhealed woundsPeople who are personally affected when justice is denied will never think about the state's courts and law enforcement in the same way. StateImpact’s Quinton Chandler reports wrongful convictions can do long lasting harm and change how individual Oklahomans view the criminal justice system.
2021-08-1204 minStateImpact Oklahoma"Unheard of:" Rare summer RSV surge fills Oklahoma children's hospitalsAs the school year draws nearer, COVID-19 is not the only disease putting pressure on Oklahoma’s children’s hospitals. Across the state, kids are being admitted amid an unseasonable surge in respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. With demand already high, a back-to-school spike in COVID-19 could create a strain on pediatric beds.
2021-08-0504 minStateImpact OklahomaHow one Oklahoma school district is using the state’s Counselor Corps to improve mental health accessibilityOklahoma is making a big bet on helping students in the wake of a year interrupted by the coronavirus with mental health supports. StateImpact’s Robby Korth travels to Poteau to report how the district is leveraging a $35 million program to hire hundreds of counselors in schools across the state.
2021-07-2904 min