Oklahoma News Report

By Cathy Tatom

I recently went to Irving Elementary in Muskogee to see its new on campus health clinic.

The clinic is staffed by a nurse practioner and LPN. These ladies are a bunch of fun, but very serious when it comes to caring for thier patients. They provide all the same sorts of services as a traditional doctor’s office, but without the wait. See how in this video.

By Cathy Tatom

The tiny Swink School District in far Southeast Oklahoma is now one of the most technologically advanced districts in the nation.

It’s teachers all have I-pads, it’s classrooms are equipped with smartboards, and its students all have access to both I-pads and laptop computers.

I went Swink last week with photographer, Tim Carson. What we saw was pretty amazing. The kindergarten class was learning its numbers and how to write the alphabet on I-pads.

A sixth grader was using a downloaded I-book interactive science textbook. Students can tap on unfamiliar words to have a built in dictionary give the pronounciation and definition.

A teacher was using a smartboard and the I-pads to teach students how to read music and play the piano. The piano keyboards are an App available on the I-pads. Teachers were also using the smartboards to play classical music as students studied.

The most facinating part this district hardly had any technology just a couple of years ago. How they went from nearly no-tech, to totally high tech tonight on ONR.

By Cathy Tatom

Bartlesville will soon have a starring role as the backdrop for a new “A” list movie. “A” list actors, “A” list director and “A” list crew according to Jill Simpson of the Oklahoma Film and Music Office.

However, Simpson won’t name names, at least not yet. She says the production company and crew are not ready to release that information. They do want people to know if they want to break into movies open casting calls will be held at Bartlesville High School on Saturday and Sunday.

You don’t need professional acting experience or even a head shot and resume. All you need to do is show up. They’ll take your picture and availablity information to be put into the database of prospective extras.

Shooting on the major motion picture is scheduled to begin in September.

Lots of communities are turning to the Main Street Program to help encourage businesses to move back into downtown districts. The program helps businesses owners and operators refurbish and restore buildings to attract new customers and tourists. It also help communities improve infrasture like moving unsightly wires underground, upgrade sidewalks to make them more pedestrian friendly, and more.

Check out how having a Main Street Program is help Poteau revitalize it’s historic downtown district in this report.

I’d also like to thanks the folks in Poteau for inviting us down to see several projects the town is involved in to reinvent its downtown area and preserve its history. In the coming days and weeks we’ll be featuring some of those projects and the suprising aspects of Oklahoma’s history they unveil. Stay tuned, this is cool stuff!

by Cathy Tatom:

Drive down some of Oklahoma’s busiest highways and you find construction projects where it appears someone is building huge castles.

What are they? The new armed services reserve training centers. The enormous buildings are about to replace dozens of the state’s tiny old WPA era armories as the site of reserve training courses.

Come inside the castle being built in Muskogee with me to see how high tech and huge these things really are. The marvel when you realize this is about the smallest of the seven facilities being built across the state!