Oklahoma News Report

The City of Tulsa is investing in a Green Fleet to save cash and help clear the air.

Tulsa has purchased a compressed natural gas trash truck as well as CNG powered SUV’s. CNG costs the city less than 70-cents a gallon. Running a garbage truck with CNG is expected to save the City $12,000 a year over operating a diesel powered trash truck. Tulsa also invested in gas-electric hybrid sedans to cut fuel costs. Hybrids get about 30 miles to the gallon. City pick up trucks that will be replaced by hybrids only get 15 miles per gallon.

CNG and Hybrid vehicles will also help Tulsa reduce air pollution by greatly reducing the amount pf pollutants the vehicles put out according to Brent Jones. “This vehicle burns three pounds of carbon per gasoline gallon equivalent versus an unleaded powered Civic, Civic LX would generate about 20 pounds of carbon.”

Zandra Longnecker is on a mission.
She wants to sell even more cookies than she did last year.

Zandra was born without ribs. She has titanium ribs instead that have to be replaced every three years as she outgrows them.

But her nurse says Zandra doesn’t think of herself as handicap and she is determined to be just like everyone else.

Or, in some cases better… Last year with 1,018 boxes of cookies sold she outdid all of the girl scouts in Okmulgee County.

The Red Cross is updating its list of shelters:

Muskogee shelter shut down. Power is back up in Muskogee. The shelter will remain open for Red Cross shelter workers in the area but is not for the public. No residents are there now.

Still Open: In Cookson: Cookson Community Center, 31521 S. 540 Road. 7 residents.

In Stilwell: First Baptist Church, 801 W. Hickory. 30 residents.

In Westville (Adair County): Assembly of God, Hwy. 62 East. 18 people overnight and 65 there now.

In Tahlequah: First United Methodist Church, 300 W. Delaware. 52 residents.

Cherokee County: If you need to be transported to a Red Cross shelter, you should contact your local Police Department, Emergency Management or Sheriff’s Department. Also, this is a number set up for rural rides to shelters: 456-3304.

Hot Meals: The Red Cross anticipates feeding 450 lunches today. If you need hot food while waiting for electricity to be restored to your home there are some mobile feeding stations, including Keefton Fire Department, Tahlequah Community Center, Welling Fire Department and Tahlequah EOC.

Help your neighbors. The Red Cross and OBI are still in need of blood. Please give if you are eligible. Contact local OBI or Red Cross donation centers in your community for times and special events designed to make giving easier.

The Red Cross is also in need of financial donations for sheltering operation. Go to www.oklahomaredcross.org to make a donation. Its original estimate for providing emergency services during the ice event was $92,000, but that was based on a three-day operation. Now we’re into the fourth day, so the cost is anticipated to go higher.

ICE STORM POWER OUTAGE UPDATE 10:30am January 29th

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports 20,937 homes and businesses across the state are without electric service due to the ice storm.

Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC) reports 19,844 electric cooperative customers are without power. The largest number of outages continues in Cherokee, Adair and Sequoyah counties. Electric restoration crews report .75 to 1.25 inches of ice accumulation on power lines. The peak outages occurred late Tuesday night when 38,834 electric cooperative customers were without power.

Below is a list of current affected electric cooperatives, the location of their office and the number of power outages.

Cookson Hills Electric (Stigler) – 650

East Central Oklahoma Electric (Okmulgee) – 1,200

Kiamichi Electric Cooperative (Wilburton) – 140

Lake Region Electric Cooperative (Hulbert) – 7,380

Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (Vinita) – 198

Ozarks Electric Cooperative (Fayetteville, Ark.) – 10,276

OG&E reports 143 outages in Porum and Muskogee

Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority reports 200 outages in Stilwell and 750 in Tahlequah

Shelters remain open to assist those impacted by the ice storm at the following locations:

Muskogee – First United Methodist Church, 600 E. Okmulgee – operated by American Red Cross

Stilwell – First Baptist Church, 801 W. Hickory – operated by American Red Cross

Westville – Assembly of God, Hwy. 62 East – operated by American Red Cross

Tahlequah – First United Methodist Church, 300 W. Delaware – operated by American Red Cross

Cookson – Cookson Community Center, 31521 S. 540 Road. This is a partnership with the Cherokee Nation. The Red Cross is providing volunteers and food. The Cherokee Nation is providing cots and blankets.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief continues to provide meals to the shelters from their mobile kitchen, located at the Muskogee Fairgrounds. Red Cross is transporting the meals from the Southern Baptist kitchen to the shelters.