Journal Record Week in Review for the week ending Sept. 7, 2021 – The Journal Record

Hancock: College football is strong despite challenges
The start of the college football season has excited passionate fans and Bill Hancock to match day in stadiums and on television screens across the country. It’s the sport that draws the second-largest crowd in the country after the NFL, Hancock said. The Executive Director of the College Football Playoff spoke with Journal Record interim editor Joe Dowd during the JR / Now webinar on Aug. 27 about success in sports, business and life.

Edmond is one of the most livable university cities
To find the most liveable college cities, SmartAsset surveyed 116 cities and towns across the country and compared median household incomes; Housing costs as a percentage of median household income; Concentration of restaurants and entertainment venues; average commute time; Share of households with Internet access; Unemployment; Property crime; and violent crime. Edmond, home of the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma Christian University, ranked seventh in the nation for quality of life.

The housing shortage creates a great demand for housing
The high buyer demand for single family homes results in skyrocketing prices for sellers, multiple competing bids, and a significant shortage of available inventory. And this demand is reflected in an increased demand for apartments. The low supply is part of the problem, said Justin Wilson, managing director of Newmark Knight Frank. Oklahoma, and in particular Oklahoma City, are markets with relatively low rents, so the current economic dilemma of high construction costs is even more daunting to build here.

Experts: Everyone needs a crisis management plan
Your company – yes, even your company – needs a crisis management plan, said panelists at The Journal Record’s Crisis Management Forum, held Aug. 19 at Oklahoma City Community College. Steven Metzer, Assistant Editor of Journal Record, moderated the panel discussion with Vic Albert, partner at Ogletree Deakins, and Tim Fawcett, director of cybersecurity advisory at Guernsey.

Former Texas Rangers home, now Choctaw Stadium
The former home of the Texas Rangers has been renamed Choctaw Stadium. Choctaw Casinos & Resorts recently acquired multi-year naming rights to the Arlington, Texas stadium, which was the home field of the Major League Baseball team from 1994 to 2019. Going forward, it will be a venue for college and high school soccer games, professional soccer and rugby and other events, officials said.

Measures to contain COVID-19 shot down by council
The Oklahoma City Council, following significant public comment, has rejected two measures to contain COVID-19, primarily against the proposed measures. An ordinance to renew a mask mandate and a resolution to develop a vaccination incentive program both failed with 4-5 votes. The city had a mask mandate in effect from July 17, 2020 to April 30. Some council members wanted to make up for it because of the recent surge in cases. Some members of the public accused them of transgressing their authority, of being communists, of seizing power, spreading lies and violating people’s freedoms.

DOC, counties in dispute over refunds
The lawsuit continues between the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and the Oklahoma county governments, which claim they are falling short of the DOC in reimbursing state prisoners. The Oklahoma Civil Appeals Court last month issued a mandate dismissing part of the counties’ lawsuit but referring the matter to the lower court for further processing. The case was filed against the state DOC by the Seminole, Oklahoma, Atoka, Lincoln, and Delaware counties. The districts are demanding compensation for amounts spent on state prisoners but not reimbursed by the DOC.

Effects of Medical Marijuana on the Capitol Agricultural Industry. examined
Oklahoma lawmakers, asking increasing questions from farmers and ranchers about the state’s burgeoning medical marijuana industry, conducted an interim study on related issues. Rep. Dick Lowe, a Republican from Amber, rural Grady County, said lawmakers want to make sure the rules are fair for everyone. Topics of particular concern included such things as liability for pesticide drift and the impact of the medical marijuana industry on crime and rural utilities. Lawmakers learned about airborne pesticides and herbicides and consumer safety requirements, medical marijuana testing requirements, the marijuana industry’s impact on property rights and value taxes, issues affecting the Oklahoma Department of the Environment, and more more.

Study: deleted files, jobs can reduce crime
Deleting the records of certain criminals would actually reduce crime and empower the state workforce, according to experts speaking during a preliminary study session at the Oklahoma Capitol. Criminal records can exclude individuals from employment, housing, credit and other resources, making them more likely to generate income through crime, the experts found. The current labor shortage could be addressed through the use of skilled and committed workers who are currently being overlooked due to their criminal record.

State school mask mandate blocked; Exceptions a must
An Oklahoma judge said she will temporarily block a state law banning the mask mandate for public schools, but students or their parents can opt out of the requirement if they so choose. Judge Natalie Mai said she would issue an injunction that will come into effect if she issues a written order detailing her verdict. Mai said she is blocking the law because it only applies to public schools, not private schools, and that schools that accept a mask mandate must provide parents or students with the option to opt out of the requirement. The verdict was passed by Governor Kevin Stitt, who signed the law and opposed mask mandates without exceptions, and Dr. Mary Clarke, president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, who joined the lawsuit brought by four parents who defied the law.

OKC company in court dispute with European distributor
An Oklahoma City company is involved in a lawsuit with its former European distributor who allegedly made copies of a product and sold it as its own. An appeals court ruled in favor of Oklahoma City-based Hetronic International, which had sued its former European distributor for making similar copies of its product. The court followed Oklahoma law to determine that the European company could indeed be sued and barred from selling its products outside of the United States. Hetronic sells and maintains radio remote controls for operating heavy construction machinery such as cranes. Hetronic products, characterized by the company’s distinctive black and yellow color scheme, are sold in more than 45 countries around the world.

State is approaching pre-pandemic unemployment rate
Unemployment rates in Oklahoma City and Tulsa have already fallen below pre-pandemic levels, and the state as a whole is nearing that target, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported. The prospect has lost their jobs for dozens of Oklahomans who swept the state in the past year with the coronavirus, and also for employers who have created many jobs but reported some problems filling the state. The OECD said initial claims by people claiming unemployment benefits decreased in the week ended August 21, as did the less volatile four-week moving averages of both initial claims and ongoing claims. According to Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt, the OECD paid $ 5.5 million in government benefits during the week, the lowest weekly payout since February 2020.