I hope everyone had a super week!
The soundtrack for this edition of my Friday news round-up is my favorite new British spoken word post-punk art rock band – Dry Cleaning. Their guitar-heavy riffs and dancy bassadelic sound has hints of Les Savy Fav, and if you know what that means, we can be friends.
At the end of each week, I try to highlight some of the local news stories, tidbits, oddities and other things that made the TLO radar, but due to my laziness and lack of motivation, didn’t get their own article.
Here's my Friday News Roundup!
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Stitt volunteers to accept Afghan refugees
Even though he's not a fan of people in his own hemisphere fleeing repressive regimes to live in the United States, and never seemed too concerned with the previous president forcing kids into cages at the southern border, Kevin Stitt announced he's standing up to Joe Biden, and that Afghan refugees are welcome in Oklahoma. Or something like that.
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) August 18, 2021
Since the entire GOP platform seems to be based on doing the exact opposite of what Democrats want to do, I wonder if Dems would be better off going with a bizarro agenda to help implement their real one? You know, maybe Biden should hold a press conference tomorrow claiming he wants to lower taxes on the rich, outlaw masks in schools and end Obamacare. That will get some results.
Not every GOP bonehead is in agreement with Stitt, though. His bigoted, compassionless brethren in the Derplahoman Party aren't taking it...
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Covid ruins Yukon Senior Ice Cream Social
The Senior Ice Cream Social, originally scheduled for Thursday, is CANCELED due to COVID-19 precautions. pic.twitter.com/3UF6Uq8cAj
— City of Yukon Ok (@cityofyukonok) August 17, 2021
I know they're trying to do the right thing, but wouldn't it be safer to have the old folks eat their ice cream in a controlled environment with their peers at a Senior Center as opposed to sending them to Braum's? Also, I like how a mortuary is a sponsor of a senior ice cream social. They should also support chicken fry cookouts and social smoking hours.
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Social media lets us know 3rd grader wrote Stitt a letter
A LETTER TO @GovStitt :
— Rebecca Pryor (@RebeccaPryorTV) August 15, 2021
This Oklahoma 3rd grader took matters into her own hands when she learned school mask mandates were banned across the state.
Here’s the letter she wrote explaining to the Governor why she feels mask requirements should be allowed in the classroom. 📨⤵️ pic.twitter.com/WmG32BdCls
The local media really ran with this story that felt more like a liberal publicity stunt. Considering most Oklahomans have a third-grade reading level, I honestly don't see what the big deal is.
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David Payne lectures Germans for filming tornado
Impressive tornado video… but, they could have been injured or killed shooting it…. https://t.co/R3b7STo5al
— David Payne (@tornadopayne) August 18, 2021
Yep, the dude who became famous for being a reckless buckaroo stormchaser who'd drive into the teeth of a tornado is now judging clueless Germans for dabbling in the Oklahoma-proud hobby of filming a tornado from their back porch. Hypocrite much? That would be like Emily Sutton getting mad at someone for riding a Pegasus through rainbows while not wearing a seatbelt.
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Worms Invade Oklahoma
You may have seen these armyworms in your yard. Here's what you can do about them: https://t.co/MpRo3XMFy3
— The Oklahoman (@TheOklahoman_) August 19, 2021
The east coast can take their cicadas and shove it! I'd much rather deal with those green flying missiles than worms. Then again, it appears armyworms also do a good job of keeping your grass short, so maybe they're better.
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Stillwater to fork over $100K in vaccine bribes
20 lucky vaccine recipients will win $5,000 in Stillwater. OSU home game tickets are also up for grabs.https://t.co/89ueSQeuQx
— KOKH FOX 25 (@OKCFOX) August 17, 2021
I'm all for trying to get as many people vaccinated as possible, and that includes bribing people to do it. That being said, can state, cities and other municipalities make these contests and giveaways – sans OSU tickets – retroactive? Why should the responsible people who did their part and got vaccinated early in the game be punished for doing the right thing?
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Cop forgets to put sexual assault charge on resume
A southeast Oklahoma assistant police chief quit days after an open records request was made for his employment application. https://t.co/su5hQFgiR2
— McAlester News (@McAlesterNews) August 17, 2021
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"How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains!"
I had so much fun hanging out with the Ponca City football team yesterday!
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) August 18, 2021
I spoke to them about staying on the right path and listening to their coaches and teachers and even got to fire off a couple lasers with their starting QB!
Thanks for the jersey and signed football! pic.twitter.com/yWr1jseUXN
It's not surprising that the Uncle Rico of Oklahoma Governors would want to toss lasers with a high school football team. After practice, I bet he went door-to-door selling the 24 piece set.
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Muskogee Building collapses
The roads are back open and power restored in downtown Muskogee where the Royal Casket building collapsed Friday night.https://t.co/ffGEAZOgkw
— NewsChannel 8 | KTUL (@KTULNews) August 15, 2021
In all fairness, the Royal Casket building probably needed to be buried.
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Anyway, I guess that concluded this week's recap. We'll get back into the flow of things next week.